Bus,tram&Metro, Vienna

Take tram Nr.1 or Nr.2 in order to go around the Ringstrasse, BUT they DONT do the FULL CIRCLE ANYMORE !.
Nr 1 is going in both directions around a large part of the Ringstrasse from the Opera to Schwedenplatz and finally to Hundertasserhaus and the Prater (BUT unfortunately not to a place of the giant area of the Prater that is close to the Giant-Ferris-Wheel/Riesenrad!!!).
You will pass by sights like the parliament ( on my picture), Opera, Hofburg & Heldenplatz, University, Rathaus, Volkspark Votivkirche, Boerse...

Tram Nr 2 is going now into both directions as well between Boerse - Votivkirche - Rathaus - Parliament - Heldenplatz - Opera - Scharzenbergplatz - Stadtpark...
It is certainly the best to have a dayticket, so you may as well go back a few stations.

In OLD brochures and guidebooks you will still find the info that #1 and #2 are going around all of the Ringstrasse, but that system was changed in spring 2009 !
There is a seperate tram for sightseeing now and it is NOT included in the ordinary daytickets, but 14 euros extra for the whole day !

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Vienna is one of the safest towns in europe, and public transport is quite save (but after midnight only every 30 minutes, running on a different grid), and tramways and buses go everywhere.
A single ticket is € 2 at ticket machines, € 2,20 if you buy in the bus, 24 hours € 6,70, 48 hours € 11,70, 72 hours € 14,50.
Available in the Vienna Transport ticket offices, tabacconists and ticket machines.
Do not forget to validate your ticket in the Subway station or in the bus or tramway.

It's very easy to get cheap from the airport to the city center. Besides the taxis (about 34 EUR) you can catch a train. Just be careful which one to take. There are S bahn train and CAT train. With the first one it will takes you 25min, with the second one - 16min. For the first one you'll pay 3.60 EUR, for the second one - 10 EUR!!! I didn't find it logical and of course I took the cheaper train. You only have to follow the signs "S". You can buy a thicket from the ticket machines at the train platform. There are trains twice per hour - one at 46 min, another at 18 min if I remember correctly. Before you reach the platform you'll see many signs, machines and advertisments for CAT but don't give up, it's easy to get orientated there :)

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The service is fast and reliable - there are a number of ticket options and the automated ticket machines are able to deal with a number of languages apart from German.

The tickets seem fairly cheap; however this depends on where you are from and how much your own local metro service charges.

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Getting around Vienna is very easy with its excellent, reliable public transportation system consisting of an underground subway/metro, trams, and buses. The underground subway/metro is an especially fast way to get around to different places in the city.

Vienna public transport is part of the Verkehrsverbund Ost-Region VOR (transport association for Austria's eastern regions). Verkehrsverbund Ost-Region is split into eight zones and includes parts of Lower Austria, the Burgenland and all of Vienna. The city of Vienna accounts for one full zone or core zone (Kernzone or "Zone 100"). A single ticket is valid for travelling one way in one zone. You may change to different lines in the course, but you may not interrupt your journey. Single tickets can be purchased at a price of EUR 1.80. If you buy a single ticket, you need to validate it before boarding.

If you are staying in Vienna for an extended period, I highly recommend purchasing an extended pass. Passes are available for 24 hours and 72 hours, or as weekly, monthly or annual passes.

After I arrived at my hotel (Hotel Pension Walzerstadt) on a Thursday morning, I asked the manager where I could purchase a public transportation pass. Fortunately for me, he reached into his pocket -- and gave me a valid weekly pass for free. This pass was all I needed for unlimited public transportation within Vienna (Zone 100) from Thursday until Sunday. On Sunday evening, I purchased a new weekly pass from a machine for 14 Euros -- that was valid through the following Sunday.

During my stay, I was very impressed with Vienna's public transportation system -- and used it often. Before traveling to Vienna, you may want to look at the map of the underground lines -- with special attention to the final destinations for the line nearest your hotel. For me, the U3 (orange) line was nearest my hotel -- and the final destinations of the U3 line are Simmering and Ottakring. Therefore, when I wanted to go to the 1st district from my hotel, I would look for U3 Simmering -- and, when I wanted to go back to my hotel from the 1st district, I would look for U3 Ottakring.

Public transportation is excellenti in Vienna: with a combination of underground, buses or trams it's possible to go everywhere fast... However one should keep in mind that tickets cannot be bought on trams and buses, but have to be bought beforehand. They are sold at Vienna Transport Authority´s ticket offices, ticket machines in underground stations and occasionally at tobacconists.

Each trip costs 1.50 euros, but there are several cards you can buy if you plan on using the transport system more than 3 times a day. Here's a quick overview:

- The 24-hour Vienna card (5 euros)
- The 72-hour Vienna card (12 euros)
- The 72-hour Vienna card with additional benefits (18,50 euros)
- The 8-DaysVienna card (24 euros) which can be used on non-consecutive days

I was really pleased when I was using public transportation in Vienna. I was 28 weeks pregnant and I like to walk but sometimes it was just so wonderful to jump into the tram or bus and rest a bit & watch the view.

Before the trip I printed a map from the web (address below) and with that map & a city map we manaed all the time. It can't be any easier!

There are few lines of buses to and from the airport. There is a bus that will take you to the edge of the city centre to the Swedish square (Schwedenplatz) and in that area actually there are few nice pensions and guesthouses, so it can be very practical using it.

Getting around Vienna on the underground system is VERY easy - the lines are numbered 1-6 and are different colours. Buy your ticket at the machine - an adult single is 1.5E. The ticket machine is also in English.

Check the website for more information regarding 24 hr and 72 hr and 8 day tickets for travel in Vienna.

It's very important that after you buy your ticket you remember to get it punched/stamped at this blue box at the entrance to the tube. Tourists have been known to be fined 60E for not having a stamped ticket!