Vienna Airport to the Hofburg
- From
- Vienna International Airport
- To
- the Hofburg
- By
- Train, replacement bus or airport coach, then U-Bahn or a short walk
- Time
- About 45 to 60 minutes door to door
- Cost
- EUR 5.50 to EUR 11, plus a city ticket for the last leg
Open directions in Google Maps
Read this one carefully, because the usual advice is out of date. From 7 September 2026 until the end of October 2027, a central section of Vienna's inner-city S-Bahn between Praterstern and Hauptbahnhof is closed. Trains no longer stop at Rennweg or at Wien Mitte/Landstraße, the S7 airport line has been cut back to St Marx outside the centre, and the City Airport Train is running as a bus. Everything below reflects what the operators published on 18 September 2026.
Step by step
- 1
Pick your route at the airport, not in advance
Four options work during the closure and they arrive in different parts of the city. The right one depends on where you are staying, not on which is fastest.
- 2
Railjet or Intercity to Wien Hauptbahnhof — the fastest
Long-distance trains run twice an hour from the airport to Vienna Central Station in about 15 minutes. From Hauptbahnhof take the U1 to Stephansplatz, change to the U3 and ride one stop to Herrengasse, which is about 320 m from the Michaelerplatz entrance.
- 3
Or the REX 7 to Wien Hauptbahnhof — the cheapest rail option
The regional express reaches Hauptbahnhof in around 20 minutes. The fare is EUR 5.50, made up of EUR 2.30 for the airport-to-city-boundary leg and EUR 3.20 for the Vienna zone, and that second part covers your U-Bahn connection. Buy at the ÖBB counter, a machine, the app or online.
- 4
Or the City Airport Train, now a bus
The CAT has switched to premium buses between the airport and Wien Mitte/Landstraße for the duration of the closure, with up to five departures an hour in each direction and a 21-minute journey. Single tickets start at EUR 7 with a discount. From Wien Mitte take the U3 four stops to Herrengasse.
- 5
Or the Vienna Airport Bus, if a route ends near your hotel
Five coach routes run from the airport: VAB 1 to Hauptbahnhof and Westbahnhof, VAB 2 to Schwedenplatz, VAB 3 to Donauzentrum, and from 5 September 2026 VAB 4 to Karlsplatz and VAB 5 to Praterstern. For the Hofburg, VAB 4 to Karlsplatz is the useful one — from there it is about a fifteen-minute walk through the Burggarten, or one stop on the U2 and a short change.
- 6
Walk the last few hundred metres
Herrengasse (U3) is the closest station to the palace at about 320 m. Stephansplatz is about 500 m down the Kohlmarkt. From Karlsplatz, walk up through the Burggarten and you arrive at the Albertina end of the complex.
Nearest stations to Hofburg Palace
| Station | Type | Distance | On foot |
|---|---|---|---|
| HerrengasseVOR | metro | 326 m | about 5 min |
| VolkstheaterVOR | metro | 467 m | about 8 min |
| StephansplatzVOR | metro | 499 m | about 8 min |
| MuseumsquartierVOR | metro | 508 m | about 8 min |
| KarlsplatzVOR | metro | 608 m | about 10 min |
| RathausVOR | metro | 846 m | about 14 min |
Within 3 km of Hofburg Palace. Walk time = straight line × 1.3 at 80 m/min. Station data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Tips
- The S7 no longer takes you to the city centre. It runs only as far as St Marx, where you change to tram 18 or 71, or bus 74A towards Landstraße. Avoid it unless you have a reason to be out there.
- A REX 7 ticket at EUR 5.50 already includes the Vienna zone, so your U-Bahn connection is covered. A CAT ticket is not a city ticket, and you buy the U-Bahn separately.
- Vienna Airport publishes no fixed taxi fare to the centre. It names Airport Driver, ATS Airport Transfer Service, Flughafentaxi ttc and 40100 as partners, with pick-up in front of the arrivals hall and City Transfer counters inside — agree a price before you set off.
- Left luggage: if you land early and cannot check in, use the lockers at Hauptbahnhof or Wien Mitte rather than dragging bags round the palace. The Hofburg's cloakrooms take coats and daypacks, not suitcases.
- Whichever route you take, the last leg is on foot over cobbles. Wheeled cases and Michaelerplatz are not friends.
Other ways to get there
| Method | Time | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Railjet / Intercity to Hauptbahnhof | About 15 minutes | Rail fare, twice an hour | The fastest way into the city during the closure. Change to the U1, then the U3. |
| REX 7 to Hauptbahnhof | About 20 minutes | EUR 5.50 including the Vienna zone | Best value. The EUR 3.20 city portion covers your U-Bahn connection. |
| City Airport Train, operating as a bus | 21 minutes | From EUR 7 with a discount | Up to five departures an hour to Wien Mitte/Landstraße. Runs as premium buses until 31 October 2027. |
| Vienna Airport Bus VAB 4 | Around 30 to 40 minutes | EUR 11 single, EUR 20 return; EUR 6 child 6–14; EUR 7 reduced | Direct to Karlsplatz, new from 5 September 2026. Under-6s travel free. |
| Taxi or pre-booked transfer | 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic | Not published by the airport | Four named partners, pick-up in front of arrivals. Agree the fare in advance. |
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Vienna airport to the Hofburg?
Take a railjet or REX 7 train to Wien Hauptbahnhof, then the U1 to Stephansplatz and the U3 one stop to Herrengasse, about 320 m from the palace. Allow 45 to 60 minutes door to door.
Is the City Airport Train still running?
Yes, but as premium buses rather than trains. Because of the inner-city S-Bahn closure it runs as a replacement bus service to Wien Mitte/Landstraße, 21 minutes, up to five an hour, until 31 October 2027.
Can I take the S7 from the airport to the city centre?
Not at the moment. During the closure the S7 runs only as far as St Marx, outside the centre, where you change to tram 18 or 71 or bus 74A.
What is the cheapest way from Vienna airport to the centre?
The REX 7 at EUR 5.50, which is EUR 2.30 for the airport-to-boundary leg plus EUR 3.20 for the Vienna zone — and that second part also covers your U-Bahn connection.
How much is a taxi from Vienna airport?
Vienna Airport does not publish a fare. It lists four licensed partners with pick-up in front of the arrivals hall; agree the price before you travel.
Sources