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Do you have one of those awkward, multiple-part commutes that requires running for the bus, jumping on a train from one town to another, then diving back onto another bus? Those sweaty morning rushes are an unwelcome part of living in a city – and can also take a decent chunk out of your budget.
In Austria, though, this would all cost you just three euros. Three! Taking in every element of public transport, the Klimaticket (literally, ‘climate ticket’) makes for a very seamless journey to work, and is good for the environment too. And did we mention how cheap it is?
The annual pass is priced at €1,095 (£925, $1,270), which works out at just €21 (£17.75, $24) per week or €3 (£2.50, $3.50) a day. The ability to swap between bus, tram and train has been hailed as a revolutionary political achievement, especially given there are 40 transport operators in Vienna alone.
This isn’t just a metropolitan initiative, though. You can use the Klimaticket all over the country – so that weekend trip to the Alps or a romantic break in Salzburg will be included.
The scheme has inevitably proven extremely popular already. The website almost crashed after the tickets went on sale, which hopefully means that lots of people are about to ditch their cars. (International visitors will be saddened to learn that you can’t pay per day, and have to shell out for a full annual pass – making it very much a perk aimed at Austrians.)
But there have been rumblings about similar schemes coming to the Netherlands and Germany, and we’ve got our fingers crossed that more cities and countries around the world take up the cause, too.
More cool plans:
Milan is going to plant three MILLION trees by 2030
Berlin could create the biggest car-free urban area in the world