Ticketing around Vienna

[AdamWW]

Can someone help me to understand ticketing around Vienna? I was expecting it to be zone based but I'm not sure that it is.

It's fairly clear that there's a "core zone" for Vienna itself with 24-hour tickets etc. available.

But if I go further afield within the VOR area are fares just point to point rather than being zone based? I.e. for a single ticket between points A and B I can use any combination of transport that the travel planner suggests between A and B?

And if I already have a core zone 24 hour ticket presumably in that case I just need a ticket from the last station in the core zone?

That's how it seems from what I've read, but I'm not sure enough that I've understood it correctly. I'm sure that when I travelled around Innsbruck a few years ago everything was zone based so I was expecting something similar.

One thing I do know (I think) is that - unlike Germany - I can use (almost) any train, not just regional ones (but not the expensive airport train) with a VOR ticket. (And before someone says it, also not reservation compulsory ones like overnight trains...or open access services).

 

[johncrossley]

Can someone help me to understand ticketing around Vienna? I was expecting it to be zone based but I'm not sure that it is.

It's fairly clear that there's a "core zone" for Vienna itself with 24-hour tickets etc. available.

But if I go further afield within the VOR area are fares just point to point rather than being zone based? I.e. for a single ticket between points A and B I can use any combination of transport that the travel planner suggests between A and B?

Sadly, this is true. They changed it a few years ago. I asked a similar question before:

OBB tickets

I am going to Seefeld next week and want to buy a ticket to Rattenberg (also in the Tirol with a simple change at Innsbruck). When I look at the OBB website the ticket options seem to want to specify specific trains there and back. I certainly cannot specify the return journey times as we (two...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[AdamWW]

Sadly, this is true. They changed it a few years ago. I asked a similar question before:

OBB tickets

I am going to Seefeld next week and want to buy a ticket to Rattenberg (also in the Tirol with a simple change at Innsbruck). When I look at the OBB website the ticket options seem to want to specify specific trains there and back. I certainly cannot specify the return journey times as we (two...

www.railforums.co.uk

Ah thanks.

This forum is extremely useful!

 

[P Binnersley]

There are VOR Freiziet tickets for unlimited travel in the VOR area on Saturdays, Sundays or Holidays; and VOR Wochenend tickets for weekends (valid 12:00 Friday to 23:59 Sunday).

These are available both excluding Vienna and, as "Plus" tickets with Vienna.

 

[Belperpete]

And if I already have a core zone 24 hour ticket presumably in that case I just need a ticket from the last station in the core zone?

You buy a ticket from Wien Kernzone. It is a bit like a London Zone Boundary ticket. As I recall, on the journey planner you select the station you intend travelling from, then in the pull-down list of possible discounts, you specify that you have a Wien Kernzone ticket. There are two such options on the menu, both seem to give the same fare, but I think one is for residents only.

As well as ordinary singles, you can generally buy 24 hour tickets between stations, which as I understand it allow 24 hour unlimited travel between those stations and any stops en route. As I recall, the oebb journey planner will usually just show the ordinary single fare, you need to select the "all tickets" option to see such tickets. The other thing I recall is that these 24 hour tickets are only available within canton (?) boundaries.

Last year I made a trip from Vienna over the Semmering Pass, stopping off at Payerbach (to visit the Hollentalhban), Semmering, and Murzzuschlag (for the Sudbahn museum). I used a 24 hour ticket between Wien Kernzone and Semmering, and a 24 hour ticket between Semmering and Murzzuschlag. There was no 24 hour ticket between Wien and Murzzuschlag, as that crosses the canton boundary at Semmering.

The 24 hour ticket is very marginally cheaper than two singles, but it allows complete freedom of travel. The downside is that you don't get any reservations. While you are allowed to travel on most long distance trains, you may struggle to get a seat without a reservation. Most legs of my trip were done on local trains.

I would thoroughly recommend the Hollentalhban, but you really need to travel on one of the trains that includes both tours. The Hollentalhban and the Mariazellerbahn are two of my "must sees" every time I go to Vienna. Although the Mariazellerbahn is operated by a separate company that was set up to save some of the Austrian narrow gauge lines, you can still get a through ticket from Vienna.

 

[AdamWW]

You buy a ticket from Wien Kernzone. It is a bit like a London Zone Boundary ticket. As I recall, on the journey planner you select the station you intend travelling from, then in the pull-down list of possible discounts, you specify that you have a Wien Kernzone ticket. There are two such options on the menu, both seem to give the same fare, but I think one is for residents only.

I had another play around (I forget which travel planner I used) and it just let me use "Kernzone" as a start or end station.

The 24 hour ticket is very marginally cheaper than two singles, but it allows complete freedom of travel. The downside is that you don't get any reservations. While you are allowed to travel on most long distance trains, you may struggle to get a seat without a reservation. Most legs of my trip were done on local trains.

A reservation may not be offered, but presumably there would be nothing preventing someone from making a reservation as a separate transaction.

 

[Belperpete]

A reservation may not be offered, but presumably there would be nothing preventing someone from making a reservation as a separate transaction.

I may be wrong, but doesn't that generate a charge? Whereas if you book a ticket, the reservation comes free. So if you know in advance what trains you intend travelling on, you are probably better off buying tickets for those trains.

 

[AdamWW]

I may be wrong, but doesn't that generate a charge? Whereas if you book a ticket, the reservation comes free. So if you know in advance what trains you intend travelling on, you are probably better off buying tickets for those trains.

Yes there is a charge (3 Euros?) but I wasn't aware that ÖBB reservations were normally free with a ticket purchase.

 

[rvdborgt]

Yes there is a charge (3 Euros?) but I wasn't aware that ÖBB reservations were normally free with a ticket purchase.

They're only free of charge if you buy a 1st class ticket.