AT Austria: how to get around

Long-distance bus connections are not as common as train travel in Austria. The main operator is FlixBus, but there are also a few connections from Eurolines.

Train tickets can be purchased via the ÖBB website and ÖBB ticket app for Android and iOS. There are also ticket machines at all sizable train stations and onboard some regional trains. When boarding regional trains you are required to have purchased a ticket before boarding, if it is possible to buy a ticket via railway office or vending machine at the station you are departing from. On long-distance trains (RailJet (RJ and RJX), Intercity-Express (ICE), Intercity (IC), Eurocity (EC), Interregio) you can also buy tickets from the conductor on board, but the price is much higher. In general, you don't need to make a reservation for trains in Austria, even on long-distance services. However, reservations are recommended on peak times (mainly at weekends) due to high demand and in some rare cases are mandatory due to very high demand. For reservations and train capacity check the ÖBB website or the ticket app.

Always compare the fares of the Westbahn with those of the ÖBB and the departure railways in other countries (Magyar Államvasutak, České dráhy, Deutsche Bahn,...) or even the railways of the transit countries, as there may be price differences even for the same train. ÖBB has discount offers based on dynamic pricing called "SparSchiene" tickets. There are a limited number of tickets at this price. Additional offers are available to all countries in Central Europe, although some cannot be booked online. The ÖBB sell domestic tickets using a price based only upon distance traveled, regardless of when you buy the ticket and which train you take. Base fare is rather expensive, but OBB offer some interesting discounts.

Local and urban transport in Austria is very good, with a high density of connections and networks. Public transport is particularly good in the cities. Vienna, Graz, Linz, Innsbruck, Baden and the town of Gmunden have tram systems and in Vienna you will also find a metro system. Tourist towns in the countryside have also invested a lot of money in building up a transport network that can often be used free of charge (ask at the tourist office). In sparsely populated areas, connections are less frequent. Regional bus lines are mostly organised by province:

• Vorarlberg: Vmobil
• Tyrol: VVT
• Salzburg: Salzburg Verkehr
• Carinthia: Kärntner Linien
• Upper Austria: OÖVV
• Styria: Verbund Linie
• Lower Austria, Vienna and Burgenland: VOR

You can buy local transport tickets from ticket machines (also from ÖBB ticket machines) or through the ÖBB app for the whole country.

There is a route planning app called ÖBB Scotty available as web app and for Android and iOS, which takes into account all forms of public transport in the country and all international connections (even private operated train connections).

When using regional bus lines, the apps/route planning services of each integrated transport systems are usually the best choice (e.g. VOR AnachB - you can select English in the menu on the left).

In the biggest cities, you can find information on fares and restricted lines using the websites and apps of the operator (e.g. Wiener Linien for Vienna).

Sparsely populated regions in Austria are easier to explore by car as bus services can be infrequent. Many popular spots in the mountains are accessible only by car or on foot/ski. Renting a car for a couple of days is a good way to go off the beaten track. Driving in Austria is normally quite pleasant as the country is small and the roads are in good condition, not congested and offer fantastic scenery.

Travelling on Austrian motorways (Autobahnen) or Schnellstraßen means you have to pay tolls. You have to buy a Vignette toll pass at any petrol station, at the border, or online through the ASFiNAG website. Vignetten can be bought for validity periods of a single day, 10 days, 2 months, or a year. Vehicles heavier than 3500 kg must instead purchase a GO-Box, a transponder which deducts tolls. Additional tolls are payable on certain roads, especially mountain passes, which you need to pay in bank notes (not coins) or with credit card at toll stations or online through the ASFiNAG website.

The speed limits are 130 km/h (81 mph) on Autobahnen and 100 km/h (62 mph) on Schnellstraßen and Bundesstraßen. Expect limits otherwise of 50–80 km/h (31–50 mph). Headlights should be switched on at all times.

Take special care when driving in winter, especially in the mountains (winter lasts from September to May in the higher parts of the Alps and snowfall is in general possible at any time of the year). Icy roads kill dozens of inexperienced drivers every year. Winter tires are mandatory between November 1 and April 15. During winter season most rental cars are equipped with winter tyres, an additional fee may be charged.

Although you'll miss out most of the stunning Austrian Landscape, it is possible to travel by plane within Austria. However, due to the country's small size and excellent train network, the total journey time by air is unlikely to be shorter than by rail, or even by bus.

Domestic flights normally cost in the region of €300-500 return, Austrian Airlines offers limited tickets for €99 (Redtickets) but they have to be booked usually 2–3 months in advance. As a matter of fact, even Austrian Airlines now codeshares with ÖBB for some "feeder flights". In other words, fly only if you are on a business trip.

These domestic airports are served by airlines like Austrian Airlines (AUA):

• Graz (Thalerhof), servicing eastern Styria and southern Burgenland
• Innsbruck (Kranebitten), servicing Tyrol
• Klagenfurt (Wörthersee-Airport), servicing Carinthia
• Linz (Hörsching), servicing Upper Austria
• Salzburg (Wals), servicing Salzburg and Berchtesgaden (Bavaria)
• Vienna (Schwechat), servicing Vienna and Lower Austria

In addition, the following cross-border airports also serve western Austria:

• Altenrhein Airport (Switzerland), servicing Vorarlberg, Liechtenstein, Eastern Switzerland, and Lake Constance area
• Friedrichshafen (Germany), servicing Vorarlberg, Baden-Württemberg and Lake Constance area

As of 2024, the most popular ride-hailing services in Austria are Uber, Bolt and Free Now.