Public transport in Austria
What kind of public transportation is there in Austria?
Austria has a well-developed public transport system. Within cities there are buses and tramways, only the capital Vienna has a metro. The main airport is located south of the capital Vienna in Schwechat, there are smaller ones near Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz, Linz and Klagenfurt.
What should I consider when I take public transport?
- Public transport follows a strict schedule. Be sure to check when buses or trains leave and be punctual at the point of departure.
- Tickets must always be purchased in advance. Often you have to validate tickets before the departure at a machine at the station. Make sure you always have a valid ticket, as the penalty for riding without a ticket is very high. If you use public transport on a regular basis you might consider to purchase a ticket valid for a longer period of time (e.g. a month or a year). School children, apprentices and students can apply for a semester or annual ticket on a reduced price.
- On public transport there are seats reserved especially for older people, people with disabilities or pregnant women. These are marked with a special sticker.
- You are not allowed to smoke in public transport. Taking along pets such as dogs is subject to special rules like the general compulsion to keep the dog on the lead and to let him wear a muzzle of his mouth.
Where can I inform myself about different means of public transport?
– Riding a bike is common in Austria and a cheap means of transport for short distances. In some bigger cities like Vienna, Salzburg or Graz you can hire public bikes for very little money:
Vienna: https://www.citybikewien.at/en/
Graz: https://grazbike.at/en/web/map
Salzburg: http://www.citybikesalzburg.at/
– Railway
National railway company ÖBB: http://www.oebb.at/en/
The first private train company in Austria is Westbahn: https://westbahn.at/
– Bus
Buses can be used for transport within Austria or for transport to other European countries.
National bus company Postbus: http://www.postbus.at/en/index.jsp
– For international bus connections see Euorlines or Flixbus: https://www.eurolines.at/de/startseite/ or https://www.flixbus.at/
You can buy tickets in tobacco shops, at the stations (machines or at the ticket office), sometimes also from the driver and online.
– Boats
You can take a boat on Austria’s biggest river, the Danube to various various sight seeing destinations in UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Wachau.
https://www.ddsg-blue-danube.at/
– Airline
National airline company Austrina Airline: Austrian Airline
What do I have to consider driving a car?
Many people in Austria own a car, especially if they live in the countryside. A new car is expensive; so many people buy a used one. But you have to be careful, because in Austria, every car must be fully functional, if you drive it on the road. This is audited annually by state testing agencies. A car is expensive because of costs like insurance (which is mandatory), taxes, gasoline and parking costs. Therefore it is cheaper to share a car.
Car sharing companies in Austria
Car pooling in Austria