I Tried the Vienna City Card Twice: Here’s My Honest Review
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During one of my previous visits to Vienna, I bought the Vienna City Card as I planned to see a lot while I was there. And if I’m being completely honest with you, I was disappointed. While buying the card was easy (you can do so digitally), I didn’t feel like I got the value for money I was looking for.
However, I was willing to give it another chance. On that particular trip to the Austrian capital, I was there with others. So, I naturally didn’t fit everything I wanted to do in my schedule anyway. I was the only one who purchased the card, too—and since we were there for other reasons, trying to convince people to join would’ve been a hard sell.
Three years later, though, I went to Vienna on a solo trip. I was still curious to see whether the Vienna City Card would be worth it, and I therefore purchased it again. With two tries to use it effectively now done, I figured it would be a good time to put together this honest review.
Today, I’ll discuss how I used the Vienna City Card. I will talk about it from the perspective of my second trip with it, since I made note of everything I did and the amount I saved. You’ll also discover whether it’s worth getting for your specific needs, and if it isn’t, I will give you some alternatives to help you plan your trip more effectively.
I paid for the Vienna City Card with my own money; all views are my own.
First Thing’s First: What’s Included in the Vienna City Card?
The Vienna City Card lets you ride on public transport in the Austrian capital as much as you want, for as long as the card is valid. The only exception is the train to and from the airport, but this only costs €5.50 anyway.
In addition to that, you can get discounts on many of the city’s main attractions. These include the Donau Tower, the Wiener Riesenrad ferris wheel, and KunstHaus Wien / Museum Hundertwasser. It does not, however, include access to St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
You’ll also get discounts at selected restaurants and certain tours, along with some hotels in the city. The Vienna City Card offers a selection of shopping discounts, too. Percentages vary depending on the activities you choose.
One Thing Worth Noting: The Vienna City Card is different from the Vienna PASS. While you can get discounted access to attractions with the Vienna City Card, the Vienna PASS offers free entry to multiple places throughout the city.
How I Used the Vienna City Card
During my second trip with the Vienna City Card, I used a 72-hour pass. This cost me €37. Below is a summary of how I used it, along with the amount of money I saved in comparison.
| Activity | Price | Original Price | Amount Saved |
| 9 x public transport journeys | Included in the pass | €25.20 (a 7-day Vienna public transport pass cost this much; otherwise, single-journey tickets cost €3) | €25.20 if I had bought a public transport pass |
| Architekturzentrum Wien admission ticket | €9 | €12 | €3 |
| Wiener Riesenrad single-ride ticket | €13.50 | €14.50 | €1 |
| KunstHaus Wien / Museum Hundertwasser entry ticket | €10.50 | €16.00 | €5.50 |
| Lower Belvedere admission ticket | €18.50 | €20 | €1.50 |
| Dinner at Hollerei (including tip) | €40.22 | €46.70 | €6.48 |
TOTAL SAVED COMPARED TO THE FULL PRICE: €42.68
As you can see, I made marginal savings compared to how much I spent on the Vienna City Card. Bear in mind that I took public transport more than the average person, though, since I stayed at Superbude Wien Prater. As a side note, I really recommend the hotel—but you will need to take public transport to reach many of Vienna’s main tourist sights.
I was pretty happy, for what it’s worth, with most of the places I spent my Vienna City Card. The only exception was Lower Belvedere, which I did not think was worth my time. I went there as a last-minute idea, but it felt very underwhelming to me. Even without going there, I would have made some savings.
I should also point out that I did *a lot* of exploring on this trip. I was in the city for three nights, but only two full days. I walked over 35,000 steps on one of those days and 22,000 on the other. I also saw a lot of the main sights and some off the beaten path.
I actually had more places on my list, but I simply didn’t have the time to visit them. We could therefore argue that I could’ve saved more if I had taken public transport and gone to a few extra museums. However, the truth is that going to lots of places gets exhausting—especially if you’re consuming information when you’re there.
I Have Mixed Feelings About the Vienna City Card, to be Honest
I said earlier that I felt like I didn’t really like the Vienna City Card when I first used it. And if I’m truthful, I still didn’t feel like it was worth the money when I used it the second time.
I know that I made some savings, but I wouldn’t say that it was an astronomical amount. I guess that €45.95 would’ve been enough to have a nice extra meal, but I don’t think it’s particularly noticeable unless you’re visiting on a very tight budget. That’s just my opinion, though.
First, the Downsides…
My main gripe is that you only get discounts, not free admission. This is more of a personal preference, but I’m not the biggest fan of city cards that only offer discounts. I’d rather just pay for a single pass up front and not have to worry about making further transactions. The discounts for hotels were definitely an advantage, though, and I’d imagine that I would have gotten more value if I had used it for one of these.
Worth Noting: If you want free admission rather than discounts, you’re better off getting the Vienna PASS instead. It includes free entry to several attractions in the city, including the rooms at Schönbrunn Palace. You can get the Vienna PASS here.
Some of the discounts also didn’t feel very worthwhile to me. Attractions in Vienna are generally expensive, and when I got a small discount, I didn’t feel like it made a major difference. Again, my thoughts might have been different if I had visited more expensive attractions and a couple of other museums. Some were nice, in fairness, such as the discount I got at KunstHaus Wien.
By the end of the trip, however, I felt like I was trying to force the card’s value. When I say that, I mean that I was looking for places to visit just to potentially get a bigger discount. I don’t think there’s any point going somewhere you don’t 100% want to, and I’d say that it disrupted the flow of my trip a bit.
That Said, There Are Some Positives to Using the Card
Despite me not really liking the Vienna City Card, I wouldn’t say that I truly dislike it. I do think it had some positives, and it might be worth getting for some travelers. First and foremost, the Vienna City Card is very easy to use.
I have bought the card from within the WienMobil app and from third-party platforms. In both cases, I didn’t have too many issues using it. Each time I went to an attraction, I simply showed my digital pass. Then, the person at the ticket office (or the waiter, in the case of the restaurant I went to) added the discount.
When ticket inspectors came onto the Metro, I simply showed them my public transport ticket within the Vienna City Card. It was very efficient, so no complaints from me in that respect.
I also thought that the customer support team was very helpful. On my second trip using the card, I had an issue redeeming the code. It didn’t appear on my ticket, so I needed to contact the team. This was in the morning, so I luckily only had to wait a short time before the office opened and I got a response. I then quickly received the code and could use the card. I was told that this was due to a technical issue, so hopefully, it has now been resolved.
Although I didn’t enjoy feeling like I was forcing the card in some instances, I do like how the Vienna City Card allowed for more spontaneity. If I felt like visiting a museum, I knew I could at least get a discount when I was there. Having said that, I could have done this with the Vienna PASS.
Alternative Ways to See Vienna That I Recommend
If you’re only planning to visit a couple of attractions, I think that you’re much better off buying individual admission. I had no problems getting tickets from the counter at most places. For more popular attractions, such as Upper Belvedere, you can book your tickets online before you visit.
The amount that you’ll use public transport in Vienna largely depends on where you stay. If you’re staying close to Wien Hauptbahnhof or in Leopoldstadt / Donaustadt, you’ll probably use the tram, Metro, bus, or train more than you would if you’re staying near the Ringstraße. I would recommend buying a public transport pass in the WienMobil app if you don’t plan to visit multiple attractions, but you do intend to use public transport a lot. Otherwise, you can just get single-journey tickets.
If you plan to visit multiple expensive attractions on a short weekend trip *and* use public transport a lot, I think that you will—in most cases—be better off buying the Vienna PASS and then also getting a separate public transit pass for traveling around the city. This will, however, depend on what you’re planning to visit. For example, tickets to the rooms at Schönbrunn Palace are pretty expensive. You can buy the Vienna PASS here and then get public transport tickets / passes in the WienMobil app.
Is There Anyone for Whom I Would Recommend the Vienna City Card For?
Before getting the Vienna City Card, I recommend that you at least have an idea of what you want to visit. If you plan to visit lots of paid attractions (along with using public transit a lot) and you’re visiting on a budget, the money you save from the card can be useful. As a side note, you can figure out how much you should expect to spend in Vienna in my three-night trip spending breakdown article.
I also think that my opinions on the Vienna City Card would be more favorable if I had spent longer in the city. The 7-day pass would’ve cost €2 more, for example, and I undoubtedly would have used public transport a lot more during the course of a week. Moreover, I am sure that the discounts from the hotels would also have added up.
In my opinion, the Vienna City Card can be a nice middle ground. It’s probably ideal if you’re going to visit more paid attractions than the average person, but not so many that you can justify paying for the Vienna PASS. You might also find it useful if you plan to actually visit some of the restaurants, shops, etc. that are included alongside tourist attractions.
The Vienna City Card Isn’t for Everyone
I won’t blindly say that I think the Vienna City Card is worth buying for everyone, because I don’t think that it’ll represent good value for money for all visitors. If you’re only planning to visit a couple of places, and you won’t use public transport that much, I feel like you probably won’t get the most value out of it. This is particularly true if you’re only in Vienna for a few days.
Similarly, I think that you’re better off buying the Vienna PASS if you plan to visit lots of attractions. This is especially true if you’re going to visit some of the more expensive ones. You can then either buy single-journey public transport tickets or get a separate public transit pass.
At the same time, I think that the Vienna City Card can be worth it if you’re in Vienna for an extended period of time. Your savings will likely add up more if you space your attractions over 5-7 days, especially since you won’t feel the overwhelm of trying to cram everything in. It can also be a good middle ground if you’re going to visit 5+ attractions and will also use public transport extensively. Similarly, you will probably find the savings more beneficial if you have a smaller budget.
Now that you’ve read this guide, you should have a better idea of whether the Vienna City Card is worth buying for your individual needs. To plan your trip further, I recommend next reading my recommendations for the best things to do in Vienna—which I’ve put together based on multiple visits.
