Getting around Austria: transport and apps

Vienna fares changed on 1 January 2026

The first rise since 2012, and it was a big one.

• Buy digital and the same ticket is cheaper, by about 5 per cent on the short ones and by EUR 3.70 on the week. The paper price is what the machine on the platform charges.

• The 48 and 72 hour tickets were withdrawn in the same change, so the choice is now a single, a day, or a week.

• One ticket covers underground, tram, bus and city S-Bahn, and a single is valid for one continuous journey in one direction with changes.

• The 24 hour ticket pays for itself after four rides. The 7 day one runs Monday to Monday, not a rolling week, which catches people out.

• Buy in the WienMobil app, at machines in every station, or at a Trafik.

There are no barriers, and that is the trap

• Nothing physically stops you boarding without a ticket. Vienna runs on trust plus plain-clothes inspectors.
• The fine went up with the fares: EUR 135 on the spot, or EUR 145 if you do not pay there and then. It was 105 and 115 until early 2026. Being a confused tourist is not a defence, and inspectors have heard it.
• Paper tickets must be validated in the blue box at the platform entrance or on board before you travel. App tickets do not.
• A validated ticket that you forgot to validate is still a fine. Stamp it before you go down the escalator.

Between cities

• ÖBB runs the network and it is excellent. Vienna to Salzburg is under 2.5 hours, Vienna to Innsbruck about 4.5.
• Sparschiene advance fares start around EUR 10 to EUR 20 for journeys that cost EUR 50 or more on the day. Book in the ÖBB app as soon as your dates are fixed.
• Westbahn is a private competitor on the Vienna to Salzburg line, often cheaper, and sells tickets on board without a penalty.
• Flixbus covers the same corridors for less money and more time.
• 12Go sells Austrian trains and buses in one place, which helps if you are stitching Austria into a wider European route rather than booking each operator separately.
• Nightjet sleepers run from Vienna to Hamburg, Brussels, Paris and Rome, and are booked well in advance.

Driving

• A motorway vignette is compulsory on the A and S roads, and cameras enforce it. A 10 day vignette costs around EUR 12.
• 2026 is the last year of the sticker. From 2027 only the digital vignette exists. If you buy digital, do it at least 18 days ahead or activate it as an immediate-start purchase.
• Several alpine tunnels and passes charge separate tolls on top of the vignette, including the Brenner and the Grossglockner road.
• Winter tyres are legally required from 1 November to 15 April in wintry conditions, and hire cars in Austria come with them.

Scooters and city zones

• From 1 May 2026 e-scooters count as vehicles and must have working brakes, a bell and reflectors front, rear and sides. Rental fleets comply; a scooter borrowed from a friend may not.
• Traffic calming zones came into force in about 25 towns in May 2026, including Vienna, Salzburg, Linz and Graz. If you are driving, check before entering a historic centre.