When leaving the InterContinental at Vienna to go the airport, I typically use the Subway and the CAT train which links the City Centre to VIE.
There is a subway station right opposite the InterContinental and it is one stop to the CAT (City Airport Train) station at Vienna-Mitte. You must buy a ticket at the subway station before boarding for the subway.
The platforms are downstairs and you need the righthand one to get to the CAT station.
(Yes, that’s me taking a picture from the wrong platform. This was followed by running up and over as the train I wanted was pulling in.)
The subway trains are fairly typical for Europe:
When you come off the subway, follow the signs for the CAT train and when you come up to the surface you see their station:
The trains leave the airport and city at the same times 06 and 36 minutes past the hour.
You can pre-purchase your CAT ticket at their web site and earn Lufthansa Miles And More miles at the same time. A ticket with a bar code can be printed off to present to the ticket inspector.
At the CAT station you can check in for your flight and even deposit your luggage if you have a CAT ticket.
The trains are two storey and if you have never ridden ‘upstairs’ on a train it is worth doing.
The seats are a mixture of singles and doubles/4’s to suit everyone:
There are luggage racks at the doorways and tickets are checked on the train.
You get to see some ‘lovely’ sights from the train as you speed to the airport in the 16 minutes it takes to get there.
Once you arrive at VIE you need to choose which terminal you need, but there are signs to help. At the Star Alliance terminal, you are deposited at one end and it is a five minute walk to Security:
The fare (as of Feb 14) is EUR11 one way and EUR17 return.
Glad you are enjoying it here! I thought your description of the cranky attendant at the HON lounge was typical and spot-on.
I think the CAT train is an overpriced scam except for one very awesome feature – you can check in and deposit your bags at the city check-in counter the night before your flight. I almost always drag my bag over the night before so I don’t have to drag it to the airport in the morning. Worth every cent!
It is easier for me living here, but when my mother came to visit, I was able to persuade her to keep a basic overnight kit and change of clothes for the next day and dump the bag the night before. All travelers to Vienna should consider this option, especially if staying near the station (Hilton, IC, or Marriott).
what a waste of money, instead that the slow train (runs on the exact same tracks) and save a bundle. It takes all of 16 mins longer since it makes a few stops along the way
It leaves from Mitte station but not the CAT station, and depending where a person is staying they can take a tram to the Renweg station and catch it there as well
Been to Wein many times never once set foot on the CAT, saved a ton of money
When I looked at the CAT for my trip there in late 2013, only a few airlines allowed check-in at the CAT station. It is worth paying attention to whether yours is one of those because, as ExPatinVIE points out, the normal S-Bahn is much cheaper. The normal S-Bahn also stops at several other stations in central Vienna that might be more convenient depending on where you are staying.
Turkish are my favorite. Just flown IAH to IST. Good crew, good food, every comfortable bed.
I agree that the CAT is really overpriced, although it’s not such a rip off as the Heathrow Express.
Also, the oil refinery at Schwechat must be the single most ugly place in the entire country.