Getting around Vienna....VIENNA Day 3

With a map of the city and a map of the underground network in Vienna you can easily get around without having to ask for indications or waste time finding your way. Walking around Vienna is also safe and fun. It is safe because of all the tourists and locals walking and cycling all day and it is fun because you get to see around the city while shredding few calories and people watching. After all, the beauty of going abroad - especially when choosing a city break - is to see how the local people live, what they wear, what and where they eat and how they look.

Always use the zebra crossing!

Everyone here in Vienna seems used to walking and getting the underground no matter the cold weather. Trams and buses run across the entire city as well, so if you prefer travelling at ground level you have this option too. And the great thing is that to use both underground as well as street level transport you can use the same ticket. So if you bought a single journey ticket to travel from your hotel to another point, you can then continue your journey using the tram or a bus. Remember, however, that a single strip ticket is to be used only for one uninterrupted journey in one direction. The 4 journeys strips ticket is also very useful when you are travelling with someone else and you want to buy a ticket in the morning which you can also use to come back to your hotel in the evening. With this ticket you are not, however, allowed to use the transport for more than 4 uninterrupted journeys, each in one direction. My husband and I bought this ticket on Sunday, which was our second day in Vienna as we wanted a ticket which would take us to Schonbrunn in the morning and take us back to the hotel in the afternoon. That's exactly what we did using this ticket, but rather than stopping near the hotel we stopped 2 stops before our hotel and went for a light dinner after which we walked to our hotel.

Another great way to use the public transport without no need to buy tickets every single day and having to punch them is using the weekly ticket, which is valid from Monday morning to Sunday night. It costs EUR15.80 and can be used by only one person at a time but you can travel with it for as many journeys and in whichever direction you like. This is great when you are visiting Vienna in a time of the year when it is too cold to walk around all the time. You can buy the weekly ticket, as well as any other type of ticket to use on the u-bahn and the trams and buses in Vienna from tabac stores or from the ticket machines which are located in the u-bahn stations. Here is a link of the video I watched in order to know how to use the ticket machines.

Vienna trams

I am not sure about buses and trams, but I can say that the U bahn system in Vienna runs smoothly with no delays and you never seem to have to wait more than 3 minutes for your U line to arrive. It definitely has nothing to do with our public transport system in Malta. But then again nothing is comparable since the two countries are fundamentally opposites. I can easily see myself leaving and working here. The one thing which I am not sure I would endure is the cold. I can endure it now, but I cannot imagine how cold it can get during the mid Winter months.  

Here is a link of the transport system map in Vienna. I suggest you to have a look at it before you get there so that you know how to read it. The trick is to know where you are going, find the closest u bahn stop on the city map, then find it on the u bahn map, and look at the U line on which that specific stop lies. At the end of that line there is the number of the U line you will have to ride and also at the end of the line there is the name of the last stop which will be the name showing on the U line. When you are going somewhere and then coming back, don't forget that you have to repeat the same journey but just in the opposite direction.



Karsplatz u-bahn station



Waiting for Aspernstrabe u-bahn



Vienna u-bahn station

One means of transport which I suggest trying if you don't like walking or is very cold outside is the ring tram, which take you along Vienna ringstrasse on which are located most of the city important buildings like the Parliament as well as several museums. To ride this tram you have to buy a separate ticket, valid only for this touristy tram. In my opinion you should opt for the hop on hop off ticket so that you can stop and enjoy the buildings every time you want to, always using the same ticket.

Finally if you fancy it you can also ride a carriage with horses to get around Vienna in a regal way.




Vienna on a carriage

Don't forget to read my Vienna Day 1 post, my Vienna Day 2 post and my Vienna Day 4 post.

STAY FAB