Tourists get to the capital of Austria by arriving at the country's largest airport, Schwechat. It is located away from the city at a distance of sixteen kilometers. The center of the capital can be reached by train, high-speed train, bus or taxi. We will write more about public transport running from Vienna Airport and inside the capital.
Road from the airport
There are several ways to get from Vienna Airport, Schwechat, to the city by public transport:
- The fastest way to get around is the high-speed train, connected to the S-Bahn and the subway. The CAT route runs from the port non-stop to the Wien Mitte metro station, which is connected to the metro. The movement of the train from the port takes place from six in the morning until half past eleven at night with an interval of half an hour. The journey takes the passenger about sixteen minutes. The cost of a one-way CAT ticket is €12, and a return ticket is €19. Passengers under the age of fourteen can enjoy freego to CAT.
- The most economical way is by train. She will take the passenger to the 21st zone of Vienna. Public transport sometimes only goes to Wien Mitte station. The journey time on the S7 to Wien Mitte is twenty-five minutes, which is nine minutes longer than on the SAT. The movement of the train takes place from 05:23 in the morning to 23:17 with an interval of one and a half hours. If passengers have tickets for public transport in Vienna, they only purchase a one-way ticket for €2.40. If not, two tickets are required for €2.40.
- The most familiar way for the citizens of our country is the bus. It will take passengers directly to the center of the Austrian city. This is the most convenient transportation option if you need to get to the stations. Bus tickets cost €8, with a Vienna-Card - €7. Children under six travel free of charge, and children under fourteen travel on a reduced ticket for €14.
- The most comfortable, but also expensive way is a taxi. It is suitable for those traveling with small children. The cost of a taxi ride is calculated by the meter, plus € 2.5 for boarding passengers. A trip from Schwechat to Vienna will cost about €40. It will last approximately twenty minutes.
Transportation
Public transport in the capital of Austria is called "Vienna lines". The length of the public transport network in Vienna is more than a thousand kilometers. Five metro lines, almost thirty tram lines and more than a hundred bus routes will take passengers to their destination.
The cost of traveling around the city by public transport in Vienna in 2018 is €2.40. Single tickets. However, the capital has a system of public transport fare zones in Vienna. If you are traveling from one point to another within the same zone, then you need one ticket, and if you are moving from one zone to another, then you need several tickets, depending on the number of zones that you cross. Each punched ticket is valid until the point of travel, including unlimited transfers.
Vienna's transport consists of trains, subways, trams and buses. All routes have timetables. The names of stops are always announced, and passengers are provided with information about all possible transfers to other modes of transport. The doors of buses and trams in the capital of Austria do not open automatically, for this you need to press a special button. On trains and in the subway, when cars stop at stations, a signal sounds, after which you need to push the handle to the side and open the door.
Ticket pricing
Travel in Vienna by public transport of any kind costs the same. All transport tickets and passes, except for annual passes and concessionary tickets, can be purchased:
- in terminals located at metro stations;
- in tobacco shops;
- from a bus or tram driver.
In Vienna, transport tickets are sold at the following rates:
- Single ticket - €2.40 (children - €1.20).
- Public Passtransport in Vienna for a day - €8, 00, for two - €14, 10, for three days - €17, 10.
- Seven-day pass (only valid from Monday to Monday until 9 am) - €17, 10.
One trip voucher can be purchased on trams at an increased price of €2.60 (children €1.40). They are valid for one trip, including transfers. Children under six travel free. On Sundays, public holidays and school holidays in Vienna, children under 15 travel free of charge.
Special rates
Tickets for public transport in Vienna come in the following special fares. Consider them:
- Einzelfahrschein. This is a ticket that en titles you to one trip. It is purchased either in advance or in the salon at an inflated cost including a commission. The ticket allows you to move in one direction and make transfers along the way to any type of transport. An Einzelfahrschein costs €2.40, while a public transport driver in Vienna costs €2.60. If four lanes are marked on an Einzelfahrschein, then this is a ticket for four trips. It costs €8.80. Vouchers can be bought at terminals or from drivers with a fee.
- Fahrschein Halbpreis. This is a half price ticket. It is considered privileged. It is intended for children from six to fifteen years old and pensioners, as well as for traveling in vehicles with dogs. As a reminder, children under the age of six are exempted from paying fares in public transport in Vienna. Children under the age of fifteen can ride without a ticket on Sundays, public holidays and school holidays. Discount card forhalf the price is valid for travel in the subway and when moving up to two stops, in the tram and bus - up to three stops.
- 8-Tage-Karte. This is a ticket for passengers traveling on public transport in Vienna is not permanent. It consists of eight travel tickets for any eight days. 8-Tage-Karte is a card with stripes, one of which must be punched on a punch when traveling by transport in Vienna. This ticket is suitable for passengers traveling in groups of up to eight people. Its cost is €38, 40.
- Wochenkarte. This is a ticket for transport in Vienna for a week. Valid from 9:00 am on any Monday until 9:00 am on the following Monday. The cost of such a ticket is €17, 10.
- 24-Stunden-Wien. This is a ticket that is ideal for guests of the capital of Austria who plan to make many trips in one day. The ticket is valid for 24 hours, the countdown starts from the moment when it is punched on the punch before the first trip. The cost is €8.00. There are similar tickets valid for two days (€14.10) and three days (€17.10).
- Wiener Einkaufskarte. This is a day pass, but its validity is limited to twelve hours - from eight in the morning to eight in the evening, and days of the week - from Monday to Saturday. Its cost is €6, 10.
- Vienna Card. This is a tourist card lasting two (€21.90) or three (€24.90) days. You can buy the Vienna Card at information points, at the information desk at the airport or online. In addition to using public transport in Vienna, tourists thanks toVienna Card can visit the cultural places of the capital at a discount. All details about discounts and a list of attractions where tourists can get a discount or free entry are posted on the official website of public transport. It is profitable to purchase a Vienna Card or not, the tourist decides. If he plans to visit museums and use Vienna's public transport, then it's definitely worth buying a card.
Pen alties
When using transport in Vienna, we advise: always pay the fare! This will avoid a hefty fine. The monetary pen alty for traveling without a ticket in Vienna transport is €60. Smoking in transport is also prohibited!
All information on traffic, tickets, rules of conduct, and the map of the capital itself with routes can be found on the Vienna transport website. Metro maps, timetables, payment options and ticket prices can be checked on the Austrian capital's metro website.
Vienna Railway
The rail transport system in Vienna is called the S-Bahn. It is included in the state railways of Austria. S-Bahn is integrated into the capital's urban transport system, including a single passenger ticket within Vienna's transport zones.
The structure of trains is quite branched. You can also travel around the capital on a fast city train. Transportation in Vienna is possible in standard mode: from five in the morning to midnight. From half past one to half past five in the morning, public transport does not run, at this time you can getfrom the center of the capital to the outskirts of the city is possible only on night buses marked with the letter N. Most night routes start at the Schwedenplatz and Schottentor stops.
Vienna Transport Cards are valid for all modes of transport within the city.
Tickets are bought at advance sale counters at metro stations and train stations. They are punched with a composter at the entrance to the subway car or to the passenger compartment. Tickets can be bought at Tabak Traffik kiosks or from vending machines located in the metro and stations. To purchase a ticket in the machine, you need to select its type, dial a four-digit numeric code, insert coins into the hole or insert a banknote. The machine is sure to give change. The passenger has the option to press the cancel button at any time. You can’t buy tickets in trains and subways, so you need to buy them in advance. When exiting the platform, the passenger will see the composters. Be sure to use one of them, because without it the ticket will be considered invalid. In transport in Vienna, ticket checks are often carried out. Traveling without a ticket is punishable by a fine. If the passenger does not pay for it within three days, it will double.
In Vienna there are concessions for the travel of the elderly. Women over 60 and men over 65 become Austrian pensioners. For elderly people from other countries, discounts are available upon presentation of a document confirming age. The same reduced ticket can be purchased when carryingpets and bicycles.
Metropolitan
The Vienna Metro (U-Bahn) opened over forty years ago. It is noteworthy that today its network includes a number of sites built at the end of the 19th century. The subway of the capital of Austria is served by a company wholly owned by the municipality of Vienna. The metro consists of five lines almost seventy kilometers long. They are numbered U1 to U6 and have different color codes. All U-Bahn lines, except U6, connect different areas of the city with the center of the capital. Trains run at five-minute intervals during the day and seven-minute intervals in the evening. The doors in the cars do not open automatically, in order to enter or exit the car, you need to press a button or pull the handle sharply. To travel on the metro within the capital, you need a regular ticket that is valid on all types of public transport.
Tram
The Alpine gem houses some of the oldest and longest tram lines in the world. Thanks to this transport, the transportation system of the Austrian city became the most developed on the continent. Already at the beginning of the last century, the inhabitants of the country were able to buy tram tickets for a week. To date, there are thirty-three tram routes in the Austrian capital, the length of which is almost two hundred kilometers.
In the capital of the Alpine country there is also a tram line between cities - from Vienna to Baden. This transport branch does not belong to the city's general tram network. She is servedprivate company. Trams on this route move at intervals of about a quarter of an hour. Ordinary city tickets are not suitable for travel, a passenger who has made a choice in favor of this branch will need to buy a separate ticket.
For almost ten years, a tram route for tourists has been operating in the alpine pearl. It is called the Vienna Ring Tram. Every day throughout the year, from ten in the morning to six in the evening, trams circle clockwise along the Ringstrasse at half-hour intervals. The Ringstraße is a circular street that encircles the city center. It is similar in shape to a horseshoe, at which the edges overlook the canal of the Danube River. The embankment of this channel closes the tram ring. Along this street there are many memorable buildings, between which the most beautiful city parks are broken.
Thirteen attractions on the route:
- Town Hall. It hosts many concerts and exhibitions. For example, the famous Viennese balls.
- Park with many different majestic sculptures and fountains.
- Parliament. The building of unique beauty, the place of work of the councils of the state parliament and the holding of various ceremonies of the government level. In front of it is a beautiful fountain famous among tourists.
- Winter residence of the Habsburgs.
- Vienna Opera. It is the center of European musical culture.
- City park, the most famous in the capital of Austria. Great place to walk with kids.
There are thirty-one seats in each tram car. Several screens in the salon show news about the sights of the Austrian capital. There are also audio guides in various European languages. At stations marked with a special symbol, the exact time of departure and arrival of the tram is indicated. Having bought a ticket, guests of the capital can enter and exit at any city stops an unlimited number of times. A full trip on the route without the possibility of disembarkation of thirty minutes will cost €8 for an adult and €4 for a child. As of today, you can book tickets online.
Buses
One of the most common modes of transport in the Austrian capital is the bus. Unlike the world-famous Viennese trams, buses can, fortunately for tourists, call into the city center. The route network is operated by a municipal company. The first buses appeared in the Alpine pearl at the beginning of the 20th century. Soon, the first double-decker bus passed through the streets of the Austrian city.
Since the sixties of the last century, liquefied gas has been used as a fuel for this type of transport. In the capital of Austria, there are almost a hundred bus routes, denoted by the letter "A". These are day cars, there are about five hundred of them in Vienna. They run around the city from five in the morning until midnight. There are also night routes, denoted by the letter "N", on which buses run from half past one at night to four in the morning with a half-hour interval.
A private company operates a network of buses for guests of the Austrian capital in Vienna. The Alpine pearl is served by single and double-decker buses withten in the morning to five in the evening daily. During the tour, at their own discretion, tourists can enter and exit the vehicle at any of the stops. The price of a ticket for a day for an adult will be €25, for two days - €32. A child ticket costs €12 for a day and €15 for two. At the same time, a ticket used for the first time after three in the afternoon is also valid for the next day.
The buses have guides in several European languages. This is German, and English, and many others. Such a service is considered very popular, as Vienna is a very popular holiday destination for travelers from all over the world.
Tickets for the buses described above can be purchased at the tourist offices of the Austrian city, in hotels, in public transport. Tours can be booked online.
Bicycle
In the capital of Austria, a network of bike rental points is widely and widely developed. The first rental bicycle system project, which started fifteen years ago and was financed by six hundred thousand euros from the city budget, did not pay off. Exactly one year later, a new project was initiated to provide the Austrian capital with cycling transport, 100% funded by Gewista. This initiative turned out to be successful. This happened thanks to a well-thought-out rental system.
The structure consists of rental offices located throughout the Austrian city. All of them are close to metro stations. To rent a bike, a tourist first needs to register in the system andget a personal username and password. You can check in right at the terminal near the rental office. In any case, bicycles are rented using a bank card. Registration fee (one euro). The rental period starts from the moment the bike is taken from the parking lot and ends when it is returned to the box. Bicycle rental rates are as follows: the first hour is free; the second - €1; third - €2; fourth - €4; fifth and further - €4.
Limited rental time - 120 hours. If after this time the bike is not placed in any parking lot in the city, then a fine of € 600 will be removed from the bank card. When returning to the bike rack, pay close attention to the green light on the turnstile where the bike is fastened. If the rental vehicle is found on the street outside the special parking lot, the fine will be €20.
Besides bank cards, there is another method of paying for bike rental. This is a special tourist card. It can be bought for €2 for a period of twenty-four hours. You need to put money on the card in the amount of €20, of which the amount spent on rental is later minus. Only one bike can be taken per card.
Car rental
Tourists in the Austrian capital can travel in rental cars. There are no problems with car rental in the city in question, as in any other European cities. There are a sufficient number of companies offering car rental in the Alpine pearl. car canorder in advance or in real time. Representative offices of companies that provide cars for temporary use are located in the city.
To rent a car in Vienna, you need an international driver's license, a bank card and driving experience. The age of the driver must be at least twenty-one years old. Insurance is issued and purchased on the spot. If necessary, a child seat must be ordered and paid for in advance. Winter tires are given to the driver at the request of the lessor without charging for it.
Tourists wishing to rent a car in the Austrian capital need to know that paid parking is allowed in the city for a short time. The parking ticket must be immediately attached to the inside of the car window.
Taxi
Taxi in the capital of Austria is best booked by phone. If possible, the car can be found in the parking lots at the stations, at the airport. Remember that it is not customary to stop a taxi on the street. The fare is displayed on the meter. A trip around Vienna by taxi will cost a tourist an average of €30, depending on the mileage. Prices for moving outside the city are agreed individually with the taxi driver in each case personally.
When transferring from the port, you can use the taxi service of the airport of the capital, the cost of a trip to Vienna by car for a group of three passengers is €30 (to districts from the first to eleventh) and €33 (to other districts), from four passengers - €36. A taxi-minivan ride for six passengers will cost €49, for eight passengers -€59. All interesting data about the port's taxi service can be found on the official website of the port itself.
The Austrian city also has taxis, whose employees can simultaneously be both drivers and guides to cultural sites. There are specialized taxi services in Vienna: for women, for hearing impaired people, privileged class limousines. You can order an exotic taxi, the so-called bicycle or three-wheeled cycle rickshaw. Remember that the latter is for two passengers and luggage.
Water transport
You can travel along the Danube in the capital of Austria by river transport, represented by numerous steamers and motor ships. Ships moor at the Praterlande. From this place, any tourist can easily walk or take a taxi to the subway.