Vienna has an excellent system of public transportation.

How to get around Vienna

Long term stays at unknown cities can be hard, not only when it comes to finding new friends to but also when it comes to getting around without getting lost. This short article will give you some basic information about the public transport in Vienna as well as information about what to take into account while getting around Vienna by car.

Public Transport

The public transport network in Vienna consits of 83 bus routes, 28 tram lines and 5 subway lines.  The operating hours of the means of transport differ. Usually trams and busses stop running earlier than subway lines. During nighttime trams and busses are replaced by the so called night lines that cover the most important routes in Vienna.

 They run from 00:30am to 5:00am during the whole week including weekends. The subway lines stop running at about 00:30 am during the week but are available around the clock during weekends and nights before holidays. 

You will find a detailed time table at every bus stop, tram station and subway station. A new pricing system for public transport was developed and is valid since 1 May 2012. It’s meaning is to motivate even more people to use the public transport and leave their car parked. There is a wide range of tickets you can choose between. For further information visit this website:

http://www.wienerlinien.at/eportal/ep/tab.do/pageTypeId/10220

Source: http://www.wien.gv.at/english/transportation-urbanplanning/public-transport/

written by Olivia Wajman

There are 5 main subways:

U1, U2, U3, U4 and U6.

(The U5 project was never realized)

Other than that there is a suburban railway system that conects the outer districts of Vienna, a tram and a bus system.

Since 2010 the subways run all through the night on the weekends. Some rutes have a nightline system that is indicated by the "N" sign.

e.g tram number "34" has a nightline bus "N34"

These nightlines run through the night for the whole week.

Tickets:

There are several different tickets (One-way, day ticket, monthly ticket etc)

Getting caught by the officials without a ticket results in a fine of € 72.-

For timetables and routes please check: www.wienerlinien.at

They also have a iPhone app. that is called "Quando". This app is for free and shows timetables for the public transportation in real time.

With the app "mobile ticket" you can also buy your ticket with your phone.

Getting from Here to There 

 by Gretchen Gatzke

With over 110 lines, Vienna’s public transportation system satisfies all your local travel needs

I was walking down Burggasse in the 7^th District last week to the bus stop. I wasn’t particularly paying attention to what was going on around me (I think I was choosing a song on my iPod) and I looked up right as it happened – three cars slammed into each other right next to me. I let out a little yelp and immediately called my boyfriend, telling him he should be thankful that I was still alive.

Yes, it was a little dramatic, but this incident made me realize how thankful I am for the public transportation system in Vienna. I don’t have to worry about driving, finding a parking spot or for that matter, car crashes.

It’s easy, too – especially as a student. We get discounted Semestertickets even if we have to wait hours in line on the first day of the new semester. It’s worth it. (For ticket prices and information on special fares, see www.wienerlinien.at).

Bus, tram and U-Bahn schedules are pretty great too. Waiting times are minimal and there are stops everywhere for your convenience. I became even more satisfied with my decision to use Vienna public transport in September of 2010, when the 24-hour subway system was put into place. The service runs trains Friday and Saturday nights, and on the evenings before holidays, and was decided following a referendum in February of the same year when 54 percent of voters weighed in for all-night trains.

Okay, so you can’t party every night. Well you can if you want to wait for your train until 5 in the morning.

Either way, Vienna has lots of options: trams (30 lines), metros (5 lines), buses (83 lines, including nightline buses) and AnrufSammelTaxi (or call taxi) lines. This well-developed network will bring you almost anywhere in the city. When it doesn’t, Vienna also has a Schnellbahn that runs to outer regions and to places like the Wien-Schwechat Airport.

But wait, it gets better. Beginning in May 2012, everyone will be able to buy cheaper yearly tickets. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, Jahreskarten will cost €365, when previously they were €449. Think of it this way, you’re saving the planet by not driving a car, and you’re only paying a Euro a day in the process!

For more information about the public transportation system in Vienna, there are a few websites that are of particular help.

Maps and general information: www.wien.gv.at or www.wien.info

Fares and timetables: www.wienerlinien.at

If you’re interested in reading further about public transportation in Vienna,

see www.viennareview.net/town/vienna-s-new-nightriders-4246.html    

An ode to the late-night U-Bahn goer