Austria operates six commercial airports with scheduled international service. Vienna International Airport handles 31.7 million passengers annually and processes approximately 85 percent of the country's international air arrivals. Salzburg Airport serves 1.9 million passengers per year. Innsbruck Airport records 1.1 million annual passengers. Graz Airport processes 1.0 million travelers annually. Linz Airport handles 460,000 passengers per year. Klagenfurt Airport serves approximately 200,000 passengers annually. No other Austrian airports offer regular international commercial flights. If your ticket terminates at any other city name, you are connecting through one of these six facilities or arriving by rail or road from a neighboring country.
Vienna International Airport sits 18 kilometers southeast of the city center in the municipality of Schwechat. The airport operates a single passenger terminal divided into three numbered piers. Terminal 1 serves primarily non-Schengen international flights. Terminal 2 handles budget carriers. Terminal 3 processes Schengen area flights and is the newest section, opened in 2012. All three terminals connect airside after security. The baggage claim area sits on the arrivals level below the main departure hall. Austria joined the Schengen Area on December 1, 1997. Passengers arriving from other Schengen countries walk directly to baggage claim without passport control. Non-Schengen arrivals pass through immigration counters before baggage claim. European Union and European Economic Area passport holders use automated gates. All other nationalities queue for staffed counters. During peak morning arrival banks from long-haul flights, non-EU passport control wait times reach 45 to 60 minutes. The airport publishes no guaranteed maximum wait time.
Austria requires a Schengen visa for citizens of 104 countries. Citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom do not require a visa for stays under 90 days within any 180-day period. The official visa information appears only at https://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/travel-stay/entry-and-residence-in-austria/. That site lists all nationality requirements and connects to the online application system. Do not rely on third-party visa websites. Austria issues no visas on arrival at any airport or border crossing.
Vienna Airport's arrivals level contains ATMs from Erste Bank, Raiffeisen Bank, and Bank Austria along the main arrivals corridor before the exit to ground transportation. The machines dispense euros in denominations of 10, 20, 50, and occasionally 100-euro notes. The withdrawal limit per transaction ranges from 200 to 400 euros depending on the machine. Your home bank's international withdrawal fee and the Austrian bank's operator fee both apply. A currency exchange counter operated by Travelex sits immediately after customs in the arrivals hall. A second exchange counter operated by Bank Austria sits in the arrivals hall near the CAT train ticket counter. Posted exchange rates at airport counters run approximately 8 to 12 percent less favorable than interbank rates. ATM withdrawal typically costs less than currency exchange for most travelers.
The City Airport Train departs from a dedicated platform beneath the arrivals level. Signs reading CAT in red letters mark the route from baggage claim. The journey to Wien Mitte station takes 16 minutes nonstop. Trains depart every 30 minutes from 06:09 to 23:39 daily. A one-way ticket costs 12.90 euros for adults as of 2024. A round-trip ticket costs 21.90 euros. Children under 15 travel free when accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be purchased from red machines at the airport station or from the ticket counter in the arrivals hall. The CAT does not accept the standard Vienna public transport tickets or passes. Wien Mitte station connects to the U3 and U4 metro lines and the S-Bahn commuter rail network.
The S7 commuter train also departs from the same underground platform as the CAT. The S7 stops at multiple stations and takes 25 minutes to reach Wien Mitte. It continues to Wien Praterstern station in 30 minutes and Wien Floridsdorf in 38 minutes. S7 trains depart every 30 minutes throughout the day. A single ticket costs 4.40 euros. The Vienna public transport day pass costs 5.80 euros and covers the S7 journey plus all metro, tram, and bus travel within the city for 24 hours from validation. The week pass costs 17.10 euros. Tickets are sold from the green ÖBB machines at the platform, not from the red CAT machines. The S7 ticket must be validated in the small blue boxes on the platform before boarding. The CAT ticket does not require validation.
Vienna Airport Lines operates four bus routes to different parts of Vienna. The buses depart from the arrivals level directly outside the terminal exit. Route 1 serves Schwedenplatz and Morzinplatz every 30 minutes. Route 2 serves Wien Meidling station and the city center every 30 minutes. Route 3 serves Westbahnhof station every 30 minutes. Route 4 serves the United Nations complex and Kagran metro station hourly. Single tickets cost 9.00 euros. All routes take 35 to 50 minutes depending on traffic. Tickets are sold at the bus departure area from a ticket counter or from the driver. These buses offer more luggage space than trains and operate throughout the night when trains stop.
Licensed taxis queue at the designated taxi rank outside the arrivals hall. All legal taxis display a yellow and black TAXI roof sign and a meter. The fare from Vienna Airport to any destination within Vienna's city limits costs approximately 35 to 45 euros depending on traffic and exact destination. The journey takes 25 to 40 minutes in normal traffic conditions. No flat rate applies. The meter starts at 3.90 euros and adds distance and time charges. Each piece of luggage costs an additional 1.50 euros. Night surcharge of 2.00 euros applies from 23:00 to 06:00. The airport publishes a fare calculator at https://www.viennaairport.com showing estimated costs to major destinations. Do not accept rides from individuals approaching you inside the terminal. They operate without meters and charge arbitrary amounts.
Uber operates in Vienna but availability at the airport varies by time of day. The app often shows wait times of 15 to 30 minutes. Bolt also operates but with similar limitations. The pickup point for ride-hailing services sits in the short-term parking garage, not at the taxi rank. Follow signs for P3 parking. This adds walking distance with luggage. Fares from Uber or Bolt typically run 25 to 35 euros to central Vienna, approximately 20 percent less than metered taxis when no surge pricing applies.
Major car rental companies maintain counters in the arrivals hall. Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Sixt, Budget, and Enterprise all operate desks between the arrivals exit and the CAT ticket area. The rental car return and pickup facility sits in the multi-story parking garage connected to the terminal. Austria requires an International Driving Permit for visitors from most non-European countries. The United States, Canada, and Australia are exceptions where a valid home license suffices. Minimum rental age varies by company from 19 to 25 years. Drivers under 25 typically pay a young driver surcharge of 15 to 25 euros per day. Austrian law requires winter tires from November 1 through April 15. Rental companies include winter tires in the base rate during this period. Parking in Vienna costs 2.20 to 2.50 euros per hour in the central districts during weekdays from 09:00 to 22:00. Most hotels in the city center do not include parking. Garage parking typically costs 25 to 40 euros per 24 hours.
Salzburg Airport sits 4 kilometers west of Salzburg city center in the district of Maxglan. The airport operates a single compact terminal building. All arriving passengers exit into the same arrivals hall regardless of origin. Schengen passengers walk directly to baggage claim. Non-Schengen passengers pass through passport control first. The airport handles primarily European destinations plus a small number of seasonal long-haul charter flights. No airlines operate scheduled intercontinental service to Salzburg. Travelers from outside Europe almost always connect through Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt, or Zurich.