Austria: Getting There and Away

Most travellers arriving in Austria by air will find themselves touching down in Vienna, though there are five other international airports in the country. If you’re on a tight budget, consider crossing into Austria by bus. But if speed and comfort are your priorities, spend a few more euros on a train ticket or hiring a car. It’s possible to arrive in Austria by boat, but this is an expensive endeavour that’s usually difficult to justify.

Vienna is Austria’s main air transport hub, but there are international airports at Linz, Graz, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt. If you’re visiting Austria from outside Europe, it may be cheaper to fly to a European ‘gateway’ city and travel overland from there. Munich, for example, is only two hours by train from Salzburg. Technically there’s no departure tax when flying out of Austria, instead you cop a ‘passenger service charge’ of around 15.

Austria has excellent rail connections to all major European destinations. They are probably the most comfortable and environmentally responsible way to travel overland.

Buses are generally slower and less comfortable than trains, but they are cheaper and they go to all major European countries.

Fast hydrofoils skim along the Danube between Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest during spring and summer but they’re not exactly cheap. Steamers ply the Danube between Vienna and the German border town of Passau from May to late September. Generally speaking, boat services along the Danube are slow and expensive and geared to scenic excursions rather than functional transport.

Getting to Austria by road is simple, and there are fast, well-maintained Autobahnen (motorways) to all surrounding countries. Major border crossing points are open 24 hours a day.