Riding The U-Bahn Subway in Vienna
I’ve got a ton of posts to crank out on our family vacation to Sicily and Salzburg. I’m hoping to get my butt in gear. Here’s a quick peek at what I expect to cover:
- Getting There. Connecting In Rome And Using Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Points Overseas
- Hotel Review: Sheraton Catania, Sicily
- A Return To Taormina, A Beautiful City On A Hill
- Our Favorite Part of Taormina
- Exploring Mt. Etna
- Walking And Eating In Downtown Catania
- A Day In Siracusa
- Priority Pass Lounge At Catania Airport
- Mess after Mess. airberlin To Salzburg
- Hotel Review: Sheraton Grand Salzburg
- Sound of Music Tour
- Walking Around Salzburg
- L’Osteria Restaurant
- Salt Mines at Berchtesgaden
- Cable Car at Untersbergbahn
- Tasty Donuts, Salzburg
- Train To Vienna
- Hotel Review: Park Hyatt Vienna, OMG
- Park Hyatt Vienna Review, Part 2
- Riding The U-Bahn Subway In Vienna
- Schmetterlinghaus: The Imperial Butterfly House
- Haus des Meeres: Aqua Terra Zoo
- Austrian Airlines Lounge, Vienna Airport
- Austrian Airlines VIE-IAD, Business Class Review
- Wrapping Up
I’m generally a fan of rail-based public transportation when I travel. Call it a subway, metro, the “L”. I’m onboard for most of them. I don’t mind Uber, though I’m not especially fond of taxi cabs. I feel like I can see the city a bit more like a resident when taking a train here and there. And, I’ve encountered many subway systems that are clean and efficient.
Vienna was no different with their U-bahn. The system covers a decent portion of the city. We were able to use it for each of our trips during our short stay.
There are a variety of pricing options detailed on their website. Some of the options are:
Kids under 6 travel free. Kids under 15 travel free on Sundays and holidays.
We traveled on single-trip passes for €2.20 (with the discounted passes for the kiddos). There are automated ticket machines as well as ticket counters staffed with helpful employees to guide you.
It’s a bit of an honor system. You’re required to validate your tickets at one of the kiosks located throughout the terminals. I generally marvel at systems like this. I wonder how many people would pay the fare in NYC if they went with the honor system?
The stations are well-lit and clean, with plenty of signage. The trains were clean as well. We traveled midday so can’t report on rush hour conditions. During the off-peak hours we never really saw a meaningful crowd.
The entrances to the stations are generally marked by a blue cube with a white “U” on 4 sides. In many stations, the cubes are lit up for night-time visibility.
The Final Two Pennies
We found the U-Bahn exceptionally easy to use. There were stations conveniently located throughout the city. The trains were clean, affordable and ran on-time. I would recommend it as an affordable option for getting around Vienna.
The post Riding The U-Bahn Subway in Vienna was published first on Pizza in Motion
I have really enjoyed reading Pizza in Motion’s Vienna reports. I hope people reading this blog will consider visiting my favorite European city. I have added some comments to provide additional information if a visit is being contemplated – many Americans initially don’t have Vienna or Austria as a possibility.
Perhaps the best transit ticket offered in Vienna is the Wochenkarte (week ticket). It is valid from midnight on Monday to the following Monday at 9 AM, regardless of when the ticket is purchased. It is good for one person, and offers unlimited transit for that period of time on all forms of transit within Vienna, including the s-bahn. It costs only Euro 16.20. Euro 16.20 for a week’s unlimited travel can’t be beat – time a visit to arrive on a Sunday or Monday.
I should have added this to the blog posting about taking the train to Vienna. Anyone considering taking trains in Austria should see if eligible for one of the categories of Vorteilscard (advantage card). Austrian citizenship is not required. Youth cards are good up until a person’s 26th birthday – senior cards currently for anyone age 62 (will be 63 in 2018). A senior card costs no more than Euro 29, and gives 50% off any train ticket for one year from date of purchase for all classes of tickets. I also believe if traveling from Austria to Germany, the card provides 25% off the German portion of the trip. See:
http://www.oebb.at/en/angebote-ermaessigungen/vorteilscard
DCK, I REALLY appreciate you adding all the advice. So often I don’t get to spend enough time in a place to give great advice. It’s very helpful to have knowledgeable folks to fill in the blanks.