Vienna Pass in 2026: when it pays off and what to replace City Card with

The old comparison of Vienna cards no longer works. Starting January 1, 2026, Wiener Linien removed the 48-hour and 72-hour passes, and the single ticket went up to €3.20 (as of 09/2026, MeinBezirk on the new fares). Along with the fare structure, the logic of choosing between the Vienna Pass and the Vienna City Card has also changed.

The Vienna Pass still starts at €109 and gives you entry to attractions like Schönbrunn and the Albertina (as of 09/2026, WienTourismus). With the City Card, the situation is murkier, and we honestly break down what is known about it. Below you'll find the new transit fares, a simple payback formula, and three sample itineraries with calculations.

Ad: this article contains affiliate links, we earn a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.

What changed in Vienna in 2026

💡 In short:

• Wiener Linien no longer offers 48-hour and 72-hour passes; the single ticket, 24-hour, and 7-day options remain.
• The Vienna Pass starts at €109, is valid for 1, 2, 3, or 6 days, and does not include city transit.
• The Vienna City Card is listed on the Wiener Linien website only in 24-hour and 7-day versions, from €19, but media reported that sales had been discontinued.
• Calculate payback based on your own itinerary: the sum of entry tickets plus transit versus the card price.
• Prices and terms: 09/2026, verified on the official Wiener Linien website and the WienTourismus website.

© Andrzej Otrębski · CC BY-SAPhoto: Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

The main change concerns transit. Previously, a tourist on a weekend trip could get by with a 48-hour or 72-hour pass, and the City Card was built around the same durations. Now Wiener Linien has kept a short set of ticket options, and the Wiener Stadtwerke group itself reports the cancellation of the two passes. For a two- or three-day trip, you'll have to combine 24-hour tickets or buy a weekly pass.

The second change concerns digital tickets. According to Wiener Stadtwerke, single rides and short-term passes cost less in digital form than paper ones (description of the new fare structure). The difference is small, but over a week of travel it adds up. So it's worth installing the app before you leave home.

The third change concerns the discount cards themselves. The Vienna Pass has kept its previous model, while the City Card's status is unclear. More on that below, in a separate section.

Vienna Pass in 2026: what's included and how much it costs

The Vienna Pass works like a subscription to museums and palaces. You pay once, and at the entrance you show the pass instead of a ticket. According to the Vienna tourist office, the pass gives entry to up to 90 attractions and is sold for 1, 2, 3, or 6 days (as of 09/2026, Vienna Pass page on wien.info).

The list includes Schönbrunn, Albertina, Leopold Museum, Hofburg, Kunsthistorisches Museum, and Naturhistorisches Museum. Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing buses are also included. Public transit is not included in the pass, so you buy metro tickets and tram tickets separately. This is the item that most often breaks the math, so keep it in mind from the start.

Prices start at 109 € for a one-day pass (as of 09/2026, Vienna tourist office about the pass). Prices for 2, 3, and 6 days are higher, and the exact pricing is shown only in the store on the Vienna Pass website. The store changes prices and promotions, so we don't list amounts for longer durations. Before buying, open the cart and check the total for your dates.

For families, the child policy changes the entire calculation. A child aged 6 to 18 gets the pass at half price, and a child under 6 goes free with an adult (terms on wien.info). But many museums have their own child discounts, and they can be more generous. For example, visitors under 19 enter Albertina free (as of 09/2026, Albertina prices). That means a child pass pays off primarily at palaces and attractions.

The list of participants changes. Not every Vienna museum is part of the program, and at some locations you'll get a separate ticket at the counter even when entry is included. Before your trip, check the list on the pass website and mark only the places you'll definitely visit.

What happened to Vienna City Card

Here we can't give a definitive answer, and it's better to say so directly. Sources in 2026 contradict each other. Check the card's status on its official website viennacitycard.at. Below is only data with a date and a source link.

The first source says it was discontinued. The Viennese outlet MeinBezirk wrote in its 2026 fare overview that Vienna City Card was no longer sold at Wiener Linien starting January 2026 (MeinBezirk article).

The second source says the opposite. On the Vienna City Card page at Wiener Linien in 09/2026, the card is described as an active product: price "ab 19,00" EUR, valid for 24 hours or 7 days, start date chosen freely. The card is personal, cannot be transferred, and one child under 15 or a dog rides free with the cardholder. The 7-day version is marked there as available online only.

According to the same page, the card gives unlimited travel in Vienna's core zone and discounts at museums, theaters, concerts, shops, cafes, restaurants, and heurigers. It should be sold at WienMobil TicketShop, Wiener Linien ticket offices, hotels, the tourist office on Albertinaplatz, the airport, and VOR stations (as of 09/2026, Wiener Linien). There is no 48- or 72-hour card on this page.

What does this mean for you in practice? If City Card is available in the WienMobil app on the day of your trip, you buy a 24-hour or 7-day transit pass with discounts as a bonus. If the card isn't available, you only lose the discounts, and regular Wiener Linien tickets cover your transit. City Card discounts were never large, so you shouldn't build your decision around it.

Wiener Linien fares: new 2026 prices

Vienna transit is now easier to calculate because there are fewer ticket types. The table below shows prices effective January 1, 2026. Paper tickets and digital tickets in the app cost different amounts, and we show both prices.

As of 09/2026, MeinBezirk on Wiener Linien 2026 fares; the discontinuation of 48- and 72-hour tickets is confirmed by Wiener Stadtwerke.

A simple rule follows from the table. Two digital 24-hour tickets cost 19.40 €, three cost 29.10 €, and a digital 7-day ticket costs 25.20 € (2026 fares in MeinBezirk). Starting at three days in the city, the weekly ticket is the better deal. If you are staying for three days or more, get the 7-day ticket and stop thinking about hours.

For a single day, it all depends on how many rides you take. A digital 24-hour ticket costs about the same as three and a bit single rides in the app. If you go to Schönbrunn, come back to the center, and head out to a restaurant in the evening, the day pass already pays off. If you are walking around inside the Ring, single tickets may be enough.

The airport is not part of Vienna's core zone. To get from the airport into the city you need a separate ticket with an outer-zone supplement, and tourist passes usually do not cover this trip. Check your route in the WienMobil app before you fly so you are not buying a ticket at the machine in a rush.

© Paul Korecky · CC BY-SAPhoto: Paul Korecky, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), Wikimedia Commons

How to replace the City Card: three workable options

If the City Card isn't on sale, you lose almost nothing. Its core was always the transit pass, with discounts as a small bonus. The replacement comes together from three straightforward options, each suited to a different pace of travel.

Option 1: digital transit pass and tickets from your list

This is the most flexible option for most trips. You get a digital 24-hour or 7-day ticket in the WienMobil app at the rates from the table above (MeinBezirk). You buy entry tickets only for the places you actually plan to visit. That way you don't overpay for attractions you won't reach.

For palaces and major museums in high season, it's better to book a timed entry ticket. The ticket line at Schönbrunn can be long in summer, and that's time you could have spent in the park. Timed tickets are easy to book in one place: Vienna tickets and tours on GetYourGuide.

Option 2: Vienna Pass plus a transit pass

This option is for a packed cultural itinerary. The pass covers admissions and Hop-On Hop-Off buses, and you add transport with a digital Wiener Linien ticket. On top of the pass price from 109 €, add transit: 9.70 € for one day, 25.20 € for a week (2026 fares, pass price on wien.info). If you use the sightseeing bus a lot, you may only need the city transit pass in the evening.

Option 3: City card or EasyCityPass, if they're on sale

On the Wiener Linien page in 09/2026, next to the City Card from 19 €, EasyCityPass and QueerCityPass are listed from 17.90 € (City Card page at Wiener Linien). Keep the same caveat as for the City Card: according to media reports, some of these products were pulled from sale starting in 2026. Open the WienMobil TicketShop before your trip and check that the purchase is actually available. Compare the price with a regular ticket for the same period: the difference should be made up by the discounts.

How to calculate whether it pays off: a simple formula

Any discount card pays off only on your itinerary, not in the advertising. Do the math in three steps, and five minutes with your phone will be enough. Take entry ticket prices from the official websites of the attractions, not from secondhand summaries.

© C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SAPhoto: C.Stadler/Bwag, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

• List the attractions you'll definitely visit and add up the full ticket prices for each traveler.
• Add transport for the whole period at the rates from the table above (fare overview in MeinBezirk).
• Compare the total with the pass price for the same period plus the same transit. The pass is worth it if the ticket total is higher than the pass price.

Transport is needed in both scenarios, so it barely affects the comparison. Only entry tickets decide. That gives a quick benchmark for one adult for one day: a pass from 109 € pays off when your admissions for that day cost more than 109 € (as of 09/2026, WienTourismus on the pass price).

Don't forget about time. A pass can save you a queue, but it doesn't add hours to the day. A realistic tourist pace in Vienna is two major attractions and one smaller one per day. If your list is longer, you simply won't have time to use it.

And factor in discounts you already have. Many museums offer their own reduced rates for young visitors, students, and seniors. At the Albertina, for example, a ticket for visitors under 26 and over 65 costs 17.50 € instead of 20.90 € (as of 09/2026, tickets on the Albertina website). With discounts like these, the break-even threshold for the pass goes up for you.

Route 1: one packed day with palaces

The first sample route is designed for one adult and one day. In the morning you go to Schönbrunn for the grand palace tour, at midday you return to the center to the Hofburg with the Imperial Apartments, and after lunch you head to the Albertina. Between stops you use the Hop-On Hop-Off bus or the metro.

Let's calculate what can be verified. A ticket to the Albertina costs €20.90 (as of 09/2026, Albertina), and the pass starts at €109 (as of WienTourismus). That means you need to get more than €88.10 of value from Schönbrunn, the Hofburg, and the bus for the pass to win. Check the prices for both palaces on the Schönbrunn website and the Hofburg website before your trip.

Prices: 09/2026, official Albertina museum prices, pass on the WienTourismus website, Wiener Linien prices via MeinBezirk.

Two imperial palaces and a day of sightseeing bus together cost a substantial amount, so a day like this is usually what makes the pass pay off. But there's a condition: you actually have to fit in all three sights. If you linger in the Schönbrunn gardens until lunch, the Albertina gets pushed to tomorrow, and the math falls apart. Start at Schönbrunn when it opens to keep some buffer.

For a day like this, it's easiest to look at timed tickets and tours in advance. Compare the package price in the cards below with the total from your table.

If the sum of individual tickets came out to less than €88.10 on top of the Albertina, you don't need the pass. Get a 24-hour digital ticket and pay for admissions as you go.

Route 2: two relaxed days with museums

The second route is for one adult who isn't in a hurry. On the first day you go to the Albertina and the Kunsthistorisches Museum, on the second day to the Belvedere, and in the evening you sit in a coffeehouse. There are long pauses between museums, and no sightseeing bus.

Transit here is easiest to cover with two 24-hour digital tickets for €19.40 or single rides at €3.00 each in the app (as of 09/2026, new fare structure, MeinBezirk). If you're staying in the center and walking, four single rides may be enough. That's €12.00 for two days.

Now the admissions. The Albertina costs €20.90 (Albertina 2026 rates). If the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Belvedere are in the same range, three admissions together don't even reach the price of a one-day pass from €109, let alone a two-day one. Check the Belvedere price on the museum's website and its participation in the pass program there.

The verdict for this pace is clear: you don't need the pass. You pay only for three tickets and transit, and you spend the difference on coffee and an exhibition if you feel like it. The City Card, if available, only makes sense when its discounts at your chosen museums exceed the difference compared with a regular transit pass.

Route 3: three days as a family with kids

The third route is for two adults, a 10-year-old child, and a 4-year-old child. Over three days the family wants to see Schönbrunn with the zoo, the Hofburg, the Natural History Museum, and the Albertina. The pace is relaxed; the kids get tired after lunch.

Start with the children's rules, they change everything. The Vienna Pass child terms are described above in the pass section (Vienna tourist office pass description). At the Albertina both children go free, because admission is free up to age 19 (Albertina online ticket office). So don't include the Albertina when calculating the pass for the children.

A three-day pass for the whole family is rarely justified at this pace. It's better to buy one-day passes only for the busiest day, for example Schönbrunn and the Hofburg. For two adults and a 10-year-old child that's from €272.50: two passes from €109 and a child's pass at half price (as of 09/2026, WienTourismus on the Vienna Pass). Compare that amount with the family's tickets for the same sights from the palaces' websites.

For transit, get the adults digital 7-day tickets at €25.20 each, which is cheaper than three day tickets (Wiener Linien fares from January 2026). Check child fares and free travel for little ones in the WienMobil app. On the other two days the family visits museums with individual tickets, where children already get their own discount.

Where to buy and pick up the Vienna Pass

You order the pass online from the official pass store. After that you have two options: delivery by mail or pickup in Vienna. According to WienTourismus, the pass is issued by the VIENNA SIGHTSEEING & Vienna PASS service center at Opernring 3-5, Top 17-24, 1010 Wien (pass page on wien.info). It's right in the center, next to the Vienna State Opera.

Mail delivery is not fast, so it won't work if your trip is coming up soon. It's more reliable to pick up the pass on site on your first day, on the way to your first attraction. Check the service center's opening hours on the pass website the day before: they can change during the season.

Getting to the Opera is easy. The nearest metro station is Karlsplatz; at the Oper exit you come out right on the Ring. Trams on the Ringstrasse also stop here, and sightseeing buses depart from the Opera. If you're starting your day with Hop-On Hop-Off, pick up the pass and board the bus without any extra transfers.

Before buying, check two things. First: whether the pass is counted by calendar days of use or by 24-hour periods from first entry; this is stated in the store's terms. Second: whether individual attractions require a time slot booked in advance. Both points affect how many attractions you can realistically fit in.

Transport tickets: buying and common mistakes

The most convenient way to buy a transit pass in Vienna is through the WienMobil app. A digital ticket is cheaper than a paper one; both prices are in the fare table above (MeinBezirk on transit fares). The ticket is immediately on your phone, and you don't need to look for a machine at the station.

A paper ticket also works. It's sold by machines at metro stations and Wiener Linien ticket offices. This kind of ticket must be validated in a blue machine before your first ride, otherwise it's considered invalid during inspection. A digital ticket does not need to be validated.

AIIllustrative image: AI-generated

The most common tourist mistakes in 2026 come from old habits. Here's what to check before your trip:

• Don't look for a 48- or 72-hour pass: as of 2026 it no longer exists; buy two 24-hour passes or a weekly pass instead (Wiener Stadtwerke on ticket cancellations).
• Don't assume the pass includes the metro: the Vienna Pass does not cover transport.
• Don't pick a City Card start date at random: the start date is set at purchase, and the card is personal.
• Save the purchase email and a screenshot of the ticket: if your phone dies, this helps during inspection.

If you're getting a City Card, remember the one-child rule. One child under 15 rides free with each card holder; other children need their own ticket (card terms on wienerlinien.at). Families often overlook this rule when calculating costs.

Who the Vienna Pass is for, and who it isn't

The pass is bought by people who came to Vienna for the palaces and museums and are ready to follow a packed itinerary. You show the pass at the entrance and don't waste time choosing tickets. In one day you can cover Schönbrunn, the Hofburg and one more museum, and ride the sightseeing bus between them.

The main advantage of the pass is the freedom of entry. You walk into a museum you would otherwise have skipped, because the ticket is already paid for. The catch is the price from 109 € and the lack of transport (Vienna tourist office reference). That's why the pass is chosen for a specific packed day, not just in case.

• Who it's for: a first trip to Vienna focused on palaces; families with children aged 6-18 for a day with expensive attractions; Hop-On Hop-Off fans.
• Not for: leisurely trips with one museum a day; young travelers and seniors with museum discounts; those who came for coffee houses, parks and walks.

If you like wandering without a plan, the pass will sit unused in your pocket. For that kind of trip, a digital transit pass and individual tickets to a couple of museums are enough.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

Is the Vienna City Card sold in 2026?

There is no definitive answer. MeinBezirk reported that sales would stop from January 2026, while the Wiener Linien page in 09/2026 showed the card for 24 hours or 7 days from 19 € (Wiener Linien on card rules). Check availability in the WienMobil app before your trip. If the card isn't available, get a regular digital transit pass.

How much does the Vienna Pass cost in 2026?

A one-day pass costs from 109 €; it's also sold for 2, 3 and 6 days (as of 09/2026, wien.info pass details). Prices for longer periods are shown in the store on the pass website.

Does the Vienna Pass include city transport?

No, the metro, trams, and city buses are not included in the pass. Only Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing buses are included. For a day, add a Wiener Linien digital ticket for €9.70 or a weekly one for €25.20 (as of 09/2026, MeinBezirk data on transit passes).

Which transit pass should you get in Vienna for three days?

There are no 72-hour passes as of 2026. Three digital day tickets cost €29.10, while a 7-day digital ticket costs €25.20 (as of 09/2026, 2026 transit pass prices in MeinBezirk). So for three days or more, the weekly ticket is a better deal, even if some days go unused.

When does the Vienna Pass pay off in one day?

When the full prices of your admissions for the day exceed the pass price starting at €109. Transportation doesn't affect the comparison, you need it either way. This is usually a day with Schönbrunn, the Hofburg, one more museum, and a sightseeing bus. One museum a day doesn't make the pass pay off.

Where do you pick up the Vienna Pass in Vienna?

At the VIENNA SIGHTSEEING & Vienna PASS service center at Opernring 3-5, next to the State Opera (official Vienna tourist office). You can also order the pass with mail delivery. Check the center's opening hours on the pass website the day before your visit.

In short: what's worth booking

For most trips in 2026, a Wiener Linien digital transit pass and individual tickets to selected museums will be enough. For three days or longer, get a 7-day ticket. Add the Vienna Pass only for your busiest day with palaces, if the total admission cost exceeds €109. Consider the City Card as a bonus if it's available in WienMobil.

First map out your itinerary by day, then compare the total ticket cost with the pass price. Don't buy a pass for just one attraction.

If the pass isn't right for you, book timed-entry tickets and tours in advance: choose Vienna museum tickets on GetYourGuide.