Vienna International Airport Voyage Tips and guide

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Vienna International Airport (Flughafen Wien-Schwechat VIE  ^IATA) is the busiest and biggest airport in Austria. It is just outside the city limits of Vienna on the far side of the City of Schwechat. The airport is the home base of Austrian Airlines^{[dead link]}.

Vienna International Airport has one terminal separated into three check-in areas. Check-in 3 is used by the Austrian Airlines Group, Emirates, Qatar and most Star Alliance members. Check-in 1 (formerly known as Terminal 1) is used by various oneworld and SkyTeam airlines. Check-in 2 is being refurbished.

• Detailed plans of terminals and map of Airport Grounds^{[dead link]}

Most European airlines and a significant number of intercontinental airlines have direct connections to Vienna. However, only Austrian Airlines fly to the American continent (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Miami, Toronto, and Havana), and there is direct service to some countries in Africa (Egypt, Algeria, Ethiopia and Tunisia). South and Central America are not served directly.

Schwechat is integrated into the Star Alliance network, with all European Star Alliance members having a direct flight from their main hubs (usually country capitals), as well as secondary cities. In particular, Lufthansa, the parent company of Austrian Airlines, flies directly to Vienna from all of their bases, including flights by its low-fare sister airline Eurowings from smaller German airports. Those flights can be booked on a single ticket with Lufthansa or Austrian flights.

Skyteam has a significant presence at the airport - apart from flights from European hubs of most members, there is a direct flight to Seoul-Incheon by Korean Airlines.

Low-fare airlines have a rather small but increasing presence in Schwechat, mainly by Lufthansa Group flights operated by Eurowings and Easyjet. Ryanair prefers to use the nearby airport in Bratislava. Vueling flies between Vienna and Barcelona El Prat, Palma de Mallorca, and Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Rome-Fiumicino, Norwegian has flights to Oslo, and Transavia has direct flights to Rotterdam and Paris-Orly.

To get to Vienna, you can use two different railway options (cheaper but slower S-Bahn and more expensive but faster CAT), buses or taxis. If your final destination is not Vienna, it might make sense to take one of the direct ICEs (Inter-City Express trains).

• S-Bahn (commuter rail) (underneath terminal). 05:00-24:00. S-Bahn suburban trains run on the S7 line to Vienna providing the cheapest connection to the city centre. Take a train bound for Floridsdorf (or Laa a.d. Thaya), which departs every 30 minutes (at :18 and :48), and get off at Wien-Mitte station on the eastern edge of the city centre (25 min). There are luggage boxes for €2.50 for 24 hours. From there the U-Bahn line U3 connects to Stephansplatz right in the core of the city centre, whereas line U4 provides service to Karlsplatz (for the Opera House) as well as the Donaukanal and the Schönbrunn Palace. Transfer is available to the U1 and U2 at Praterstern and U6 at Handelskai.
  
  Departure is one level below arrival on a separate platform from the CAT. Tickets can be purchased from the red vending machines (credit cards accepted). There are vending machines next to the ramp in the arrivals hall, on the mezzanine level down the ramp, and on the platform. A single ticket to Vienna costs €4.50 and includes the use of subways, trams, and buses. The new operating system of the machines can be confusing. You first choose who is travelling (number of people and which discounts apply), then you choose your connection (S-Bahn S7). If you already have a travel pass for the core zone (Zone 100), you only need to buy a ticket from the airport to Schwechat, where the core zone starts (€2.10 in Aug 2024). Other variants using the zone system are possible (at the VOR homepage, point at Tickets & Preise and click on Wochen/Monatskarten and Tarifzonenplan). Ticket controls are infrequent but conductors do not hesitate to fine anyone (€100) without a valid ticket, and being a tourist is not a valid excuse. Be sure to validate the tickets with the machine before boarding the train. €4.50 each way. (updated Sep 2024)

• City Airport Train (CAT) (underneath terminal). The City Airport Train (CAT) is a non-stop connection to Wien-Mitte (Landstraße) Station taking 16 minutes. It departs at :08 and :38 past every hour. The departure times from Wien-Mitte are the same. The CAT is heavily advertised, but it only has limited advantages over the S-Bahn connection or the buses. It lands you in the Wien Mitte area, which is not entirely central, and from where you still may have to change to other means of transportation to get to your destination. The departures are infrequent enough that you may still be better off timewise taking the S-Bahn from Wien-Mitte if it departs more immediately.
  A useful feature of the CAT for Star Alliance passengers is the check-in and baggage drop-off at Wien Mitte/Landstraße station, so that if you have a flight later in the day, you can drop your luggage in the morning and enjoy a carefree day in the city. City check-in may be denied from 90 minutes before departure. Members of Miles & More get bonus miles for using the City Airport Train. One way €14.90, return trip €24.90 at the vending machines (less if purchased online beforehand, +€2 if purchased on the train). (updated Dec 2023)
• Long distance trains: ÖBB trains depart to Austria's major cities and Germany, with stops at Vienna Main Station (Hauptbahnhof) and Meidling. Hauptbahnhof has transfer to U1, Meidling to U6. Departs every 30min (at :03 and :33); travel time 18 min to Hauptbahnhof. Good alternative to the City Airport Train. The new private company operating the Austrian network is WESTbahn It only has one route towards Salzburg, stopping at Linz and other major cities. A good place to catch up one of these trains is at Vienna Rennweg, where the line 7 of S-Bahn stops on its way from the airport.

• Vienna AirportLines Bus (outside arrivals). 05:00-24:00. Direct buses drive frequently between Vienna International Airport and assorted points in Vienna. Operated by Postbus. Tickets can be purchased with cash from the operator. Service animals, as well as small pets in carriers are permitted, free of charge. All routes: One way €8, Round-trip €11. 
  • Morzinplatz/Schwedenplatz line goes to the city center (District 1). Buses every 30 minutes, operating 24/7, the trip takes 20 minutes. At Schwedenplatz there is a connection to the underground lines U1 and U4 as well as buses and trams. St. Stephans Cathedral (the very center of Vienna) is a five-minute walk away.
  • Westbahnhof-City Hall-Schottentor line is connecting the big train station, with stops on the way near Rathaus and University - a good choice for business travellers. Travel time approx. 45 min.
  • Kaisermühlen VIC/Kagran line goes to Vienna International Center (the UN) and serves hotels in the eastern part of Vienna. Runs hourly and takes 20-45 min. depending upon destination.
• Taxi. Cab fare is not set, so agree before getting in; to anywhere for €25-30. If you don't care to negotiate, or your destination is at the northern or western edge of the city, a pre-booked flat-rate transfer is likely cheaper and easier. There are several offices at arrivals. Note, that when catching a taxi on the street, the driver has to charge an empty ride back from the airport to the Vienna city limits, as a taxi from Vienna is not allowed to accept passengers outside of the city. Therefore, a pre-booked transfer might be cheaper. 

• Shuttle provided by hotel. Select Vienna hotels offer guests shuttle service to and from the airport, usually for a fee that's cheaper than a taxi, sometimes you will share the shuttle with guests from your own or nearby hotels. 

Schwechat is not an especially complicated or large airport, but do note that while gates B, C and D are close to each other and the check-in area, the lengthy extension containing gates F and G is physically removed and may require some time to traverse if you have a connection to catch. No travellators or people movers are available to help you do that.

You can watch aircraft takeoff, land and move around the airport at the Visitors' Terrace observation deck. 2-hr ticket: Adult €4, child (2-16) €2; Day ticket: Adult €6, child €3. Family ticket (max 2 adults and 2 children) €15. Closed during winter season.

The airport runs several themes of behind-the-scene tours for visitors. They take you on 90-min guided bus tour to show different areas of the airport such as the aircraft maintenance hangar, business jet ramp, cargo area and firefighting station. Adult €23.9, senior/student €22.9, child €17, family (max 2 adults and 2 children) €68. Tickets can be reserved on the airport's website.

There are three main airport lounges at the Vienna International Airport - the two smaller AIR and JET lounges, as well as the SKY lounge complex divided into the Schengen and Non-Schengen sections. The SKY lounge complex is also where you find the Business Class, Senator and HON Circle Lounges of Austrian Airlines, which can be used by Austrian's passengers with an appropriate flight ticket of a higher class, as well as eligible Miles & More members and other Star Alliance loyalty programmes members.

Wi-Fi is free and not time-limited.

See here for locations of lounges^{[dead link]}.

Several gastronomic outlets of various standards are available both airside and landside. They range from McDonald's and Burger King to concessions run by Vienna's famous delicatessen and restaurants. While the burger places have the same prices as in the outside world, the upscale restaurants are pricier than in the city. When on a tight budget, look for one of the supermarkets (Billa, Spar) and buy food for normal supermarket prices.

Vienna airport has a duty free shopping area with 70 shops. Plan around one hour if you're going to visit every other shop. The shopping area is just after ticket control counters, so you only need to check in before getting to shops, not pass security check nor passport control.

A general grocery store, Billa, can be found downstairs in the check-in area 1. It has Austrian Mozartkugeln and small snacks for usual Austrian prices. Once the check-in passed special prices do apply. In the arrival area there is a Spar supermarket.

Refer to the brochure for locations and tips. Your best bet for receiving tax refund is to find a refund office in the city. Otherwise, indicate that you need to receive tax refund at check-in. You then take any checked luggage containing tax-free purchases to a customs office (right in the check-in area) to get a stamp and drop off the checked luggage; then visit a nearby refund office.

Customs officers don't normally ask you to actually unpack and show your purchases. You will be asked if any applicable purchases are in your hand luggage. Although it is illegal, you may be encouraged to lie to agents, saying that everything is in your checked luggage even if it isn't. This is due to an otherwise tedious process; you have to visit yet another office by the gates. (Especially at the C Gates—there you will have to ring for an officer, wait to be picked up by bus and taken to the a refund office and back to your departure, allow 1 hour for the whole procedure.) Alternatively, you can visit a refund office on arrival in your home country—provided that you visited customs and had your receipts stamped in Vienna. Additional commission or unfavourable exchange rate can apply if refunding in other country.

The Vienna International Airport has new comfortable chairs with electrical outlets. The airport provides free and good internet connection without time limit.

• 48.12178216.5625621 NH Vienna Airport Conference Center, Einfahrtstraße 1-3, ☏ +43 1 701510. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. The only hotel on the airport grounds, at walking distance from the terminal. Has an onsite restaurant, fitness centre and free Wi-Fi, and pets are permitted on request. Public parking €33/day. Doubles €128+. (updated Feb 2017)

• Vienna — the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre
• Bratislava is very close to Vienna and buses link both cities and their respective airports to each other.