It is Tuesday, December 30, 2025, and we are examining, down to the minute, how much time is needed for the journey from Carinthia to Graz Airport using the newly opened Koralm Railway, taking into account all relevant framework conditions.

Please note: This description is consistently presented from the perspective of a Carinthian business traveler who regularly uses air travel and for whom time is a crucial economic factor. Furthermore, it is assumed that the traveler drives to the train station in their own private vehicle. Any location in central Carinthia within a 30km radius of Klagenfurt can be considered their place of residence in order to reasonably meet the stated travel times.

The report deliberately does not take into account the perspective of groups of people such as retired couples or families who only take a holiday trip by plane once a year.

Drive to Klagenfurt train station by car

At precisely 09:00 a.m., we set off by car from Feldkirchen in Carinthia to Klagenfurt Central Station. Prior internet research had already indicated that the Park & ​​Ride lot south of the station is constantly overcrowded and that arriving early to find parking in the surrounding area is recommended.

After about a 30-minute drive, I reach the address and the previous reports immediately prove to be true. I find a completely full park-and-ride lot, with no room for another car.

After circling the surrounding residential areas several times in search of a parking space, I finally find an empty spot in front of an apartment building. There, I can park my car free of charge along the side of the street, as there is no short-term parking zone. This very situation has already been the subject of repeated criticism from local residents in the Carinthian media: train passengers are parking their vehicles in the residential areas around the train station. This frustration is certainly understandable.

At 09:40 a.m. the parking issue is resolved, and I reach the tracks south of the station via a crossing.

A serious problem became apparent right from the start of the journey. It's important to remember that the test was conducted on Tuesday, December 30, 2025. Many businesses in Austria are closed over the Christmas holidays, making this day in no way comparable to a typical workday. A realistic simulation of everyday life is therefore only possible to a limited extent. However, the observation that numerous areas were already heavily congested with parked cars on the day of the test is all the more telling. One can easily imagine what the situation would be like on a regular weekday.

Underground parking option at Klagenfurt train station

There is still the option of parking your car in the underground car park directly in front of the main entrance at Klagenfurt Central Station. However, at €28 per day, the prices are not exactly cheap.

From Klagenfurt to Graz by train

At 10:02, the scheduled Railjet departed from Klagenfurt to Graz Central Station. The train was only about a third full at that time and on that day of the week. After arriving at 10:57, the plan was to continue directly to the S1 suburban train after a short transfer, arriving at Graz Airport at 11:15. The total journey time would be... 1 hour 13 minutes that amount, assuming everything goes according to plan.

Unfortunately, due to numerous delays on the Carinthian side, my train was massively delayed, and the schedule could no longer be maintained. Naturally, I missed my connecting train, the S1, which runs every 30 minutes, and had to wait for the next one.

Fortunately, it was only a simulation that day, and no real flight was affected. However, such delays could cause significant problems for travelers, as a late train could result in missing the flight.

We continue at 11:37. Graz Airport is always the 4th stop. After a 10-minute drive, we reach our final destination south of Graz.

The final step involves walking the approximately 350 meters to the departure area via a partially covered walkway. The destination is reached at 11:55.

What else stood out?

• The fast Koralm Railway connection, advertised with a journey time of 41 minutes, only operates on 10 of the 29 daily services from Carinthia towards Styria. The remaining trains take approximately 55 minutes for the same route due to intermediate stops at the stations "St. Paul im Lavanttal" and "Weststeiermark".
• It is not possible to take an RJX (41-minute train) and the S1 (train to Graz Airport)!

The train schedules are timed so that a normal Railjet train always runs from Klagenfurt to Graz, after which passengers transfer to the S-Bahn.

Final questions arise now?

Does a business traveler from Carinthia really want to put himself through all this, or isn't it simpler to continue driving directly to Graz Airport, paying for parking, flying to destinations around the world with a single connection, all without any dependence on a train and without having to lug around heavy luggage?

Furthermore, there is no need to worry about parking spaces at Klagenfurt main train station, nor are you dependent on specific train times.

Anyone who adds everything up has to allow at least two hours from their front door to Graz Airport, unless they live in the immediate vicinity of Klagenfurt train station.

The report identified two major problems that urgently need to be addressed. However, the question arises as to what extent the state of Carinthia has an interest in this, as it would be extremely detrimental to Klagenfurt Airport. Firstly, the parking problem needs to be solved, possibly with a large park-and-ride facility like the one in Wiener Neustadt. Secondly, the underground section of the Graz Airport train station along the Koralm Railway urgently needs to be completed so that trains can stop there.

As long as these two points are not implemented and a transfer to another train is still necessary at Graz station, there is no significant danger to Klagenfurt Airport in the coming years.

Despite all its limitations, the Koralm Railway is a significant infrastructural asset, especially for Carinthia. It is ideally suited for holidaymakers, provided they are not pressed for time.

However, it's important to remember that at this point you're only at Graz Airport. After almost two hours of stressful travel, you've merely reached the airport – neither check-in nor security nor the first flight to a hub for your final destination has been completed. All these factors must be considered in the overall assessment.

This post was written by: Andreas Knoll.