Vienna's Schwechat International Airport (VIE) is 18 km from the center — one of the most convenient European airports. The rail station sits inside the terminal; four main options: CAT (16 min, $17), the S7 commuter train (25 min, $5), the Vienna Airport Lines bus and taxis.
🚇 Ways into the center
- CAT (City Airport Train) → Wien Mitte: 16 min, $17 (€15) one-way
- S7 commuter rail → Wien Mitte: 25-30 min, $5 (€4.30)
- Railjet ICE → Wien Hauptbahnhof: 15 min, $5 (€4.30)
- Vienna Airport Lines bus → Hauptbahnhof / Westbahnhof: 20-40 min, $12 (€10.50)
- Taxi → city: 25-35 min, $44-55 (€40-50)
- Bolt / Uber: $35-50 (€32-45)
🚆 CAT — fastest
The City Airport Train links Schwechat with Wien Mitte directly. Every 30 min, 16 min runtime; free Wi-Fi, luggage racks and a quiet ambiance.
Tickets are ~$17 (€15) one-way, ~$28 (€25) round-trip. Online is 10% cheaper.
CAT lets you check in at Wien Mitte for Austrian and Lufthansa flights — luggage off your hands, then enjoy the city.
🚆 S7 and Railjet — budget choices
The S7 is ÖBB's regular commuter — same tracks as CAT, just slower (25 vs 16 min) and far cheaper ($5 vs $17).
Railjet (ICE) is the high-speed option, 15 min to Hauptbahnhof for the same $5. One ticket covers either.
A single ÖBB Vienna Region ticket at $5 is great value — board either S7 or Railjet depending on which arrives first.
🚌 Vienna Airport Lines
VAL (Vienna Airport Lines) — a Postbus subsidiary, four routes:
- VAL1 → Wien Hauptbahnhof: 20 min, ~$12
- VAL2 → Wien Westbahnhof: 40 min, ~$12
- VAL3 → UNO City / Kaisermühlen
- VAL4 → Donauzentrum
🚖 Taxi
No fixed tariff at VIE — meter, ~$44-55 to the center. Night surcharge adds 20%.
'Airport transfer' touts inside VIE often charge 2x a regular taxi. Walk to the official taxi rank and ignore in-terminal offers.
📱 Bolt and Uber
Bolt is very active in Vienna — $35-50 to the center. Uber Vienna hails official taxis and is usually a bit pricier than Bolt.
Pickup zone: arrivals exit, P3 parking.
💡 Tips
- Vienna City Card 24/48/72 hours at $22/31/40 — full city transit + 200+ discounts; worth it for 2+ days
- Buy the S7 ticket at the arrivals-level ÖBB machine — CAT is a separate counter
- For late-night flights — N66 Nightline bus serves the center
- Once ETIAS launches (H2 2026), Georgian travelers will need a pre-flight online authorization — see the ETIAS guide
Full Vienna guide on Travel365's Tbilisi → Vienna article.
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