Graz / The verdict

Graz: which airport or train route?

Take the train to Graz Hauptbahnhof for most trips: it ends in the city and the WESTbahn site advertises Vienna to Graz from 8.99 euros, while Graz Airport only fits when a scheduled route actually flies there.

By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.

Photo: Chew, CC BY 4.0 (source)

The Graz story

Graz is the Austrian city that gets on with being pretty without performing it: a UNESCO-listed Renaissance old town spread under the Schlossberg's clock tower, the blue bubble of a Kunsthaus floating beside the Mur, an artificial island in the river, Eggenberg's 24 staged Baroque state rooms, and a South Styrian wine road on the doorstep. It is Austria's second city at student pace, and the food is better than the fame.

The verdict in 30 seconds

Our pick: Take the train to Graz Hauptbahnhof (runner-up: Fly into Vienna Airport (VIE), then rail to Graz)

Go if

You are coming from Vienna: a traveler guide puts the direct train at about 2.5 hours
You want to arrive in the city center with no airport transfer
You like scenery: a traveler video shows viaducts, tunnels and mountain views on the Semmering line

Skip if

Your trip already routes through Frankfurt, Munich or Zurich, which Graz Airport connects to
You were counting on the Vienna to Graz flight: it ends in late October 2026

ÖBB timetable and tickets WESTbahn tickets and the South Route

The options

Take the train to Graz Hauptbahnhof Go

Travelers arriving from Vienna or elsewhere on the Austrian rail network

Good

A traveler guide puts the direct Vienna to Graz train at about 2.5 hours
A traveler video shows viaducts, tunnels and mountain views on the Semmering line
WESTbahn advertises Vienna to Graz from 8.99 euros online and ÖBB Sparschiene starts at 9.90 euros within Austria
You arrive at Graz Hauptbahnhof inside the city, with no airport transfer

Watch out

Overseas arrivals need a flight to Vienna or Munich first, as a forum planner from Scotland concluded
The cheapest fares are train-specific and subject to availability, per both operators
Advance fares need booking, up to 6 months ahead, to get the lowest price

ÖBB timetable and tickets WESTbahn tickets and the South Route

Fly into Graz Airport (GRZ) It depends

Travelers whose dates match a GRZ scheduled route or holiday charter

Good

The official airport page lists a bus stop outside the terminal and a train station about 300 m away
The airport chief names links to Munich, Frankfurt and Zurich plus Eurowings routes to Berlin, Dusseldorf and Hamburg
The Graz tourism site says zone 101 public transport extends to the airport
Taxis wait outside the arrival hall and an SMS shuttle can be ordered there

Watch out

The network is shrinking: the Vienna flight ends in late October 2026 and Eurowings withdraws its based aircraft for winter
Bus rides into the center take 25 to 50 minutes depending on line, per a local magazine report
The rail station is under rebuilding through the end of 2026

Graz Airport: buses, S-Bahn and taxis Graz Card incl. airport transfer Compare Graz car rentalspartner site

Fly into Vienna Airport (VIE), then rail to Graz It depends

Overseas arrivals and anyone whose fare to Vienna beats flying to Graz

Good

The airport chief says more than 95 percent of the Graz to Vienna flight passengers were connecting onward at Vienna
A forum planner flying from Scotland treated Vienna and Munich as the realistic gateways
Both rail operators sell advance fares up to 6 months ahead

Watch out

Adds the Vienna to Graz leg, about 2.5 hours by train per a traveler guide, on top of the airport transfer
You still finish at Graz Hauptbahnhof, the same station the train option reaches

ÖBB Sparschiene fares

Criterion	Take the train to Graz Hauptbahnhof	Fly into Graz Airport (GRZ)	Fly into Vienna Airport (VIE), then rail to Graz
To the old town	Arrives at Graz Hauptbahnhof inside the city	Bus 630 plus tram 5, or the train to Graz Hbf from a station about 300 m away; bus rides take 25 to 50 minutes per a local magazine	Rail to Graz Hbf; Vienna to Graz is about 2.5 hours per a traveler guide, plus the airport leg
Typical price	From 9.90 on ÖBB within Austria or 8.99 on WESTbahn, Vienna to Graz	Zone 101 city fare: 3.30 for an hour, 7.20 for 24 hours	Flight plus a rail fare from the ÖBB or WESTbahn price lists
Frequency	See the ÖBB and WESTbahn timetables	Bus 630 and the train run to timetable; a local magazine says early buses are sparse	See the ÖBB timetable for airport departures
Network reach	ÖBB names Vienna, Salzburg, Graz, Munich, Venice and Prague as city-break destinations	Munich, Frankfurt and Zurich hubs, Eurowings German routes and charters	Vienna was the hub most Graz transfer passengers used, per the airport chief
Booking needed	Advance fares are train-specific and open up to 6 months ahead	Airline ticket as usual; the city link needs no reservation	Flight plus advance rail fares if you want the lowest price
Baggage ease	No transfer: the train ends at Graz Hbf	Bus stop outside the terminal; station about 300 m away	Airport transfer plus the rail leg

What it costs

Graz zone 101 hourly ticket (the Graz tourism site says zone 101 extends to the airport): €3.30 (A 24-hour ticket is 7.20; the operator's fare table lists both for adults). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
ÖBB Sparschiene within Austria, 2nd class, from-price: €9.90 (From-price with an asterisk on the page; the earlier you book the lower the price, up to 6 months ahead; the page names Graz as a city-break destination). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
WESTbahn West Superpreis, Vienna to Graz, from-price: €8.99 (Online fare, train-specific and subject to availability; the fares page says a seat reservation is included and booking opens 6 months ahead). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
Taxi, Graz regulated tariff: base fare: €4.90 (Plus 2.30 per km by day up to 12 km (2.80 beyond); nights, Sundays and holidays 2.50 per km up to 12 km; tariff valid from 1 January 2025). Official source, checked Oct 2026.

What travelers report

Based on 6 traveler reports (Mar 2025 to Aug 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.

What people like

A traveler video of the Semmering rail line shows viaducts, tunnels and mountain views.
A traveler guide describes the direct Vienna to Graz train as about 2.5 hours.
A Munich to Graz coach passenger arrived earlier than scheduled.
A traveler guide puts Graz Airport about 20 minutes from the center by public transport or taxi.

What people complain about

The Vienna to Graz flight ends in late October 2026 and Eurowings is withdrawing its based aircraft for winter.
The airport's rail station is a 300 m walk from the terminal and under rebuilding through the end of 2026.
Bus rides from the airport into the center take 25 to 50 minutes depending on line and time, per a local magazine report.
A Munich coach stopped at Webling outside the center, needing a walk and an S-Bahn ride into town.
A planner flying from Scotland judged a direct Graz flight all but impossible and looked at Vienna and Munich instead.

How to do it right

Check the current Graz Airport schedule first: the airport chief names the Munich, Frankfurt and Zurich hubs, and the Vienna flight ends in late October 2026.
Price the train before the plane: the ÖBB Sparschiene starts at 9.90 euros within Austria and the WESTbahn online fare from Vienna starts at 8.99 euros, both train-specific and booked up to 6 months ahead.
Landing at Vienna Airport, check the ÖBB timetable for the rail connection to Graz Hauptbahnhof before you book the flight.
At Graz Airport, take bus 630 from outside the terminal via Puntigam to Zentralfriedhof and change to tram 5 for the center, or walk about 300 m to the train station.
Allow a buffer at the airport station: a local magazine reports rebuilding works through the end of 2026.

The trap to avoid

Assuming Graz Airport covers your route. The airport chief describes links to the Munich, Frankfurt and Zurich hubs plus a few German routes, and the Vienna flight ends in late October 2026, so many searches still end in Vienna and a train south.

Why this verdict

The train is the default pick, and the log does not argue against it. A traveler guide puts the direct Vienna to Graz train at about 2.5 hours, it ends at Graz Hauptbahnhof inside the city, and a traveler video of the Railjet over the Semmering line shows viaducts, tunnels and mountain views from the window. Official fares are low: the ÖBB Sparschiene starts at 9.90 euros within Austria, and the WESTbahn site advertises Vienna to Graz from 8.99 euros online. Both are train-specific and subject to availability.

Graz Airport is a narrower choice than its location suggests. The airport chief says Graz stays linked to the Munich, Frankfurt and Zurich hubs, and the Eurowings routes to Berlin, Dusseldorf and Hamburg remain. But the Vienna flight ends in late October 2026 and Eurowings is withdrawing its based aircraft for winter. A local magazine report adds that the airport’s rail station is under rebuilding through the end of 2026 and that bus rides into town take 25 to 50 minutes depending on the line. The official airport page lists the train station about 300 m from the terminal, plus bus 630 with a change to tram 5.

Vienna Airport plus rail is the sensible second pick for long-haul arrivals. The airport chief says more than 95 percent of the passengers on the Graz to Vienna flight were connecting onward there, and a forum poster flying from Scotland wrote off a direct Graz flight and weighed Vienna and Munich instead. The cost is time: the rail leg is about 2.5 hours per the guide, on top of the airport transfer.

Coaches are the budget alternative with a catch. A traveler arriving from Munich reported an early arrival, but the stop was at Webling on the edge of town, a ten-minute walk plus an S-Bahn ride on a 3.20 euro hourly ticket.

Timing and tickets

Book rail early: both operators open advance fares up to 6 months ahead, and the cheapest ones are train-specific. At Graz Airport one zone 101 ticket (3.30 euros for an hour, 7.20 for 24 hours) covers local transport, and the Graz tourism site says zone 101 extends to the airport. Check for station works before counting on a tight connection.

Book or check times

Graz Airport: buses, S-Bahn and taxis Graz Card incl. airport transfer ÖBB timetable and tickets WESTbahn tickets and the South Route ÖBB Sparschiene fares

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Compare Graz car rentalspartner site

Questions

How far is Graz Airport from the center?

A local magazine puts it about 9 km south of the Hauptplatz. The official airport page lists bus 630 via Puntigam to Zentralfriedhof with a change to tram 5, and a train station about 300 m from the terminal.

Can I still fly between Vienna and Graz?

Only until the end of October 2026. The airport chief says the flight is being dropped after running at a loss, and a local magazine gives 24 October as the last departure.

How long is the train from Vienna to Graz?

A traveler guide puts the direct train at about 2.5 hours. Check the ÖBB or WESTbahn timetable for exact departures.

What does WESTbahn add?

Its site advertises Vienna to Graz tickets from 8.99 euros under the online West Superpreis fare. That fare is train-specific, subject to availability and includes a seat reservation, and booking opens 6 months ahead.

Where do I catch transport at Graz Airport?

The official airport page lists a bus stop right outside the terminal for bus 630, a train station about 300 m away, taxis outside the arrival hall and an SMS shuttle you can order from the arrival hall.

Pack for it

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