Vienna has an excellent public-transportation system with reliable, clean and convenient service. Moreover, taking public transportation into and within the city is a lot less stressful than dealing with Vienna's heavy traffic.

The Viennese public transport system is made up of trains, trams, buses and an S-Bahn and U-Bahn network.

U-Bahn (areas covered)
Vienna's five U-Bahn lines are the easiest way to get around the city, with frequent trains running from around 5am till just after midnight. Trains generally run every five minutes during peak periods and every seven to eight minutes off-peak. Read More

Tram (Strassenbahn or BIM) (areas covered)
Vienna's extensive tram network has more than 30 routes. Trams are generally an efficient way of getting around with trams on most routes departing every five to ten minutes. Trams run underground in some parts of the city center. Read More

You can get to know Vienna’s wonderful boulevard, the Ringstrasse, comfortably from the Vienna Ring Tram – all year round , daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m . Inside the wagons (40 seats), LCD screens inform you about the highlights along the route, supplemented by information in several languages on the headphones . The tram will run on a hop-on-hop-off basis , stopping at selected stations to pick up and drop off passengers, and a separate ticket will be required.  Read More

Buses (areas covered)
Buses generally fill in the gaps where there are no trams or U-Bahn services such as some outer suburbs and the central Innere Stadt. Read More

Vienna Schnellbahn
The Schnellbahn (or S-Bahn) is a metropolitan railway system which connects the city of Vienna with the surrounding countryside of Lower Austria and Burgenland. The network's main route, called “Stammstrecke” combines 5 routes, other routes are served separately. Unlike other underground or metropolitan rail networks, the Schnellbahn is operated on the same tracks as other train services of ÖBB. Read More

Wiener Lokalbahnen AG
Is a light rail system that runs through the underground tram line in the city centre and on its own tracks through the suburbs. Read More

Post Bus
1,600 post busses take half a million people to work, to school, shopping, and to excursion destinations every day. 650 lines that are part of a nationwide network link the centers to their surroundings, service all provincial and district cities, and provide ubiquitous service in all regions. Read More

City Airport Train (CAT)
The airport comes to the city. Check-in at the City Air Terminal in the "Wien-Mitte" railway station. From "Wien-Mitte" direct to the airport – and from the airport direct to "Wien-Mitte". Non-stop in only 16 minutes. Every half-hour. Easy. Fast. Comfortable. And no traffic jams. Read More

FARES AND TICKETS

All public transport in the area around Vienna has joined the fare uni on Verkehrsverbund Ost-Region (VOR). This means that any ticket bearing the VOR symbol can be used on every means of public transport in the area. You can use the same ticket for a journey that involves trips by bus, tram, metro and/or train, and you can change as often as you have to without having to buy a new ticket.

Tickets are available for various fare zones. If you aren't leaving Vienna, you need not worry about the zones at all, since all of Vienna is just one zone (zone 100). However, whenever you are crossing a zone boundary (zone boundaries are marked with a on the large network map), you have to pay for an additional zone. This may concern tourists in so far as a ride from the airport to the city on the S-Bahn is two zones (see Airport Connections). If you have a valid ticket for zone 100 (e.g. a weekly travel pass or a 24-hour ticket) you only have to pay the extra zones. You never have to pay for more than eight zones, no matter how far you travel.

VOR Tickets

These tickets are valid on all means of public transport (train, metro, tramway and buses including night buses) in Vienna and the surrounding area with the exception of the City Airport Train and the special airport buses.

Fares quoted below are valid as of June 2007.

Free travel for children

Children up to the age of six travel free of charge on the Vienna public transport network. Children up to the age of 15 travel free on Sundays and public holidays and during the school holidays in Vienna (this includes the week before Easter, July 6th through August 31st, and Dec 23rd through Jan 6th). An ID card may be helpful to prove a child's age.

Fare Dodging

Yes, it is possible. No, it's not advisable. Plain clothes ticket inspectors patrol the public transport network at all times. If you are caught without a valid ticket, you have to pay a penalty fare of €70 (this includes a free trip to the nearest police station if you are unable to show the ticket inspector a valid passport or official ID). Bear in mind that a monthly travel pass is available for less money.

Tickets can be bought from:

• Ticket machines at metro stations. There is at least one at every entrance to the station. These very sophisticated (and slightly confusing) machines offer a great variety of tickets, including travel passes. They accept all coins and €10 notes and give change.

• Ticket machines in trams and buses. Avoid these! They offer only single tickets and tickets bought from these machines are more expensive than those bought elsewhere.

• WL ticket offices. Look for the sign 'Vorverkauf' ('advance tickets'). They can be found at all major metro stations and some tram stations. They are marked with a K on the city transport map.

• Railway stations. In the two main railway stations in Vienna (Südbahnhof and Westbahnhof), you'll only get them from ticket machines and not from any of the counters.

• Most tobacconists ('Tabak Trafik'). However, not all of them sell tickets. Those who do usually have a blue sign with the WL logo (see above) at the door.

How to validate your ticket

Tickets must be validated before boarding. To validate your ticket stamp the ticket at the blue machines located at the entrance of underground stations as well as on buses and trams. Tickets bought directly from the tram or bus driver are automatically validated and need not be stamped again.

Info Source: Horst Prillinger One of the most interesting sites in Vienna.

Local Train Stations

Austrian Federal Railroads
(OEBB) offer excellent railroad service to all major towns of the country and also direct connections with all major cities in Europe. Trains are well maintained and fares are reasonable. Read More

Note!
Check on the VORTEILScard with this card you save off the normal ticket price anywhere in Austria, no matter what class.

Franz-Josef Banhnhof
(Franz-Josef Train Station)
can be reached by U-4/Friedensbrüicke
Strassenbahn 5 direction Josefstadterstrasse (1 stop)

Wien Mitte
(City Center Train Station)
can be reached by U-4/Landstrasse

Westbahnhof
(West Train Station)
can be reached by U-6/Mariahilferstrasse/Westbahnhof
can be reached by U-3/Mariahilferstrasse/Westbahnhof

Wien Nord
(North Train Station)

can be reached by U-1/Praterstern

TAXIS

Tel: 60160 • 40100 • 31300 • 81400

The price is indicated on the officially calibrated meter. The basic charge is higher during the night (11 p.m. - 6 a.m.) and on Sundays and public holidays. Also, there is an additional charge for baggage in the trunk depending on weight. And if you leave the city the fare may be doubled to pay the drivers way back. Some Airport Taxis offer special flat rates.

Be prepared for the driver to ask you the route you would prefer.

Also tipping is always appreciated.

Ladies only
Vienna is a very safe city, but for women living in any large international city, safety is always an issue in the forefront and Vienna has a solution for the women travelling around the city alone by taxi. WIHUP-Taxi Association's Lady Taxi. A woman-friendly service catering to woman alone or with children offers numerous options to make your life simpler and safer. Read More

FAXI - The Bicycle Taxi

The bicycle taxi is an environmentally friendly way to move around Vienna. The three-wheeled bicycle rickshaw provides enough room for two passengers and some hand luggage. The bicycle rickshaws also have a roof to protect you from the sun and rain. More Info

Horse Drawn Carriage (Fiaker)

The square in front of the Church of St. Fiacre in Paris was the place where all the hackney coaches lined up waiting for costumers.

When such coaches-for-hire were introduced in Vienna, that name was adopted , and both the coaches and their coachmen were called Fiaker. Until the advent of taxis around 1900, they were an important part of public transportation in Vienna.

Today, those horse-drawn cabs are very popular with tourists as a leisurely way of sightseeing in the center of the city.

Fiacre stands: Stephansplatz, Heldenplatz (sometimes also on Michaelerplatz), Albertinaplatz, Petersplatz, Burgtheater; small sightseeing tour 40.- € / carriage (about 20 minutes through the center of the city), large sightseeing tour 65.- € / carriage (about 40 minutes along the Ring Boulevard and the old center of the city).

Trains, Planes, Ships

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