Vienna International Airport (VIE), located in Schwechat just southeast of the Austrian capital, is one of Central Europe's busiest hubs, and a rental car makes it easy to combine a Vienna visit with day trips across the region, including the short hop to neighboring Slovakia. The airport sits directly along the A4 motorway, which runs northwest into central Vienna, and rental counters from international and local companies are located within the terminal, making pickup straightforward even during busy arrival periods.
From VIE, the A4 delivers you into Vienna's city center in well under half an hour outside of peak traffic, passing through the city's eastern districts before reaching the historic core. In the other direction, the same general corridor connects toward Bratislava, the Slovak capital, which sits remarkably close to Vienna as European capitals go, reachable in around an hour via the A6 and connecting Slovak motorways - a popular day-trip route for visitors staying in either city. Other common day trips from Vienna include the Wachau valley's vineyards to the west and the Neusiedl Lake region toward the Hungarian border to the southeast, both within roughly an hour's drive.
Driving is on the right throughout Austria, and nearly all Austrian motorways, including the A4 connecting the airport to Vienna, require a vignette - a toll sticker or digital pass purchased for a set period rather than paid per use at booths. Rental cars picked up in Austria typically already carry a valid vignette, but it is worth confirming this at pickup, and a separate Slovak vignette is required if continuing on to Bratislava by motorway. Roads throughout this part of Austria are well maintained and clearly signed, fuel stations are frequent along the motorway network, and winter can bring snow and icy patches, particularly from December through February, so seasonal tires are common practice on Austrian rental fleets during that window.