One of the highlights of any trip to Vienna is Schönbrunn. Many people think of Schönbrunn as a royal palace, and that is true. But to think that Schönbrunn only is a royal palace is a big mistake. The palace has a beautiful garden where you can walk up and down for hours while enjoying beautiful trees, colorful flowers, and a glorious view from the Gloriette.. You thought that was all? Don’t forget that Schönbrunn has the oldest zoo in Europe. It was established in the middle of the 18th century, and you can see pandas, lions, tigers, and many other exotic animals there. In other words, you have hundreds of reasons to visit Schönbrunn. But, how can you travel to Schönbrunn using public transportation? And is it worth using single tickets, or is it better to travel using a daily card?
You can find lots of information about public transportation in Vienna here in our Vienna Guide. If you click the link, you can read more about pricing for the public transportation and you can also take a look at a detailed metro map showing all the metro lines of the Austrian capital.
Should I buy single tickets or a ticket for 24 hours?
As this article is published, the price of a single ticket for public transportation is 2,40 euros, while the price of a day ticket is 8 euros. In other words, if you travel three times, it is cheaper to travel with single tickets than with a daily pass. If you only plan on using public transportation to travel between the city center of Vienna and Schönbrunn, and then travel back in the same way, then you only need two tickets, and single tickets are the cheapest solution.
How to travel to Schönbrunn?
The easiest and most convenient way to travel to Schönbrunn is by using the metro system in Vienna. It is extremely easy to understand and the green line (U4) takes you directly to Schönbrunn. This line has stops at several central locations in Vienna, including Karlsplatz and Schwedenplatz. This metro line intersects with all the other metro lines in Vienna, which means you can change between the lines easily if you need to use another metro before you get to the green line. It is good to know that one ticket is enough for your entire trip in the metro system, meaning you can change lines without validating a new ticket.
This information makes you capable of traveling to Schönbrunn using public transportation in Vienna. It is useful to know that you need to walk approximately 400 meters from the metro station to the gate of Schönbrunn. This shouldn’t cause problems for most people, but it is worth knowing about before your arrival.
Two more reasons to visit Schönbrunn.
We have told you about the fantastic palace, the garden, the trees, the flowers, the zoo, and several other reasons to visit Schönbrunn. But, there are two reasons that make this area even more popular around Christmas and Easter… the annual Christmas market and the annual Easter market. These are fantastic events where you can buy traditional Austrian food and handmade souvenir in a fantastic environment. It looks stunning all day, but especially in the evening as the palace is illuminated and the Christmas market stalls (and the Easter market stalls) are illuminated.
The annual Christmas markets are soon back to Vienna this year again. From the end of November and the beginning of December the official Christmas period starts which means that the different part of the city turns into beautiful Christmas villages and fairs with the various Christmas lights and decorations.
In Vienna the Christmas Market will open its gates in 2014 again to the visitors. The Christmas Market Schloß Schönbrunn attracts around 1 million people every year from all over the world to come to Austria during the Advent period and get in the Christmas mood. 
