Lord of the Ring

Vienna's city center houses nearly every tourist attraction, and many of them sit on what's called the ring. If you are looking for a quick overview or even easy transport from place to place, the Ring Tram makes life a lot easier.

The famed Ring Tram is an antique train that stops at all the main highlights doing a circle every 30 minutes. There are two ways to take advantage of this convenience. For people who just want a quick look, there's a 6 euro ticket that allows you one full circle. People wanting to do more exploring, though, can shell out 9 euros for an all-day ticket, allowing you to get off at each stop and visit the attractions themselves.

So, what do you get to see on the Tram Ring? Sights include the state opera house, the parliament building, the Hofburg, Vienna city hall, the Burgtheater, the university, the stock exchange and several other historic buildings and churches.

Now for those a bit bolder in their public transit, there is actually a cheaper option. The Ring Tram is the only train to make the full circle, but there are two trams that each do a half circle. Having missed the Ring Tram by only a minute, I looked at the map and realized I could experience the same route by taking the 1 and 2 trams. Start at the Oper, Burgring or Volksheater stop and take the 1 tram to Schwedenplatz and then switch to the 2 tram (or start at Schweden and switch to the 1 tram at one of the aforementioned stops). You will see all the same things in the circle. I bought a multi-day public transit pass, so this essentially made the same trip free.

It's worth looking into the 1-2 tram option for those on a budget, but for those who prefer the easy route, the Ring Tram is ready to embrace you.

Photo courtesy of Martin Ladstaetter via Flickr.