Getting around

The city
The city has a very simple layout and getting oriented isn’t too difficult. Vienna consists of 23 districts, each one with a different character of its own. In addresses, it’s easy to identify the district in the zip code like this: All postcodes start with a 1, followed by the two-digit district number (03 for the 3rd district, 21 for the 21st district for instance), usually followed by a 0.

The 1st district where most tourist attractions are located, is in the center of the city. This district is encircled by the “Ring“, that separates it from the other adjacent districts. North of it, across the Danube channel is the 2nd district. From there, all numbers are counted clockwise up to the ninth district, that’s adjacent to the 2nd district. The “Gürtel“ (belt) encloses these districts and separates them from the double digit districts. The rest of them is located around these, again in a rather circular manner.

Public transport
Public transport in Vienna is well organized, comprehensive, and available around the clock. There are 5 metro lines covering the central areas, tram lines that provide for more connectivity within the various districts, and many buslines to connect greater areas with one another. There also are regional trains (S-Bahn) that connect the center of Vienna with the suburbs and the surrounding wine regions.

There are several options for paying for public transport. All tickets are available at the vending machines (bright red) in the metro stations, the booths in the central metro stations (usually where two or more lines intersect), or at the customer service center of the Vienna city lines (Wiener Linien). The best option is to just get them at the vending machines, you’re most flexible there. You can pay with cash and plastic there and won’t have to deal with any language barriers, since the machines are programmed in several languages. 

A single ride is 1,70 when you buy them in advance at the ticket vending machines, or 2,20 when you buy them while traveling within the city. Keep small change for that purpose. A single ticket is valid for 2 hours at a time.

There also are day (5,70), 2-day (10,00), 3-day (13,60), and weekly (14,00) passes available. In case you’re planning on staying longer, you can use a ticket that is valid on 8, not necessarily consecutive, days. It’s 27,20 Euros. If you don’t know whether you are going to use public transport that extensivley, you could consider getting a ticket worth 4 rides that you can use any time you need it for 6,80 Euros.

All tickets are valid within the Vienna city zone.

Vienna lines also has a very useful webpage that can help you find the fastest connection between 2 given points in the city. Check www.wienerlinien.at and enter the two addresses or stops on the front page.

Between midnight and 5 am, trams and metros are replaced by night buses. Almost all of them are eventually going to the opera, so this is agood place to catch a bus when you’re close to there. Otherwise look out for the N signs at the bus stops. Night buses run every 30 minutes.

City Map
Free detailed city and subway maps are available at the tourist office in the city hall. (U2 Rathaus). The map is an essential feat, it has all the subway, tram, and bus lines on it, and even depicts all the important attractions and even the smallest alley.

Feel free to ask a question or leave a reply!