Public transport

Vienna Public Transport

 

General

For many people public transportation can be a challenge when visiting a country for the first time, especially if you’re a non-EU citizen, visiting an EU country. This post is a guide on how to get around in Vienna using public transport and what options are out there.

 

Every Day Public Transportation

There are 3 ways of public transport in Vienna:

  • Underground metro: The Underground Metro (U-Bahn) is the quickest and easiest way to get from point A to B in Vienna. You’ll find many U-Bahn-stops in every district. Whenever you see a blue sign with a huge “U”, know that there’s an escalator/elevator/stairs that will lead you to the underground metro stop. Please note that you should stand on the right side of the escalator so that people in a hurry can run pass you on the left side of the escalator.
  • Tram: The nice thing about the tram is that you can just sit back, listen to music and enjoy the view looking out of the windows. The tram is prefered by older people and mothers with children, because it is less crowded than the metro and has a more laid-back atmosphere to it. While the metro is underground, trams drive on rails on the streets. And whereas the metro transports you to the main stops in the city, like the stock exchange and the universities, the tram can get you to more specific places, since it’s smaller and doesn’t require a tunnel. Don’t be surprised if every now and then a tram has a delay. This happens because like other vehicles the tram is exposed to everyday traffic because of stoplights and street constructions.Please note that the tram-stops can sometimes be underground like for example at  Schottentor.
  • Bus: Buses are the most rare way of transportation in Vienna. The huge bonus to them is that they have their stops in places where even the tram can’t get to, like for example extremely small streets and some pedestrian areas. Of course they’re not as fast as the other transportation methods because they don’t have their own lanes, but they’re very helpful if you have a lot to carry or just have a quick errand to run.
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Vienna Nightlines

The night schedule for public transportation in a Vienna is different from line to line. The earliest ones start shortly after midnight and the latest ones drive at around 4 AM. All nightlines drive every 30 minutes. Be aware though that some don’t drive until the last stop. The underground metro drives every 15 minutes throughout the night on Fridays and Satudays, otherwise stops at around 1AM depending on the line and schedule. You don’t need a special ticket for the nightlines.

 

Special Public Transportation

The Badner Bahn: The Badner Bahn is a tram that transports people from Vienna to Baden, which is a suburban area belonging to Vienna. It starts at the Viennese Opera House and ends in Baden. There are many stops along the way including the popular CSC shopping mall. For this tram however, you have to get an extra ticket if you want to go further than the stop Vösendorf, because starting from there you will be out of the inner Zone of the Viennese public transport.

 

Public Airport Transportation

  •  Express Train S7: The Express Train S7 costs 4,40 Euros and connects you directly to the Vienna Airport. You can take it, for example, from the underground tram stop at Wien Mitte shopping center.
  • Vienna Airport Lines: The Vienna Airport Lines are buses, which have their stops all over the city connecting you directly to the airport. They cost 8 Euros for adults and 4 Euros for children. If you book a return journey as well, you pay 13 Euros as an adult and 6 Euros as a child.
  • City Airport Train (CAT): Like the S7 Train, the CAT has it’s stop at the Wien Mitte shopping center. It costs 11 Euros and drives every 16 minutes. The special things about the CAT are the comfortable seats, the info screens and the first-class section. You can easily tell the CAT and the S7 apart because of the CAT’s unique neon-green color.

 

Tickets and Prices

At the Underground Metro stops you will find ticket-machines where you can easily buy the ticket you desire. Other places where you can buy your ticket are Underground ticket offices (Vorverkauf), any tobacco shop and Machines at selected Railway stations. These tickets go for metro, tram, buses and nightlines. If you don’t validate at the validation machines your ticket after you buy it, it’s not valid!

Single ticket:                                                                              € 2.20 (Children € 1.20)

24-hour Vienna ticket:                                                                 € 8.00

48-hour Vienna ticket:                                                                 € 14,10

72-hour Vienna ticket:                                                                  € 17,10

Vienna weekly ticket (Mon. to Mon. at 9.00 am):                          € 17,10

Vienna Shopping ticket  (1 day from 8.00-20.00):                         € 5.80

1-trip ticket:                                                                                     € 2.20

One-month ticket:                                                                            € 51.00

One-year ticket:                                                                               € 365

Semesterticket for students:                                                            € 150 if main residence not in Vienna

                                                                                                         € 75 if main residence in Vienna

The semseter ticket is valid for 5 months: In the Wintersemester from the 1st of September until the 31st of January, in the Summersemester from the 1st of February  to the 30th of June. In the months of July and August it is possible to purchase a vacational-one-month ticket. You can easily buy the ticket sitting at home, by registering at the Online-ticketshop of the Wiener Linien. Personal information you’ll have to add is: matriculation number, name, forename, birthdate, place of residence.

More information regarding the semester ticket is available for you on the website of the Wiener Linien.

There are many other ticket options for public transport. For further information go to any ticket office, for example the one at the Schottentor station or go to the Wiener Linien Website

 

General behaviour in public transportation

Like the rule of standing on the right side of the escalator, there are other rules Austrians stick to when using public transportation. Some of them are:

  1. Don’t sit on seats marked with stickers reserved for the elderly, pregnant women and handicapped persons
  2. Out of consideration for others, stand up if someone in more need of sitting than you, comes in
  3. When the metro arrives enter quickly, in order to prevent a delay
  4. As soon as the doors close and the loudspeaker announces for you to step back, do so to prevent any kinds of accidents
  5. At night you may come across drunk people. Try to stay away and avoid contact.

 

Qando

To make life easier for all of us, there’s an app called Qando, which you can download from the app store or google play. On that app you have not only the option to write where you want to go, but also what time you want to get there or what time you want to leave. Qando then offers you the easiest and quickest ways to get to your desired destination by public transport.

 

SCOTTY mobil

SCOTTY is an app created by ÖBB to help you plan your routes easily just by adding your seeked destination. SCOTTY then takes the traffic into consideration to offer you the exact time of your arrival. You also get the ability to save personalized driving routes so you can re-use them whenever you want!