Vienna Tours Self Guided: How To Explore Vienna On Your Own

Vienna Tours Self Guided. If you are not into guided tours, even self guided trips are easy to do in Wien. As a matter of fact, Vienna is compact, well structured, not overcrowded and has one of the best public transport systems in Europe. On top, you will connect to the city on a truly local level as you will move around the same way as many of us do: by tram, on foot and by bike. 

Vienna Ringtram

Vienna Tours Self Guided. For a great first orientation of the city tour the Ring boulevard (Ringstrasse) by the yellow Vienna Ringtram. This is the only tramway covering the whole Ring. The 25 minutes trip includes an overview about the attractions on your way through videos on LCD screens and audiophones in multiple languages in the carriages. In addition, the tour is also great value for money. The tramway starts and stops at central Schwedenplatz at 10 min walk from St. Stephen’s Cathedral. 

Hours of operation: daily, between 10.00 am and 5.30 pm
Tickets: EUR 12 per tour (EUR 6 for children between 6 and 15 years); a Ringtram ride is also included in the VIENNA PASS

Other Vienna Trams With Scenic Routes

Vienna Tours Self Guided. A few local tramways tick off a lot of landmarks, too. The No 1 tram between Karlsplatz and Vienna Prater covers parts of Ringstrasse boulevard, passing the Vienna State Opera, the Austrian Parliament and Vienna City Hall. It tours through the residential ninth district before crossing the Danube Canal towards the Prater.

My favourite scenic tramway is the ‘D-Wagen‘: Get in at Belvedere Castle, then pass Schwarzenbergplatz and onto Ringstrasse boulevard with the State Opera, Austrian Parliament, Vienna City Hall, and through the ninth district up to the local wineries and vineyards of Grinzing.

To get a flavor of Vienna’s top central neighborhoods, just board tramway no 5, possible just after visiting Prater and he Giant Ferris wheel. Starting from Praterstern, you will cruise along the former Jewish quarter of Leopoldstadt and Alsergrund district before passing Josefstadt, Vienna’s ‘beletage’. Continue along trendy Neubau district before stopping at Westbahnhof train station, where busy Mariahilfer Strasse shopping high street starts.

Self Guided Walks

Self guided walks through Vienna can be easy and pleasant if you have an idea where to go. Because there are no landmarks to tick off picture-book squares, quirky coffeehouses and vintage stores will move to center stage. Don’t just feel restricted to the historic center. Especially neighborhoods such as Spittelberg, Mariahilf and Neubau with their independent shops, cafes and museums lend themselves to explorations of Viennese lifestyle. For example this baroque courtyard of a landmarked house at Ulrichsplatz in Neubau.

For practical guidance ind inspiration I have collected a range of my favourite local walks, including mapped out walking routes – just access them in Vienna Walks.

Rent A Bike

Vienna Tours Self Guided. Renting a bike with a bike rental firm gives you all the freedom to explore Vienna on your own. Vienna is largely flat and its network of bike paths covers more than 1,050 kilometres.

City Bikes

Vienna Tours Self Guided. You can rent city bikes or premium bikes (with front suspension and 21 gears) from a local bike rental firm and tour operator. In general, Vienna’s city bike scheme is very developed and you pre-register as a city bike customer easily using the Wien Mobil app.

As for bicycles from a bike rental firm, they usually come with a bicycle map and a personalised itinerary. The premium bikes can also be delivered to your hotel upon request for EUR 5 per bike. City bikes can be rented for EUR 12 a day (until 7pm). The premium bikes are EUR 18 for the same period. Helmets, bike bags and child seats are costed separately.
Contact info

Electric Bikes

Vienna Tours Self Guided. Bike rental firm enzovelo offers high quality city and tour bikes as well as electric bikes. You can rent international top brands such as Flyer, koga miyata, maxcycles, and Raleigh.
T: 0043 (1) 310 05 45
E: office@enzovelo.at

Rent A Vienna City Bike

Vienna Tours Self Guided. Rent a Citybike like the locals for your self guided Vienna tour. Vienna’s City Bike system has more than 80 bike stations which can be used 24/7 every day of the year. While the locals need to register to be able to rent a bike, visitors can borrow a Citybike Tourist Card for EUR 2 per day and per bike, and then pay an hourly fee between EUR 1 and EUR 4, whereby the first hour is free.

While the Citybike is a low cost option, it does not include accessories like helmets, rain ponchos or children’s bike seats. There is also no delivery service to your hotel, or bike maps included.

Click here for a map of city bike stations in the centre.

Ask your hotel or Bed and Breakfast whether you can borrow the Citybike Tourist Card. Alternatively, go to tour operator Royal Tours.

Location: Herrengasse 1-3, A-1010 Vienna (close to Cafe Central)

Opening hours: daily from 8am to 11.30am and 1pm to 6pm

To get your very own itinerary for truly informed self explorations of Vienna find out about Vienna Unwrapped’s individual trip planning service.
compare these self-guided tour options with guided Vienna Tours
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