Is the Vienna City Card Worth It? An Honest Verdict and How to Get the Most Out of It
Is it worth it?
- Worth itYes if you'll ride trams and the U-Bahn a lot. The transport alone usually covers it, and the discounts are a bonus.
- Skip itNo if you want free entry to sights. It gives discounts, not free entry.
- 24, 48 or 72 hours
- Unlimited transport
- Discounts at 200+ places
What is The Vienna City Card?
The Vienna City Card is a public transport ticket for 24, 48 or 72 hours, with discounts at sights, shops and restaurants. Sights aren't free with it.
Vienna's trams and U-Bahn are excellent, and this card is essentially a transport ticket with discounts attached.
The real saving is on transport, not sights.
- Length
- 24, 48 or 72 hours
- Transport
- Unlimited
- Sights
- Discounts only
- Price
- From €19 (24 hours)
How to get the most value out of The Vienna City Card
Compare it with the single tickets you'd buy; the discounts are a bonus on top of the transport.
| Don't | Do this instead |
|---|---|
| Buy it for free entry | Schönbrunn, the museums and the Ferris wheel are discounted, not free. |
| Spend the card's discount on St Stephen's Cathedral entry | Walking into St Stephen's is free. Only the towers, catacombs and audio guide cost money (€25 all-in), so that's where a discount would matter. |
| Pay for the U-Bahn to Schönbrunn's park | The park is free and the card already covers the U-Bahn out there. Pay only for the palace rooms: €28 for the State Apartments, up to €38 for the summer Palace Ticket. |
| Book the Kunsthistorisches Museum at the desk | It's €22 online against €24 on site, so book ahead and use the card for the tram ride to the Ringstrasse. |
| Buy it for one day of walking | Vienna's centre is compact. Only buy it if you'll ride to Schönbrunn, the Prater or the Belvedere. |
| Forget to show it for discounts | Ask for the City Card discount at ticket desks, cafés and shops. |
| Head to Schönbrunn Palace without checking how busy it is | Check Schönbrunn Palace's live crowd level on beatthecrowd.co first. If it's busy, do another Vienna sight on your pass and come back later. |
Before you set off for Schönbrunn Palace, check how busy it is right now on beatthecrowd.co. An hour in a queue is an hour of your pass gone.
Check live crowds in Vienna →Who The Vienna City Card is for
Good fit
- You'll ride the U-Bahn and trams between Schönbrunn, the Ring and the Prater
- You want small savings on sights you'd visit anyway
- A slow 2-3 day trip with only one or two paid sights a day
Skip it if
- You want free entry: the Vienna PASS has it
- You'll walk everywhere inside the Ring
- Under-19s heading to the big museums: the Kunsthistorisches Museum is free for them
- 24, 48 or 72 hours
- Unlimited transport
- Discounts at 200+ places
What the pass covers
The card gives unlimited public transport and discounts at 200+ sights, shops and restaurants.
- Schönbrunn is discounted, not free. You still pay most of the €28-38 palace ticket.
- Vienna's best-known church costs nothing to enter. St Stephen's is free; the €25 extras are optional.
- Work out your rides first. If you'd buy several single tickets a day anyway, the card's transport covers the price and the discounts are extra.
The big sights
- Schönbrunn PalaceExtra costDiscounted, not free (€28-38 full price).
- Kunsthistorisches MuseumExtra cost€22 online, €24 on site. One of the card's headline discounts.
- Schönbrunn ZooExtra costOne of the card's headline discounts.
- BelvedereExtra costDiscounted with the card; buying online also skips the ticket office.
- Giant Ferris Wheel (Prater)Extra costAbout €14.50; 7% off with the card.
- St Stephen's CathedralNot includedFree to enter; towers, catacombs and audio guide €25.
- Prater Giant Ferris WheelExtra cost€1 off with the card (about 7%).
- BelvedereExtra cost€1.50 off a single ticket, €2.50 off the 2-in-1 ticket.
- AlbertinaExtra cost€2 off with the card (about 10%).
- 24, 48 or 72 hours
- Unlimited transport
- Discounts at 200+ places
Pass vs individual tickets
Compare the card with the single transport tickets you'd buy. If transport alone costs about the same, the discounts are a free bonus.
- 24, 48 or 72 hours
- Unlimited transport
- Discounts at 200+ places
Fine print
- Transport
- All public transport in the city.
- Discounts
- At sights, shops and restaurants; valid for the card's discount period.
- Refunds
- Refund rules depend on where you buy it: the official shop and resellers like GetYourGuide set their own cancellation terms, so check them before you pay.
Is it safe? Where people lose money
- Reassuring: The Vienna City Card is Vienna's official tourist ticket.
- Reassuring: Refunds: Refund rules depend on where you buy it: the official shop and resellers like GetYourGuide set their own cancellation terms, so check them before you pay.
- Watch out: Discounts only: no free entry.
Where people lose money
| Don't | Do this instead |
|---|---|
| Expect free entry to Schönbrunn | It's a discount, not free entry. |
| Buy the hop-on hop-off add-on and ride trams too | Pick one; the trams cover the same ground. |
| Queue at Schönbrunn Palace at peak time | Check beatthecrowd.co for Schönbrunn Palace's quiet hours before you go. |
Queuing is the easiest way to lose value in Vienna. Check which sights are quiet right now on beatthecrowd.co, starting with Schönbrunn Palace.
Check live crowds in Vienna →- 24, 48 or 72 hours
- Unlimited transport
- Discounts at 200+ places
Alternatives
Planning your order and avoiding queues is the simplest way to get full value: see how busy Vienna’s attractions are right now →
- 24, 48 or 72 hours
- Unlimited transport
- Discounts at 200+ places
FAQs
Does the Vienna City Card give free entry to sights?
+
No, it gives discounts. Its main value is public transport.
Vienna City Card or Vienna PASS?
+
For transport, the City Card. For free entry to Schönbrunn and dozens of sights on packed days, the Vienna PASS.
Does the Vienna City Card include Schönbrunn Palace?
+
It gives a discount, not free entry. The palace is €28 for the State Apartments and up to €38 for the summer Palace Ticket at full price.
What lengths does the Vienna City Card come in?
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24, 48 or 72 hours of unlimited public transport, with the discounts on top.
Does the Vienna City Card include the airport?
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Not the basic card. The City Card + Airport Transfer version adds the airport ride: €41 for 24 hours, €53 for 48, €59 for 72 or €61 for 7 days, against €19, €31, €37 and €39 without it.
How long does it last?
+
24, 48 or 72 hours of transport, with discounts.