Be Your Own Taxi Driver

Vienna is well-known for its bikes, buses, trams and U-Bahn, but another new form of public transportation has hit the streets in recent year: car sharing. Ideal for quick shopping trips, moving belongings, or an escapade out of town, renting shared vehicles offers the speed, freedom, and mobility that other modes of public transport cannot offer. Without the hassle of owning a car.

Here’s a rundown of the main providers:

The firm car2go offers widespread coverage of the city with white and light blue cars left anywhere in the city. To find them, look online or download the app for your phone. You may also have to just look around the streets. Rates are €.29/min, or €12.90/hr, with reduced prices for a stopover. A one-time registration fee of €9.90 is required.

Easy Motion offers "Smart Quickie" cars for as little as 1€/hr and a "Mini Quickie" for 2€/hr. (Day-trippers will enjoy the Vespas for rent at a daily rate of €19). Although inexpensive, the only drawback is their limited locations, only at Westbahnhof, Vienna airport and Salzburg, Graz, and Linz. Vespas can be rented from the Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof in Herrengasse 10.

Denzel Mobility finds a happy medium between the previous two, and features predictable and fixed coverage at over 50 stations in the city. Simply visit the website to find out the nearest garage. Prices range from €1.40/min to €4/min during the day. Electric cars and large minivans are also available

 

car2go

3., Hintere Zollamtstr.

www.car2go.com

Easy Motion

0900 240 120,

www.easymotion.at 

Denzel Mobility

0810 100 377,

www.carsharing.at

See also "Wheels Without Hassle", from TVR Dec/Jan 2008/09.