Vienna’s public transport is run by Wiener Linien and covers metro (U-Bahn), trams, buses and many suburban rail lines inside the city. One ticket works on all of them. Here is how to choose between the main options. Fares are changed from time to time, so check current prices on the official Wiener Linien site or in the WienMobil app before buying.
The main ticket types
| Ticket | Best for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Single journey | One or two trips in the whole stay | Valid for one direction, transfers allowed, no round trips |
| 24, 48 or 72 hour ticket | Short city breaks with many trips | Runs from first validation, unlimited rides |
| Weekly ticket (Wochenkarte) | Stays of a week or more | Valid from Monday to the following Monday morning, so buy by calendar, not by day count |
| Vienna City Card | Travellers who want transport plus attraction discounts | Does the discount pay back? Add up your plans first |
| Monthly or annual pass | Residents and long stays | Registration needed for the annual pass |
Which one should you buy?
- Weekend visit: a 48 or 72 hour ticket is simplest. Most sights in the centre are walkable, so count the rides you actually expect.
- Staying one week: check the weekly ticket, but remember it runs Monday to Monday.
- Museum-heavy trip: compare the Vienna City Card against a transport ticket plus individual entries. Our City Card vs Vienna Pass comparison covers the maths.
Where to buy and validate
Tickets are sold in the official app, at ticket machines in metro stations, in Wiener Linien shops and at many tobacconists. Paper tickets must be validated in the stamping machine before the first ride. Digital tickets are active once bought or activated in the app. Inspectors check tickets regularly, and travelling without a valid ticket carries a fine.
Other tips
- Children and dogs have their own rules, so check the current conditions for the family in your group.
- At night the metro runs on weekends, and night buses cover the remaining routes.
- The airport is outside the city fare zone, so your city ticket does not cover it. See our airport transfer guide.
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I’m Andrea, a travel writer based between Vienna and the Croatian coast, and I’ve been exploring both countries in depth for the past 10 years.
I’ve taken 50+ solo trips across Austria, Croatia, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Italy and the wider Balkans, and I speak German, Croatian and English fluently, which means I get to have conversations most tourists never do. I know which Viennese coffee house the locals actually go to (hint: not the famous ones), and I know the Dalmatian islands well enough to tell you which ferry to take and which to avoid.
My writing is grounded in lived experience: I’ve navigated Austrian bureaucracy as a resident, hiked the Julian Alps in September when the crowds have gone, and eaten my way through Dubrovnik’s back streets at midnight. I cover Central Europe and the Adriatic for solo travellers who want something more than a highlight reel.
I also write in depth about Vienna and Austria at allaboutvienna.com, where you’ll find everything from neighbourhood guides to seasonal event coverage and expat tips.
When I’m not writing I’m usually hiking, swimming in the Adriatic, or arguing about which city makes better coffee. (It’s Vienna. It’s always Vienna.)