Austria Travel Guide

Austria's public transport system is fast, efficient and, all things considered, relatively cheap. Train and bus routes tend to be fully integrated, complementing each other rather than competing. You can reach most areas of the country by public transport, although rural villages may only be served by one bus per day, or just a couple per week. Getting around on Sundays and public holidays can be problematic: train services are reduced and many rural bus services cease altogether.

Most parts of Austria - including the big cities - operate a zonal travelcard ( Zeitkarte or Netzkarte ) system covering all forms of public transport in that particular area. Ticket durations and prices vary considerably from one place to another, and depend on how many zones in a particular region they cover, but it's safe to assume that, if you're staying in one area and are planning to explore the outlying region by a combination of rail and bus, then it will be much cheaper to buy a 24-hour ticket ( Tageskarte ) or seven-day ticket ( Wochenkarte ) for the relevant zone than to buy tickets for each individual journey. Travelcards of longer duration (a month-long season ticket is a Monatskarte ) are also available in most regions. Travelcards can be bought from both train and bus stations, and often from tourist offices, too. A 24-hour pass for the whole of the Vorarlberg, for example, costs öS160/€11.68), and a seven-day pass öS310/€22.63. There are also (cheaper) passes for specific regions within the Vorarlberg, and reductions for children and over-60s.