Vienna's public transportation

During our stay, we took advantage of the incredibly clean and efficient public transportation available in Vienna.  It might seem weird to do a blog post solely on trams and trains, but I can't help myself.  My experience with public transportation has not created a kind image of it in my brain--dirty, smelly, overcrowded cars and rude, pushy people.  Yuck.  The same descriptors cannot be used in Vienna.

First, you buy tickets ON THE HONOR SYSTEM.  (Right away, this would never work in America.)  Second, once validated, these tickets are good for 24 hours on any of the buses, trams, or trains that run throughout the city and surrounding areas.  Huh.  Craziness...using the SAME system for all modes of public transportation?  Oh how the DC Metro area could LEARN from this.  Third, PEOPLE FOLLOW THE RULES--both the posted, such as seats reserved for elderly, disabled, etc. and the unspoken, such as walking on the right, holding your bag in your lap and not on an empty seat, etc.

Folks, I always thought I was meant to be British.  And after I got to visit London twice during my pregnancy with Sam, I KNEW London was my city.  Well, I got it all wrong.  I am Austrian, and Vienna is my place.  The efficiency and courteous rule-following of the city folk warms my good-citizen heart.  The lanes for cars, trams, and bikes are beautifully marked (from L to R, bikes, tram, cars, tram),

people cross at crosswalks and don't walk in the bike lane, and JUST LOOK AT HOW NEATLY THESE CARS ARE PARKED!!!!  No one is crooked or partly on the sidewalk OR PARKED ILLEGALLY.

The tram stop was a 5 minute walk from our hotel.  

Look at that awesome tram!

 Waiting for our tram

On the tram

(Geoff, please stop taking pictures now.)

The subway--JUST LOOK AT THAT CLEAN SHINY FLOOR!

And the subway had clean bathrooms and small shops and restaurants,

including a Starbucks, where I got to purchase a caramel latte...AHHHHH.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I admire these people, my people...the Austrians.