Getting Around Vienna: Transport, Airport Transfers and Where to Leave Your Bag

The City Airport Train is Vienna's most advertised way into town, and for most visitors it's the wrong choice. CAT charges €14.90 for a single ticket, but the ÖBB S7 or Railjet covers the same route on a normal two-zone ticket for about €5.50, a third of the price, because the airport sits just outside Vienna's Kernzone (core fare zone). Meanwhile tram lines 1 and 2 loop the whole Ringstrasse on an ordinary ticket, past the same buildings the separately-ticketed Vienna Ring Tram charges extra to see. Here's what getting around Vienna actually costs, checked in September 2026.

Disclosure: Ciceru earns a commission if you book luggage storage through our Radical Storage link, and you get 10% off. It does not change what we recommend.

Once you're on foot, the Vienna self-guided walking tour with Ciceru runs 3 km from St Stephen's Cathedral to the State Opera for €7, a story and quiz question at each of its 11 stops, plus a free 500 MB global eSIM.

• From the airport: skip CAT (€14.90 single); the S7 or Railjet on a €5.50 two-zone ticket does the same job. Right now the S7 stops short at St Marx, so take the Railjet to Hauptbahnhof
• In the city: a single ticket is €3.00 in the app; the 24-hour ticket (€9.70) only pays off from your fourth ride
• Best ride in town: trams 1 and 2, they circle the whole Ring on a normal fare
• Luggage: Westbahnhof's coin lockers are cheapest, from €2; for a hotel drop-off or a big case, Radical Storage has 294 spots from €2.50 a bag, 10% off with our link

Wiener Linien's whole tariff changed on 1 January 2026, and plenty of guides still quote the old prices:

• 💶 Single: €3.00 in the app, €3.20 on paper (reduced €1.50 digital)
• 💶 24 hours: €9.70 app, €10.20 paper
• 🚫 48 and 72 hour tickets: discontinued from 1 January 2026, no longer sold
• 💶 7 days: €25.20 app, €28.90 paper, valid from a start time you choose rather than fixed to a Monday

Paper single tickets must be stamped the moment you board a tram or bus, or at the barrier for the U-Bahn; digital tickets need no stamping and are valid from the start time you select. Get caught without a valid one and the fine is €135 on the spot, €145 if you pay within 14 days, both up €30 since January 2026.

Nightline buses run 00:30 to 05:00 every 30 minutes on the same ticket, and the U-Bahn runs 24 hours on Friday and Saturday nights and before public holidays (otherwise 05:00 to midnight).

Construction: the S-Bahn core section between Praterstern and Hauptbahnhof, including Wien Mitte, is closed until the end of October 2027. The U-Bahn is unaffected, and Wiener Linien is using the U2 as a backup route, so plan city journeys around the U-Bahn and trams.

Do the maths before buying anything beyond singles. Three singles cost €9.00, so the 24-hour ticket (€9.70) only pays off from your fourth ride. The 7-day ticket (€25.20) breaks even around your ninth ride across the week, about 1.3 rides a day. Central Vienna is compact enough that most visitors ride two or three times a day, so singles in the app are usually cheapest, and app tickets run about 5% below paper ones anyway.

The Vienna City Card (€19/€31/€37 for 24/48/72 hours) bundles unlimited transport with 200-plus discount partners. It costs nearly double a standalone 24-hour ticket, so it only wins if you're also hitting several paid sights.

The old town is small. Stephansplatz to the Hofburg is under 10 minutes, and most first-day stops, the cathedral, Michaelerplatz, the Burggarten and the State Opera, sit inside a 20-minute loop.

For the Ringstrasse itself, skip the tourist option. Trams 1 and 2 circle the whole boulevard in opposite directions on your normal ticket, passing the Rathaus, Parliament, the museums and the Opera. The Vienna Ring Tram does a similar 25-minute loop from Schwedenplatz with commentary, but it's a separate paid ticket on top of a normal fare and isn't run by Wiener Linien: check the current price before boarding.

For anything further, order Uber or Bolt and check the fare in the app first. To call a firm directly, Taxi 40100 dispatches metered cars around the clock.

1. Buy a single ticket in the WienMobil app before leaving arrivals, no stamping needed.
2. Take the Railjet to Hauptbahnhof (15 minutes) rather than the S7, which currently stops short at St Marx.
3. Drop spare bags at a Hauptbahnhof locker, or a Radical Storage spot near your hotel if it's too early to check in.
4. Riding four or more times today? Buy the 24-hour ticket instead of singles.
5. Walk the old town, and save tram 1 or 2 for a lap of the Ring on your normal ticket.

Is the City Airport Train worth it?

Usually not. CAT costs €14.90 one way, and currently runs as a replacement bus during 2026/2027 track works. The ÖBB S7 or Railjet covers the same route for about €5.50 on a normal two-zone ticket.

What does a Vienna public transport ticket cost in 2026?

A single is €3.00 in the app, €3.20 on paper. The 24-hour ticket is €9.70; 48 and 72-hour tickets were discontinued on 1 January 2026.

Where can I store luggage in Vienna?

Westbahnhof's coin lockers are cheapest, from €2. Hauptbahnhof has new digital lockers priced at booking. Near a hotel or with a big case, Radical Storage has 294 spots from €2.50 a day, 10% off through our link above.

Buy singles in the WienMobil app unless you'll ride four or more times in a day, take the Railjet rather than the S7 while the line runs short, and skip CAT altogether, it's the same trip for three times the price.

For the wider trip, start with Vienna Explained, check costs against Vienna on a Budget, and once you're walking, the Vienna self-guided tour covers St Stephen's Cathedral to the State Opera for €7.