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Vienna Pass + 72 + 48 Stunden Karten?

I'm going to be in Vienna from early morning July 22 through the morning of July 27. I do go to a lot of museums, and I think I'm going to get a 6-day Vienna Pass, plus a 72 and then a 48-hour transit pass. I'll make sure I don't use the 48 hour card until 10:00 or so to make sure it lasts long enough to get me to the airport on the final morning. Even if the Vienna Pass just gets me to break-even on the entry fees, I think it's worth it not to have to stand in line.

My question is: the Val1 bus seems the best way for me to get into the city from the airport--it will drop me right across the street from my hotel. Is that ride covered in the 72-hour card? It's hard for me to tell from the transit site.

Thanks!

Posted by
5362 posts

No, you cannot apply the transit pass on the bus. The bus is 8 Euro each way. Why not take the much cheaper train where you can apply your transit pass towards the fare? Also, where are you staying? If your hotel is in the center, you'll probably mostly walk so passes might not be the most cost effective. For example, the 48 hours pass is 13.30 Euro, or 6.65 Euro per day. As a single journey is 2.20 Euro, you would need to make 4 trips in a 24 hour period to make the pass pay off. I doubt you will do that much traveling, especially if your hotel is at all central. If I were you, I'd just buy single tickets as needed.

Posted by
380 posts

Thanks, Emily.

My hotel is directly across from Westbahnhof, which is what makes the bus the most attractive option. I'm much more likely to hop on the tram or Ubahn to save twenty minutes of walking, so I think I will use it often. I also prefer the peace of mind of not having to stop and buy tickets all the time. I live in NYC and am addicted to my monthly Metrocard and quite used to using public transportation!

However, which train is it that is included in the 72-hour pass? It's not the CAT, correct?

Posted by
4137 posts

The train from the airport is the S-7 . Since the airport is outside the central zone , you will need a supplement to your pass for the trip . Take the S-7 and change at Wien Mitte to the U-3 to Westbahnhof . One further comment - While I appreciate your taste in museums ( and Vienna has both superb quality , and quantity ) you should allow some time for being out and about the city itself , which is a magnificent repository of history and architecture . Five days is barely time to scratch the surface of this place , and a visit to Schonbrunn Palace during your stay , would be time well spent . Since you are from NYC , you might want to attend our next monthly travel meeting at Panera's - 452 Fifth Ave ( 40 - 41 st ) just a block from the Library . A number of us have visited Vienna and could provide detailed information to aid you in your choices . I was there last Autumn for three weeks , and am returning this October for two more . ( I can't stay away ) . Keep an eye on the travel group meetings , I'll post the date in the next several days

Posted by
4137 posts

Also , spend ninety minutes of your time , and watch this wonderful documentary about Vienna by Joseph Koerner of Harvard University , It will make you want to return even before you arrive ! - https://youtu.be/AFZBOTgL_Hk

Posted by
380 posts

I think it would be easier to just take one bus that stops right in front of the hotel. I'm going to be tired and will not want to lug a suitcase up and down the Ubahn. I want to get to my hotel quickly, drop off my bag, sit and have a decent breakfast and coffee and prepare for the day. :)

I appreciate your appreciation, but I am quite good at balancing indoor and outdoor sightseeing while traveling! The buildings are still there, and fully visible, in the evenings after the museums close.

I'm on the fence about Schonbrunn. I grew up in Germany and made numerous trips to these kinds of places: Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, the Residenz in Wurzburg, etc etc. I will go to the Belvidere, but to see the art rather than the empty shells of the homes of royalty. I'm more interested in taking the day trip to Carnuntum, for instance. Have you been there?

Posted by
509 posts

Steven: Thanks for posting the link to Prof. Koerner's BBC documentary. Just enjoyed a viewing, and we'll certainly watch again before leaving for Vienna in the Fall.

Posted by
4137 posts

Many thanks for your note , I'm glad you enjoyed it ! A quick point of interest - The church that you see in the beginning , and again at the end , is Otto Wagner's masterpiece , The Kirche am Steinhof , one of the major achievements of Jugendstil design . If you decide to seek it out , let me know and I'll post directions . Also , this fine book by Carl E. Schorske , from 1980 , is a series of seven essays on Vienna at The Fin De Siecle . They can be read independently of one another , but of key importance is the chapter entitled " Gustav Klimt : Painting and The Crisis of The Liberal Ego " - an in depth critical analysis of his doomed University ceiling paintings . https://www.amazon.com/Fin-Siecle-Vienna-Politics-Culture/dp/0394744780/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495561820&sr=8-1&keywords=carl+schorske

Posted by
5362 posts

I've visited Carnuntum. I guess if your interested in Roman history it's fine, most of it is a recreation. I can think of many other things I'd rather do.

Posted by
380 posts

Ah. Well one thing we do not have in the US is Roman ruins! Actually as a kid in Germany, we always meant to go to the Roman baths at Weissenburg. My family stopped by there once on the way back from a trip in Austria, but the woman running the site said they were closing in half an hour, so if we came in we'd have to hurry. My parents decided we'd come back another day, but we ended up moving back to the States not long after. That has always bothered me.

Posted by
5362 posts

I found the Roman Museum at Hoher Markt more interesting.

Posted by
14481 posts

Hi,

Wien Mitte is also known as "Landstraße" station, ie, you get off at Landstraße if you want Wien Mitte. Wien Mitte is also where you can take the CAT, if you want that option.

Posted by
1875 posts

Compared to the S7 train, the CAT is a rip-off: same route, triple price, just 5 minutes faster.