vienna transport tickets

I'm not sure why it's cheaper than the 72-hour pass, but it works Monday-Monday--meaning that if you buy it on Tuesday when you arrive it will be valid until the following Monday. These can easily be bought from vending machines at the stations, tobacco shops, and ticket offices, there's really no need to buy in advance. However if you'd rather have it in advance, you can buy them online here: https://www.wienerlinien.at/eportal3/ep/channelView.do/pageTypeId/66533/channelId/-47345

You'll do fine if you wait to get there to buy your passes. Don't get ahead of yourself.
If you're looking for somewhere to stay, look at K&T Boardinghouse. We've stayed numerous times with them, and the location is 50' from the entrance to the underground. They're just 1 stop from The Ring.
http://ktboardinghouse.at/index.php/en/

The week ticket needs not to be validated as the regarding calendar week is printed on it.

The 72-hours-tickets makes sense only if you are on a short trip crossing the line between two calendar weeks, which is in the night from Sunday to Monday.

Other than in the US, where Sunday is assumed to be the first day of the week, in Austria (and other European countries) Monday is the first day of a calendar week.

The reason why a ticket for three days is more expensive than a ticket for a week is quite simple: it is for tourists. :-)

Great info, thanks everyone!! :)

Kim

@ Kim...That's why you avoid that type of ticket meant for tourists without getting weekly ticket by staying at a hotel which gives you a free pass valid on public transportation in Vienna for the duration of your stay. That way you don't deal with any ticket hassles.

As others have said, you are missing nothing. The weekly ticket is just cheaper as it is meant for residents. There is also no reason to buy this online in advance as the machines are very simple, in English and available at all stations. If you do buy it online, hen you will need to validate it in one of the blue validation boxes found in all stations, trams and buses. Where will you be staying?

That's why I'm buying the weekly ticket even though I'm arriving Thursday afternoon. I'll have 3 1/2 days of usage plus whatever I can use Monday morning if any.

The week ticket expires at 9am on Monday of the following week.

Should you be eligible to buy senior tickets, i.e. being older than 62 (63 as of 2017), then you should calculate what's the cheaper alternative.

A senior ticket costs € 2.80 and has two coupons, being good for two rides or one ride for two people. A ride is defined as going forward in a certain direction including changes between trams, busses, metro, etc. You need to validate (i.e. stamp) the ticket at the start of every ride.

The price of a week ticket is € 16.20 and one senior ride is € 1.40, hence the break even point is at 12 rides.

We are staying at a vrbo on Leopoldsgasse.... Ok maybe I can do it there from a machine. Will I need to validate it if I get it from a machine?

2 of us are kids (12 and 13) but didn;t seem to be a kids discount from what I could see....

Thanks!
Kim

Week tickets need not to be validated as the calendar week is printed on them. All other tickets need to be validated (i.e. stamped).

For children between 6 and 15 there is a reduced fare of € 1.10 per ride. These reduced fare tickets are available with 2 coupons (€ 2.20) and 4 coupons (€ 4.40). (The break even point compared to the week ticket is 15 rides.)

Tickets are available at ticket vending machines at train stations, most metro stations, and in tobacco shops. In some big metro stations there are ticket counters as well.

I cannot tell what will be the best way to Leopoldsgasse using public transport. This depends where you come from and where your accommodation is. Bus 5A is there, as well as metro U2 and tram lines 2 and 31.

I recommend using the offical online city map:
http://www.wien.gv.at/stadtplan/en/

Not only you can search for addresses, but superimpose a vast amount of information by using the check marks in the legend on the left ("show on the map"), e.g. public transport, points of interest, art & leisure, city walks, culture, events, free WLAN hotspots (WiFi), etc. Although it does not contain places of private enterprises, I think it is superior to Google Maps. The aerial views are made from pictures shot from a low flying airplane, not from a satellite.

Kim - Children under 15 ride free on weekends, holidays and school breaks. Children under 6 always ride free. Otherwise, a half fare ticket is available for kids. I would suggest using the Wiener Linien (Vienna public transport system) website for all planning, as the website is available in English and very easy to use. They also have an APP call Qando, which is also available in English and very user-friendly. When you buy the weekly ticket at the machine, it will already be validated, with the week's dates clearly indicated. You are staying in a great area, which is traditionally Jewish. There is a fantastic weekly market at Karmelitermarkt, which you should definitely visit on a Saturday. Also many interesting restaurants and cafes in that area such as Schöne Perle.

Mrs. EB - Maybe this link answers your question. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g190454-s301/Vienna:Austria:Arriving.And.Departing.html

Yes and yes.

You have picked a great, fantastic (unfamiliar ) city to visit solo, same as Berlin. I do agree with all the stereotypes attached to Vienna, positive and negative, which are mostly accurate.

One word of caution. If you were to buy that weekly on a Thursday of that week knowing you'd use it the rest of Thursday up to Monday morning at 9am, note that the pass won't be valid until that Monday. I learned about it after the fact and rode Vienna's public transport with an invalid weekly. Just wanted to let you know in case you too will be buying a weekly in the 2nd half of that week.

If you buy the week ticket online you must enter the start date of validity correctly. The same applies for ticket vending machines. If you buy the ticket in a tobacco shop you must tell which week you want it for.

https://shop.wienerlinien.at/index.php/product/7/show/0/0/0/0

I very much like the Wiener Linien app on my iPhone. In English. No need to keep up with tickets. No validation. Can buy my electronic ticket/pass immediately before I use it (from a single trip to a weekly pass).

Qando is a great app, too. In English. Good for route planning, finding nearby bus/U stops, following disruptions, etc. The "Ticket" function on Qando opens the Wiener Linien app on my iPhone. Not sure what it does if you do not have that app installed -- takes you to the website?