THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, VIENNA, AUSTRIA

This page is primarily intended for Webster University students and faculty coming to the Webster University Campus in Vienna, but the basic information here might well be useful to other travellers. After the first item of getting people to Webster U. Vienna, the rest is applicable to all travellers.

• Getting to Webster University, Vienna from anywhere in the city.
• General information about public transport in Vienna.
  1. The system's five units. Vienna's public transportation system has five basic components:
     1. Streetcars (Strassenbahn). There are many lines which run all over the city.
     2. Subways (U-bahn). This speedy system is made up of five lines which cover huge portions of the city. They are:
        • U1 -- the red line.
        • U2 -- the purple line.
        • U3 -- the orange line.
        • U4 -- the green line.
        • NO U5. Don't know what happened there or if, perhaps, it is planned. Maybe 5 is an unlucky number.
        • U6 -- the brown line.
     3. Busses. Again, many, many of them.
     4. Comuter trains (Schnellbahn). These dozen or so trains run out into the surrounding area and to the airport. Many people tend to avoid them for inter-city travel, but they can be very useful.
     5. The night busses. These are just busses, but they run all night after the regular system has shut down. There are not a huge number of them, but one does go out to the Kaisermuhlen / Vienna International Center U-bahn station from whence you can walk or get a cab.
  2. How to use a ticket. There are basically two tickets forms:
     1. A single ride ticket good to use going in one general direction for about 2 hours.
     2. A all day ticket. Many different forms of these.
     3. There are some subtle variations, but these two will do for a general introduction and keep you out of ticket troubles.
  3. The honor system with some stern back-up.
     If you have a ticket which is not specifically dated when you buy it (more below) you must validate it when you get on the public transport of your choice. If you have a dated ticket (weekly, monthly etc.) you must have your pass with you at all times. Perhaps the distinction between a ticket and a pass could be used. Tickets need to be validated (stamped) in the little machine near each door. Passes don't. You just must have them on your person.
     1. You may never be asked by anyone to show you ticket or pass.
     2. However, when you least expect it an inspector may show up, present a badge and demand to see you ticket. If you don't have it you will be taken off the public transport and made to pay a very expensive fine of 500 schillings.
     3. SPECIAL CAUTION ON THE NIGHT BUSSES. You need a special extra ticket for a night bus in addition to your regular ticket or pass. More people are fined for violating the honor system on the night busses than on any day transport.
  4. With a validated ticket or a pass you may ride any of the five forms of transport, strassenbahn, bus, U-bahn, schnellbahn or night bus (night bus with the extra ticket).
  5. COST OF TICKETS AND PASSES.
• A regular one-ride ticket is 20 schillings.
• A three consecutive day pass is 150 schillings. Good for unlimited riding on all transport for three full days. (Night bus does require an extra ticket.)
• An 8-day pass. This costs 300 schillings and you must validate it for any one day you want to use it. You don't have to use it on consecutive days. Just any day you wish. You could use an 8 day pass over a full year's time or more. In 2001 I brought back with me an unfinished 8 days pass from 1998 and used it without trouble. If there are more than one person in a group, you may validate more than one day on the pass and as long as you are together with the pass holder, all may ride together for that day. You must validate one day for each person in the group.
• A weekly pass is 155 schillings. This is good from Monday morning until after midnight on Sunday of the same week. This allows unlimited riding on all forms of transport with the additional night-time ticket for night buses (after 12:30 AM).
• A monthly pass is 550 schillings. Works like the weekly except for an entire calendar month.