Navigating Public Transit (U-bahn and more) in Vienna

So you just landed in Austria, you’re at your dorm, and now you’ve got to get to some crazy German sounding metro station in 15 minutes for your orientation event. Lucky for you, I’ve created this guide so you’ll look like a pro while navigating the subway here in Vienna.

In order to understand Vienna’s public transit, we have to separate them into three main categories. I’m going to skip buses for now just because the length of the article would be too long if I included them—they are another invaluable resource to get around the city, especially at night.

First, the U-bahn. Made recognizable by the big, blue U, this is the underground subway of Vienna. There are 5 lines, consisting of U1, U2, U3, U4, and U6. I won’t go into too much detail about stations and where each line goes for the sake of time, but each line travels in two directions (which is rather obvious). 

The U-bahn runs 24/7 on Friday night, Saturday night, and the night before a national holiday, and operates between 5 A.M. in the morning to around midnight during all other days (the end time depends on which station). 

Second, the Wiener Straßenbahn, or the streetcars. While subways are a great way to travel, streetcars, or trams often get you closer to your destination and can offer a convenient way to see life in Vienna on the streets without having to walk. There are currently 30 routes in action, ranging from the O, the 5, and so on and so forth. Most of the lines follow the same schedule as the U-bahn.

Third, the S-bahn. The S-bahn, or the commuter rail line, is less relevant for students living and staying mostly in the Vienna city centre, but the high-frequency S-bahns still provide a comfortable way to travel to far ends of the city and major hubs in a faster and smoother way than U-bahns. For example, where I lived, near Praterstern station, there was a S-bahn line that went directly to a train station that had an Interspar (basically as close to a Walmart as you’ll get here). It was quite convenient and easy to hop on the train and be at the market in 5 minutes.

Just be aware that the S-bahn costs money when you leave the Vienna metropolitan area. So as long as you stay within city limits, your IES Abroad provided Metro card should cover the cost. The hours vary by line, so check online or using the WienMobil app, but there seems to be a train every 30 minutes to an hour on weekdays based on my experience.

Now that you know the difference between all these different types of public transit, let’s focus on the U-bahn, the method you’ll probably use the most.

As you enter, you’ll likely see a big, glowing U-bahn logo. Not all entrances do, but if you see it, there is definitely a U-bahn entrance in the near vicinity. They’ll have the name of the station, what lines are available, and any amenities or transfers you can accomplish at that location. 

The next step is to find which line you are traveling on. They typically have it very clearly marked on the ceiling or the walls, so it’s hard to miss what line. 

Make sure you are heading in the right direction. Some stations have a central platform, meaning both directions share the same boarding area, while other stations have completely separate platforms. Check your GPS to find the direction. Over time, you’ll start to recognize which direction goes where. For example, for me, heading to my German class was the “Oberlaa” direction on the U1, and the way back was “Leopauldau”. They’ll have the direction clearly marked with “U_ _____”, or as an example, “U2 Seestadt”

Once you locate which line, you’ll make your way to the platform on the escalator or the stairs. Pro tip: stay to the right if you are not walking on the escalator. The people here like to be efficient, and if you get in their way, you might hear a couple complaints in German! 

You’ll then wait on the platform for the train to arrive. Most platforms have a display that’ll show the next train. You can also use this digital display to confirm the proper direction. In most, if not all U-bahn stations, there will be a station map (along with a night bus map and route map), so if your phone dies or you get lost, you can use these physical maps. 

When the doors open, if there are a lot of people, stand to the side of the door to allow them to exit before going on the train yourself. Don’t worry, the train won’t leave without you!

Once you get on the train, you can find a place to sit or just stand. If you see four colorful logos above a seat, it means that priority should be given to the elderly, pregnant, or needy. If nobody is there, by all means, take a seat, but if somebody who needs it more comes along, just politely stand up (you can even add “bitte” and motion to the seat if you’d like to!). 

The doors on each subway can be different. Some of them are slightly older and require you to physically open them yourselves. I don’t have a photo, but it would say “Pull Sharply” and all you need to do is give it a pull to the side and the doors should open. Most of the trains have electronic door buttons. You do need to click them to open the door – the doors don’t always open automatically. You might wonder which side to exit. Lucky for you, the overhead display (or the display at the ends of each car) has an arrow pointing to the side of the platform, so you can look like a real pro who knows what’s going on.

Ok, so you finally got to your stop. Now you might think the job is done. You’re at your stop, just get to the exit, and you’re there!

But I’m here to let you in on a secret tip that’ll make you look like the expert navigator of your friend group. These metro stations, at least the larger ones (and even many of the smaller ones), have several different exits that spit you out onto different corners and different streets. While you’re on the subway, check your GPS (or use your map) to figure out which exit is best. Your GPS will say something along the lines of “Follow signs for” or “Exit _____”. 

Be aware that you might not see the exit immediately, in which case you should follow the signs to exit the station or get to the ground floor. But once you’re up there, you can figure out exactly which exit is best, and leave through there. It could shave off minutes from your trip. 

The exits will be clearly marked with an exit sign and the name of the street/exit, so it’s hard to miss if you’re looking for it. Now if you are transferring to another line, you can look at the name of the station, and right above, it’ll have several symbols that show you where each thing is.

So for example, if I am transferring to the streetcars, I’ll look for that streetcar logo and follow it until I’m at the ground floor. Or if I need to transfer from U2 (purple) to U3 (orange), I’ll look for the U3 signs or the logo once I step off the train in order to know which direction I’m in. 

Anyways, I hope this guide was helpful. To be honest, once you travel on the U-bahn once or twice, you’ll feel more comfortable. It’s a clean, quick, efficient transit system and I haven’t run into many issues at all. But hopefully, you’ll look like more of a pro with some of the tips I just mentioned. Good luck and happy travels!