Getting around · Vienna · Austria
Getting around Vienna
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Gryffindor, CC BY 2.5
Quick answer
Vienna's public transport is fast, clean and frequent: U-Bahn lines, trams and buses cover the city, and one ticket works on all of them. The old centre inside the Ring is compact and mostly pedestrian-friendly. No.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Metro
- Airports
- VIE, BTS
- Need a car?
- No
- Travel pass
- 24/48/72-hour tickets
Ways to get around
Metro
The U-Bahn connects the centre with Schönbrunn (U4), the Prater (U1 and U2) and the main stations. It runs through the night on Fridays, Saturdays and nights before public holidays.
Tickets must be validated before travel if not bought for a specific time; inspectors fine passengers without valid tickets.
Tram
Trams run around the Ringstrasse and out to the suburbs; line D runs to Nussdorf for the heurigen and line 71 to the Central Cemetery.
Bus
Buses fill gaps in the network, including bus 38A from Heiligenstadt to Grinzing and Kahlenberg, and night buses run when the U-Bahn closes on weeknights.
Walking
The Innere Stadt is small and largely pedestrianised; walking from St Stephen's to the Hofburg, Opera or MuseumsQuartier takes 10–15 minutes.
Cycling
The WienMobil bike-share scheme and a large network of cycle paths, including along the Danube Canal and the Prater's Hauptallee, make cycling easy on flat routes.
Taxi
Taxis and ride-hailing apps are widely available, but public transport is usually as fast within the city.
Tickets and passes
24/48/72-hour tickets
Unlimited travel on U-Bahn, trams, buses and S-Bahn within the city for 24, 48 or 72 hours from validation.
Weekly ticket
Valid from Monday to the following Monday morning; good value if your stay matches the week.
Vienna City Card
Combines unlimited public transport with discounts at many museums, sights and restaurants.
From the airport
Vienna International Airport (VIE) is about 18 km south-east of the centre. The City Airport Train reaches Wien Mitte in about 16 minutes, the cheaper S7 commuter train takes about 25 minutes, and Railjet trains run to the Hauptbahnhof in about 15 minutes. Some low-cost flights use Bratislava Airport (BTS), about 55 km east, linked by coach in about an hour.
Do you need a car?
No. Vienna's public transport is excellent and parking in the centre is limited and charged. A car is useful only for exploring rural Austria beyond the Wachau Valley.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Wachau Valley and Melk Abbey | About 1 hour by train to Melk | Train to Melk, then a river boat or bus along the Danube |
| Bratislava | About 1 hour by train or 75 minutes by boat | Regional train from the Hauptbahnhof, or the seasonal Twin City Liner catamaran |
| Baden bei Wien | About 1 hour by local railway, or 30 minutes by train | Badner Bahn light railway from the Opera, or regional train |
| Heiligenkreuz and the Vienna Woods | About 45 minutes by bus | Bus from Wien Meidling, or a car or tour |
| Lake Neusiedl and Rust | About 1–1.5 hours by train and bus | Train to Neusiedl am See, or train and bus to Rust |
| Salzburg | About 2.5 hours each way by train | Railjet train from the Hauptbahnhof or Westbahnhof |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Vienna?
No. Vienna's public transport is excellent and parking in the centre is limited and charged. A car is useful only for exploring rural Austria beyond the Wachau Valley.
+How do you get from the airport to Vienna?
Vienna International Airport (VIE) is about 18 km south-east of the centre. The City Airport Train reaches Wien Mitte in about 16 minutes, the cheaper S7 commuter train takes about 25 minutes, and Railjet trains run to the Hauptbahnhof in about 15 minutes. Some low-cost flights use Bratislava Airport (BTS), about 55 km east, linked by coach in about an hour.
+What is the best way to get around Vienna?
Metro: The U-Bahn connects the centre with Schönbrunn (U4), the Prater (U1 and U2) and the main stations. It runs through the night on Fridays, Saturdays and nights before public holidays.