Vienna travel guide

Walking, U-Bahn, trams and buses

The old town is small and best seen on foot: St Stephen's Cathedral to the Hofburg is about ten minutes' walk, and the Hofburg to the MuseumsQuartier another ten. Wiener Linien runs five U-Bahn lines, trams and buses, and the network is fast, frequent and clean. Trams 1 and 2 circle much of the Ringstraße, passing the Opera, the Hofburg, Parliament and the City Hall.

Tickets and fares

Fares changed on 1 January 2026. A single journey in the Vienna core zone costs €3.20 as a paper ticket or €3 digitally (children €1.60 or €1.50), valid for one trip in one direction with changes. A 24-hour ticket costs €10.20 (€9.70 digital) and a 7-day ticket €28.90 (€25.20 digital). The 48-hour and 72-hour tickets, including the 48 and 72-hour Vienna City Card, were withdrawn at the start of 2026; the Vienna City Card is now sold for 24 hours (from €19) or 7 days, with discounts at attractions. Buy tickets in the WienMobil app, online or from machines, and validate paper tickets before you travel. Wiener Linien plans a further fare change, indexed to inflation, on 1 January 2027.

Airport transfers

Vienna International Airport is about 20 km south-east of the centre. From 7 September 2026 to the end of October 2027 the central S-Bahn line between Praterstern and Hauptbahnhof is closed for rebuilding, and trains do not stop at Wien Mitte. During the works the City Airport Train (CAT) runs as a premium bus to Wien Mitte/Landstraße (Marxergasse 1b, for the U3 and U4) in about 21 minutes, every 12 minutes from 7am to 7pm and every 15 minutes otherwise; a single costs €14.90 and a return €24.90, and under 15s travel free. ÖBB Railjet and Intercity trains run twice an hour non-stop to Wien Hauptbahnhof (U1) in about 15 minutes, and REX 7 trains also reach Hauptbahnhof in about 20 minutes. The S7 runs only as far as St. Marx, outside the centre, where trams 18 and 71 connect. On the trains a ticket costs €5.50: €2.30 from the airport to the city boundary plus a €3.20 Vienna ticket, or just the €2.30 extension if you hold a Vienna City Card or a time ticket. Vienna Airport Bus lines run to Schwedenplatz, Karlsplatz, Praterstern and Westbahnhof via Hauptbahnhof for €11. Taxis wait at the rank outside arrivals; booked in advance, Taxi 40100 charges a fixed €42 and Taxi 31300 €37 via its app for up to four people. Ignore drivers who approach you inside the arrivals hall.

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Trains beyond the city

Long-distance and regional trains leave mainly from Wien Hauptbahnhof and Wien Meidling, with Westbahn trains and some ÖBB services from Westbahnhof and Wachau trains to Krems from Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof. Salzburg is under two and a half hours away, and Bratislava about an hour.

Tourist tax

Vienna charges a local tax, the Ortstaxe, on paid overnight stays in every kind of accommodation, from hotels and hostels to holiday flats. Since 1 July 2026 it is 5% of the price of the stay, excluding VAT and breakfast, and it is due to rise to 8% on 1 July 2027. Until 30 June 2026 the rate was 3.2% after a flat 11% deduction. The tax is usually added to your bill by the hotel or rental host. Stays of more than three months, students at Vienna's universities and minors staying for school or training, or in youth hostels, are exempt. The city rejected calls in autumn 2026 to halt the increase, so expect the higher rate for stays from July 2027.