one journey in vienna showed me how grim the uk is

The contrast between the UK and Vienna smacks me in the face like a gust of diesel fumes (Picture: Sarah Bishop)

It hit me on the way to a lunch date,somewhere between Karlsplatz and Stephansplatz,in the central first district of Vienna.

This is brilliant. 

That quiet,almost smug realisation that public transport in Vienna is in a completely different league to anything back in the UK.

The U-Bahn– Vienna’s underground train system –  slid into the station,righton time,and not a single person was huffing about delays. I remember thinking,‘If this were London,someone would already be apologising for the inconvenience.’

I’ve lived between the UK and Vienna for the past five years,and every time I return to Britain,the contrast smacks me in the face like a gust of diesel fumes. 

Back in South London,I used to commute into the city – the Southeastern Railway from Abbey Wood to Charing Cross and then underground to Bond Street – crammed shoulder to shoulder with other weary souls on trains that somehow managed to be both late and overcrowded. 

Later,when I moved to the Midlands for university,I thought it might get better. It didn’t. Trains were slower,buses rarer,and tickets so pricey you half expected a glass of champagne with your seat. I could easily part with upwards of £100 for a one way ticket to London from Wolverhampton.

The Austrian capital offers a clean,calm and civilised experience,says Sarah (Picture: Sarah Bishop)

I’ve largely given up on public transport in the UK and often end up hiring a car,if I haven’t driven back with mydog.

However,I must admit,I do miss the peculiar British camaraderie that appears when it all goes wrong,the banter between strangers as we collectively cursethe all-too familiar disruptions.

In Vienna,there’s simply no need.

One ticket takes you anywhere within the city limits on tram,bus,U-Bahn,or train. If you’re travelling beyond the city,you can even have the price of your Vienna travel deducted from the total fare. Whoever thought of that clearly cared about passengers.  

A yearly pass for residents costs €365,one euro a day for unlimited travel. Visitors can get a 48-hour pass for €14.10. Compared to the UK,where a single day’s travelcard in London can cost nearly as much.

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Vienna is proof that cities can work beautifully when people actually plan for them to be.

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