How To Get Around Innsbruck Easily & Cheap

Getting to the city

From The Airport

Innsbruck airport (also known as Kranebitten Airport) is a regional airport and an international airport of Tyrol district of western Austria. The airport is located west of the city centre at a distance of 4 kilometres. It has regular flight connections with London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol etc.

Apart from international flights it also connects domestic destinations including Vienna. The major airlines operating to Innsbruck are Austrian Airlines, British Airways, EasyJet, Finnair, Flybe, Lufthansa, Transavia, TUI Airways etc.

From the airport, you can get into the city by bus, taxi, airport transfer services offered by several companies, or by renting a car.

Bus line-F right outside the terminal building goes to Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) in 20 minutes. There are buses every 10 minutes. A single journey ticket costs €2.90.

Taxis outside the terminal building are available 24 x 7. It takes 10 to 15 minutes by taxi to reach the city centre area from the airport. The fare is around €16 to €20 depending upon the traffic. You can also book a taxi or transfer service online. There are many car rental companies available at the airport. Note that there is no railway station in the airport area. The nearest station is 2 kilometres away at Innsbruck Hotting.

You can choose from a wide range of private transport and transfer services and book online from this Viator site.

By Train

Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof receives trains from international cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Zurich and Prague as well as domestic destinations like Vienna, Graz, Salzburg, Linz etc. You can easily purchase tickets online from the National Railway Company’s (OBB) website. You will find various offers all the time. Train fares from international destinations would be economical if you go for the OBB SparSchiene railway tickets.

The central station is equipped with amenities like ticket machines, luggage storage, assistance for people with reduced mobility, club lounge, waiting facilities for youths, cafes, tobacconists, ATMs and the ‘Mungos’ service that helps with information, guiding with excess luggage issues as well as lost and found service.

By Long-Distance Bus

Long-distance FlixBus service operates from many European cities to Innsbruck. The fare from Berlin (12 hours journey) is around €35 and from Zurich is around €20 (4 hours journey). You can purchase a ticket online from their website or download their mobile app which also offers journey related information. The FlixBus stop in Innsbruck is at Südbahnstrasse Street.

By Car

There are several routes to get into Innsbruck from Vienna. Most of the routes touch Salzburg. Among the shortest routes is A1 highway (has tolls). The distance from Vienna via A1 is 477 kilometres and it is roughly a 5-hour drive. If you are coming from Zurich or Lichtenstein, take A12 highway (€9 toll applies for Arlberg Tunnel).

If you are driving down from Graz, the best option is to take highway A9. It passes through Salzburg and the driving time will be around 5 hours (487 kilometres). Note that at Gleinalm tunnel the toll fee is €8 and at Bosruck tunnel the toll is €5. Take the help of Google map driving directions.

Public Transport

Public transport in Innsbruck is operated by the Public Transport Authority of Innsbruck or the Innsbrucker Verkehrsbetriebe (IVB). The main transports in and around the city area are buses and trams.

Bus Service

There are over twenty bus lines that serve Innsbruck throughout the day reaching out to almost every part of the city. Eleven night-liner routes operate from 11pm to 5am at an interval of 1 hour. The regional bus services are operated by VVT to connect the suburbs as well as other parts of Tyrol. There are few private operators as well.

There is a hop on hop off bus line known as TS which is a good option for sightseeing tours. It covers different attractions like Schloss Ambras, Bergisel and Alpenzoo from the city centre area. Innsbruck Cardholders can ride free.

Read: How to use the hop on hop off Sightseer bus to explore various attractions in Innsbruck.

Trams

There are four tramlines that operate in and around Innsbruck city. Line 1 and 3 operate within the city area. Line 6 starts from where line 1 ends at Bergisel. This line has been operating since 1900 and popularly known as the ‘Forest Tram’. It will take you to the mountain village Igls passing through the uplands covered with vast forests and offering wonderful scenic views. Along the way, it has stops near Ambras Castle and lake Lans. From Igls take a walk for 10 minutes to reach Patscherkofel Ropeway. Igls falls within the city zone so no additional ticket is required.

Another line is STB line. The route length is 18 kilometres and it is probably the best scenic tram route of all. The line passes through a spectacular flowering meadow with mountains in the backdrop, over the bridges with stunning views and through picture-perfect villages up to Fulpmes in the Stubai Valley. This route also comes within the core zone (Kernzone), so no additional ticket is required. Note that there are no trams during late at nights.

Taxi

Innsbruck’s metered taxis have yellow taxi signage on the roofs. Multiple companies operate taxi services in and around Innsbruck. You can find taxi stands in important places like outside the airport or at Hauptbahnhof. You can also book a taxi over the phone. The base fare is €6.25 and thereafter €2 per kilometre. The waiting charge is €30 per hour. The base fare at night, Sundays and public holidays is €0.40 more. Following are few taxi-calling numbers…

Taxi Innsbruck- +43 676 607 8190
Taxi 5311- +43 512 5311
Rumer FunkTaxi- +43 512 24 411

S-Bahn

Verkehrsverbund Tyrol or VVT operates commuter trains (S-Bahn) in association with OBB (national railway) and connects Innsbruck with different parts of Tyrol. There are 5 lines S-1 to S-5 that connect Innsbruck with Landeck, Kufstein, Kitzbuhel, Mittenwald, Brennero etc. Trains operate from early morning to late night. Frequency varies depending upon lines and time of travel. For details visit VVT Website.

Walk to several attractions

Several major attractions in Innsbruck are within easy walking distance. From Innsbruck city centre or Innsbruck Tourismus, the Golden Roof is only 210 metres away (walking route), Hofkirche is 230 metres, Tyrolean Folk Art Museum is 230 metres. There is a free guided walking tour daily for Innsbruck Card holders. There are a few hiking trails as well for nature lovers.

Tickets & Passes

Innsbruck’s public transport system is mainly dependant on buses and trams. Trains are also available to travel around Tyrol (Innsbruck is the capital city of the state of Tyrol in western Austria). There are three different transport authorities… IVB for Innsbruck, VVT for Tyrol and OBB the national railway company. All three companies offer several ticketing options. VVT tickets are valid in IVB transports as well (in Innsbruck) against a surcharge. So if you are visiting Innsbruck with plans for a few trips to other parts of Tyrol, a VVT ticket could be a good option. Following are the different types of tickets…

IVB Tickets & Passes for Innsbruck

Single Ticket is valid for one travel within the core zone (Kernzone) of the city. In case there is no direct transport to your destination, a change is allowed within 30 minutes and the ticket is valid until you reach your destination. Single Ticket costs €2.40, additional €0.60 if purchased in the vehicle. Tickets can be purchased from IVB Customer Centre, ticket offices, ticketing machines, IVB Ticket Shop app or onboard from the driver.

Mobile phone ticket and ticket purchased in a vehicle are immediately valid while ticket purchased from a machine or from ticket offices get activated after validation onboard. A reduced single ticket (for ages 6 to 20 years) costs €1.80 and additional €0.70 if purchased on board.

You can save up to 25% with an 8 Trip Ticket. Ticket for adult costs €14.60, additional €6 if purchased onboard and a reduced ticket is €11.60, additional €4 if purchased in the vehicle. This ticket is valid for 8 journeys in all routes within the core zone of Innsbruck. Other rules and purchase points are the same as the single ticket (no option for mobile phone purchase though).

A 24-Hour Ticket is valid for 24 hours…an adult ticket costs €5.60 while a reduced ticket is €3.70. The ticket gets activated as soon as you validate inside the vehicle or on the date and time mentioned on the ticket. It allows unlimited rides in all lines within 24 hours and within the core zone (Kernzone) of the city. The ticket can be bought from IVB Customer Centre, ticket offices, ticket machines, online or from the mobile app. This ticket is transferable other than online and mobile app tickets.

There is also a 24-Hour 2-Plus Ticket. This ticket is for 2 adults and up to 3 children (up to 15 years age) and costs €8.10. All the rules and purchase options are same as 24-Hour Ticket. This ticket too is transferable except online and mobile app tickets.

For a longer stay (6 to 7 days) Weekly Ticket is a good money saver. Ticket costs €21.80. The ticket is valid for 7 days within the core zone (Kernzone) of Innsbruck for unlimited rides. The ticket can be purchased from the Customer Centre, ticket offices, online or with the mobile app. This ticket is transferable too (other than online and mobile app tickets). Additionally, this ticket offers free entry to the Tyrolean Provincial Museum.

Innsbruck Card is a great card for tourists to explore Innsbruck. It is available for 24, 48 and 72 hours. It offers free entries to numerous attractions and museums, free rides in IVB operated buses and trams as well as in cable cars, lifts, funiculars including a ride to the majestic Nordkette Mountain and hop on hop off buses.

24-hour card costs €43, 48-hour costs €50 and a 72-hour card costs €59. The card is activated on first validation. You can easily purchase the card online at www.innsbruck.info. You can also purchase it at Innsbruck Information Centre at Burggraben 3, tourist offices, ticket offices at lift/cable car stations and tourist attractions, at hotels, airport and train stations.

For various other ticketing options in entire VVT area of Tyrol, visit the VVT Official Website and for offers by National Railway visit the OBB Official Website. You can also download their mobile apps on your smartphone.

Read: Great Transport & Travel Passes in Innsbruck to get complete insights into which pass you need to get maximum benefits during your trip.

Day Trips From Innsbruck

One of the most exciting trips is the visit to Hafelekar for 360-degree bird’s eye view of the surrounding landscape and the city. There are three sections. The first section is from Innsbruck Congress Station (city centre area) to Hungerburg by funicular, on the way you can hop off at Alpenzoo. The next phase is from Hungerburg to Seegrube by cable car and the final phase is from Seegrube to Hafelekar once again by cable car. For Innsbruck Cardholder the journey is free.

Swarovski Crystal World Museum is another great place to visit. This intriguing site is located around 18 kilometres from the city centre and it is a good half-day trip. Take bus line 4125 from MuseumStrasse and get down at Wattens Kristallwelten, it is a half an hour journey. Alternatively, you can board bus line number 4127 from Innsbruck Congress to reach Crystal World Museum, journey time is around 25 minutes.

Take a day trip to Austria’s smallest historical town Rattenberg (with only 400 inhabitants). Take an S-Bahn train (S-1 line) from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof…journey time is around 50 minutes. Trains are available frequently. Augustinian Museum is a must-visit there.

Seefeld is a leading cross-country skiing centre. Located high above Innsbruck on the alpine plateau, Seefeld offers mesmerizing scenic beauties. Take an S-Bahn train (S-5 line) to reach Seefeld in around 40 minutes. There are many trains throughout the day from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof.

Car Rental

Parking in central Innsbruck area is restricted. You can park a maximum for 3 hours during shopping hours. You need a valid driving license along with your passport and you must be 18 or above to drive in Austria. All major car rental companies are present at Innsbruck. You will find their desks at airport and offices within the city. Rental rates vary depending upon the model, the minimum per day rent starts from €20. Following are a few well-known car rental companies:

Six rent a cart (https://www.sixt.at/)
Hertz Autovermietung (https://www.hertz.at/rentacar/reservation/)
Autovermietung Europcar (https://www.europcar.at/en)

Buchbinder rent-a-car (buchbinder-rent-a-car.at)

Scooter/ Motorcycle

Rental rate starts from €25 per day. Following are few well-known companies…

Sco2T Rollersharing- sco2t.com

Harley Davidson- http://www.harley-tirol.at/
Mo2drive- mo2drive.com

Bike Hire

There are many bike paths in Innsbruck and you can easily rent a bike and get around the city.

You can get to know about all the biking routes at www.radlkarte.at. There are plenty of scopes for adventure biking including mountain biking.

IVB has its own bike rental system known as ‘Stadtrad’. You need to register online or at a docking station. A credit card is required for this registration process. It costs €1. Up to 30 minutes, the rental rate is €1, up to 1 hour €3and for every additional hour €3. You can visit IVB’s official site stadtrad.ivb.at/ for further information and registration.

Read: Know about the great biking trails, biking tours and rentals in Innsbruck.