Vienna Transport Tickets & Passes Compared (2026 Prices)

Vienna has four main transport ticket options for tourists: single tickets, 24-hour tickets and 7-day tickets, plus the Vienna City Card. Wiener Linien stopped selling its 48-hour and 72-hour tickets on 1 January 2026, so a short stay now comes down to 24-hour tickets or the 7-day ticket. 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	€3.20 paper / €3.00 digital	One journey, transfers allowed	Single ride only
24-hour pass	€10.20 paper / €9.70 digital	24 hours unlimited	4+ trips in one day
7-day ticket	€28.90 paper / €25.20 digital	7 days from the start date you choose	3+ day visits
Vienna City Card 24h	€19	Transit + attraction discounts	If using discount partners
Vienna City Card 48h	€31	Transit + discounts	2-day visits with attractions
Vienna City Card 72h	€37	Transit + discounts	3-day visits with attractions

Single Ticket (Einzelfahrt) — €3.20 Paper, €3.00 Digital

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 in one direction, lasting up to 80 minutes
• Validation: Required — insert ticket into a blue validation machine before boarding
• Best for: One-off rides; emergencies; the airport S7, where an adult pays €5.50 (€3.20 within Vienna plus €2.30 from the airport to the city limit)

Math: If you’ll make 4 or more trips in a single day, the 24-hour pass (€9.70 digital, €10.20 paper) is cheaper than 4 × €3.00 = €12.00, or 4 × €3.20 = €12.80 on paper. Three trips still come out cheaper on singles, so the break-even point is 4 trips.

24-Hour Pass (24-Stunden-Karte) — €10.20 Paper, €9.70 Digital

• 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 4+ planned trips

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

7-Day Ticket (7 Tage WIEN) — €28.90 Paper, €25.20 Digital

• Validity: Seven days from the start date you choose, until 00:59 on the eighth day
• Coverage: Same as 24h
• Best for: Stays of three days or more

The hidden bargain. At €25.20 digital (€28.90 paper) for seven days, it already costs less than three 24-hour passes, which come to €29.10 digital or €30.60 paper. You pick the first day yourself, so it suits a Friday arrival as well as a Monday one. For a two-day stay, two 24-hour passes (€19.40 digital) remain the cheaper buy.

Vienna City Card — €19, €31, €37, €39

Combines transport with attraction discounts:

• 24h Vienna City Card: €19 (24h transit + discounts)
• 48h Vienna City Card: €31 (48h transit + discounts)
• 72h Vienna City Card: €37 (72h transit + discounts)
• 7-day Vienna City Card: €39 (7 days transit + discounts)

Discount partners include Schönbrunn (the saving depends on the ticket package), the Belvedere (€1.50 off a single ticket, €2.50 off a 2-in-1 ticket) and the Sisi Museum (€2 off). Hop-on hop-off buses come as an optional €34 add-on. Discounts vary by venue, from a few euros off the big attractions to 20% at the Technisches Museum, 30% at the Kriminalmuseum and 50% at the Vienna Actionism Museum.

Math: For a three-day stay, the 72h Vienna City Card costs €11.80 more than a digital 7-day transport ticket (€25.20), the cheapest way to cover three days. Whether it pays for itself depends on the exact tickets you buy. The Schönbrunn Pass Classic saves €7, a Belvedere single ticket €1.50 and Sisi Museum admission €2: €10.50 for those three, close to the Card’s extra cost but just short of it.

Conclusion: The Vienna City Card is worth it only if you’re actively visiting many included attractions. For simple sightseeing tourists, a plain 7-day ticket at €25.20 digital (€28.90 paper) is usually better value.

What’s NOT Included in Vienna Transport Tickets

Important to understand:

• Vienna Airport (VIE) to/from city: Not fully covered by any Wiener Linien pass, because the airport lies outside the core zone. A standard adult S7 ticket costs €5.50; holders of a multi-day ticket or Vienna City Card only need the €2.30 airport supplement. See our airport guide.
• CAT (City Airport Train): Premium airport service costing €14.90 one-way; not included. During the Stammstrecke closure it runs as a bus between the airport and Wien Mitte, expected until about the end of October 2027.
• 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; free entry is the exception, offered at a few places such as the Collection Lobmeyr.
• Tour buses (e.g., Hop-on Hop-off): Private tour operators; not included.
• Sightseeing tours: Paid separately. The Vienna City Card brings discounts on some, such as 20% off the Third Man Tour.

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 (€9.70 digital, €10.20 paper). Validate when you first use it; it covers the next 24 hours of unlimited transit.

If you’re in Vienna for 2 days:

Two 24-hour passes: €19.40 digital or €20.40 paper. Wiener Linien no longer sells a 48-hour ticket, and for just two days the 7-day ticket (€25.20 digital) costs more.

If you’re in Vienna for 3 days:

7-day ticket (€25.20 digital, €28.90 paper). With the 72-hour ticket withdrawn, it is already cheaper than three 24-hour passes (€29.10 digital), and it starts on whichever day you choose. If you’ll lean heavily on Vienna City Card discount partners, the 72h City Card at €37 may be better.

If you’re in Vienna for 4 days:

7-day ticket (€25.20 digital, €28.90 paper). Four 24-hour passes would cost €38.80 digital, and because you set the 7-day ticket’s start date, it covers any four days in a row, Monday–Thursday or otherwise.

If you’re in Vienna for 5–7 days:

7-day ticket (€25.20 digital, €28.90 paper), far cheaper than five or more 24-hour passes (five cost €48.50 digital). Set it to start on your arrival day; if you arrive Tuesday and stay through Sunday, it is your best option.

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

Single tickets (€3.00 digital, €3.20 paper). The 24h pass break-even is 4 trips. If you’ll make 3 trips or fewer, single tickets are cheaper.

If you’re staying longer than a week:

Back-to-back 7-day tickets (€25.20 digital each). Or the digital 31-day ticket (€65.20).

Common Tourist Mistakes

• Buying a single ticket for the airport. A city single stops at the core-zone boundary, and an adult S7 fare to or from VIE is €5.50 in total. With a multi-day ticket or Vienna City Card, add the €2.30 airport supplement rather than a full ticket.
• Forgetting to validate single tickets. An unvalidated ticket counts as no ticket. €135 penalty if caught and paid on the spot.
• Buying the Vienna City Card without using the discounts. The 72h card costs €11.80 more than a digital 7-day ticket — only worth it if you’ll use the partner discounts.
• Buying a 7-day ticket for a two-day stay. 24h + 24h = €19.40 digital vs €25.20 for the 7-day ticket.
• Buying single tickets for a multi-day stay. €3.20 × 8 trips = €25.60, vs €10.20 for a paper 24h pass.
• Planning around the calendar week. The 7-day ticket starts on the day you choose and runs until 00:59 on the eighth day, so a mid-week arrival loses nothing.
• Assuming the Vienna Pass (separate product) is the same as the Vienna City Card. Vienna Pass (from €109) includes free attraction entry; Vienna City Card (€19–39) gives mostly 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-Info: Albertinaplatz in the city centre and the arrivals hall at Vienna Airport; both sell Vienna City Cards
• WienMobil app: Sells digital tickets, which you can also buy in the web ticket shop; paper tickets remain on sale if you’d rather carry one
• Hotel concierge: Most central Vienna hotels sell tickets

Tickets for Children

• Under 6: Free with any paying adult
• Ages 6–14: Free during Vienna school holidays, on Sundays and on public holidays; reduced fare at other times, Saturdays included
• Ages 15+: Adult fare, though older pupils keep the free-travel days until their 24th birthday
• 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, Vienna’s annual transport pass (Jahreskarte) costs €467, or €461 if you buy it online and pay in one go. 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 low-cost annual pass remains one of Vienna’s defining municipal achievements.

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. Wiener Linien recorded 903 million passenger journeys in 2025.

Children, Students, Seniors, Disabilities

Reduced fares apply for several groups:

• Under 6: Always free with paying adult
• Ages 6–14: Free on Sundays, public holidays and during Vienna school holidays. Reduced fare on other days, including Saturdays.
• Under 26: Reduced annual youth pass (Jahreskarte Jugend) available to everyone under 26, whatever their education or job
• Pupils and apprentices up to 24: The “Top-Jugendticket” costs €101 for 2026/27 and covers VOR network services in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland; eligibility (pupils, apprentices and police trainees) depends on residence or training and family-allowance conditions
• 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 penalty is €135 if paid on the spot, €145 if paid later by payment slip.
• 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:

• Longer time tickets such as the digital 31-day ticket (€65.20) suit stays of several weeks
• 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, there’s no need to plan around calendar weeks: the 7-day ticket starts on any day you choose

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: Two 24-hour passes, one validated Friday 14:00 and the next Saturday 14:00, for €19.40 digital (€20.40 paper). That covers you until Sunday 14:00. The 72-hour ticket has been withdrawn, and a 7-day ticket (€25.20 digital) costs more for a stay this short.

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 €37. Adds €11.80 to a digital 7-day transport ticket; the discounts on a Schönbrunn Pass Classic (€7), a Belvedere single ticket (€1.50) and Sisi Museum admission (€2) win back €10.50 of that. 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: 7-day ticket for €25.20 digital (€28.90 paper) covering all seven days. Buy it at any U-Bahn station machine or in the WienMobil app, set to start on your first day. Seven 24-hour passes would cost €67.90 digital.

Scenario 4: Long weekend with airport segment

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

Best option: A 7-day ticket (€25.20 digital) for city transit Friday-Monday, plus the €2.30 airport supplement for the S7, which runs between the airport and St. Marx rather than Wien Mitte until the end of October 2027 (about 18 minutes, then an onward connection to the centre). Without a pass, the adult S7 fare is €5.50. Total transport budget: €27.50 (plus €2.30 for return airport trip). Same airport segment costs €14.90 if you take the CAT, which currently runs as a bus to Wien Mitte.

Scenario 5: Day trip from a hotel near Hauptbahnhof

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

Best option: Single tickets (€3.00 digital, €3.20 paper) for the 2–3 trips between hotel and major sights. If you make 4+ trips, switch to a 24-hour pass (€9.70 digital, €10.20 paper). The breakeven is exactly 4 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 €9.70 digital (€10.20 paper). For 2 days: two 24-hour passes (€19.40 digital). For 3–7 days: the 7-day ticket (€25.20 digital, €28.90 paper), which undercuts three 24-hour passes. The Vienna City Card adds attraction discounts at a higher price (€37 for 72 hours), worthwhile only if you’ll use the 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, a plain transport ticket offers better value: the 7-day ticket costs €25.20 digital.

Does the Vienna transport pass include the airport?

No — all Vienna passes cover only services within the city limits, and the airport lies outside the core zone. On the S7, an adult pays €5.50 (€3.20 within Vienna plus €2.30 out to the airport); with a multi-day ticket or Vienna City Card, only the €2.30 supplement is needed. The CAT (City Airport Train) requires a separate €14.90 ticket, and until about the end of October 2027 it runs as a replacement bus between the airport and Wien Mitte.

How long is a single Vienna transport ticket valid?

The single ticket (€3.20 paper, €3.00 digital) is valid for one continuous journey in one direction, for up to 80 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 (€19–39) provides transit + attraction discounts. Vienna Pass (from €109) provides free attraction entry plus Vienna Sightseeing’s hop-on hop-off buses; for Wiener Linien public transport you still need a separate ticket. 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: neither the 24-hour nor the 7-day ticket covers 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: even the hop-on hop-off add-on to a Vienna City Card costs €34, more than three 24-hour transport passes. 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