how to get a shower at Vienna Airport?

April 21, 2012 7:50 PM

Can I get a shower on arrival at Vienna International Airport?

I'm flying to Vienna from Australia in a couple of weeks and have a further 5 hours or so waiting to meet my boyfriend once I get to the airport. I'll be itching to wash off the grimy long-haul flight feeling by then! Does anyone know if I can get a shower at the airport on arrival, after picking up my checked baggage? I am aware some of the airport lounges have shower facilities but am unsure whether I will have access to them at that stage.

Bonus question: we're only in Vienna for a week. I'd feel silly going to Austria without seeing the Alps but they seem quite far afield so would probably require an overnight trip. We can probably only manage to swing one consecutive night out of Vienna (he's there for work) and are unsure where to go or if it would be worth it. Have you done this and would you recommend it?

Thanks!

posted by procrastinator_general to travel & transportation around Vienna, Austria (5 answers total)

JET Lounge. Disclaimer: I haven't been to this lounge, but if you're staying in Vienna proper, it's super cheap/easy to get public transport straight into the city. Possible to head straight to the hotel, freshen up, and get yourself set up with a lovely coffee while you wait? So jealous. I adored Vienna.
posted by mochapickle at 8:00 PM on April 21, 2012

Thank mochapickle.

To clarify, what I'd like to know is if I can get into somewhere like JET Lounge after arriving and picking up my baggage. The website doesn't say and the marketing seems directed at people waiting for flights rather than people who have completed their journey.

There is no hotel to go to - we have the use of someone's apartment while we are there. I can't get in before boyfriend arrives because he is picking up the keys elsewhere then we are meeting in Vienna and travelling to the apartment together.
posted by procrastinator_general at 8:14 PM on April 21, 2012

There's a phone number & email address listed on their website; maybe you should ask! From what I can tell on the LoungeGuide wiki, it's located between Passport Control and Security. If it's not located alongside the other shops & restaurants past security (where arriving and departing passengers can mingle freely) I don't see how you'd be able to get in. If security allows you to exit the restricted area, you won't be allowed back in, and you won't be able to collect your bags (which, remember, are blocked from the arrivals hall by customs).
posted by acidic at 8:29 PM on April 21, 2012

You have a couple of options:

-There is a shower in the Austrian Air Business lounge. Passengers on international flights exit into the upper level of the west terminal. The lounges will be to your right before you get to the stairs to go down to the baggage claim. Unless you're on business class coming in, it will cost you frequent flier points or cash to get in.

-Second option is go into the city to one of the public baths. There are several around the city. The Dianabad is located on Lilienbrunngasse 7, 2 blocks from the Morzinplatz Airport Bus stop. The bath will run you 8.50 euro; the bus is 7 euro one way. Not sure where you'll be staying in the city, but this will put you about 3-4 blocks from St. Stephen's.

-Third, you can go to the Hotel NH directly across the street from the airport exit and purchase a gym access pass.

For day trips, I'd recommend either Hallstatt or Salzburg. Each are about a 3-4 hour train ride from Vienna and located in the northern reaches of the Alps. There are several trains a day to each; travel times vary depending on the number of stops along the route. Tickets are available online or at the train station the day of. Both are worth an overnight trip.
posted by chrisulonic at 12:59 AM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

Brilliant, thanks chrisulonic! Exactly the sort of info I was after :) I'm not sure where the apartment is either, so sounds like the hotel across the road is a good bet. Thanks again!
posted by procrastinator_general at 1:06 AM on April 22, 2012