Vienna Metro (U-Bahn)
Travelling on Vienna's U-Bahn system will take you to the majority of the city's main points of interest.
Construction on Vienna's metro system, called the U-Bahn, began in 1969, which makes it one of the most modern in Europe. However, before it was built, the Viennese did use a similar system, the Stadtbahn or City Railway, which dated back to 1898.
Vienna Metro Lines
Vienna's U-Bahn is made up of 5 lines; all of the routes go underground, and some of them include overground stretches too.
- Line U1 (Red): connects the north and south of Vienna, from Leopoldau station to Reumannplatz. This route has a stop at the cathedral and also goes to the Prater. You can also catch the train to the airport and to nearby cities from the Hauptbahnhopf stop on this line.
- Line U2 (Purple): covers the city centre in a semi-circle route that connects the Stadion (stadium) metro stop with Karlsplatz. This line stops at the Prater too, and is also useful for getting to the Museumsquartier, Karlskirche and the Parliament building.
- Line U3 (Orange): crosses the city from northwest to southeast, from Ottakring to Simmering, passing through some tourist highlights including Stephansplatz and the Hofburg Palace. You can also catch the train to the airport from the Wien Mitte stop on this line.
- Line U4 (Green): connecting Hutteldorf in the west with Heiligendtadt in the north, with an important stop at the Schonbrunn Palace.
- Line U6 (Brown): goes into the northern and southern outskirts of Vienna.
Timetable and frequency
The Vienna U-Bahn operates daily between 5 am and 12:30 am approximately.
Trains usually depart around every 5 minutes during normal schedules. At busier times, they are more frequent, running every 2 to 4 minutes; while after 8:30 pm they run less frequently, around every 7 to 8 minutes.
Prices
Find ticket prices for the U-Bahn and Vienna's other modes of public transport via the following link: public transport prices in Vienna.
