Using Public Transportation in Vienna
Vienna's U-bahn metro system
For visitors to Vienna, the Viennese transportation system can seem intimidating and confusing at first. Here are some important user tips to help avoid any mishaps.
Always buy a ticket. These can be purchased from the "Fahrkarten" machines in the U-bahn metro stations. A regular fare costs €1.70 and covers any single trip journey from one place to another within the Vienna city limits, including transfers and use of multiple transportation services (bus, tram, or U-bahn metro). Discounts are available for senior citizens, disabled people, and students and travel to/through another zone outside Vienna costs €1.70 per zone. (Travel to and from the airport, for example, costs €3.40). The ticket machines offer menus in a few different languages, including English and Italian.
Tickets must be validated by selecting the "Validate Now" option on the ticket machine or by inserting tickets into the blue machines on the way to the metro platform or on board the trams and buses. Ticket checking is conducted at random. Those caught using the public transportation without a ticket must pay a fine of about €65. When staying in Vienna for a few days, it is a good idea to purchase a 24-hr, 72-hr, or weekly transportation ticket. The weekly ticket is a particularly good deal, offering unlimited travel within the city from a Monday through a Sunday for €14. Be sure to check the dates selected before printing your ticket. Smoking is forbidden (€50 fine) on all of Vienna's transportation and in the metro stations, but dogs and bicycles are allowed with some restrictions. For more information, visit the Wiener Linien website.
