photograph courtesy of nofranz

Vienna is no Beijing. But when it comes to bicycles, the Viennese fully support two-wheeled transport without any fuss. They take their bikes as far as they can, come rain or shine. The sight of a well-dressed exec—all in black—pedalling his way to work isn’t a novelty.

It’s this love of bikes that Citybike Wien exploits. A somewhat atypical biking rental system, Citybike Wien is an easy way to get around the city while doing the environment a big favor and getting some exercise.

Citybike already boasts 50 terminals, with five more to be added next month. Bikes can be borrowed or returned at any time at any of these automated terminals—24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What’s more, the people from Citybike make it easy for tourists to take advantage of the system. Tourists can purchase the Citybike Tourist Card by going to one of Citybike’s issuing departments: Royal Tours, Herrengasse 1-3, 1010 Vienna, (every day 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.) and Pedal Power, Ausstellungsstrasse 3, 1020 Vienna (every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.). The Citybike Tourist Card can also be purchased from hotels and pensions. Pay up for a one-time borrowing fee of €2—yes, €2! can you believe it?—per day and everything’s set for a hustle-free Vienna tour.

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