Getting to Graz

Graz is conveniently located along one of the main travel routes between Vienna and Slovenia, so there are plenty of travel options when planning your trip. You can take a train or bus directly to the station in Graz or fly into the local airport, 18kms south of the city. If you are driving, the Autobahn makes it easy to reach the city from anywhere in the north.

By car

If you are driving from Vienna, you can take the Autobahn A2 south. Since the Autobahn doesn’t stretch all the way to Graz, you will need to take Route 54 for a small part of the trip. Route 54 then becomes Autobahn A2 again to the northeast of Graz.

By rail

Graz is very well connected to the rest of Austria by rail. The city is Austria’s southern centre for all of the rail lines between Vienna and Slovenia as well as being the main junction for secondary rail lines that extend all the way to Budapest and various locations in western Styria.

At least 10 trains depart every day from Vienna’s Sudbahnhof station for Graz. The journey takes around 2 hours, 30 minutes. In Vienna you can make connections to other main Austrian cities such as Salzburg, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt as well as to major European destinations farther afield.

At least one local train per hour arrives in Graz from minor destinations in isolated western Styria, the more populous areas of eastern Styria and from the Hungarian border. For schedule and fare information, call: +43 05 1717; or visit their website: www.oebb.at.  

By bus

Graz is the point of departure for over 100 different bus companies, which mainly head towards the smaller villages in Styria and other parts of the country. The bus service is the best way to get to the smallest, most isolated parts of Austria. However, since the trains offer such extensive and convenient service, most travellers arrive by rail. For more information about bus routes, call: +43 0316 5987.
 

By air

The nearest airport to Graz is Thalerhof International Airport, located 18kms to the south of the city. Austrian Airlines operates several daily flights between Vienna and Graz. Lufthansa and Tyrolean Air are the other major carriers which run flights to the airport. Ryanair also has daily flights to Graz from London Stansted Airport. If you coming from another country, arriving by air is probably the most convenient travel option. However, the flights into Graz are very limited, so you’ll probably have to make a connection somewhere like Vienna.

Thalerhof International Airport

Thalerhof International Airport is about 18kms from Graz and offers one of the quickest ways to get to this town. The airport has a single, small terminal, which handles all domestic and international flights. Austrian Airlines, Tyrolean Air, Lufthansa and Ryanair are the main carriers which operate direct flights into Graz.

The terminal has all the usual facilities which a traveller might need. ATMs and a currency exchange office can be found in the Arrivals area as well as a restaurant, newsstand, gift shop and duty-free shopping. An airport information desk is located in the main entry area of the terminal (tel: +43 0316 2902). Online information can be found at: www.flughafen-graz.at.

Thalerhof International Airport transportation

There are only a few choices when it comes to transport between the airport and the city centre. A white minivan service makes six trips a day between the terminal and the city. The cost is very cheap, and the company coordinates its departures with arriving flights. However, services into Graz aren’t frequent, so you may be stuck waiting for a long time.

The train is another option. There is a station 300 metres from the terminal which runs hourly trains to the city centre between 05:00 and 23:00. Public buses also run to and from the airport, but they aren’t very convenient and they don’t go to many places. Bus number 631 will take you to the train station in the city centre and to Hotel Weitzer, with services running six times each day from 05:10 until 19:00.

The most convenient and quickest way to get to Graz from the airport is by taxi. Taxis are ready and waiting outside the Arrivals area of the terminal and are reasonably priced. Taxi drivers in Graz expect a 10 per cent tip.