Vienna

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[edit] Vienna

(in German Wien pronounced /viːn/; /viˈɛnə/ English) is the capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city; with a population of about 1.7 million official (2.3 million within the metropolitan area), it is by far the largest city in Austria as well as its cultural, economic, and political center. It is the 10th largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits and was listed by Mercer Human Resource Consulting as having the 2nd highest quality of living (as of 2008). Vienna is host to many major international organizations such as the United Nations and OPEC. Vienna lies in the very east of Austria and is close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. In 2001, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an Economist Intelligence Unit study of 127 world cities ranked it first equal with Vancouver for the List of cities by quality of living|quality of life.


[edit] Vienna International Airport

(IATA: VIE, ICAO: LOWW) (German: Flughafen Wien-Schwechat), located 18 kilometers (11 miles) southeast of Vienna, is the busiest and biggest airport in Austria. It is often referred to as Schwechat, the name of the nearby town. The airport is capable of handling wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A340. The airport is the hub of Austrian Airlines and its subsidiaries, as well as budget airline Niki and Sky Europe.

[edit] History of the Airport

Originally built as a military airport in 1938, it was taken over by the United Kingdom in 1945. In 1954, the Betriebsgesellschaft was founded, and the airport replaced Aspern as Vienna's (and Austria's) principal aerodrome. There was just one runway, which in 1959 was expanded to measure 3,000 metres. The erection of the new airport building starting in 1960. In 1972 another runway was built.

The airport received Olympic teams as Austria has twice hosted the Winter Olympics. Pope John Paul II also used the airport during his visits to Austria. On December 27, 1985, the El Al ticket counter was attacked by Palestinian terrorists.

The airport formerly featured a Harrods, but it closed in 2003.

There are a number of smaller airports within a two hour commute of Vienna which are served by so-called budget airlines; it is therefore often cheaper to fly to a nearby city and connect by train or bus. Ryanair [1] flies to Linz (1 1/2 - 2 hours by train), Graz (2 1/2 hours by train) and Brno (Template:IATA) and Sky Europe [2] flies to Bratislava (1 1/2 hours by bus).

There are three options by public transport to travel to/from the city centre of Vienna.

  • Taxi to and from the Airport

As a point of reference, a taxi ride between the airport and the western part of the city centre (District 7) costs around €40 (including extras and tip). A taxi from the Rennweg S-Bahn station (where the S-Bahn to the airport departs) to the airport costs around €25. Taxi prices are negotiable before you climb in! If your destination is north or west of the city centre a pre-booked taxi might be much cheaper. For example, Airport Service Wien [3] offers a flat rate of €27 (max. 3 persons in car) to/from any destination address within Vienna.

  • Hotel shuttle

Some Vienna hotels offer guests shuttle service to and from the airport, usually for a fee that's cheaper than a taxi, though sometimes you will share the shuttle with guests from your own or nearby hotels.

  • City Airport Train to the Wien-Mitte Railway Station

The City Airport Train (CAT) [4] takes you directly from the Vienna International Airport to the Wien-Mitte Railway Station in 16 minutes. The return ticket costs €16 or €9 one way. The CAT is used mainly by business travellers (or those lured by advertising into believing that there are no alternatives) and is useful if you are in a great hurry. The CAT is owned by the Airport (not by the Austrian Federal Railways) and is heavily advertised in Austrian Airlines cabin announcements upon landing, in terminal transfer buses, and in the airport building itself.

When you leave Vienna by plane, and if you use Star Alliance Flights, Air Berlin, or Fly Niki, your baggage can be checked in at the City Air Terminal at the Wien-Mitte Railway Station, which leaves you baggage-free and more time in Vienna; the price is still high for saving 11 minutes. [Note: If you are flying to the United States, due to extra security measures, you cannot check-in your luggage at the City Air Terminal.]

  • S-Bahn (local commuter train) to and from the Airport

Although no longer advertised by the airport management (which prefers to ignore the S-Bahn and promote its more expensive CAT instead), the normal S-Bahn (Schnellbahn) (fast regional train) S7 (or S2) is also direct, merely 10 minutes slower than the CAT and costs just a third: €6.80 return (or €3.40 one way) if bought in advance (and only €3 if you have the Wien card), stopping at Wien Mitte, Wien Nord, and Wien Handelskai among others. If you already have a U-Bahn day pass, you only need to add a “Aussenzonen” (outer zone) ticket for €1.70 (has to be bought in advance). Do stamp the ticket to validate it before getting on the S-Bahn, as punching machines are not installed inside the train. Note that you will need to buy a 2-zone ticket (or two 1-zone tickets) to total €3.40 each way to and from the airport.

To reach the S-Bahn station at the Vienna Internatonal Airport, follow the CAT signs for all but the final 50 meters: the S-Bahn and the CAT leave from the same underground railway station, but from different platforms. For more information, check out Vienna's main website[5].

Once you have your 2-zone ticket, you can travel from the airport to any Viennese destination (free transfer for one hour; you don't need to buy further tickets for Viennese bus, subway, or tram lines).

  • Bus (Vienna Airport Lines) to and from the city center

There are two direct Vienna Airport bus lines [6] going every 30 minutes between the Vienna International Airport and Vienna's city center.

1. One bus line goes to "Morzinplatz" next to "Schwedenplatz" very close to the center of the city. At Schwedenplatz, you have two subway lines (U4 and U1), as well as buses and trams. In about a five minutes walk, you are at St. Stephan´s Cathedral, the very center of Vienna. The trip costs €6 and takes about 20 minutes.

2. The other bus line goes to the two main railway stations near the city center. The bus trip to Südbahnhof (Southern Rail Station) or Westbahnhof (Western Rail Station) costs €6 and takes about half an hour. Usually a bus leaves the airport or the stations every 30 minutes (every 20 minutes in the summer). Costs: Single ride - €6; Round trip - €11. You buy the ticket from the bus driver.


[edit] Layover Hotels

  • Vienna Marriott Hotel

Parkring 12a, 1010 Wien, phone: + 43 1 515186616, email: vienna.marriott.reservations@marriotthotels.com http://www.viennamarriott.com The Vienna Marriott Hotel, situated in the heart of Vienna, along the avenue "Ringstrasse", opposite Stadtpark, This elegant hotel offers 313 deluxe rooms and suites, an indoor pool and health club (sauna, solarium, jacuzzi, fitness club), business center and shops. The restaurants and bars of the Vienna Marriott Hotel are popular gathering places in the city.

  • The Imperial Riding School Vienna A Renaissance Hotel

Ungargasse 60, 1030 Wien, phone: + 43 1 711758211, email: rhi.viese.reservation@renaissancehotels.com, http://www.imperialrenaissance.com This historic hotel, a former imperial riding school in 1850, is set within the diplomatic area of Vienna. This neo-classic building offers a listed lobby, an indoor pool with large sunbathing area and a restaurant with terrace and garden.

  • Renaissance Wien Hotel

Linke Wienzeile/Ullmannstrasse 71, 1150 Wien, phone: + 43 1 891020, email: rhi.viehw.reservation@renaissancehotels.com, http://www.renaissancewien.com Within walking distance to Schoenbrunn Palace and across from the underground station, this Deluxe Vienna hotel offers a great location to enjoy Austrian sights. Panorama pool on the roof top floor with a view over Vienna.

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