Austria
How to get to Austria begins with a non-rev advantage that surprises many travelers: Austrian Airlines (OS), a Star Alliance member and Lufthansa Group carrier, operates direct nonstops to Vienna (VIE) from seven North American cities — Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York-JFK, Newark, and Washington-Dulles. This gives Star Alliance employees an unusually clean path into Central Europe without a European connecting flight. Air Canada also serves VIE from Toronto. For Oneworld and SkyTeam travelers, European hub connections via London, Amsterdam, Paris, or Doha provide solid paths. Vienna is Austria’s hub for all international long-haul, but it’s worth knowing that depending on your Austrian destination, flying into Munich (MUC) or Zurich (ZRH) and continuing by rail can be faster than routing through VIE — particularly for Salzburg, Innsbruck, and the western Alpine regions. Austria is part of the Schengen Area; US citizens enter visa-free for up to 90 days. The currency is the euro.
Tourism Board
Why Go
Key Carriers
Austria’s Airports
| City | Airport | Code | Notes for Non-Revs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna | Vienna International (Wien-Schwechat) | VIE | Only airport with long-haul North American service. Austrian Airlines hub. ~18km southeast of city center; S-Bahn rail link (City Airport Train / CAT) to Wien Mitte in 16 min. |
| Salzburg | Salzburg W.A. Mozart Airport | SZG | European connections only (LHR, FRA, IST, CPH). Most non-revs reach Salzburg via VIE rail or MUC. |
| Graz | Graz Airport | GRZ | LHR via BA (Oneworld), FRA/MUC via Lufthansa (Star Alliance), ZRH via Swiss (Star Alliance). Best reached via VIE rail (2.5h) or via MUC/FRA. |
| Innsbruck | Innsbruck Airport | INN | British Airways operates seasonal service from LHR, LGW, and LCY — the key ski season route for Oneworld non-revs. Also Lufthansa from MUC. Tiny airport, very close to city center (4km). |
| Linz | Linz Airport (Blue Danube Airport) | LNZ | Very limited international service. Best reached by train from VIE (~1.5h). |
How to Get to Austria From North America
| Nonstop From | Code | Carrier |
|---|---|---|
| Star Alliance — Austrian Airlines (OS) · 7 North American nonstops | ||
| 🇺🇸Boston | BOS | Austrian Airlines (OS) |
| 🇺🇸Chicago | ORD | Austrian Airlines (OS) |
| 🇺🇸Los Angeles | LAX | Austrian Airlines (OS) |
| 🇺🇸New York-JFK | JFK | Austrian Airlines (OS) |
| 🇺🇸Newark | EWR | Austrian Airlines (OS) |
| 🇺🇸Washington-Dulles | IAD | Austrian Airlines (OS) |
| 🇨🇦Montreal | YUL | Austrian Airlines (OS) |
| Star Alliance — Air Canada (AC) | ||
| 🇨🇦Toronto | YYZ | Air Canada (AC) |
No Oneworld or SkyTeam carriers operate nonstop North America → VIE. The routing strategy is position to a European hub and connect onward on Austrian Airlines or a partner carrier.
Getting Around Austria
ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen) operates one of Europe’s most punctual and comfortable rail networks, connecting all major Austrian cities with frequent, fast Railjet and intercity services. For non-revs who fly into Vienna, the train is almost always the right onward choice — it’s faster than driving in most cases, drops you at the city center, and removes any parking complexity. Schedules, routes, and tickets at oebb.at.
| Vienna → Salzburg | ~2h 30m | Railjet express, multiple departures daily. Wien Hauptbahnhof to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. The fastest and most practical way between Austria’s two most visited cities. |
| Vienna → Graz | ~2h 30m | Railjet to Styria’s capital. Graz Hauptbahnhof is walkable to the old town and Schlossberg. Faster than flying via the secondary airport. |
| Vienna → Innsbruck | ~4h | Railjet via Salzburg or Kufstein. Comfortable journey through the Inn Valley. If you’re coming from MUC instead, train time to Innsbruck is ~1h 45m. |
| Vienna → Linz | ~1h 30m | The fastest intercity corridor in Austria. Linz is a genuine industrial-art city worth a day — the Lentos Museum and Ars Electronica Center are both on the Danube waterfront. |
| VIE Airport → Vienna City | ~16 min | The City Airport Train (CAT) runs nonstop from Wien Flughafen to Wien Mitte every 30 minutes. S-Bahn lines S7 and S2 are the cheaper option (~25–35 minutes). Both connect to the main city rail and metro network. |
Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, sits just 60km east of Vienna along the Danube — close enough that the two cities effectively share a metropolitan area, with thousands of people commuting between them daily. For non-revs based in Vienna, Bratislava is one of the best half-day or overnight additions in Europe. The old town is compact, beautifully preserved, largely car-free, and dramatically less crowded than Vienna’s tourist circuits. Bratislava Castle dominates the skyline above a riverside promenade. The food and nightlife are excellent and prices are noticeably lower than Vienna’s.
Getting there from Vienna: FlixBus, RegioJet, and Slovaklines all operate frequent direct coaches from Vienna’s central bus station (Erdberg) to Bratislava — the journey takes about 60 minutes and buses depart roughly every 30 minutes. ÖBB also operates direct trains that reach Bratislava Hlavná stanica in about 1 hour. No visa required for US citizens entering Slovakia (Schengen).
Common Questions
Do US citizens need a visa for Austria?
No. Austria is a Schengen Area member. US citizens can enter visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the entire Schengen Zone. A valid passport is required. Always verify current entry requirements at iatatravelcentre.com before travel.
Is Austrian Airlines easy to access for non-revs?
Austrian Airlines is a Lufthansa Group carrier and Star Alliance member. Star Alliance employees — including United, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines, ANA, and many others — have reciprocal access to Austrian metal through their interline agreements. Verify your specific airline’s agreements through your travel portal, but the broad Star Alliance membership makes Austrian a genuinely accessible carrier for a large pool of non-rev travelers.
Should I fly to VIE or MUC/ZRH for the Alps?
It depends on your final destination. Vienna (VIE) is the right choice for Vienna, Graz, and the eastern and central regions. If your primary destination is Innsbruck, Salzburg, or the western Alps (Arlberg, Vorarlberg), check Munich (MUC) and Zurich (ZRH) loads as well. Munich on Lufthansa (Star Alliance) typically has more frequent service and diverse US connections, and the train from MUC reaches Innsbruck in about 1 hour 45 minutes — often faster than the VIE → VIE-city-center → train-to-Innsbruck routing.
What is the Austrian Federal Railways website?
ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen) operates Austrian national rail at oebb.at. Tickets can be purchased online or at station ticket machines. The Railjet is Austria’s high-speed intercity train; Nightjet sleepers connect Vienna to European cities overnight.
Tourism source: Austrian National Tourist Office (austria.info). Heritage citations: UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Entry requirements: IATA Travel Centre (iatatravelcentre.com). Rail information: ÖBB Austrian Federal Railways (oebb.at). Route data compiled from airline and airport schedules.