Citybike Wien - bikeshare in Vienna for 1 euro

Citybike Wien ceased operations on March 31, 2022: https://www.citybikewien.at/en/news/885-citybike-wien-operation-shut-down.

Feedback on the bike-sharing system Citybike Vienna.

Automated bicycle rental system works in Vienna since 2003. Since then, the number of stations has been constantly increasing, but the technological component has remained at the beginning of 00s – you can dream about mobile application, QR codes (like in Lviv) – nope. But the price – 1 euro for unlimited travels up to an hour.

This is what Citybike Wien bikes look like:

Kiosk at the station, it is used to make a rent:

The stations are located throughout the center of Vienna, map of Citybike Wien stations.

I took my bike on 209 Stadion Center station. Sitting in a cafe in the Stadion Center building, caught free Wi-Fi, in no hurry registered on the official website citybikewien.at, although this can be also done through a kiosk at the station.

When registering, you need to come up with a password that you will enter each time you take the bike. After the trip to Vienna, I successfully forgot my password, so I advise you to write it down somewhere if you are going to visit this city again in the future.

The system does not work with virtual cards, which are convenient to use to pay for tickets or accommodation. Thing is that when you rent a bike you need to physically insert the card into the reader to verify your account. Each time. And this, to put it mildly, is not very convenient.

Another nuance – you need to choose a bike before you go to the kiosk, remember its number and enter it using the keyboard on the kiosk. Then go back to the bike and pick it up.

As I mentioned, there is no official mobile application. There are some unofficial ones, but I couldn’t use them without the constant internet connection, so I just went riding from one attraction to another, and looked for a station there. It always worked, because there are really many stations in the center.

The bikes are good, there are 3 speeds. From unusual – when you turn the pedals back, the bike brakes (although the usual brake levers on the handlebars are also available).

Vienna can be cycled almost everywhere with bike lanes:

A nice part is the tariffs of the system: registration costs 1 euro, and then you can use the life hack offered by the official website:

The first hour of each rent is free. Once you finish your ride, you should wait 15 minutes and you can take the bike again for a free hour!

For two days I traveled through Vienna in this way, as a result of spending only 1 euro for registration in the system.

Despite the obsolescence of the Citybike Wien system, it is a very cheap way to travel around the city on a comfortable bicycle using comfortable infrastructure.

P.S. Other, more advanced rental systems have been spotted in Vienna, such as Ofo and Donkey Republic, I hope to test them next time, for this constant access to the mobile internet is needed: