AUSTRIA - Best of Europe 2014 - page 18

• 8-day “Climate Ticket” (Acht-Tage-Klimakarte, €34, can be shared—for example, four
people for two days each). With a per-person cost of €4.24/day (compared to €6.70/day
for a 24-hour pass), this can be a real saver for groups.
Kids under 15 travel free on Sundays and holidays; kids under 6 always travel free.
Stamp a time on your ticket as you enter the Metro system, tram, or bus (stamp it only
thefirsttimeforamultiple-usepass).Cheaterspayastiff€70fine,plusthecostoftheticket.
Rookies miss stops because they fail to open the door. Push buttons, pull latches—do
whatever it takes. Before you exit a U-Bahn station, study the wall-mounted street map.
Choosing the right exit—signposted from the moment you step off the train—saves lots of
walking.
Cute little electric buses wind through the tangled old center (from Schottentor to
Stubentor). Bus #1A is best for a joyride—hop on and see where it takes you.
By Car: Vienna's comfortable, civilized, and easy-to-flag-down taxis start at €2.50.
You'll pay about €10 to go from the Opera to the Westbahnhof. Pay only what's on the
meter—any surcharges (other than the €2 fee for calling a cab or €11 fee for the airport) are
just crude cabbie rip-offs. Rates are legitimately higher at night.
Consider the luxury of having your own car and driver. Johann (a.k.a. John) Lichtl is a
kind, honest, English-speaking cabbie who can take up to four passengers in his car (€27/1
hour,€22/hourfor2hoursormore,€27toorfromairport,mobile[phone]).Consider
hiring gentle Johann for a day trip to the Danube Valley (€160, up to 8 hours) or to drive
you to Salzburg with Danube sightseeing en route (€350, up to 14 hours; other trips can be
arranged). These special prices are valid with this topic in 2014.
By Bike: With more than 600 miles of bike lanes, Vienna is a great city on two wheels.
With the inability of any single party to get a clear majority, Vienna's government is ruled
by a coalition—that gives the Green Party more clout than it might otherwise have. Conse-
quently, life is good for the city's bikers; for one thing, bikes ride the U-Bahn for free (but
they aren't allowed during weekday rush hours).
The bike path along the Ring is wonderfully entertaining—you'll enjoy the shady park-
like ambience of the boulevard while rolling by many of the city's top sights. Besides the
Ring, your best sightseeing by bike is through Stadtpark (City Park), across Danube Island,
and out to the modern Donau City business district (for more on biking on Danube Island
and to Donau City, see here ) . These routes are easy to follow on the free tourist city map
available from the TI.
Borrowing a Free/Cheap Bike: Citybike Wien lets you borrow bikes from public
racksallovertown(tolltel.0810-500-500, www.citybikewien.at ).Thethree-speedbikesare
heavy and clunky—and come with a basket, built-in lock, and ads on the side—but they're
perfect for a short, practical joyride in the center (such as around the Ringstrasse).