Vienna is situated in the east of Austria, not far from the borders with Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

The Austrian capital is very easily accessible by train, bus, car and plane. During the season, you can also travel from Bratislava to Vienna by boat along the Danube.

Which mode of transport should you choose to get to Vienna?

From nearby European cities, travelling by train is usually the most convenient option.

Buses often offer lower fares; travelling by car is particularly good value when travelling with a group, whilst flying is the quickest option for longer distances.

Mode of transport	When it’s worth it	Where you’ll arrive
Plane	Journeys from more distant parts of Europe and the world	Vienna Airport ( VIE)
Train	The most convenient transport from Central Europe	Vienna Hauptbahnhof
Bus	Cheap transport from neighbouring countries	Erdberg, the main station or the airport
Car	Day trips, families and groups	Best to use the P+R car park by the underground
Boat	Seasonal journey from Bratislava	Schwedenplatz in the centre of Vienna

If you’re staying overnight in Vienna, have a look at our tips on where to stay in Vienna, or compare hotel prices in Vienna straight away.

Travelling to Vienna by car

Travelling by car makes sense particularly for a day trip, when travelling with children or in a group. It’s also a popular option during the Christmas markets in Vienna.

However, do not drive into the city centre unless you have a specific reason to do so.

On-street parking is time-limited, and standard car parks are significantly more expensive than P+R park-and-ride facilities.

Motorway toll sticker in Austria

You need a motorway vignette when driving on Austrian motorways and expressways.

The annual fees for passenger cars are:

• one-day vignette – 9,60 eur
• 10-day vignette – 12,80 eur
• two-month vignette – 32 eur
• annual vignette – 106,80 eur

Please only purchase your vignette via the official website shop.asfinag.at or via the ASFINAG app.

Do I need an environmental sticker to enter the city centre?

Standard M1 category passenger cars do not require an emissions sticker to enter Vienna. Different rules apply to vans and other vehicles registered in category N.

On-street parking in Vienna

Almost the whole of Vienna falls within a single short-term parking zone.

Parking is subject to a charge:

• Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 10.00 pm
• for a maximum of 2 hours
• at 1,70 eur for every 30 minutes

Different rules apply on some shopping streets. Parking here is also subject to a charge on Saturdays from 8.00 to 12.00, and the maximum parking time is 90 minutes.

Street-side parking meters are not common in Vienna. You can buy paper parking tickets, for example, at newsagents, petrol stations or Wiener Linien ticket machines.

You can pay for parking electronically via the Handyparken service.

On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, parking in standard short-stay zones is free. Exceptions are shopping streets on Saturday mornings and spaces reserved for residents.

Visitors are not permitted to use resident parking spaces, even at weekends. These are marked with a no-parking sign accompanied by an additional sign reserving the space for vehicles with a local parking permit.

An overview of the rules and a map of resident parking can be found on the official website of the City of Vienna.

Find hotels in Vienna with parking

Cheapest parking in Vienna – P+R

The simplest solution for most tourists is the P+R park-and-ride facilities at underground, train or tram stations.

The standard rate at most official P+R car parks is:

• 4,60 eur per 24 hours
• 23,10 eur for 7 days
• 86,20 eur per month

A ticket for Vienna’s public transport is not included in the parking fee and must be purchased separately.

P+R car parks are open 24 hours a day. They have a large capacity, but can fill up during the morning on weekdays.

At most standard P+R car parks, it is not possible to reserve a specific space in advance.

You can also leave your car at a P+R for several days. If you’re parking for 6 or 7 days, it’s worth buying a weekly ticket.

Which P+R to choose depending on your direction of travel

Direction of travel	Recommended P+R
Brno, Břeclav, northern Slovakia, Poland	Aderklaaer Straße, Leopoldau, Donaustadtbrücke
Znojmo, Gmünd, České Budějovice	Spittelau
Bratislava, Budapest, Győr	Erdberg, Donaustadt Bridge
Linz, Salzburg, Passau, Munich	Hütteldorf, Ottakring
Graz, Klagenfurt, Ljubljana, Zagreb	Siebenhirten, Perfektastraße, Liesing

For your convenience, we have included a map of high-capacity P+R car parks.

List of P+R car parks in Vienna

• Spittelau (U4, U6 underground)
  • 4,60 eur for 24 hours
  • suitable for journeys from Znojmo, Gmünd and the north-west
  • 5 to 10-minute metro journey to the city centre
  • Further information: bestinparking.com/park-ride-spittelau
• Donaustadtbrücke (U2 underground line)
  • 4,60 eur within 24 hours
  • suitable for travellers arriving from Brno, Břeclav, Bratislava and the north-east
  • the metro journey to the city centre takes about 12 minutes
  • Further information: boe-parking.at/donaustadtbruecke
• Erdberg (U3 underground line)
  • 4,60 eur within 24 hours
  • suitable for journeys from Bratislava, Budapest, Győr and the south-east
  • The metro journey to the city centre takes about 10 minutes
  • Further information: bestinparking.com/park-ride-erdberg
• Aderklaaer Straße (U1 underground line)
  • 4,60 eur within 24 hours
  • suitable for travellers arriving from Brno, Břeclav, Poland and northern Slovakia
  • the journey by underground to the city centre takes about 15 minutes
  • Further information: parken.at/p-r-aderklaaerstrasse
• Leopoldau (U1 underground and S-Bahn)
  • 4,60 eur within 24 hours
  • suitable for travellers arriving from Brno, Břeclav, Poland and northern Slovakia
  • the journey by metro to the city centre takes about 18 minutes
  • Further information: bestinparking.com/park-ride-leopoldau
• Ottakring (U3 underground line)
  • 4,60 eur within 24 hours
  • suitable for travellers arriving from Linz, Salzburg, Passau and Munich
  • The journey by underground to the city centre takes about 15 minutes
  • Further information: bestinparking.com/park-ride-ottakring
• Hütteldorf (U4 underground line)
  • 4,60 eur within 24 hours
  • Suitable for travellers arriving from Linz, Salzburg, Passau and Munich
  • the journey by underground to the city centre takes about 20 minutes
  • Further information: bestinparking.com/park-ride-hutteldorf
• Siebenhirten (U6 underground line)
  • 4,60 eur within 24 hours
  • Suitable for arrivals from Graz, Klagenfurt, Ljubljana and Zagreb
  • the journey by metro to the city centre takes about 25 minutes
  • Further information: wipark.at/p-r-siebenhirten
• Liesing (S-Bahn)
  • 4,60 eur within 24 hours
  • Suitable for journeys from Graz, Klagenfurt, Ljubljana and Zagreb
  • journey by train and public transport to the city centre takes around 25 minutes
  • Further information: wipark.at/p-r-liesing
• Perfektastraße (U6 underground)
  • 4,60 eur within 24 hours
  • Suitable for arrivals from Graz, Klagenfurt, Ljubljana and Zagreb
  • The metro journey to the city centre takes about 25 minutes
  • Further information: apcoa.at/p-r-perfektastrasse

There are dozens of other car parks throughout Vienna. Parking in these is usually considerably more expensive than at P+R facilities, but it may be worth it for a short visit to a specific location.

You can find prices, locations and current availability for some car parks on the parken.at website.

Flying to Vienna

Vienna is served by one major international airport, Vienna International Airport (VIE), which is situated about 18 km south-east of the city centre.

The airport is one of the most important transit hubs in Central Europe. Austrian Airlines operates the widest range of routes, whilst Ryanair also offers an extensive network of low-cost European flights.

You can find information on terminals, services and transport to the city centre in our guide to Vienna Airport (VIE).

An alternative is Bratislava Airport (BTS), from where there are direct buses to Vienna. Given the smaller range of flights available, this is mainly worthwhile if you can find a significantly cheaper ticket.

Where to buy flights to Vienna

Compare flight prices across several airlines. Prices on individual routes can vary significantly depending on the date, luggage allowance and departure point.

Austrian Airlines offers the most direct flights. You can book flights via the austrian.com website.

Compare flight prices to Vienna

By train or coach to Vienna?

From neighbouring countries, the most common way to travel to Vienna is by train or long-distance coach. The train is usually more convenient for getting to the city centre, whilst the coach can be cheaper and, on some routes, also runs directly to Vienna International Airport (VIE).

Route	Best option	Why
Prague – Vienna	train to the city centre, bus to the airport	the train is more comfortable; buses go directly to the airport
Brno – Vienna	train to the city centre, bus to the airport	the train takes less time, but the bus has more direct services to the airport
Bratislava – Vienna	Train and bus	bus
Budapest – Vienna	Train and bus	prices and journey times are similar
Linz, Salzburg or Graz – Vienna	train	very frequent and fast direct services
Munich – Vienna	train	The train is more comfortable and runs more frequently
Krakow, Katowice, Ljubljana or Zagreb – Vienna	Compare both options	the coach may offer a more convenient direct connection

You can compare train fares via Trainline and, for selected routes, also via RegioJet. Search for coach tickets separately on the RegioJet and FlixBus websites.

By train to Vienna

The train is usually the most comfortable way to travel to the centre of Vienna. Direct services run from most major cities in Austria and neighbouring countries.

The most common train routes

Route	Journey time	Lowest prices	Operators
Prague – Vienna	4 hours	from 15 eur	RegioJet, ČD, ÖBB
Brno – Vienna	1.5 hours	from 8 eur	RegioJet, ČD, ÖBB
Bratislava – Vienna	1 hour	from 10 eur	ÖBB, ZSSK
Budapest – Vienna	2.5 hours	from 10 eur	RegioJet, ÖBB, MÁV
Linz – Vienna	1 hour	from 10 eur	ÖBB, Westbahn
Salzburg – Vienna	2.5 hours	from 14 eur	ÖBB, Westbahn
Graz – Vienna	2.5 hours	from 10 eur	ÖBB
Munich – Vienna	4 hours	from 24 eur	Westbahn, ÖBB, DB

The prices shown are the lowest available when booked in advance. As with airline tickets, they rise as the service fills up and may be several times higher shortly before departure.

Vienna is also a major hub for night trains. You can find current connections from major European cities on the Nightjet website.

Where to buy train tickets

The easiest way is to start by searching on Trainline, where you can compare most operators in one place.

For journeys from Prague, Brno or Budapest, check RegioJet as well. Its cheapest tickets may not appear on all comparison sites.

For international trains, we recommend also comparing the websites of the railway companies in both countries. The exact same train, for example, may be more expensive or cheaper on the ÖBB website than with the operator in the country you’re travelling from.

The cheapest tickets are usually tied to a specific train and cannot be changed free of charge. For long-distance journeys, we recommend purchasing a seat reservation if it is not already included in the ticket.

Which station will the train arrive at?

Before buying a ticket, check the destination station. Vienna has several stations served by long-distance trains.

• Wien Hauptbahnhof – the main station, where most international trains stop; you can reach the city centre by the U1 underground in about 5 minutes
• Wien Meidling – mainly used by trains arriving from the west and south; change to the U6 underground line
• Wien Westbahnhof – the terminus for Westbahn trains from Linz, Salzburg and Munich; change to the U3 and U6 underground lines
• Wien Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof and Spittelau – mainly served by trains from Gmünd, České Budějovice and Krems; the U4 underground line stops at Spittelau
• Wien Floridsdorf – some trains from Retz and Znojmo; change to the U6 underground and S-Bahn lines
• Vienna Airport – railway station directly beneath the airport terminal

Selected long-distance trains continue from Vienna Central Station directly to the airport. When searching, therefore, please enter ‘Flughafen Wien’ as your destination, not just ‘Vienna’.

Details on travelling from individual stations can be found in the section on Transport in Vienna.

By bus to Vienna

Buses are usually cheaper than trains, but on longer journeys they are less comfortable and journey times may be extended by traffic on the roads.

RegioJet and FlixBus operate the largest number of services. Slovak Lines also runs services between Bratislava, Vienna Airport and the centre of Vienna.

The most common bus routes

Route	Journey time	Lowest fares	Operators
Bratislava – Vienna	1 hour	from 7,90 eur	Slovak Lines, FlixBus, RegioJet
Brno – Vienna	2 hours	from 8 eur	FlixBus, RegioJet
Prague – Vienna	4 to 4.5 hours	from 10 eur	FlixBus, RegioJet
Budapest – Vienna	2.5 hours	from 12 eur	FlixBus, RegioJet
Munich – Vienna	4.5 hours	from 21 eur	FlixBus

Direct buses also run from Kraków, Katowice, Ljubljana, Maribor, Zagreb, Trieste, Venice and other European cities.

Specific routes and prices change frequently, so it’s best to compare FlixBus, which operates the most routes.

Where do buses stop in Vienna?

Vienna does not have a single central bus station for all long-distance services. Always check your ticket directly for the arrival point.

• Vienna Erdberg, VIB – the main FlixBus terminal at the U3 underground station
• Vienna Central Station, Südtiroler Platz – a stop near the main railway station and the U1 underground line, used by RegioJet and some FlixBus services
• Vienna Westbahnhof – a stop near the U3 and U6 underground lines
• Karlsplatz – a stop right on the edge of the historic centre
• Matzleinsdorfer Platz – a stop south of the city centre
• Vienna Airport, VIE – stop directly in front of the airport terminal

A particular bus may only stop at one of these stops. It is therefore not the case that all FlixBus services arrive at Erdberg.

By bus directly to Vienna Airport

Direct buses to the airport run from cities such as Bratislava, Brno, Prague, Budapest, Ostrava, Olomouc, Maribor and Zagreb.

When purchasing a ticket, always select ‘Vienna Airport (VIE)’ as your destination. A ticket to Vienna city centre is not automatically valid for the journey to the airport.

Compare airport connections via FlixBus, RegioJet and, when travelling from Bratislava, also via Slovak Lines.

Compare hotels in Vienna

Bratislava–Vienna ferry

You can opt for a stylish journey along the Danube when travelling from Bratislava.

TwinCityLiner offers regular weekend cruises on a high-speed boat, which covers the journey from Bratislava to Vienna in 1.5 hours, including a stop in the town of Hainburg.

The boats sail three times a day from May to September. In March, April, October and November, there is one sailing a day from Monday to Thursday and three sailings a day from Friday to Sunday.

In Vienna, the jetty is on the Donaukanal near Schwedenplatz; in Bratislava, it is on Rázusovo nábřeží near the SNP Bridge.

A one-way ticket costs from 25 eur for a seat in the middle of the deck; the best seats on the upper deck with a view cost 52 eur. Ticket prices are higher at the weekend, when the cheapest seats are sold from 39 eur.

Online tickets, timetables and further information can be found on the twincityliner.com website.