Transport in Vienna

Getting out and about

Vienna has a modern and comprehensive public transport system which covers the whole of the city. This means that even with small children and prams and buggies, you can be mobile, get out and about, and not be dependent upon having a car. Children of pre-school age, under six years old, travel for free. In general, the system is reliable, clean, and safe to use at all times. Compared to some other capital cities it is also extremely good value for the money.

Here is some information and hints to help give you the independence and mobility to enjoy life in Vienna. It is not meant to be complete, but enough to get you started and oriented.

Navigating

Buy a good road map. Use it. In all bookshops you will find freytag & berndt, Städteatlas Grossraum Wien. This is the A-Z of Vienna and covers not only the city area, but also outlying towns. All bus, tram, and train routes and numbers are marked.

For day-to-day use and pocket-size there are small fold-up maps which you can get free at all tourist information points and hotel receptions.

There are ticket counters at all the major interchange underground stations (Karlsplatz, Schwedenplatz, Landstraße, Schottentor, Westbahnhof, Heiligenstadt, Floridsdorf, Praterstern, Südbahnhof). These have the longest opening hours, Monday - Friday 6.30 - 18.30; Karlsplatz, Stephansplatz and Westbahnhof also Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 8.30 - 16.00. Your nearest station may only have fairly restricted opening times. The central ticket offices are also more likely used to dealing with tourists who don't speak German and only a little bit of English.

The Vienna website, www.wien.at, also has information and links to the public transport system. Wiener Linien has an excellent site as well, http://efa.vor.at/wvb/index_en.htm, that allows you to type in your start location and your destination and receive the best route plan possible including times, directions, and maps.

Tickets

Tickets for single journeys need to be "entwertet." This means you have to validate the ticket by stamping on time, date, etc. You do this by inserting the ticket into a blue metal box in the middle of buses and the middle and back of trams (some buses don't have them and you must take your ticket to the driver to stamp). If you are using the U-Bahn the boxes (yellow/orange) are at the entries to the platforms. There are no boxes on the U-Bahn trains and it can be easy to forget, so remember to validate your ticket! If you are caught without a ticket, the fine can be upwards of Euros 60 plus the cost of the ticket.

Tickets can be purchased at all U-Bahn stations from machines or ticket counters (see Navigating), as well as in the Tabak Trafiks (news/tobacco stands).

NOTE: Ticket prices are as of August 2007

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Single
This costs Euros 1.70 (2007) and it is best to buy it before you start your journey. If you use one of the machines on the tram or the bus (behind the driver) it costs Euros 2. The ticket is valid for as many changes as you need to make from A to B and valid on all types of transport within the Vienna zone (bus, tram, U-Bahn, and train).

Streifenkarten
These are a strip of thick paper with 4 or 8 single journeys (Euros 6) marked on them. For each journey you stamp one of the strips by folding the cardboard over starting at number 1 and inserting into the validating machine. You can use this strip to pay for multiple people by validating as many journeys as people, for example, #2 for 2 people.

Weekly Ticket
This is valid from Monday to Monday at 9am (Euros 12.50) and is valid for all the trips you take in that week. It does not need to be validated as the dates are on the ticket. This ticket can be used by anyone during its validity period (ie. your husband/partner uses it during the week and you use it at the weekend).

Monthly Ticket
This is valid from the 1st of the month to the 2nd of the next month and like the weekly ticket it is transferable (Euros 45).

Annual Ticket
This is a pass with your photo on it and therefore not transferable. To obtain one you need to fill in an application form at one of the ticket offices. It starts at the beginning of a month and is valid for a calendar year. At the moment it costs Euros 417 if you pay monthly (10 x Euros 41.70 or Euros 409 if paid in full).

Visitors' Tickets
There is also a 72-hour ticket for as many journeys as you like within 72 hours from the time of validation (Euros 12) and an 8-day ticket (Euros 24) where you validate one day at a time (similar to the Streifenkarten).

There are other tickets as well, such as for shopping, 24-hour, and half-price for children/bicycles/dogs. Information about these is available from the ticket offices.

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Hints and Things to look out for

U-Bahn
All stations have lifts/elevators. They may only be at one end of the platform and at some stations where you can change lines you may have to use two. Most of the newer stations also have escalators and when you feel more confident it is easy to go up and down them with a buggy.

The U6 line has some old-style trams at the front and the back, so position yourself in the middle of the platform to be able to get onto the low modern carriage. If it is all new carriages you can get on anywhere you want. The middle bit can get quite crowded. When you get out of the train you will see pictograms with arrows next to the station's name pointing to exits and the nearest street name, lifts, connecting trams, buses, trains, telephones, toilets, etc., as applicable.

Trams
On the old trams get on at the front where there is space to park the pram/buggy. More than likely you will need some help to get up the steps. The willingness to help varies between people volunteering to help and others scuttling to the back of the tram when they see you coming. Don't worry - this is "normal." Look for younger men and women, even teenagers, to ask for help. The old trams only have space for two prams at the front. During rush hour you may have to wait for the next one. The old trams are being gradually replaced with ULFs. These are at curb level and you can get on and off at any door easily and without needing help.

Buses
The majority are new and they are low enough to get on and off without help. When confronted with an old one you will probably need help and one side of the door in the middle is wider than the other. These are being phased out. The buses are only allowed to take two prams/buggies. There are times when the driver won't let a third one on, even if there seems to be space.

Trains
Most trains have high steps and a lot of the stations do not have lifts or escalators. Depending on where you live though, the trains offer some very convenient connections and when the small person(s) is/are steady on his/her/their legs, they can be good to use on your own.

Twin Strollers and Very Wide Single Prams (Battleships)
Both the side-by-side and in-a-line variety can be used on the underground (go for the lifts/elevators), new buses, and ULF trams. The doors are wide enough. However, you may find that the side-by-side version is too wide for many doors in Vienna (some shops, lifts/elevators in houses). Some single prams have wheels which are too wide to fit into the older trams and buses and are difficult to manoeuvre in the restricted space available.

General
On all U-Bahn platforms and bus and tram stops with a shelter, there is a map of Vienna showing all the bus, tram, and U-Bahn lines. You will also find a route timetable at all the stops.

The intervals are fairly short during the day. Bus and tram intervals after 8pm tend to become longer, usually between 15 and 20 minutes. On the U-Bahn the frequencies in the evening are normally 5-7 minutes.

Safety

It is a sad fact, but pickpockets are plentiful in Vienna and they especially enjoy preying on mothers traveling with small children. This is probably because we are often distracted and leave our bag or purse unattended and hanging from the pram/stroller while we attend to getting juice, crackers, whatever for our kids. We have many mothers in the group who have been unsuspecting and unwitting victims. PLEASE BE AWARE at all times! We cannot emphasize this enough. Keep your valuables on your person while on public transport and while shopping.

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Useful terms:

die Straßenbahn - tram
der Zug - train
der Bus - bus
die U-Bahn - underground
die Station - underground station
das Gleis - platform
die Fahrkarte - ticket
der Fahrkartenschalter - ticket office/counter
die Vorverkaufsstelle - ticket office
der Lift - lift, elevator
die Rolltreppe - escalators
die Haltestelle - bus/tram stop
der Fahrplan - timetable
der Bahnhof - train station

Car Seats

Car seat laws apply to children until 12 years of age and 1.5m tall. Newborns up until about 9 months or 9kg need to be in an infant car seat. These are rearward facing and must never be used in any seat with an airbag. If you don't want to buy one, you can rent one from the ÖAMTC. The next stage car seat lasts up until 18 kg. After that a booster seat is required. Austrian law also requires children under 12 to sit in the back.

Airport Taxi Transfer

If you are traveling with a baby or young children you might find it easier to use a taxi to get to/from the airport. Book in advance for a fixed rate fare, booster-style car seats can be requested.
www.airportdriver.at
www.ck-airport.at