Getting Around Graz: An Overview
Graz is a compact, visitor-friendly city, and most of what you will want to see sits within or close to its well-preserved historic centre. That means you can combine walking with a dense network of trams and buses, and only occasionally need a taxi or a bike. Public transport in the city is operated by Holding Graz Linien, and the network is built around trams as the backbone, with buses filling in the districts that trams do not reach.
One useful thing to know before you start: the city's core tariff zone, Zone 101, covers Graz and its immediate surroundings — and it extends as far as Graz Airport. Tickets bought for this zone are valid across all modes of public transport within it, so you can start a journey on one vehicle and switch to another as much as you like while your ticket is still valid.
Trams: The Backbone of the Network
Graz has an excellent tram service, and for most visitors the tram will be the default way to cover longer distances. The different routes meet at Jakominiplatz, which functions as the central hub of the public transport system — it is the place to change trams and the natural reference point for planning a trip. Trams also stop near the access points for the Schlossberg funicular and lift, and they serve the main train station, Graz Hauptbahnhof, at the western edge of the city centre.
- Buying tickets: You can buy tram tickets inside the tram itself, from the vending machine — coins, credit cards and debit cards all work there. Tickets bought on board are already validated.
- Buying in advance: You can also buy at the tobacco kiosk (Tabak) in the centre of Jakominiplatz. If you buy from the kiosk, you must punch your ticket inside the tram to validate it.
- Fines: Travelling without a valid, punched ticket carries a fine of €60.
- Free rides in the old town: Trams running through the Altstadt are free, generally for one stop in all directions from Hauptplatz (Main Square) and Jakominiplatz. The free city-centre zone (the "Altstadtbim") applies on the relevant tram lines and replacement buses between specific central stops — for example Südtiroler Platz to Kaiser-Josef-Platz, Schlossbergplatz to Dietrichsteinplatz, and Jakominiplatz to Dietrichsteinplatz — and it operates every day, including weekends and public holidays, from the start to the end of service.
Buses and Other Public Transport
Graz also has an excellent city bus network that takes in the parts of the city not serviced by trams. Many buses run through Jakominiplatz, Hauptbahnhof and Geidorfplatz, so these are useful interchange points. Tickets are the same as for the tram, and because the tickets are interchangeable you can begin your journey on a bus and continue on a tram, or vice versa, as long as your ticket remains valid.
- Buy before you board: Bus tickets must be bought in advance — from a vending machine, a kiosk, or the GrazMobil ticket app (available for iOS and Android) — and punched when entering to validate them. All Holding Graz buses have cashless ticket machines on board.
- Where to buy: Ticket machines are found in tramways and at stops, with stationary machines at major locations including Hauptbahnhof, Hauptplatz, Griesplatz, Jakominiplatz, Murpark Liebenau, Smart City and others. There is also a Graz Linien Service Center at Jakoministraße 1 near Jakominiplatz (open Monday to Friday 8:00–18:00, Saturday 9:00–13:00), around a hundred tobacconists sell tickets, and Holding Graz Linien runs an online ticket shop.
- Funicular: Tickets are also valid on the Schlossbergbahn funicular.
- Operating hours: Bus and tram services run from about 05:00 to midnight during the week. Trams usually make their last departures from Jakominiplatz around 23:30, heading in all directions.
- Night service: Night buses run only on Fridays, Saturdays and the nights before public holidays. They leave Jakominiplatz in all directions at 00:30, 01:30 and 02:30.
Tickets and Passes
Graz uses a straightforward range of tickets that scale with how long you plan to stay and how much you plan to move around. For a short visit, an hourly or 24-hour ticket is usually enough; for a longer stay, a weekly or monthly pass works out more economical. The same tickets cover trams and buses, and they are valid throughout Zone 101, which includes the airport.
- Hourly ticket: €3.30 for adults. Children from their 6th to 15th birthday and people with disabilities pay €1.70; seniors 65+ holding an ÖBB VORTEILSCARD Senior and youth aged 15–19 pay €2.10.
- 24-hour ticket: €7.20 for adults. Children and people with disabilities pay €3.60; seniors 65+ with the ÖBB VORTEILSCARD Senior and youth aged 15–19 pay €4.50.
- Longer options: Weekly tickets (€20.80), monthly tickets, and 10-trip tickets (€26.90) are also available.
- Children travel free: Children up to age 6 travel free on the entire Graz Linien network.
- Dogs: Dogs require a ticket — €1.70 for an hourly ticket or €3.60 for a 24-hour ticket.
- Discounts: Children aged 6 to 14 get 50% off, and youth aged 15 to 18 get 35% off, on hourly and 24-hour tickets.
- Validate pre-purchased tickets: Any ticket you buy before boarding must be validated before you travel.
If you plan to visit museums and attractions as well as ride public transport, look into the Graz Card, available for 24, 48 or 72 hours. It includes unlimited free public transport within the city's core zone and free admission to most major museums and attractions, such as Eggenberg Palace and the Kunsthaus, plus discounts on other services. Two children under 15 can accompany a cardholder free. There is also a Graz Card Light for visitors who already hold a public transport ticket.
Walking
The old town of Graz is easily explored on foot, and it is reachable with a 20-minute walk from the main train station. The historic centre is compact and highly walkable, with the main attractions within easy walking distance of one another — a route from Herrengasse to the Murinsel, for instance, is a natural stroll. The Schlossberg can also be climbed on foot, with the funicular and lift as alternatives. Comfortable shoes are recommended, and a common and pleasant way to see the city is to combine walking with the occasional tram or bus ride.
For orientation, stop at the Tourist Information at the train station, or at any hotel lobby you come across, to pick up a brochure on attractions in Graz. It contains a map with most of the sights marked, as well as recommended self-guided walking routes through the town.
Cycling
Graz is a city of cyclists, with an excellent network of cycle paths, which makes a bike one of the best ways to get around the central areas. It helps that it does not rain a lot in Graz. Bikes can be rented, including city bikes and e-bikes from independent shops, hotels and bike-sharing systems, by the hour or for multiple days; if you are staying a bit longer, buying a used bike and perhaps reselling it may be cheaper. Popular routes follow the Mur River and pass through city parks.
- Where to rent: The "Radstation" next to the central railway station (leave the station through the main exit, turn right, and walk about 200 m) and various bicycle shops.
- Maps: You can get a large map for cyclists from the Tourist Info office at Herrengasse 16, at "Mobil Zentral" (Jakoministraße 1), or at the Radstation.
- Lock your bike: Bike theft is a common problem in Graz, so lock your bike properly — ideally against a bar — whenever you leave it.
- Watch the rails: If you are inexperienced cycling around trams, take extra caution; getting a wheel stuck in a tram rail can knock you down, with trams potentially coming right behind and beside you.
- Counter-flow cycling: Cycling in the "wrong" direction on a one-way street is allowed almost everywhere in Graz. Watch for "one-way street" signs with a small additional "ausgenommen Radfahrer" ("except cyclists") notice.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are available 24 hours a day. You can hail one on the street, go to a taxi rank, or order one by phone. The ranks with the best chances of finding a taxi day or night are at Hauptplatz (on the right side of City Hall) and at Hauptbahnhof. Taxis are useful for late-night travel, heavy luggage, or a direct trip to your accommodation.
- Fares: There is a base rate of €4.90 for all rides (as of 2023), and a ten-minute taxi ride usually costs about €12.
- Traffic caution: Avoid taxis in the early morning and early evening, when traffic congestion can make a ride very expensive.
- Booking: Taxis can be booked at the same price as on the street by calling 0316–878, 0316–889, 0316–222 or 0316–2801. Local operators include E-Taxi Graz (Tesla-powered), A-Taxi Graz, Graz Taxi 24, Flughafentaxi Graz and Taxiruf Graz.
- Ride-hailing: Uber operates in Graz.
Arriving by Train
Graz Hauptbahnhof sits at the western edge of the city centre, at the end of Annenstrasse. From there you can take tram 1, 4, 6 or 7, or simply walk into the centre in about 20 minutes. The station is also served by several city and regional bus lines and by international bus lines, as well as by ÖBB Railjet services and S-Bahn Styria for national and international rail connections.
If you are arriving from Vienna, trains run twice an hour and take about 2 hours 40 minutes via Semmering — sit on the left for this scenic route, and on the right when returning from Graz to Vienna. Trains from Klagenfurt run twice an hour through the Koralm tunnel, with the fastest taking about 45 minutes; other services still wind along the old mountain route. There are also direct trains from Venice, and connections from Ljubljana (change at Villach) and Budapest.
Getting from Graz Airport into the City
Graz Airport (GRZ) is a relatively minor regional airport located south of the city centre. Scheduled flights connect Graz with Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, London, Munich, Vienna and Zurich, linking to the intercontinental hubs of Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines, while in summer there are charters to many holiday destinations around the Mediterranean. From the airport you have three main options for reaching the centre:
- By bus: The bus station is directly in front of the arrival zone. Bus lines 630 and 631 run to Jakominiplatz — the central point of public transport — roughly from 05:20 to 23:45, with a travel time of about 20 minutes. A single ticket costs €3.30 (2026).
- By train: To reach the train station, walk about 5 minutes — head straight out of the airport and continue east. Line S5 connects to Graz Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) from 04:47 (05:17 on Saturdays and Sundays) to 22:47 (21:47 on Sundays), with a travel time of about 15 minutes. The S-Bahn station (Graz/Feldkirchen Airport) is roughly 300 m, or a few minutes' walk, from the terminal.
- By taxi: The approximate fare to the centre is between €35 and €39.
Because the airport lies within Zone 101, ordinary Graz public transport tickets are valid for the journey. Other nearby airports include Maribor, Klagenfurt, and — a little farther away — Linz, Ljubljana, Zagreb and Vienna International Airport. Railjet express trains and FlixBusses connect Vienna International Airport with Graz; some run direct and others require a transfer at Wien Hbf station, with a travel time of around 3 hours.
Arriving by Car
If you can avoid driving in Graz, it is worth doing so. The city has areas with an inscrutable one-way system that makes it easy to get lost, and parking space in central areas is rare and subject to a fee. Paid parking applies Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 20:00 (in front of Hauptbahnhof until 20:00) and on Saturday from 09:00 to 13:00; tickets can be bought from ticket machines placed in every street. There are also Park & Ride garages with their own ticket machines, including Fölling, Brauquartier and Liebenau Murpark.
By road, the A9 runs north–south through Graz, mostly via the Plabutsch tunnel, and the A2 runs east–west just south of the city. Vienna is up the A2 to the east. A just-as-fast but much more scenic alternative route to Vienna is via Bruck/Mur on the S6 — though beware that there are lots of tunnels on the S6. Some drivers find the Gleinalm toll tunnel on the A9, north of Graz, unnerving; it can be avoided by taking the rather longer route via Bruck an der Mur.
Practical Tips
- Plan with the app: The GrazMobil app and the official tourist information centres provide current routes, schedules and disruption information.
- Check the weather: If you are planning extensive walking or cycling, check the forecast first.
- Reaching outlying sights: Public transport is recommended for sights outside the centre, such as Eggenberg Palace.
- Pick up a map: If you plan to use the bus network frequently, get a network map at Jakominiplatz.
- Validate your ticket: Whether you buy from a kiosk, a machine or in advance, make sure it is punched or validated before you travel.