Disabled Facilities, Access & Mobility

Vienna is an increasingly accessible city for disabled travellers and wheelchair users. Having made great inroads over the past few years to provide greater access to public transport, major attractions and hotels, other initiatives (such as restaurant menus for the visually impaired) are also becoming more widespread.

At Flughafen Wien-Schwechat (Vienna Airport)

Things start off well at Vienna Airport. Designated (free) parking spaces are allocated for disembarking by taxi and access to the main terminals does not involve steps. Wheelchair-accessible parking spaces are also available in Parking Garages 1, 3 and 4, as well as in the outdoor Parking Lot C. For airport transfers, specially equipped minibuses are available for a maximum of 2 passengers with wheelchairs (and 6 escorts). For more details call: 0043-1-7007-35910. Of course, as individual airlines also assist their passengers, be sure to make suitable arrangements when booking your trip.

Inside, lowered telephones, counters and Internet terminals can be found, as well as wheelchair-accessible restrooms, toilets and lifts. For further information check out: www.flughafen-wien.at

So far as transfers into downtown Vienna are concerned, the City Airport Train service is fully accessible to disabled travellers, while the following transport options are also available:

S-Bahn/U-Bahn Access

Older trams and buses are fairly inaccessible due to steps, although the U-Bahn (metro) does provide good access, with large, wheelchair friendly lifts at many stations. Moreover, specially adapted restrooms are widely available across the network and are found (but not limited to) the following stations: Schwedenplatz, Karmelitermarkt, Erdberg, Schlachthausgasse, Neubaugasse, Michelbeuern, Spittelau, Philadelphiabrücke, Längenfeldgasse, Schöpfwerk, Johnstraße, Schweglerstraße, Jägerstraße, Dresdner Straße.

For further information download the relevant documents from the Vienna Tourist Board Website at: www.wien.info.

Disabled Travellers and The Vienna Card

The Vienna Card, which provides unlimited access to Vienna’s extensive public transportation system for 72 hours, also gives significant discounts on entry to sights and museums in the city. However, as many attractions offer their own discounts to visitors with valid wheelchair-accessible identification, additional reductions through the Vienna Card are not applicable. Therefore, in many cases, you’ll find the Vienna Card is actually most suitable for those escorting disabled travellers.

To purchase a card (which costs €18.50) enquire at your hotel or visit the Tourist Information Centre at Albertinaplatz (open daily from 9am to 7pm). Alternatively, sales and information desks at many S-Bahn/U-Bahn stations also carry stocks.

Hotels for Visitors with Disabilities

The following hotels in Vienna are known to be suitable for disabled travellers, having returned a questionnaire on access and facilities to the Vienna Tourist Board: 

Grand Hotel Wien, Hotel Bristol, Hotel Imperial, Hotel Vienna Marriott, Radisson SAS Palais Hotel, Austria Trend Hotel Ananas, Gartenhotel Altmannsdorf, Hotel City-Central, Hotel Crowne Plaza Vienna, Hotel Hilton Vienna Danube, Holiday Inn Vienna South, Hotel Kavalier, Hotel Mercure Wien Europaplatz, Hotel Schild, Hotel Strudlhof, Renaissance Penta Vienna Hotel, Hotel Ekazent, Hotel Ibis Wien Mariahilf, Hotel Novotel Wien West, Saisonhotel Accordia, Saisonhotel Rosen-Hotel Wieden.

If you’re interested in a hotel not listed here, be sure to ask the following questions before making a reservation:

i) does ‘accessible’ mean that spaces, furniture and doors within a room have been thoughtfully designed? Or has the manager simply asked for grab handles to be fitted in the toilet/bathroom and nothing more?

ii) are all parts of the hotel i.e. reception, restaurant/bar areas, saunas, solariums, swimming pools accessible to disabled guests?

iii) are lift doors wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair?

And, if you can, ask for details about heights, widths and depths for doors, light switches, sinks, baths, toilets, emergency alarms and elevators. All of the aforementioned hotels are able to provide this information so, if your chosen hotel can’t, take your custom elsewhere! For further details on accommodation in Vienna check out: www.wien.info.

Of course, as our site offers online booking for hotels in Vienna, we’ll be happy to advise you on finding a suitable room for your stay. Just e-mail us at: support@talkingcities.co.uk and we’ll do the rest!

Access to Sights, Museums, Galleries, Theatre and Opera

Documents made available by the Vienna Tourist Board neatly summarise the availability of disabled access to major attractions and venues in the city. Visit: www.wien.info for further information.

Local Resources for Disabled Travellers:

Bizeps, a local organization for the disabled, can be contacted at the following address:

Behindertenberatungszentrum Bizeps
Zentrum für Selbstbestimmtes Leben
7th district, Kaiserstraße 55
Tel: 5238921-0
http://www.bizeps.or.at (in German)