The Ultimate Guide to Vienna Public Transport
Vienna Public Transport Guide: How to Get Around the City with Ease
Vienna boasts a well-developed and exceptionally efficient public transportation network, making exploring the city a breeze. Buses, trains, trams, and underground lines (U-Bahn) connect every corner of the Austrian capital—ensuring you can get almost anywhere quickly, comfortably, and affordably.
How to Get to Vienna: Your Complete Guide to Arriving by Air, Train, Bus, or Boat
With years of firsthand experience living in Vienna, Tammy, founder of Wanderlustria—a trusted travel planning hub dedicated to showcasing Austria at its finest—shares expert insights on navigating Vienna’s public transportation system like a local. From ticket tips to time-saving routes, she helps travellers make the most of every Viennese adventure.
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Vienna Public Transport Overview
U-Bahn (Metro/Subway)
Vienna has five U-Bahn lines : U1 to U4 and U6. There are 109 stations, and trains depart every 5 minutes, with higher frequency during peak hours (2–4 minutes) and reduced service after 8:30 p.m. (7–8 minutes). Vienna’s U-Bahn allows easy transfers to other metro lines, buses, or trams.
U1 (Red) Links north and south, from Leopoldau to Reumannplatz.
U2 (Purple) Circles the city centre, from Stadion to Karlsplatz.
U3 (Orange) Passes through central sights, northwest to southeast.
U4 (Green) Connects north to west, from Heiligendtadt to Hütteldorf.
U6 (Brown) Runs suburban north and south areas.
Metro operating hours: Monday-Sunday: 5 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Straßenbahn (Trams)
There are 28 lines spanning the city and its surroundings, ranking as the world’s 6th longest tram system.
Tram operating hours:Monday-Sunday: 5 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Trams run every 4-8 minutes throughout the day.
Buses
The Vienna bus network has over 130 bus lines run from the city centre to the residential areas. You can easily spot the bus you need by its name, represented by a digit and the letter A or B. Buses in Vienna come every 5–10 minutes during the day and every 15–30 minutes at night.
Bus operating hours: Monday-Sunday: 5 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Vienna also has a line of 26 Night buses (marked with an ‘N’) which operate from 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. throughout the week and come every 30–60 mins. You can use your normal public transportation tickets for the night buses.
Tickets
Vienna Transit Passes. 24, 48, 72 hour or 7 day passes can be purchased from Wiener Linen
Top Tip: We recommend that you download the WienMobil App, where you can buy tickets and access real-time schedules and maps.
Top Tips
You may think that Vienna’s public transportation is free since it seems everyone gets on and doesn’t pay and there are no barriers to swipe a ticket.
But it is operated on an honour system- you will be fined if you are caught without a ticket.
If you have a paper ticket you must validate it before your first journey. To validate your ticket stamp the ticket at the blue machines located at the entrance of underground stations as well as at the front of buses and trams.
Tickets bought directly on the tram are automatically validated and need not be stamped again.
Wiener Linen Transport Maps
Innere Stadt (1st District) Public Transport
Vienna U-Bahn (Metro) Map
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Our Recommendations | Where we stay in Vienna
♥ Perfect for families, we loved staying in a Maisonette (two bedrooms over two floors) at the König von Ungarn -directly in the centre of Vienna behind Stephansdom.
♥ Motel One Staatsoper, a great mid-range choice one block from the Opera and close to everything.
♥ I also love staying at the Hotel Pension Museum in Spittelberg, directly across from the U3 Metro Stop and Museums Quartier and Theaterhotel & Suites Wien in the 8th district- where I used to live, so this hotel feels like home.
You can find more hotel recommendations in our Vienna Hotel Guide
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Chief Wanderlust’er and Austria travel expert, I’m on a mission to help you uncover the magic of Austria — from fairytale cities and alpine villages to awe-inspiring landscapes and rich cultural traditions.
As the founder of Austria Wanderlust Travel Planning, the Austria Travel Planning Facebook Group, and director of Wanderlustria eU, I provide trusted tips, local insights, and curated resources to make your Austrian adventure seamless, authentic, and unforgettable.