Train stations in Vienna: which station to use and why

Vienna has several train stations, but the one you need depends on which operator and service you are travelling on. For almost all long-distance and international trains, ÖBB Railjet, ICE, Nightjet, Frecciarossa, the station is Wien Hauptbahnhof. If you are travelling with the private Westbahn operator to Salzburg or Linz, the station is usually Wien Westbahnhof, though as of 2026 some departures have changed. Wien Meidling is a secondary stop on the same main line; it matters if your hotel is in the south of the city.

The most important thing you can do before you travel: open your booking confirmation and find the departure station field. Booking sites often show only “Vienna” as the city name. The actual station appears in the ticket details. Check it before you leave, not at the station.

Wien Hauptbahnhof: Vienna’s main train station

Wien Hbf has been Vienna’s main long-distance hub since it opened fully in December 2015. Before that, three separate termini, Westbahnhof, Ostbahnhof, and Sudbahnhof, handled different directions. Passengers connecting between east-west and north-south trains sometimes had to transfer between stations by bus or tram. Wien Hbf replaced all three for mainline traffic. That change matters because it means east-west trains and southbound trains now share the same station.

The station is in the Favoriten district, south of the city centre. Twelve mainline platforms handle all long-distance and international services. Platforms 3 to 12 are above ground on a viaduct. Platforms 1 and 2 are below ground and serve S-Bahn suburban and regional trains. Platform numbers appear on the main departure board and on every platform screen, usually posted around 20 minutes before departure. There are no ticket barriers.

Trains at Wien Hbf include ÖBB Railjet services to Graz, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Munich, Budapest, and Zurich; Deutsche Bahn ICE trains to Stuttgart, Frankfurt, and Hamburg; Nightjet overnight services to Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Brussels, Cologne, Zurich, and Rome; the Trenitalia Frecciarossa to Milan; EuroCity and InterCity trains to Prague, Warsaw, and Trieste; and RegioJet services to Prague. For the airport S-Bahn, the S7 passes through Wien Hbf direction but the airport link interchange is at Wien Mitte, see the airport section below.

Buy tickets at the ÖBB Reisezentrum (ticket office) on the main concourse, marked with a red ÖBB sign on the northern side of the tracks. Westbahn and RegioJet have separate counters directly to the right of the main ÖBB office. Some unofficial travel agency counters in the station add a booking fee. Stick to the operator counters or book at oebb.at.

Wien Westbahnhof: the Westbahn station

Wien Westbahnhof was once Vienna’s most important terminus, used by the Orient Express and the main Paris-Salzburg-Vienna-Budapest axis for over a century. When Wien Hbf opened in December 2015, all ÖBB long-distance trains moved there. Westbahnhof became home to the Westbahn private operator and regional services.

Westbahn runs hourly trains from Westbahnhof to Linz and Salzburg, with some extended to Munich. No reservation is required on Westbahn. Board any train in the timetable window and sit where you like. Buy at westbahn.at or on board.

ÖBB and Westbahn are entirely separate operators. An ÖBB ticket is not valid on Westbahn. A Westbahn ticket is not valid on ÖBB. Interrail and Eurail passes are not accepted on Westbahn services. This is one of the most common mistakes on the Salzburg corridor: buying an ÖBB pass or ticket and then finding you cannot board the Westbahn train, or vice versa.

One more thing worth knowing: as of 2026, some international trains have returned to calling at Wien Westbahnhof. The pattern is no longer as clean as it was. Check the departure station on your specific ticket before you travel. Westbahnhof is connected to U3 and U6.

Wien Meidling: the stop before Hauptbahnhof

Wien Meidling is the first station south of Wien Hbf on the main line, just a few minutes by train. Most Railjet and many other long-distance trains call at both Hbf and Meidling. If your hotel is in the 12th district or you want direct U6 access, Meidling can save you a trip to Hbf and back.

The ÖBB Lounge is available at Meidling on the same access terms as at Wien Hbf: a first class ticket, any sleeping-car ticket, or a first class Interrail or Eurail pass.

For most travellers arriving in Vienna from outside the city, Wien Hbf is the better choice. The facilities are significantly better, including shops, cafes, luggage lockers, and the main ÖBB ticket office. Journey planners sometimes suggest changing trains at Meidling. In most cases you can equally well make the same connection at Wien Hbf, which is more comfortable for a longer wait.

To confirm whether your specific train calls at Meidling, check fahrplan.oebb.at before you leave.

Reservation rules: Nightjet, Railjet, and Westbahn

Three very different reservation models apply at Vienna’s stations.

Nightjet: Reservation is compulsory, whether you have a ticket or a rail pass. You need a reservation for your accommodation type, seat, 6-berth couchette, or private sleeper compartment. Pass holders book the Nightjet reservation separately at nightjet.com or through the pass platform. Do not board a Nightjet without one. Book early for a couchette or sleeper. They sell before seats.

Railjet: For most full-fare ÖBB tickets, the seat reservation is already included. If you are using an Interrail or Eurail pass, book a separate reservation at oebb.at or through your pass booking channel. Business class requires a reservation; in Economy class it is strongly recommended on busy departures. Check your booking confirmation, if a reservation is attached, it will show the car and seat number.

Westbahn: No reservation needed. Open seating; board any train in the timetable window.

A common pass-holder mistake: a valid travel day on your rail pass is not a seat reservation. For Nightjet and Railjet, you need both. The travel day says you can travel; the reservation says where you sit.

Getting from Wien Hbf to the city centre

The U1 metro line is the fastest route from Wien Hbf to the old town. The Südtiroler Platz U-Bahn station is directly across the street from the station’s main northern entrance. Take U1 in the direction of the city centre; Stephansplatz, for St. Stephen’s Cathedral, is four stops away.

Buy a single ticket or day pass before boarding. The WienMobil app accepts contactless credit and debit cards; ticket machines inside the station also work. Ticket inspection on the U-Bahn is regular.

Walking from Wien Hbf to St. Stephen’s Cathedral is about 2.9 km, around 35 minutes. That is manageable with light luggage and good weather, but the U-Bahn is faster. The tram stop Hauptbahnhof Ost is underneath the eastern end of the station, served by tram D.

Getting to Vienna Airport (VIE) by train

The CAT, City Airport Train, runs non-stop from Wien Mitte/Landstraße to Vienna International Airport (VIE) in 16 minutes. It does not depart from Wien Hbf. It departs from Wien Mitte, a separate interchange station in the third district.

From Wien Hbf, take U1 to Stephansplatz, then change to U3 in the direction of Simmering and ride two stops to Landstraße/Wien Mitte. The CAT runs every 30 minutes. Check current fares and times at cityairporttrain.com before you travel, as the fare is separate from your train ticket.

The S7 S-Bahn is the cheaper alternative. Also from Wien Mitte direction toward the airport, with stops along the route. Journey times are longer than the CAT; check fahrplan.oebb.at.

Wien Mitte is not Vienna’s main train station. Do not confuse it with Wien Hbf. It handles the CAT, some S-Bahn lines, and U3/U4 connections. No long-distance trains depart from there.

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For almost all arrivals and departures in Vienna, Wien Hauptbahnhof is the right station. Westbahn services to Salzburg and Linz are the main exception, and those mostly depart from Westbahnhof, but check your ticket. Platform information for any departure is at fahrplan.oebb.at.