friedy

On a recent trip to Vienna, my wife and I bought subway tickets at the entrance machine before entering the subway. We had trouble understanding the instructions on the machine; there was no ticket booth; there were no officials nearby to ask questions, only people rushing by we couldn’t ask for help.

We purchased a combined ticket for us both. Then, on the train, a subway policeman showed us his identification and checked our ticket.

We were told that we had purchased the wrong ticket. He had us leave the train at the next stop and took us to an ATM machine on the platform, where he had us withdraw 100 Euros to pay a fine.

We were embarrassed and unnerved by this and being tourists felt this was uncalled for. A warning ticket would have better proved the point and ended the encounter without leaving a bad impression of Vienna as we left the city the next day.

My wife later wrote to the Vienna Ubahn protesting the fine that we considered unwarranted. A reply from the Vienna office supported the policeman saying that regardless of our tourist status, we had broken the law.

As much as we loved visiting Vienna, this will leave a bad taste for us about our visit.

nytraveler

Sorry - but when you visit a foreign city it is up to you to understand how the transit system works and how to follow the rules.

If they gave every tourist who "misunderstood" and bought the wrong (cheaper) ticket or didn't properly validate their ticket there would be hundred of people doing this every day - and claiming tourist status as a reason.

Just as with driving a car - you are expected to now the rules and ignorance of the law is no excuse (as every US cop tells people when giving them a tickets for speeding or illegal u turns or whatever they do wrong).

The officers were just doing their job and you have nothing to complain about.

When we visited Russia and rode the bus os subway we ere stopped every single time (since w were obviously americans) and had out ticket checked. If we weren't doing it correctly I'm sure we would have had a ton of fines - and rightfully so.

If you don;t understand the rules you should check at your hotel.

StCirq

The Vienna office response was correct. You don't get special exemptions for being a tourist anywhere in the world.

colduphere

Friedy you might want to forget you posted this. Same posters. Same reply. Every time.

fourfortravel

I agree with nytraveler. A couple of months ago a "first time poster" like yourself had the same "problem." Your tourist status doesn't obviate your responsibility to follow the rules, plain and simple. Given that the instructions on the ticket machines are available in at least four languages, one of which you wrote your post in, understanding the ticket options should not have been difficult. Public transportation is easy to navigate here.

I am curious about your "combined ticket," as well. Aside from the Vienna Card (which offers unlimited transportation), for what "combination" did you purchase a ticket?

One final question for you. Did you conduct any travel research on "how to purchase tickets on Vienna subway?" before you traveled? I just did a Google search using that phrase and found these terribly helpful links.

http://homepage.univie.ac.at/horst.p...ish/fares.html
https://www.wien.info/en/travel-info/transport/tickets
https://www.wien.gv.at/english/trans...lic-transport/
http://www.wienerlinien.at/eportal3/...annelId=-47643

PalenQ

I sympathize with the poster and several others with the same problem - Vienna is too tough on naive tourists not trying to beat the system but who have paid for a ticket.

Thanks for posting as a warning to others and yes Vienna transports needs to be a bit more understanding of people making an honest mistake - but costly at 100 euro - a warning would have been a better response.

PalenQ

One final question for you. Did you conduct any travel research on "how to purchase tickets on Vienna subway?" before you traveled? I just did a Google search using that phrase and found these terribly helpful links.>

You do this for every city's transit system? You must spend hours and hours if so!

fourfortravel

Yes, PalenQ , I do. It is a small and rather important part of travel planning that takes no more than 10 minutes. There is no excuse for not doing one's homework before a holiday. My time is free; and I would prefer to spend the €100 fine on something more meaningful to my holiday.

It likely to the OP longer to register as a user and post their "complaint" the it would have to Google search "how to purchase tickets on Vienna subway." Warnings serve little purpose; tourists are temporary visitors, and why give any local slackers a break?

IMDonehere

Friedy, you must understand Fodor's attracts people who have never made a mistake, never ever tried talk their way out of a bad situation, never did anything wrong, and have accepted every punishment given to them.

Being on Fodor's is the step before beatification.

As someone who cannot stand Austria because of their imperious manner, it is not surprising that they do this. But it happens elsewhere as well.

You would think that the City Vaters would not want to discourage tourism and forgive a stranger's innocent error, but that it is not the case. And it is becoming more and more common with traffic tickets. And there it will the rental car companies who suffer, because people will be more unwilling to rent.

Tourist dollars are the best money as they require a small portion of the services of resident, but in many places pay high hotel taxes.

All things that must be accepted if one wants to travel.

RM67

Actually, IMDonehere, some people do accept when they are in the wrong and just pay the fine without complaining. They might not like it, they might wish they had been shown more leniency, but they don't adopt the tone that they should get to decide what constitutes a fair penalty, not the authorities.

As for the 'I am bringing money into the economy therefore you should be grateful no matter what I do' attitute, do you really believe that? Do you think it would be right to left off a motorist who had injured or killed a cyclist or pedestrian because they were unaware of local speed limits and had spent £50 in the Tate Gallery giftshop that morning?

sundriedtopepo

This procedure of extracting cash from a tourist seems a little dodgy...

nytraveler

Why should the tourist not have to follow the same rules? Why should the citizens of Vienna have to provide free transit to tourists?

The rules are clearly posted in the subway. And anyone who spend 5 minutes on google can find out what the rules are. If one prefers to travel to foreign cities without finding out about how the system works is just asking for trouble. If that's too much trouble then suggest you take cabs.

Pegontheroad

You were what's called a "schwarz Fahrer," or black rider/traveler. We just saw a short film of that name in my German class. I recall once getting a subway ticket out of a machine in Vienna and not knowing that we had to get it punched in a machine on the subway.

We weren't caught, and we later realized what we should have done. You weren't so fortunate.

janisj

Sure -- anyone can make mistakes . . . but I (honestly) don't get the >>and being tourists felt this was uncalled for<< reaction. Why was it uncalled for? What makes you or any tourist 'special'?

But I doubt the OP will see any of the responses - pro-friedy or and anti-friedy. Registered to post his 'TR' which isn't a trip report really but just a complaint.

sundriedtopepo

>>He had us leave the train at the next stop and took us to an ATM machine on the platform, where he had us withdraw 100 Euros to pay a fine. <<

There's no doubt that the OP made a mistake and should expect the fine, but if the above happened to me I would wonder if I was being taken.

Is this a normal occurrence, the cash payment that is? Or maybe exaggerated a bit?

fourfortravel

In Vienna, transit officers are authorized to escort those being fined to a Bankomat or Bank if they have insufficient funds on hand to pay the fine. How else can they guarantee the fine will be paid; should they hand a tourist a paper ticket and ask for a promise to pay?

sundriedtopepo

Thanks for confirming @fourfortravel. It's just not done, and would never be allowed, in Canada, for whatever reason, so I'm not familiar with this happening.

fourfortravel

While I agree that the Viennese, especially, love their rules, structure, and order, I disagree that they are imperious. Vienna's transit system operates on the honor system, as does much of Vienna. Nowhere else would I feel comfortable leaving my grocery trolley and handbag three aisles away while I go to fetch an item; and I have witnessed many parents who leave their babies in the carriage on the sidewalk outside of a store unattended when they drop in for an item or two, especially here in the neighborhoods. Some elderly shoppers simply open their pocketbooks at the grocer and allow the clerk to extract the proper notes for payment without concern money will be stolen.

Travelers who are willing to spend hundreds or more on a holiday but can not be bothered to take a few minutes to understand a city's public transportation system (especially one as straightforward as Vienna's), or its culture, are the real problem.

IMDonehere

As for the 'I am bringing money into the economy therefore you should be grateful no matter what I do' attitute, do you really believe that? Do you think it would be right to left off a motorist who had injured or killed a cyclist or pedestrian because they were unaware of local speed limits and had spent £50 in the Tate Gallery giftshop that morning?
____________
Only on Fodor's would some equate some making a wrong payment on the subway and killing a pedestrian.

PalenQ

What makes you or any tourist 'special'?>

Because they are tourists not trying to beat the system but had actually bought what they think was a valid ticket - that this is reported from Vienna quite often but rarely from other cities shows that Vienna has a zero-tolerance when I think tourists not aiming to scam the system should be given a break - do you remember, decades ago perhaps, when you were a naive first-time tourist?

Something is rotten in Vienna and it ain't the Sacher Tortes - it's the transit police who should be given a course in determining who is really trying to cheat the system and those who are not.

and yes OP will not be reading any of this but it does serve a good warning to others going to Vienna that be sure you have the correct valid ticket and follow all the instructions to a T as you will not be given a break as in many other places in Europe.