Austria Transport options - Exploring Monkey

Austria – An Introduction for visitors

Austria is a central European country sharing its borders with 8 other European countries. It has Germany and Czech republic in the north, Italy and Slovenia in the south, Hungary and Slovakia to the east and Switzerland and Liechtenstein in the west. The capital is Vienna.

Official Languages in Austria – Hungarian, German, Slovenian and Croatian.
Terrain – Most of the country is mountainous – dominated by the Alps. It has only about 25% of its land as low lying.
Climate – Cool/temperate. The Alpine climate is predominant. In the plains along the Denube valley region it is more continental with lesser rains. Summer highs range is 20-35 degrees Celsius.
Religion – Roman Catholics form the majority.
Austria Phone code is +43.

Because of the Alps, skiing is a major sport here. Other related popular sporting activities include ski-jumping and snowboarding.
Vienna has been a cultural hub in the medieval and early modern centuries. A number of famous composers were either based from Vienna or stayed in Vienna for a significant period of their lives. They include Mozart, Strauss, Schubert, Beethoven etc.

Modern Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy. After the WWII, Austria gained its independence and sovereignty from the Allies in 1955. The Anschluss (annexation of Austria into Germany in 1938) was revoked. In the same year (1955) Austria declared permanent neutrality and also became a member of the U.N. It joined the European Union in 1995.

Austria, though a relatively small country, has produced an unbelievable number of world famous artists, composers, actors, writers, entrepreneurs, inventors, religious leaders et al. It would be impossible to list all of them. But some of the famous names that have their roots in Austria include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ferdinand Porsche (of car brand Porsche), Daniel Swarovski (founder of the crystals company, Swarovski), the Rothschilds (Bankers), Gaston Glock (founder of Glock –weapons manufacturing) Sigmund Freud, Marie Antoinette etc.

A drive across Austria is a very enjoyable experience. Everything looks so much “in place” and beautiful. It is difficult to imagine that this land has seen some horrendous atrocities during the world wars and Nazi era.

Getting to Austria by Air, Rail, and Road Transportations

Austria is a land locked country. It is well connected by flight from all major cities of the world and also by rail and road from the neighboring countries.

To Austria by Air

Austria has five international airports – Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Linz, Graz and Klagenfurt. They provide domestic services and also services to other European countries. The most important and well connected airport is however that of Vienna.
From USA and Canada there are direct flights to Austria. Austrian Airways has non-stop flights to Vienna from Chicago, New York, Washington D.C. and Toronto. British Airways connects US and Canada to Austria via London. Others include Lufthansa connecting US & Canada to Austria via Munich or Frankfurt. For locations without direct flights, Austrian Airways (the national carrier) has teamed up with their Star Alliance partners. For instance from Singapore to Vienna, one can take the Singapore Airlines flight to Bangkok or New Delhi and then from there take an Austrian Airways flight to Vienna. Singapore to Bangkok one can also take the Thai Airways services. There are numerous options available. Another example- Sydney to Vienna would be via Bangkok (Austria/Thai Airways).
Austrian Airways Helpdesk – +43 (0)5 1766 1001

Austria By Train

Since Austria has beautiful scenic beauty thanks largely to the Alpines, train journeys are amazing and almost invigorating. The country is well connected by rail to other European countries and also has a very good rail network within the country. It is a cheap, convenient and enjoyable mode of transport along with buses which helps in reaching the innards.
Getting to Austria from neighboring countries by train is convenient and fast. Most of the European trains have very good facilities – the deluxe compartments have shower, table. Chairs apart from bed/s. Restaurants and luggage storage facilities, compartments with play area for children, audio and video entertainment etc. are also available on some of the trains (of course, facilities depend on the class). There are passes available which makes the individual rides cheaper. For children, in some cases it is free while in other instances there are concessions available for seniors. Passes are valid in multiple countries.

The main rail authority in Austria is the OBB (Osterreichische Bundesbahnen or the Austrian Federal Railways).

Some of the rail services to Austria include

The Eurocity (EC)

This is an international train service, introduced in 1987, within the European inter-city rail network. With speeds up to 200 km/hr and frequent trains connecting main cities in Europe, the EC is a fast and convenient way of travelling across borders. Essentially it replaced most of the routes of the erstwhile Trans Europ Express (TEE). It is all the more convenient and relevant in the post Schengen era since there is no passport checks between borders of the Schengen countries of Europe.

The main features of the EC service include trains going through two or more countries, stopping only at major cities, all cars being air-conditioned, has dining cars, multi-lingual conductors etc. It also provides improved mobile connectivity, power supply for laptops / electronic gadgets etc. It operates in the day time – 6 AM up to midnight.

Some of the routes to Austria are (the trains have been given names; some of them are given below)-

1) Vienna – Dortmund (Germany)
2) Hamburg (Germany) – Vienna
3) Venice (Italy)-Villach (Austria)- Vienna (named as Allegro Stadivari)
4) Budapest (Hungary) – Vienna
5) Munich – Salzburg – Vienna-Gyor-Budapest
6) Munich-Vienna
7) Vienna-Innsbruck-Zurich (named as Maria Theresia)
8) Zagreb-Villach (aka Mimara)
9) Zagreb-Ljubljana-Villach-Slazburg (aka Agram)

Within Austria one can get any train information including schedules and routes by calling the following number – 05/ 1717

Intercity-Express (ICE) trains

The Intercity-Express (ICE) of Deutsche Bahn AG connects Germany to Austria (apart from Switzerland, Belgium & Netherlands). It mainly runs in Germany but services some neighboring countries. The trains have speeds of 300 km/hr. There are ICE trains every hour or two hours between the major cities of these countries.
There are three different versions of the ICE trains – 1,2, and 3. ICE 1 lines run to Vienna along with Zurich. The ICE trains are also used in intra-city rail network in Austria.

Some of the ICE rail routes to Austria are –

1) From München Hbf via Salzburg Hbf – Linz Hbf to Vienna Westbahnhof (Austria)

2) From Passau Hbf to Vienna Westbahnhof (Austria) via Linz Hbf

2) From Nürnberg Hbf via Regensburg Hbf – Plattling to Passau Hbf (onwards to Wien Westbf via Linz Hbf)

Within Austria one can get any train information including schedules and routes by calling the following number – +43 (0)5-1717

DB Autozug-Motorail

The DB Autozug-Motorail is good if you need to transport your car/s or motorbikes along with you. This motorail helps you combine rail and road travel.

The following are the motorail routes to Austria from Germany –

• From Dusseldorf, Hamburg-Altona, Hildesheim, Berlin-Wannsee to Innsbruck
• Dusseldorf to Salzburg direct and also via Munchen-Ost
• Hamburg-Altona to Berlin-Wannsee onto Salzburg
• Neu Isenburg to Villach via Munchen-Ost
• Hildesheim to Villach; Villach is well connected to Salzburg.
DB Autozug Service hotline (8am-10pm daily) – +49 180/5 24 12 24

DB CityNightLine (CNL)

CNL was originally a Swiss company but is currently an under Deutsche Bahn (DB) (German Federal Railways). City Nightline and DB NachtZug have merged to become DB City Night Line (CNL). DB-Nacht would no longer be in service separately.
The DB CNL has sitting cars, couchettes (cars divided into compartments; each compartment with 4 or 6 non-private sleeping berths), sleeper cars (double decker) and restaurant car.

CNL to Austria:

Some of the CityNightLine routes connecting places in Austria, along with the train names are given here –

1) Berlin – Dessau – Jena Paradies – Wörgl – Innsbruck – Bolzano (called “Venus”)

2) Dortmund, Germany – Cologne – Frankfurt (Main) – Innsbruck – Bolzano (called “Uranus”)

3) Dortmund, Germany – Cologne – Frankfurt (Main) – Salzburg – Zell am See – Wörgl (also called “Uranus”)

4) Dortmund, Germany – Cologne – Frankfurt (Main) – Salzburg – St. Johann im Pongau – Spittal Millstöttersee – Villach Johann im Pongau – Villach (known as “Jupiter”)

5) Hamburg – Hanover – Kassel – Kufstein – Innsbruck – Ötztal – St. Anton am Arlberg – Bludenz Anton am Arlberg – Bludenz (called “Neptune”)

6) Hamburg – Hanover – Fulda – Salzburg – Schladming – Selzthal (called Neptune)

7) Munich – Rosenheim – Innsbruck – Bologna – Florence – Rome (called “Lupus”)

Between Dortmund (in Germany) and Vienna (in Austria) the CNL train is called the Donau-Kurier. The stations covered by the Donau-Kurier are –

1 Dortmund Hbf
2 Bochum (No Stop)
3 Essen Hbf
4 Duisburg Hbf
5 Düsseldorf Hbf
6 Cologne Hbf
7 Bonn Hbf
8 Koblenz Hbf
9 Mainz Hbf
10 Frankfurt (Main) Hbf
11 Mannheim Hbf
12 Salzburg Hbf
13 Linz Hbf
14 St. Pölten Hbf
15 Vienna Hütteldorf
16 Vienna Westbahnhf

Euronight (EN)

Again a German undertaking, these are night trains serving European cities. It caters to Austria, Hungary, Denmark, Italy, Poland and Sweden. They provide three classes – deck seat coach, wagons and sleeper coaches.

Euronight (EN) to Austria:
Some of the Euronight routes connecting Austria are –

1) Vienna Westbf – Nuremberg main station – Düsseldorf main station

2) Graz main station – Selzthal – Innsbruck main station – Feldkirch – Zurich HB

3) Budapest – Hegyeshalom (Gr) – Wien Westbf – Salzburg Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf – Feldkirch – Buchs SG – Zürich HB – Budapest – Hegyeshalom (Gr) – Vienna Westbf – Salzburg Central Station – Innsbruck main station – Feldkirch – Buchs SG – Zurich HB (known by the name “Viennese waltz”)

4) Wien Westbf – Passau Hbf – Nürnberg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona Vienna Westbf – Passau Hbf – Nuremberg main station – Hamburg-Altona (known by the name “Hans Albers”)

Austria Rail Passes

Passes for the National rail network can be obtained for 3,4,5,6,7 or 8 days of unlimited travel by train for a period of 1 month. The passes can be used consecutively or otherwise, provided it is used within one month of first usage. The first Usage of the pass should be within 6 months of its purchase. The rate ranges from approximately $370 for an 8 day pass to $215 for 3 day pass in First Class. In second class the range is $260 to $150 approximately. (Prices subject to change)
Concessions are available for children. Up to 3 years of age, children are free if sharing an adult seat/berth. In some cases there are special discounts available for people under 26 years of age.

Getting around in Austria – Transport options

Commuting within Austria and Vienna in particular is very convenient given the incredible network of rail, road, underground / metro, tram and buses available here for commuters. So if you are visiting here and opt not to hire a car – it’s going to be perfectly fine.

Getting to Austria by Road / Car – Autobahns, Alpine Passes

Being a landlocked country one can drive into Austria from the neighboring countries and driving is one fantastic experience in the whole of Europe. In Austria the experience is well accentuated due to the scenic beauty. There are however some rules that need to be adhered to by visitors, while driving here.

Rules while driving in Austria-

First, an international driving license is required.
Second, even during daytime the car lights need to be switched on.
Third, Toll stickers are required on all vehicles coming into Austria.. One can get this from gasoline stations, post offices, Austrian Automobile clubs etc. These are available in the neighboring countries as well.
The rates are as follows –
• 12 month sticker – euro 73.80 for cars and motor homes weighing up to 3.5 tons
• 12 month sticker – euro 29.50 for motorcycles
• 2 month sticker – euro 22.20 for cars and motor homes weighing up to 3.5 tons
• 10 day sticker – euro 7.70 for cars and motor homes weighing up to 3.5 tons
Fourth, a reflective safety vest is mandatory in the car. While hiring the car, one needs to ensure it is provided.

Some interesting drives in Austria

The Benner Pass lies along the border of Austria and Italy. This is the lowest (1370m) of the Alpine passes. The motorway E45 runs through this pass – from Innsbruck to Verona via Bolzano. This is heavily used route for north Europeans driving to the Mediterranean south. It is also famous for the Europabrucke (Bridge Europe) just outside Innsbruck and north of Brenner Pass. This is an engineering marvel with a height of 180 m and stretch of 820m. It carries six lane autobahns over the valley of the Sill River. In summer months it is so green on both sides and one can see and feel the height of the bridge. But since it does not have any suspensions/towers etc. normally associated with a bridge, one could just drive by and not know that s/he has just crossed such a bridge. (Video clip given here – a little hazy since it’s taken through closed windows of the car)

Other Alpine passes in Austria are:

• Präbichl : Eisenerz to Leoben in Austria
• Aflenzer Seeberg : Mariazell to Bruck an der Mur in Austria
• Semmering : Gloggnitz to Mürzzuschlag in Austria. The Semmering Ski Resort is located here. It hosts skiing world cup events and is easily accessed from Vienna (about an hour away).
• Grossglockner-Hochalpenstrasse : Zell am See to Lienz in Austria (the Grossglockner is the highest peak in Austria). Grossglockner-Hochalpenstrasse lies between Heiligenblut and Fusch. It closes in winter – from November to early May.
• Radstädter Tauern Pass : Radstadt to Mauterndorf in Austria. It goes onto Sankt Micheal and further to Katschberg Pass. The Obertauern ski resort is here.
• Schoberpass : Liezen to Leoben in Austria
• Resia Pass: Nauders to Merano – Austria & Italy
• Timmelsjoch: Ötztal valley to Merano – Austria & Italy
• Brenner Pass: Innsbruck to Brixen – Austria & Italy

Austrian Autobahns:An autobahn is a freeway built for high speeds. The lowest speed allowed is 60 km/hr in Austria. These are expensive and well maintained roadways, hence tolls are common here. In case of trucks, tourist buses etc. there is a go-box attached to the vehicle which calculates the usage of the autobahns by the vehicles and charges them accordingly. There are other cheaper road networks supporting the autobahns called Schnellstrassen.

List of Austrian Autobahns –

• A1: West Autobahn from Vienna to Wals-Siezenheim and the German Autobahn A8
• A2: (South) Süd Autobahn from Vienna to Arnoldstein and the Italian Autostrada A23
• A3: (Southeast) Südost Autobahn from Guntramsdorf and the A2 to Wulkaprodersdorf
• A4: (East) Ost Autobahn from Vienna to Nickelsdorf and the Hungarian Motorway M1
• A5 : (North) Nord Autobahn
• A6: (Northeast) Nordost Autobahn from Bruckneudorf and the A4 to Kittsee and the Slovakian Motorway D4
• A7 :   Mühlkreis Autobahn from Linz and the A1 to Unterweitersdorf and the A9
• A8: Innkreis Autobahn from Sattledt, the A1 and the A9 to Suben and the German Autobahn A3
• A9: Pyhrn Autobahn from Sattledt, the A1 and the A8 to Spielfeld and the Slovenian Motorway A1
• A10: Tauern Autobahn from Salzburg and the A1 to Villach, the A2 and the A11
• A11: Karawanken Autobahn from Villach, the A2 and the A10 to the Karawanken Tunnel and the Slovenian Motorway A2
• A12: Inntal Autobahn from Kufstein and the German Autobahn A 93 to Landeck
• A13: Brenner Autobahn from Innsbruck and the A12 to the Brenner Pass and the Italian Autostrada A 22
• A14: Rheintal/Walgau Autobahn from Hörbranz and the German Autobahn 96 to Bürs
• A21: Wiener Außenring Autobahn from Altlengbach and the A1 to Vösendorf and the A2
• A22: Donauufer Autobahn from Vienna and the A23 to Stockerau
• A23:   Südosttangente Vienna
• A25:   Welser Autobahn from Ansfelden and the A1 to Wels and the A8

Intercity-Express (ICE) trains – Austria Transportation

Some of the ICE rail routes to Austria are –

1) From München Hbf via Salzburg Hbf – Linz Hbf to Vienna Westbahnhof (Austria)

2) From Passau Hbf to Vienna Westbahnhof (Austria) via Linz Hbf

2) From Nürnberg Hbf via Regensburg Hbf – Plattling to Passau Hbf (onwards to Wien Westbf via Linz Hbf)

Within Austria one can get any train information including schedules and routes by calling the following number – +43 (0)5-1717

The Eurocity (EC) Trains – Austria

Some of the routes to Austria are (the trains have been given names; some of them are given below)-

Within Austria one can get any train information including schedules and routes by calling the following number – 05/ 1717

Town of Hallstatt, Austria (Pic. Josh Woodhead, Unsplash)

U-Bahn

The U-Bahn or Untergrundbahn is the underground rail system in Austria (and also Germany) a.k.a the Metro or Underground or Subway. The Austrian symbol of the U-Bahn is a white “U” on a round blue background.
In Austria, the U-Bahn services Vienna.

U-Bahn in Vienna, Austria

The U-Bahn or Untergrundbahn is the underground rail system in Austria (and also Germany) a.k.a the Metro or Underground or Subway. The Austrian symbol of the U-Bahn is a white “U” on a round blue background.
In Austria, the U-Bahn services Vienna. Here it is connected with the S-Bahn network. The U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Trams and buses can all be accessed with the same ticket. The Vienna U-Bahn has 5 lines – U1, U2, U3, U4 and U6. Apart from this simple nomenclature they are also distinguished through different colors. The service runs from 5 am to 1 am. The trains are frequent at 2 to 5 minute intervals which extends to 7.5 minute interval after 8 pm.

In October 2013, the U2 line was extended by 2.6 miles and this included three stations.
In 2011, more than 560 million people utilized the u-bahn. Currently there are 5 lines in the system ( U1 to U6 – the various projects for U5 did not take for various reasons)

U1 (Red) Line
Route: Reumannplatz – Leopoldau

Stations covered in the Reumannplatz – Leopoldau route:

Reumannplatz
Keplerplatz
Südtiroler Platz
Taubstummengasse
Karlsplatz   (U2, U4)
Stephansplatz — City   (U3)
Schwedenplatz   (U4 )
Nestroyplatz
Praterstern
Vorgartenstrasse
Donauinsel
Kaisermühlen — Vienna International Centre
Alte Donau
Kagran
Kagraner Platz
Rennbahnweg
Aderklaaer Strasse
Grossfeldsiedlung
Leopoldau
U2 (Purple) Line
Route: Schottenring – Karlsplatz

Stations covered under the route Schottenring – Karlsplatz –

Schottenring (U4)
Schottentor — Universität
Rathaus
Volkstheater (U3)
Museumsquartier
Karlsplatz (U1 U4)

An extension of this line is underway. More stations would be added.

U3 (Orange) Line
Route: Ottakring – Simmering

The stations covered under the Ottakring – Simmering route-

Ottakring
Kendlerstraße
Hütteldorfer Straße
Johnstraße
Schweglerstraße
Westbahnhof (U6)
Zieglergasse
Neubaugasse
Volkstheater (U2)
Herrengasse
Stephansplatz — City (U1)
Stubentor
Landstraße (U4)
Rochusgasse
Kardinal-Nagl-Platz
Schlachthausgasse
Erdberg
Gasometer
Zippererstraße
Enkplatz
Simmering
U4 (Green) line
Route: Hütteldorf – Heiligenstadt

The stations covered under the Hütteldorf – Heiligenstadt route are –

Hütteldorf
Ober St. Veit
Unter St. Veit
Braunschweiggasse
Hietzing
Schönbrunn
Meidling Hauptstraße
Längenfeldgasse (U6)
Margaretengürtel
Pilgramgasse
Kettenbrückengasse
Karlsplatz (U1, U2)
Stadtpark
Landstraße (U3)
Schwedenplatz (U1)
Schottenring (U2)
Roßauer Lände
Friedensbrücke
Spittelau (U6)
Heiligenstadt
U6 (Brown) Line
Route: Floridsdorf – Siebenhirten

In portions of this route the train runs above ground. The stations covered under Floridsdorf – Siebenhirten route are –

Floridsdorf
Neue Donau
Handelskai
Dresdner Strasse
Jägerstrasse
Spittelau (U4)
Nussdorfer Strasse
Wahringer Strasse — Volksoper
Michelbeuern — AKH (Allgemeines Krankenhaus)
Alser Strasse
Josefstadter Strasse
Thaliastrasse
Burggasse — Stadthalle
Westbahnhof (U3)
Gumpendorfer Strasse
Längenfeldgasse (U4)
Niederhofstrasse
Philadelphiabrucke — Meidling
Tscherttegasse
Am Schopfwerk
Alterlaa
Erlaaer Strasse
Perfektastrasse
Siebenhirten

S-Bahn in Austria, Europe

The S-Bahn (or Schnellbahn) is a system of urban and suburban railway network with fast electric trains with short stops. In Austria there are S-Bahns in Vienna and Salzburg. The Salzburg S-Bahn is Austria’s first Euroregion S-Bahn since it crosses the border to Salzburg’s suburbs in Germany. OBB of Austria teams up with Salzburger Lokalbahn for this. Two latest additions of S-Bahns are in Innsbruck and Graz.

S-BAHN VIENNA LINES AND ROUTES

S-BAHN SOUTHBOUND LINE AND ROUTE, VIENNA
S9 : Wiener Neustadt main station – Mödling – Vienna Meidling – Vienna – Vienna Floridsdorf – Gänserndorf

S15: Hütteldorf Vienna – Vienna Meidling – Vienna – Vienna Floridsdorf – Mistelbach – Laa / Thaya

S7 : Wolfsthal – Airport Vienna – Vienna – Vienna Floridsdorf – Mistelbach – Laa / Thaya

S9 : Vienna Meidling – Vienna – Vienna Floridsdorf – Stockerau – Hollabrunn

S9 : Vienna Meidling – Vienna – Vienna Florids village – Stockerau – Absdorf-Hippers village – Krems / Danube

S9 : Wiener Neustadt main station – Vienna Liesing – Vienna Meidling – Vienna – Vienna Floridsdorf – Archduke Karl-street – Vienna South Station (East)

S40 : St. Poelten Hbf – Traismauer – Tulln – Heiligenstadt – Vienna Franz Josef station

S45 : Hütteldorf Vienna – Vienna Ottak ring – Vienna Handelskai

S50 : (Rekawinkel – ) Tullnerbach-Pressbaum – Wien Westbahnof

S60 : Bruck / Leitha – Vienna South Station (East)

S80 : Vienna South Station (East) – Archduke Karl-street – Vienna Hausfeldstrade

S-BAHN NORTHBOUND LINE AND ROUTE, VIENNA
S1 : South Railway, Stammstrecke, North Railway

S2 : Regular route, Laaer Ostbahn

S2 : Pressburger rail, regular route, Laaer Ostbahn

S3 : Regular route, Northwestern Railway

S4 : Regular route, Northwest Railway, Franz Josef Railway

S8 : South Railway, Stammstrecke, East Railway

S40 : Franz Josefs Railway

S45 : Viennese suburbs line

S50 : East Railway

S60 : East Railway

S80 : East Railway

Buses in Austria, Europe – Transport

Austria has an excellent rail network. But the Alpine villages and other hard to get places are serviced by buses. The bus service complements the rail services. The bus service run by OBB (Austrian Federal Railways) was called Bahnbus and that run by the Post Office was called the Postbus. In 2005 however they merged to form the OBB Postbus Gmbh after OBB bought over the Postbus. The frequency varies throughout the day and the week.

The service is more at peak hours of the day. On weekends reduces and in some places does not run at all.

The train stations and Post offices of the main towns invariably will have a bus station or Busbahnhof next to them. The bus schedules are put up at the stations and the relevant ones at the smaller stops. The stops have a sign of a green “H” for “Haltestelle”. But to get a comprehensive schedule one would have to purchase it. Tickets can be bought at the bus or from ticket machines at the bus station. Passes/travelcards for 24 hours (Netzkarte) and 72 hours are available. They are also available for 8 days (8-Tage-Karte) or for the week (Wochenkarte). These give a cheaper per ride rate. Travelcards are valid in trams, buses, U-Bahn and S-Bahn. Some of them give discount in museums.

There are intercity buses but buses are more often used to reach places in the mountains or other hard to reach places not serviced by trains. In cities there are bus service from the airport to the city centre. For instance, in Vienna there are buses at regular intervals from Wien-Schwechat airport to Schwedenplatz during the daytime (6:20am – midnight), to Sudbahnhof and to Westbahnhof. Like other places in Europe Vienna also has a night bus service which kicks in at half past midnight to 5 am.

For details and fares Postbus customer service (daily from 7 am- 8pm) can be contacted at –
+43 (1) 711 01 – When calling from outside Austria
0810-222 333 – When calling from within Austria

There are a number of concessions given to senior citizens and children for bus/tram travels. Some are fare reductions and in some cases children travel free.
Details at postbus.at