Gruße Gott! I'm here to share about one of my favorite aspects of the city: the public transportation! (okay, so maybe public transportation isn't so exciting for everyone...but stay with me for this one.)
Coming from the United States, you may be hesitant at first to use the public transportation system. But trust me, you won't miss driving around. Public transportation is quite popular here, and it's so easy to see why - it's such a breeze. You have multiple options to choose from...
1. The U-Bahn, short for untergrundbahn (meaning underground railway auf Deutsch) is a rapid-transit metro system with five lines that conveniently takes you around the city. It is quite easy to navigate, and there are many stops which makes it easy to go from place to place. I take the U-Bahn to the IES center daily from where I live in the 5th district, and take it frequently to get to many venues, shopping areas, parks, and the like. It stops running at 12:30AM Sunday through Thursday, but conveniently runs much later on the weekends. If you find yourself out and about late on the weeknights, however, no need to fret: The NightLine is a bus that runs the course of all of the U-Bahn lines and you can take it in place of the train once the train stops running.
2. The Straßenbahn, or tram, is another convenient way to get around the city. It's a bit slower than the U-Bahn, but the upside is that you have a view of the city up-close while riding. It's almost like a nice scenic tour of the city! The Straßenbahn is convenient for getting to locations that aren't exactly close to a U-bahn station.
3. The Schnellbahn (rapid train), also known as the S-Bahn, isn't as popular for transportation around the city, but is used by many who live on the outskirts of town and commute to the city on a daily basis. It goes faster than the U-Bahn and has less stops, there is even an S-bahn to the airport from the U4 line, making it convenient for city dwellers to get to the airport quickly without having to call a cab.
4. The Bus is another option, with many stops around the city - also easy to navigate!
5. Finally, we have our last form of transportation - the CityBike. The city has plenty of CityBike stations where you can grab a bike and go. The first hour is free! (2nd hour is a euro, 3rd hour is two euros, etc) All you have to do is complete a one-time registratioon at a station, then hop on a bike and ride to wherever you would like. It's fun and easy to get around on a CityBike, and it's a great form of exercise!
For the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Bus, and Straßenbahn, you can purchase one ticket that will give you access to all forms of the Wiener Linien transit lines. They have options for 24-, 48- hour, weeklong, month, and year passes. For more info on both the Wiener Linien transit system and the City Bike system, visit these links below!
http://www.citybikewien.at/
http://www.wienerlinien.at/
Tschuss,
Erica
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Erica Spear
<p>Erica is a senior at Appalachian State University, where she is double-majoring in Flute Performance and Music Education at the Hayes School of Music. At school, she is heavily involved in performing and teaching, at the university and in the surrounding area. Erica has a fairly global background, having family worldwide and being raised as a bilingual speaker (English and Japanese) but this is her first time abroad in Europe. She is looking forward to immersing herself in Viennese culture and embracing all of the art and history that the city has to offer. In her spare time, she enjoys running, yoga, cooking and baking, hiking, dancing, various creative outlets, and being introduced to new people and activities.</p>
