It hit me on the way to a lunch date, somewhere between Karlsplatz and Stephansplatz, in the central first district of Vienna.
This is brilliant.
That quiet, almost smug realisation that public transport in Vienna is in a completely different league to anything back in the UK.
The U-Bahn – Vienna’s underground train system – slid into the station, right on time, and not a single person was huffing about delays. I remember thinking, ‘If this were London, someone would already be apologising for the inconvenience.’
I’ve lived between the UK and Vienna for the past five years, and every time I return to Britain, the contrast smacks me in the face like a gust of diesel fumes.
Back in South London, I used to commute into the city – the Southeastern Railway from Abbey Wood to Charing Cross and then underground to Bond Street – crammed shoulder to shoulder with other weary souls on trains that somehow managed to be both late and overcrowded.
Later, when I moved to the Midlands for university, I thought it might get better. It didn’t. Trains were slower, buses rarer, and tickets so pricey you half expected a glass of champagne with your seat. I could easily part with upwards of £100 for a one way ticket to London from Wolverhampton.
I’ve largely given up on public transport in the UK and often end up hiring a car, if I haven’t driven back with my dog.
However, I must admit, I do miss the peculiar British camaraderie that appears when it all goes wrong, the banter between strangers as we collectively curse the all-too familiar disruptions.
In Vienna, there’s simply no need.
One ticket takes you anywhere within the city limits on tram, bus, U-Bahn, or train. If you’re travelling beyond the city, you can even have the price of your Vienna travel deducted from the total fare. Whoever thought of that clearly cared about passengers.
A yearly pass for residents costs €365, one euro a day for unlimited travel. Visitors can get a 48-hour pass for €14.10. Compared to the UK, where a single day’s travelcard in London can cost nearly as much.
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It’s no wonder Vienna is consistently ranked one of the world’s most liveable cities.
The Austrian capital offers a clean, calm and civilised experience, built on common sense. There’s space for bikes on both trains and the underground, and connections line up perfectly.
Even older trains and trams look immaculate. There’s rubberised flooring that can be quickly disinfected, not those depressing carpets British trains insist on, the ones that start out blue or grey but quickly morph into a patchy brown from spilled coffee and muddy shoes.
And, on the rare occasion, something does go wrong, the announcers, while not known for their British humour, are polite, calm, and informative, you’ll know exactly what’s happening and when it will be fixed.
Like when we went on a quick trip to Burgenland, a state in eastern Austria, for a wine tasting weekend – there was a technical problem with the train that meant we were slightly delayed mid-journey.
Before the train had even slowed to a complete stop, the driver made an announcement informing us (in German and English) exactly what the problem was and how long they anticipated it would take to resolve.
There was no huffing or guessing what could possibly be wrong.
Whereas, in the UK, ‘signalling issues’ are a national punchline and ‘replacement bus services’ can ruin an entire weekend.
Here, I use public transport daily for exploring the city, errands, and meeting friends.
The U-Bahn runs every few minutes, trams glide through the streets like clockwork, and buses turn up exactly when they say they will. They are frequent on weekdays with most routes having a bus appear every 10 – 20 minutes and even the Sunday service is pretty consistent.
There’s no stress or panic about missing the last train since it runs 24/7 on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays – on the weekday U-bahn runs from 5am to midnight, with buses and trams providing transport throughout the night on weekdays.
Vienna’s predictability gives you back hours each week. I don’t have to build contingency into every journey ‘just in case’, instead I can finish a meeting, hop on a tram, and be home with a glass of Grüner Veltliner in hand within twenty minutes.
Living here has shown me how much a functioning transport system shapes your quality of life.
It’s not just about getting from A to B. It’s about time, reliability, and the small daily freedoms. As someone with AuDHD (ADHD with high-functioning autism), I have the time blindness associated with ADHD and a pathological loathing for tardiness. This means I am usually either ridiculously early or I’m flying by the seat of my pants to get somewhere on time.
In Vienna I don’t have to also factor in the unreliability of the transport system when I go anywhere. I experience a peace that comes from knowing your city works with you, not against you.
What I think needs changing in the UK is not just investment, but attitude. Vienna treats public transport as an essential public service, not an afterthought or profit centre.
And that’s why, when I glide through on a spotless tram, surrounded by calm commuters who have never had to shout ‘move down inside the carriage,’ I can’t help but smile.
Vienna is proof that cities can work beautifully when people actually plan for them to be.
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