Travel guide

Vienna in Winter: Weather by Month, Christmas Markets and Getting from the Airport During the Rail Works

Noa RegevNovember 5, 202612 min read

Vienna is cold in winter: in December the average temperature ranges from -0.5°C to 4.0°C, and in January from -2.0°C to 2.9°C, according to World Meteorological Organization data. November is milder, with an average daytime high of 7.5°C, but it's also the wettest month of the winter. This guide covers what you need to know before a trip to Vienna between November and February: the weather each month, what to wear, when the Christmas markets are open, what closes on holidays, the Jewish Museum, how to get from the airport to the city while the main rail line is closed for works and how much data you need.

The weather data comes from the World Weather Information Service of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), based on GeoSphere Austria, Austria's meteorological service, and 1971–2000 averages. Opening hours, dates and prices come from each place's official website. This guide is published by SimSIM, a data eSIM provider, and the data prices at the end come from its catalog for Austria. All sources were checked on 5 November 2026.

Key takeaways

• The weather: in December, January and February, the average night-time low is below zero. January is the coldest month, averaging -2.0°C to 2.9°C.
• Christmas markets: the big market on City Hall Square (Rathausplatz) is open from 13 November 2026 to 26 December 2026. The market at Schönbrunn Palace is open until 6 January 2027.
• From the airport to the city: until the end of October 2027, the main rail line through the city is closed for works. The CAT runs as a bus to Wien Mitte in 21 minutes, and Railjet trains reach the main station in about 15 minutes.
• The Jewish Museum: both of its sites are closed on Saturdays. An adult ticket costs €15 and covers both within 7 days.
• Data: SimSIM for Austria: 5GB for 30 days costs ₪15.9, a suggested starting point for a long weekend. For a week, choose 5–10GB according to your usage. An eSIM is almost always the better choice, except in two cases: you need regular calls, outgoing and incoming, on your Israeli number, or your phone doesn't support eSIM.

Vienna weather in winter, month by month

According to the WMO, these are the averages for Vienna's winter months. Precipitation includes rain and snow, and "precipitation days" are days with at least 1 mm:

What that means in practice:

• November: the wettest month in the table, with 50 mm and an average of 8 precipitation days. Days average 7.5°C and nights 2.4°C. The Christmas markets open during the month: the first ones on 6 November and the big one on City Hall Square on 13 November.
• December: even during the day, the average doesn't go above 4°C. This is the month of the Hanukkah break (Hanukkah 2026 begins on the evening of 4 December 2026) and of the markets at their peak.
• January: the coldest month. The average night-time low is 2°C below zero, and days don't go above 2.9°C. It's also the driest month in the table.
• February: still cold at night, but days warm up to an average of 5.1°C.

The days are short. On 5 November 2026, the sun sets in Vienna at 16:30, according to the same site, and the days keep getting shorter until around 21 December. If you're planning a walking tour of the Old Town or the palace gardens, do it in the morning and around midday, and save the evening for the markets, which are lit up after dark.

The averages describe decades, not what your week will be like. A few days before your flight, check the current forecast on the same site, which gets it from GeoSphere Austria.

What to wear in Vienna in winter

With temperatures hovering around zero, layers work better than one heavy coat. In Vienna you're constantly moving between a cold street and a heated café, museum or tram, so you take layers off and put them back on all day.

• A warm, waterproof coat, because November and December average more than 8 precipitation days a month.
• A thermal layer underneath, for evenings at the markets, where you spend a lot of time standing outside.
• Closed shoes with good soles, for wet streets and the paths in the Schönbrunn and Belvedere gardens.
• A hat, a scarf and touchscreen-friendly gloves, so you don't have to take them off every time you check a map.

Christmas markets: 6 November 2026 to 6 January 2027

According to the official website of the City Hall Square market, the Wiener Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz, the city's biggest and best-known market, is open from 13 November 2026 to 26 December 2026, every day 10:00–22:00. On 24 December it closes at 18:30. Next to it, an ice rink runs until 6 January 2027, closed only on 31 December.

According to Vienna's official tourism website, the city has more markets, on different dates:

What this means for your travel dates: during the Hanukkah break, every market in the table is open. The Am Hof and Karlsplatz markets close on 23 December, and from 24 to 26 December most of the markets that stay open run shorter hours, according to the same page. If you arrive between 27 December and 6 January, you'll find the Schönbrunn market, and until 31 December the Belvedere market too. If you arrive after 6 January 2027, the markets will already be gone.

Holidays and Sundays: what's closed

According to wien.info, the public holidays in winter are 8 December, 25 December, 26 December, 1 January and 6 January. Shops are open on 8 December, but on 25 and 26 December, 1 January and 6 January most shops and offices are closed.

Most shops in Austria are also closed on Sundays. According to the Austrian Ministry of Economy, points of sale must be closed on Sundays and public holidays, with exceptions for certain shops. If you're planning to shop, do it on Saturday or midweek. The Christmas markets are open every day, weekends included.

The Jewish Museum: closed on Saturdays

The Jewish Museum Vienna runs two sites a short walk apart:

• Dorotheergasse, on the history of Jewish Vienna: Sunday to Friday, 10:00–18:00.
• Judenplatz, on medieval Jewish life in Vienna: Sunday to Thursday, 10:00–18:00, and Friday 10:00–14:00.

Both sites are closed on Saturdays. An adult ticket costs €15 and lets you visit both within 7 days. Students up to age 27 pay €11, and entry is free for under-19s. Because the Judenplatz site closes at 14:00 on Fridays, plan for Sunday to Thursday if you want to see both on the same day.

From the airport to the city: the main line is closed until the end of October 2027

This is the big change this winter. According to ÖBB, Austria's national railway, from 7 September 2026 to the end of October 2027 the main rail section through the city, between Wien Praterstern and Wien Hauptbahnhof, is closed to all train traffic. According to Vienna's tourism website, trains don't stop at Wien Mitte/Landstraße, which was the usual station for the airport train. These are your options during this period:

• The CAT by bus: according to City Airport Train, the express train is replaced until 31 October 2027 by direct buses to Wien Mitte, which connects to metro lines U3 and U4. The ride takes 21 minutes. Between 07:00 and 19:00 a bus leaves every 12 minutes, and every 15 minutes the rest of the time.
• Railjet and Intercity: twice an hour, a direct ride of about 15 minutes to the main station, Wien Hauptbahnhof, which connects to line U1.
• REX7: a regional train to the main station, about 20 minutes.
• S7: goes only as far as St. Marx station, outside the center. From there, continue on tram 18 or 71, or walk about 10 minutes to line U3.

Tickets: according to wien.info, a ride on the S7, REX7 or Railjet from the airport to the city costs €5.50 for adults: €2.30 for the stretch from the airport to the city boundary and €3.20 for the ride within Vienna. If you've already bought a multi-day Vienna ticket, you only need to add the €2.30 ticket, because according to Wiener Linien the core-zone tickets don't cover the stretch to the airport. The CAT requires its own separate ticket.

The situation changes from time to time, so on the day of your flight, check the ÖBB or Wiener Linien journey planner. To do that while you're still at the baggage carousel, you need data from the moment you get off the plane. That's a good reason to install the eSIM at home (when to activate your eSIM: before you fly or after you land).

Getting around the city: tickets and prices

According to wien.info, a single ticket costs €3.20 and is valid for 80 minutes, with transfers as long as you don't break your journey. A 24-hour ticket costs €10.20, or €9.70 as a digital ticket in the Wiener Linien shop.

Prices change from 1 January 2027. According to Wiener Linien, fares are now linked to the consumer price index, and a single ride will cost €3.30 on a paper ticket and €3.10 on a digital ticket. Digital tickets are cheaper than paper ones. You can buy them in the WienMobil app and pay by credit card. Validate a paper ticket before your journey starts.

At the border: the EES and ETIAS

Austria is one of the countries that use the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES). The system electronically records every entry and exit of non-EU citizens coming for a short stay, including visa-exempt travelers. According to the official website, it uses fingerprints and a facial image, and it is gradually replacing the passport stamp. A "short stay" is up to 90 days in any 180-day period. If you enter on a passport from an EU country, you aren't registered in the system.

ETIAS isn't required yet. According to the official ETIAS website, the EU will announce the start date a few months in advance. As of 5 November 2026, you don't need an ETIAS authorization to fly to Vienna.

Emergencies: 112

According to the European Commission, 112 is the single emergency number in every EU country, including Austria. Calling it is free. Save it in your phone before you fly.

An important point if you use an eSIM for data: a data-only eSIM doesn't support regular calls. A call to a hotel or restaurant on an Austrian number goes out on your Israeli line, at your carrier's roaming rate. So keep your Israeli line active for calls. You'll find how to set that up in our guide to data-only eSIMs and your Israeli number. For many of these calls you can use WhatsApp, which works over data.

Your phone in the cold: the battery drains faster

According to Apple, the iPhone is designed to work in ambient temperatures of 0 to 35°C. At lower temperatures, the battery can drain faster, and the device can shut down until it warms up. In December, January and February, the average night-time low in Vienna is below zero, so this applies to every evening at the markets.

On a day of walking around the city, your phone works hard: maps, the transport app, digital tickets, photos and WhatsApp. Keep it in an inside pocket, close to your body, and bring a power bank. You'll find more ways to save, both battery and data, in our guide to saving data abroad.

How much data you need for a trip to Vienna

Most of your usage in the city is maps, WhatsApp, the transport apps and photos. If your hotel has Wi-Fi, it saves you the heavy evening use, like uploading videos or streaming.

SimSIM prices for Austria, from the catalog on 5 November 2026:

How to choose:

• A long weekend: 5GB for 30 days at ₪15.9.
• A week in the city: 5–10GB: 5GB at ₪15.9 for maps, messaging and travel apps, or 10GB at ₪28.9 if you upload lots of photos, watch videos or share your connection. Both plans are valid for 30 days.
• No hotel Wi-Fi, or lots of video: 10–20GB.

If your data runs out mid-trip, it simply stops, with no automatic charge. Add a plan to the same eSIM in the app. A top-up adds data and extends the validity by the period of the plan you bought, with no need to install a new eSIM (how to top up mid-trip). You can't top up an eSIM that has already expired.

According to the catalog, SimSIM's eSIM for Austria connects to the A1 and 3 networks, on 5G. If you're combining Vienna with Bratislava, Budapest or Prague, you can consider one regional plan instead of a plan for each country, and check on the plan page that every country on your route is included (regional eSIM for Europe).

eSIM or your carrier's abroad package: almost always the eSIM

For Vienna, a SimSIM eSIM is almost always the better choice. We recommend 5GB for a long weekend and 5–10GB for a week in the city: 5GB for 30 days costs ₪15.9, and 10GB for 30 days costs ₪28.9. Choose the larger plan if you expect more photo uploads, video or hotspot use. The full comparison, with the Israeli carriers' prices, is in SimSIM vs. Israeli carrier roaming.

There are two situations where your carrier's abroad package is the better choice:

1. You need regular calls, outgoing and incoming, on your Israeli number. SimSIM's eSIM is data-only, with no phone number and no SMS. WhatsApp calls work over data (does WhatsApp work abroad with an eSIM?).
2. Your phone doesn't support eSIM, or it's locked to a carrier.

If neither applies to you, the eSIM is cheaper. And if you want to stay reachable on your Israeli number without a package, you can keep your Israeli line active for calls and SMS and turn off data roaming on it. That way, all your data goes through the eSIM. Calls on the Israeli line are charged at your carrier's roaming rate (how to avoid roaming charges from your Israeli carrier).

The installation itself takes a few minutes. There are written guides for iPhone and Android, a step-by-step video and an AI chat for questions. The Austria plans are on the Austria eSIM page.

Affordable travel data for your next trip

Pick your plan, pay one clear price, and land online in about a minute — low prices, no roaming-bill surprises.