{"id":755,"date":"2015-10-20T08:14:36","date_gmt":"2015-10-20T06:14:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=755"},"modified":"2024-07-07T17:19:44","modified_gmt":"2024-07-07T16:19:44","slug":"vienna-ring-tram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/vienna-ring-tram\/","title":{"rendered":"Vienna Ring Tram"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The service is no longer running and has been unavailable for a long time now. You can always check locally to see if it&#8217;s started up again (and I keep my eyes open). Fortunately, the Hop on Hop off services function as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/sightseeing-bus\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3789\">suitable alternative<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Previous review:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/vienna_ring_tram_thumb-1.jpg\" alt=\"Vienna's Ring Tram side view\" class=\"wp-image-13319\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/vienna_ring_tram_thumb-1.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/vienna_ring_tram_thumb-1-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>All Vienna&#8217;s trams carry the red and white city colours. Well, almost all. A bright yellow tram circling the giant Ring boulevard offers a protest vote against the tyranny of uniformity. This is the &#8220;sightseeing tram&#8221;: the Vienna Ring Tram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Short 25-minute tram tour past many city sights<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Good if you&#8217;re short of time or good weather<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8230;otherwise consider walking the route<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/ring\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1546\">Ringstrassen boulevard<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/sightseeing-bus\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3789\">Hop on Hop off alternatives<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Ring Tram tour<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/viennaringtram.jpg\" alt=\"The Vienna ring tram\" class=\"wp-image-45150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/viennaringtram.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/viennaringtram-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The tram stands out through its yellow livery)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vienna&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/ring\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1546\">Ringstrasse<\/a> (actually a continuous series of roads) marks the border of the old town and essentially builds a ring around it: hence the name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of Vienna&#8217;s top sights border this route. Examples include the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/natural-history-museum\/\">Naturhistorisches<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/khm\/overview\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1446\">Kunsthistorisches<\/a>&nbsp;museums, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/parlament\/\">Parliament<\/a> building, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/rathaus-2\/\">Rathaus<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/opera\/staatsoper\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1071\">Staatsoper<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/hofburg\/\">Hofburg<\/a> palace complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One option for taking in these sights from the comfort of a seat is to jump on the dedicated Ring Tram for a sightseeing tour. This is not a hop-on, hop-off opportunity: the bright yellow tram starts and ends at the Schwedenplatz station (see map below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On board, you enjoy a roughly 25 minute guided tour around the Ring, courtesy of headphones in your choice of various languages (including English).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So is it worth it?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re pressed for time (or out of energy), this is a convenient way to get a swift look at many of the buildings you&#8217;re supposed to have seen in Vienna, with a brief guide so you know what you&#8217;re looking at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You also get to go on a lovely quaint yellow tram (yay!) and the conductor proved jolly friendly and accommodating when we did our trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have the time and energy, you might prefer seeing the Ring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/walking-tour\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"50322\">on foot<\/a> for a true appreciation of the majesty of Habsburg Vienna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And for longer or more comprehensive tours, consider the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/sightseeing-bus\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3789\">hop on, hop off sightseeing buses<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also travel part way around the Ring on municipal trams using standard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/public\/\">public transport tickets<\/a>, particularly lines 1 and 2 (but neither do a complete circle so you miss out on some sights unless you switch between the lines).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The tram travels around the Ring on the right, so the right side of the tram as you face forward has less chance of having a view blocked by an inconvenient bus. But note that the top sights are on both sides of the Ring, so picking your side isn&#8217;t critical.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Switch the language to the German channel on your headphones, then again to the local Vienna dialect for an interesting insight into the linguistic differences.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the winter months and nearer Christmas, take the latest tram you can and enjoy the lights: some of the hotels along the Ring put up delightful displays and you&#8217;ll pass the Rathausplatz, for example, in all its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/christmasmarkets\/rathausplatz\/\">seasonal splendour<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get to the Ring tram<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Schwedenplatz is just a short walk from the very centre of Vienna and itself a transport hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incidentally, the adjoining stretch of water you see from the Ring Tram stop is not the famous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/mapsgeography\/the-danube\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5019\">Danube<\/a> (a common misunderstanding) but an arm of the river known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/donaukanal\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"34106\">Danube canal<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reach Schwedenplatz via&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subway: U1 and U4 lines<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tram\/bus: the 1 and 2 tram or the 2A bus<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Schwedenplatz, 1010 Vienna<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1ZaihXv5fwcNevLr3AlO7KCiJIXU\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The service is no longer running and has been unavailable for a long time now. You can always check locally to see if it&#8217;s started up again (and I keep my eyes open). Fortunately, the Hop on Hop off services function as a suitable alternative. Previous review: All Vienna&#8217;s trams carry the red and white [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13319,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-755","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-transport","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=755"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73537,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755\/revisions\/73537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}