Vienna – public transportation and practical information

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Vienna is a great city for an extended weekend getaway. We didn’t expect that it had so many interesting places and attractions to offer, both for the young and old. In this post, we’ll toss you some practical information about Vienna itself, including public transportation, accommodations, etc.

We have written about Vienna itself and its attractions before. There’s plenty to explore! :) Also, Vienna for a weekend with a child offers so many attractions that it is impossible to see them all two-three days.

So about the attractions it was already :) Below you will find some practical tips.

Table of contents

Public transportation in Vienna

The public transportation system is, in our opinion, very well developed. Starting with the subway, bus and streetcar network and ending with bicycle paths. Interestingly, Vienna just has a very well-developed streetcar network, which ranks 5th in the world in terms of length!

Combined with the subway (currently 5 lines and 104 stations), this creates a coherent and efficient transportation system. We traveled to Vienna from Poland by car, but we went around the city itself, or even going a bit away from the center to Schönbrunn Palace, using only public transportation.

And at this point we absolutely must mention to you the super invention that is the Vienna City Card. In our opinion, it is a must have for a weekend trip to Vienna. Cards can be purchased for 24, 48 or 72 hours. In addition to the possibility of unlimited travel on public transportation (subway, buses, streetcars), we also have numerous discounts to tourist attractions. The Vienna City Card can be purchased locally at tourist information centers or online here.

It is also worth mentioning the unusual ticket punchers in the subway, so that you do not have to pay a large fine for not having a valid ticket. It doesn’t matter whether you use a regular ticket (which can also be purchased from numerous vending machines at stations and stops) or a Vienna City Card, each such ticket must be punched before the first use. And it’s easy to forget this, as you won’t find typical gates like the ones we know from Warsaw or other European metropolises when entering the subway.

Here, nothing blocks us from entering the platform, and the cash registers themselves are located by the elevators or at the beginning of the entrances/corridors towards the platforms. They are easily overlooked.

By car around Vienna

As I mentioned above, we got around Vienna by public transportation, even though we went there by car. There is no point in pushing into the center by car, at most to park in the hotel parking lot for our entire stay.

Vienna has a very good network of roads and highways, making traffic flow smoothly, even though it is quite large (after all, Vienna is the 7th largest city in the European Union by population). A big part of this, in my opinion, is that drivers just drive culturally and according to the rules :)

Besides, Austria is already famous for its numerous speed cameras and high speeding fines. And itzłwell for them, because if you already have to move somewhere by car (for example, to go shopping in the shopping centers on the outskirts of the city) it is a sheer pleasure, despite the heavy traffic.

Speaking of malls, we’ve been to two. G3 Shopping Resort north of Vienna and at the mega-large SCS Shopping Center in southern Vienna. In both you will find larger markets and whole square kilometers of stores, including at least Primark, which is crowded with Slovaks and Hungarians :)

What to eat in Vienna?

The answer to this question is very simple :) In Vienna, it is essential to eat schnitzel, for dessert drop into a cafe or for ice cream, and in the run between one attraction and another it is essential to zła sausage in one of the numerous sausage stalls ;)

And if we’re talking about sausage, you absolutely must try the one from“Bitzinger – Würstel & Co”. One of these booths is located at the back of the opera house, and there is always a long queue for it. Anyway, it’s not a problem to meet dressed-up customers here, who catch the last sausage just before entering this very opera house :) The second such booth can be found in front of the main entrance to the Prater Park.

You can zła sausage along the way, but if you want to have a decent dinner, it’s essential to put schnitzel on your plate. The portions are sizable, which even I couldn’t manage, so rest assured you can also take the rest to go :) We tasted Viennese schnitzel at the LUGECK restaurant, which is located a few steps from Rotenturmstraße near St. Stephen’s Cathedral. St. Stephen’s. It is a very family-friendly place with small children :)

Vienna is also Vienna’s cafes – we recommend stopping by one of the many cafes or ice cream shops for a sweet dessert or a break from sightseeing. Interestingly, even in autumn, several of them are open and you can taste the local ice cream traditions.

Where to sleep in Vienna?

Vienna, as befits a European capital, has a sizable accommodation base with something for everyone. You can search either on Booking.com or Airbnb (remember the zł discount on your first booking!).

We, this time, stayed at the magdas hotel, which is located right next to the Prater park, less than a 10-minute walk from the subway station, which was a perfect combination for us. Mandatory breakfasts on site and parking for the car.

By the way, this hotel has an interesting history. Or even two :) First, it is a hotel run by immigrants and refugees from 16 countries, speaking 20 different languages. Secondly, the furniture that the rooms are equipped with comes from upcycling.

This is a very interesting place that we can safely recommend to you. Not far from the center, a stone’s throw to the subway station and even closer to Prater park :)

Some practical information

What else (besides the above) should you keep in mind before traveling to Vienna?

Of course, Austria is part of the European Union and the Schengen area, so you don’t need a passport, an ID card is sufficient, but no one will check it at the border anyway ;)
If you’re going to Vienna by car, you’ll need to stock up on vignettes. You will probably need two, one for Austria and the other for the Czech Republic, as this is the best way, but we will write a separate entry about this.
On health issues, also as standard throughout the European Union, it’s a good idea to get an EHIC (issued by the National Health Service for free), although we hope you won’t have to use it. It is also worthwhile, as always, to buy additional travel insurance.
In Austria, and therefore in Vienna, the currency is the Euro. It’s a good idea to carry some cash, because, like here, it’s not always possible to pay by card.
In Vienna, despite the large crowds, we felt safe. However, remember to keep your eyes around your head even on vacation, as we can never be 100% sure if a pickpocket is diving for our wallet or phone.
The guidebook is worth reading beforehand to know what to see, but it is not, in our opinion, required to take it with you. Numerous maps, signposts and, above all, the well-developed website wien.info are enough for us during the tour.
Finally, the most important! ;) Electric sockets and current in the outlets, of course, identical as in Poland. The obvious, but it’s worth mentioning ;)