Vienna Transport Tickets & Passes Compared (2026 Prices)

Vienna has six main transport ticket options for tourists: single tickets, 24-hour, 48-hour, 72-hour, and weekly passes, plus the Vienna City Card. The right choice depends on how many trips you’ll take, whether you need attraction discounts, and how long your stay is. This guide compares every option with current 2026 prices, includes a decision tree, and explains the common mistakes tourists make on Wiener Linien transit tickets.

All Vienna Transport Tickets at a Glance (2026)

Ticket type	Price	Coverage	Best for
Single ticket	€2.40	One journey, transfers allowed	Single ride only
24-hour pass	€6.00	24 hours unlimited	3+ trips in one day
48-hour pass	€14.10	48 hours unlimited	2-day visits
72-hour pass	€17.10	72 hours unlimited	3-day visits
Weekly pass	€17.10	Mon-Sun calendar week	5+ day visits
Vienna City Card 24h	€17	Transit + attraction discounts	If using discount partners
Vienna City Card 48h	€22	Transit + discounts	2-day visits with attractions
Vienna City Card 72h	€25	Transit + discounts	3-day visits with attractions

Single Ticket (Einzelfahrt) — €2.40

The basic single fare:

• Coverage: All Wiener Linien services (U-Bahn, tram, bus, urban S-Bahn) within Vienna city limits
• Transfers: Allowed within one continuous journey, generally interpreted as 60–90 minutes
• Validation: Required — insert ticket into a blue validation machine before boarding
• Best for: One-off rides; emergencies; airport S7 (which is a separate €5.40 ticket)

Math: If you’ll make 3 or more trips in a single day, the €6 24-hour pass is cheaper than 3 × €2.40 = €7.20. The break-even point is exactly 3 trips.

24-Hour Pass (24-Stunden-Karte) — €6.00

• Validity: Exactly 24 hours from first validation (not calendar day)
• Coverage: All Wiener Linien services within Vienna
• Validation: Validate once on first use; do not re-validate
• Best for: One-day visits with 3+ planned trips

The cheapest pass option. Validate at noon on Saturday and it’s valid until noon Sunday. Excellent value for active tourists.

48-Hour Pass — €14.10

• Validity: 48 hours from first validation
• Coverage: Same as 24h
• Best for: Two-day visits with 3+ trips per day

Math: 48h pass = €14.10. Two 24h passes = €12.00. The 48h pass is actually slightly more expensive per hour than buying two 24h passes back-to-back. Most travelers should buy 24h passes individually.

72-Hour Pass — €17.10

• Validity: 72 hours from first validation
• Coverage: Same as 24h
• Best for: Three-day visits

Math: 72h pass = €17.10. Three 24h passes = €18.00. The 72h pass saves €0.90 versus three daily passes. Marginally cheaper but lets you not worry about timing.

Weekly Pass (Wochenkarte) — €17.10

• Validity: One calendar week (Monday 00:00 to Sunday 23:59 the same week)
• Coverage: Same as 24h
• Best for: Stays of 4–7 days starting Monday or Tuesday

The hidden bargain. At €17.10 for up to 7 days, this beats the 72-hour pass at the same price. The catch: it expires Sunday at midnight regardless of when you buy it. If you arrive Friday and stay through Sunday, a 72h pass (Friday-Monday) is the same price as a Wochenkarte (Friday-Sunday) but works for one more day. If you arrive Monday and stay through Sunday, the Wochenkarte at €17.10 covers all seven days — far better than the 72h pass.

Vienna City Card — €17, €22, €25

Combines transport with attraction discounts:

• 24h Vienna City Card: €17 (24h transit + discounts)
• 48h Vienna City Card: €22 (48h transit + discounts)
• 72h Vienna City Card: €25 (72h transit + discounts)

Discount partners include: Schönbrunn (10% off), Belvedere (10% off), Hofburg (10% off), Vienna Sightseeing tours (50% off), many restaurants (10% off), and 200+ other attractions. Discount amounts are typically modest (10–20% off main attractions; up to 50% off some sightseeing tours).

Math: The 72h Vienna City Card costs €7.90 more than the 72h transport-only pass (€17.10). If you use 3 or more discount partners that save you €2.50–3 each, the card pays for itself. If you’re visiting Schönbrunn + Belvedere + Hofburg, you’d save roughly €6–9 on those three tickets — close to the Card’s extra cost.

Conclusion: The Vienna City Card is worth it only if you’re actively visiting many included attractions. For simple sightseeing tourists, the regular 72h pass at €17.10 is usually better value.

What’s NOT Included in Vienna Transport Tickets

Important to understand:

• Vienna Airport (VIE) to/from city: Not included in any Wiener Linien pass. Requires a separate €5.40 ticket. See our airport guide.
• CAT (City Airport Train): Premium service costing €14.90 one-way; not included.
• Regional trains beyond Vienna city: Travel to Wachau, Baden, or other day-trip destinations costs extra. The Wiener Linien zone ends at the city boundary.
• Museums and attractions: Standard passes are transit-only. The Vienna City Card adds attraction discounts but doesn’t include free entry.
• Tour buses (e.g., Hop-on Hop-off): Private tour operators; not included.
• Sightseeing tours: Vienna Sightseeing tours offer discount via Vienna City Card but not free entry.

How to Buy Tickets

1. Ticket machines at U-Bahn stations: Touch-screen in English; accept cards and cash.
2. WienMobil app: Buy on your phone; QR code stored for scanning during inspections.
3. Tabakladen (newspaper/tobacco shops): Many sell tickets.
4. Hotel concierge: Most Vienna hotels sell tickets at front desk.
5. Vienna Tourist Office: Sells Vienna City Cards and standard passes.
6. Wiener Linien customer service: Located at major U-Bahn stations.

Decision Tree: Which Ticket Should I Buy?

If you’re in Vienna for 1 day:

24-hour pass (€6). Validate when you first use it; it covers the next 24 hours of unlimited transit.

If you’re in Vienna for 2 days:

Either two 24-hour passes (€12) or one 48-hour pass (€14.10). Two 24h passes is cheaper.

If you’re in Vienna for 3 days:

72-hour pass (€17.10). Or weekly pass (€17.10) if your visit aligns with calendar week. If you’re using 3+ Vienna City Card discount partners, the 72h City Card at €25 may be better.

If you’re in Vienna for 4 days:

72-hour pass (€17.10) + 24-hour pass (€6) = €23.10. Or weekly pass if it covers your dates — €17.10. If your visit is Monday–Thursday and a Wochenkarte starts Monday, this is the bargain.

If you’re in Vienna for 5–7 days:

Weekly pass (€17.10) is dramatically cheaper than any combination of shorter passes. Buy it on the first Monday or Tuesday of your stay. If you arrive Tuesday and stay through Sunday, the Wochenkarte is your best option.

If you’re in Vienna for less than 24 hours:

Single tickets (€2.40 each). The 24h pass break-even is 3 trips. If you’ll make 1 or 2 trips, single tickets are cheaper.

If you’re staying longer than a week:

Multiple weekly passes (€17.10/week). Or a monthly pass (€52.10/month for residents; tourists rarely use this).

Common Tourist Mistakes

• Buying a single ticket for the airport. The S7 to/from VIE is a separate €5.40 ticket; your Vienna pass does NOT cover this segment.
• Forgetting to validate single tickets. An unvalidated ticket counts as no ticket. €105 fine if caught.
• Buying the Vienna City Card without using the discounts. Extra €7.90 over basic pass — only worth it if you’ll use 3+ partner discounts.
• Buying a 48h pass when two 24h passes would be cheaper. 24h + 24h = €12 vs 48h = €14.10.
• Buying single tickets for a multi-day stay. €2.40 × 8 trips = €19.20, vs €6 for a 24h pass.
• Trying to use weekly passes mid-week. The Wochenkarte expires Sunday regardless of when bought; only useful if your visit aligns with Monday-Sunday week.
• Assuming the Vienna Pass (separate product) is the same as the Vienna City Card. Vienna Pass (€84+) includes free attraction entry; Vienna City Card (€17–25) gives only discounts. Different products. See our Vienna Pass review.

Where to Buy: Detailed Locations

• U-Bahn stations: All have ticket machines
• Major train stations: Wien Hauptbahnhof, Wien Mitte, Westbahnhof — all have ticket machines
• Vienna airport: CAT counter (separate from VAL bus and S7); ÖBB counter for S7/Railjet
• Vienna Tourist Office: Main location at Kärntner Straße 23, plus airport branch and Stephansplatz; sells Vienna City Cards and basic passes
• WienMobil app: Always available; some users prefer paper tickets for inspections
• Hotel concierge: Most central Vienna hotels sell tickets

Tickets for Children

• Under 6: Free with any paying adult
• Ages 6–14: Free during school holidays and weekends; reduced fare on weekdays during school year
• Ages 15+: Adult fare
• Family City Card: Specialized variant for families with children; check current options

The Vienna Annual Pass: Cheapest in Europe

While not relevant for short-stay tourists, it’s worth noting that Vienna’s annual transport pass costs just €365 per year — exactly €1 per day. This is dramatically cheaper than annual passes in London (£2,000+ TfL Zones 1–2), Paris (~€850 Navigo), Berlin (~€1,000 VBB), or other major European cities. The €1-per-day policy is one of Vienna’s defining municipal achievements; over 800,000 Viennese (more than 40 percent of adult residents) hold annual passes.

The political context: Vienna treats transit as public infrastructure rather than commercial service. City subsidies fund the low fares; the goal is high ridership and reduced car dependency rather than fare-revenue recovery. The system carries about 962 million trips per year — one of the highest per-capita ridership levels in Europe.

Children, Students, Seniors, Disabilities

Reduced fares apply for several groups:

• Under 6: Always free with paying adult
• Ages 6–14: Free on weekends, public holidays, and school holidays. Reduced fare on weekdays during school year.
• Ages 15–19 (or until end of secondary school): Reduced “youth pass” available
• Students up to 26: Can apply for the “Topjugendticket” giving free Vienna and Lower Austria regional transport for €70/year
• Seniors 65+: Reduced annual pass available
• Disability passes: Free transport for Vienna residents with qualifying disabilities; visitors with international disability cards may qualify for discounts

What to Do If You Get Caught Without a Ticket

Vienna’s honor-system transit relies on random ticket inspections. If you board without a valid ticket:

• Inspectors are plainclothes and identify themselves with badges. They can speak English.
• The fine is €105 if paid within 14 days, €130 if paid later.
• You cannot talk your way out. Tourist excuses don’t work. The inspector will simply hand you the ticket.
• Payment options include immediate cash, bank transfer, or you’ll be given a written ticket with payment instructions.
• If you’re a tourist about to leave Vienna, pay before departure. Unpaid fines can be sent to collections agencies in your home country.

The lesson: always validate single tickets and always have a valid pass. The risk-reward calculation strongly favors paying for tickets.

Returning Visitors and Frequent Vienna Users

If you’re a frequent visitor to Vienna:

• Multi-trip discount tickets exist for users making 10+ trips per month
• Day-pass combinations across multiple visits can be combined with the WienMobil app
• The Wiener Linien customer service at Wien Mitte and other major stations can advise on optimal ticket combinations
• If you visit Vienna 3+ times per year, consider planning visits to align with weekly pass calendar weeks

The WienMobil App: Practical Tips

The official Vienna transit app combines several useful features:

• Route planning from any address to any destination with real-time arrival data
• Ticket purchase with QR codes stored on your phone
• Service alerts for construction or disruption
• Multilingual support including English
• Offline mode shows the system map without data connection

Most visitors use the app for at least route planning even if they prefer paper tickets. Download before arrival from your app store.

Practical Examples: Real Tourist Scenarios

Scenario 1: Weekend visit (Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon)

Arrival Friday 14:00, departure Sunday 14:00. Two full days of sightseeing.

Best option: 72-hour pass for €17.10. Validate Friday 14:00; covers you until Monday 14:00. Or two 24-hour passes (one Friday-Saturday, one Saturday-Sunday) for €12 total. The 24h combination saves €5.10.

Scenario 2: Three-day visit including major attractions

Arrival Tuesday morning, departure Thursday evening. Planning to visit Schönbrunn, Belvedere, Hofburg.

Best option: 72-hour Vienna City Card for €25. Adds €7.90 to the basic 72h transport pass; covers 10% off three major attractions saves about €5–7. Roughly breaks even and adds future discount value at other partners.

Scenario 3: Week-long deep dive

Arrival Monday morning, departure Sunday afternoon. Cultural-immersion visit.

Best option: Weekly pass for €17.10 covering all seven days. Buy at any U-Bahn station Monday morning. Save the difference versus any combination of shorter passes.

Scenario 4: Long weekend with airport segment

Friday evening arrival via airport, Monday morning departure. Three full days of tourism.

Best option: €5.40 S7 ticket for airport-to-Wien Mitte, then 72-hour pass (€17.10) for city transit Friday-Monday. Total transport budget: €28 (plus €5.40 for return airport trip). Same airport segment costs €14.90 if you take the CAT.

Scenario 5: Day trip from a hotel near Hauptbahnhof

One-day Vienna visit; arriving by train, leaving same day.

Best option: Single tickets (€2.40 each) for the 2–3 trips between hotel and major sights. If you make 4+ trips, switch to a 24-hour pass (€6). The breakeven is exactly 3 trips.

Scenario 6: Budget-conscious traveler making minimal trips

Tourist with hostel near city center; walking most of the time.

Best option: Single tickets as needed. If you walk most places and use transit only 1–2 times per day, you might pay only €4–5 per day on transit instead of buying a pass.

FAQ: Special Topics

Can I get a refund on an unused pass?

Generally no — transport passes are non-refundable. Single tickets can be returned at major customer service centers if unvalidated, but processing fees apply.

Are tickets valid on regional trains beyond Vienna?

The Vienna pass covers only the city limits. For trips to Baden, Wachau, Burgenland, or other regional destinations, you need ÖBB regional tickets that cost more. Use the ÖBB Scotty app to find regional ticket prices.

What if my pass expires mid-journey?

If your pass expires while you’re on a tram or U-Bahn, you must exit at the next stop. Inspectors check time stamps; an expired pass doesn’t cover the in-progress ride.

Can I share a 24-hour pass with my partner?

No — each Vienna transport pass is for one person only. If you and your partner both want unlimited transit, you need two passes.

FAQ

What’s the best Vienna transport pass for tourists?

For 1 day: 24-hour pass at €6. For 2 days: two 24-hour passes (€12). For 3 days: 72-hour pass (€17.10). For 4–7 days: weekly pass (€17.10). The Vienna City Card adds attraction discounts for an extra €7.90, worthwhile if using 3+ partners.

Is the Vienna Card worth buying?

Only if you’ll actively use 3+ of the discount partners (Schönbrunn, Belvedere, Hofburg, restaurants). For pure sightseeing tourists, the basic 72-hour pass at €17.10 offers better value.

Does the Vienna transport pass include the airport?

No — all Vienna passes cover only services within the city limits. The S7 to/from VIE requires a separate €5.40 ticket. The CAT (City Airport Train) requires a separate €14.90 ticket.

How long is a single Vienna transport ticket valid?

The €2.40 single ticket is valid for one continuous journey, generally interpreted as 60–90 minutes with transfers allowed. You cannot stop, exit the system, and re-enter on the same ticket.

Are Vienna trams and U-Bahn the same ticket?

Yes. All Wiener Linien services (U-Bahn, tram, bus, urban S-Bahn) use the same ticket. A single ticket allows transfers within one continuous trip.

How do I validate a Vienna single ticket?

Insert the ticket into one of the small blue validation machines on platforms or at station entrances. The machine prints the date and time on your ticket. After this you don’t validate again on the same ticket. Multi-day passes are validated only on first use.

What’s the difference between the Vienna Card and the Vienna Pass?

Two separate products. Vienna City Card (€17–25) provides transit + attraction discounts. Vienna Pass (€84+) provides transit + free attraction entry to 60+ sites. The Vienna Pass is far more expensive but saves significantly if visiting many major attractions. See our Vienna Pass review.

One trap worth naming here: none of the 24, 48 or 72-hour passes above cover the airport, because Schwechat sits outside the core zone. You need a separate ticket in each direction, and our Vienna Airport guide explains which one — including what the current Stammstrecke closure has done to the S7 and the City Airport Train.

Set against the fares on this page, the sightseeing buses look expensive — a 24-hour hop-on hop-off ticket costs roughly six times a 24-hour transport pass. Our comparison of Vienna’s hop-on hop-off buses works through that arithmetic and says who should still buy one.

Related Vienna Guides

• Getting Around Vienna
• Vienna U-Bahn Guide