Austria Getting Around

They have a useful subway (metro, underground) system that would be my first choice to get around the city.

They also have an extensive tram system as well. Grab some metro maps when you arrive. Vienna is a fantastic city.

We did a lot of walking in Vienna and also used the great tram system. My cousins hired “my day trip” for transfers in the region and were very pleased with their service. Hope this helps.
https://mydaytrip.com/landing/vienna-to-budapest

Edited If you consider the train we found it very convenient. We were traveling the opposite direction- Budapest>Vienna.

We found Vienna very walkable tho we used the tram and metros a bit. Very easy! We also took the train from Vienna to Budapest and also found that very easy.

It sounds like you may have not left yet?

If not, and maybe you are heading for a cruise, you can still use the packing hints available on this very website to cut down a bit on what you (want to?) (need?) to take.

There are lots of tips and tricks.

Remember that too much luggage doesn't get any easier the longer you haul it, doesn't like steps and doesn't like cobblestones. Plenty of steps, sometimes even up to the elevator, and cobblestones in Europe.

Yes, Vienna is very walkable within the city center, but several important sites are outside of the center, such as the Belvedere and Schonbrunn. It also really depends on where you are staying as well. Where is your hotel?

Taxis are around, but you need to call for one using a phone or find a taxi stand to get into one. You cannot hail a taxi from the street generally - it is frowned upon. As for Uber, yes it exists here.

All of this said, no one uses taxis or Uber for a quick ride across town i Vienna. A taxi driver might just flat out refuse a short ride. This is because Vienna has such an excellent and easy to use public transportation system. Local, tourists and everyone in between use the buses, trams and subway to get around easily. You can buy a 24-, 48-, 72 hour or weekly pass, which is a terrific value.

As for getting from Vienna to Budapest, why aren't you taking the train? You could easily get your hotel to arrange a taxi to take you from your hotel to the train station with all your luggage. I can't imagine what a taxi or uber would cost to get you from one country to another. I also would think that with COVID, this driver may not be able to easily cross an international border (or be willing to).

I used Uber in Vienna once - to get back to my lodging in the center from a wine garden in the outskirts. Took the bus there and could have taken it back but after a few glasses of wine I was a bit lazy. Worked just like at home, no trouble.

The center is very walkable and there are taxis. Also google maps will provide public transit directions as well as walking directions so getting lost isn’t as big a deal.

I agree with all those who have said that the train is the better option from Vienna to Budapest. If you have too much luggage for the train, the solution is to pack less.

I've use the Free Now (formerly My Taxi) app a couple of times in Germany to hail taxis. It worked well. It's Uberish, but brings a taxi instead of someone's private car. Vienna is included on the company's list of cities.

https://free-now.com/ie/passenger/europe/

Thanks everyone for your responses. Great Info and advice!
Teresa