Vienna is an welcoming, elegant, clear and delightful metropolis for vacationers. Resplendent with attractive structure and monuments at each flip, it’s simple to think about this inventive and mental capital within the instances of Mozart and Freud. Navigating Vienna is pretty simple however if you wish to plan a seamless journey, comply with these Vienna ideas for vacationers.
Vienna (or Wein, pronounced veen, in German), nonetheless ranks as probably the greatest cities we’ve got visited in Europe. Since this Central European capital will not be as nicely lined as a few of its Western counterparts, I wished to supply just a few of my prime Vienna ideas for vacationers. Read on for sensible recommendations on when to go, getting round, consuming out, and extra >>>>
VIenna Tips: When to Visit
Vienna, Austria is such a stunning metropolis that it may be a year-round vacation spot. Many select to go to the Austrian capital when the Christmas Markets are up and operating and all the things appears magical. Summer is the preferred time to go to Vienna when climate is heat and children are out of faculty. If you wish to keep away from the crowds however nonetheless have nice climate, one of the best time to go to is within the shoulder season of April to May or September to October.
If you might be visiting Vienna for the primary time, use these following Vienna journey tricks to decide when to go to:
- Expect rain should you go to in November or March and probably snow in the course of the winter months. It was fairly windy and wet a few days that we had been there in March, however we additionally had some pretty heat days as nicely.
- Vienna ball season begins in mid-November and peaks in January and February.
- Check a particular occasions calendar on the Vienna tourism official web site prematurely so you already know if there are any huge festivals or occasions occurring that will make the town extra crowded than regular (resembling annual occasions like Carnival and Opera Ball in February, Classical Music live performance festivals in March, the OsterKlang Festival round Easter, and so on.) You can even verify for public holidays in Austria when many companies could be closed.
- Austrian faculty holidays start in July so in case you are stepping into summer time, June could be the month to go.
- Christmas season runs from mid-November to Christmas Day.
Tips for Getting Around Vienna
Plenty of tourists arrive within the City of Music on Danube River cruises or different tour teams, however it’s simple to go to as an unbiased traveller too.
If you might be arriving on the Vienna International Airport, the best solution to get to the town centre is utilizing the City Airport Train. The prepare takes 16 minutes to get from the Vienna airport to central Vienna and leaves the airport each half-hour. You should purchase a single ticket or return tickets on-line, on the counter, or from the ticket machines.
However, with a household of 4 or extra, it will be cheaper and simpler to take a cab or Uber, each of which ought to price 30-45 euros with normal pricing, and take about half-hour.
The important prepare station is Vienna Hauptbahnhof, providing native prepare service to important prepare stations in different European cities. I’d suggest giving your self no less than 45 minutes to 1 hour from the town heart earlier than your prepare departure time. The prepare station is extraordinarily simple to seek out your manner round and tracks/trains are clearly marked.
Getting round Vienna is straightforward. If you keep throughout the internal ring (Innenstadt or Innere Stadt) of the town heart within the 1st District, you’ll be able to simply stroll nearly in every single place. However, your ft can get drained so there are different choices:
- Underground – the U-Bahn (underground) is straightforward to make use of to get to important points of interest. You should buy tickets within the station at machines or ticket home windows. Simply VALIDATE your ticket on the entrances earlier than boarding the prepare. If you’ve a multi-trip/day go, you solely must validate it as soon as whenever you first use it. As an added bonus, kids below 15 are free and don’t want a ticket! Just search for your line, that are labeled by coloration and quantity, and the top level of the path you might be touring. It is straightforward to inform which stations are subsequent and the stations are labeled on the platform so you already know when you’ve arrived. There are additionally LED indicators to let you already know when the following prepare is arriving.
- Trams – these function the identical because the underground, however they’re above floor and provide a greater view, though they’re a bit slower. Both are clear and simple to make use of. There can be a hoop tram that you should utilize as an inexpensive tour of the internal metropolis. When you get on the tram for the primary time, simply validate your ticket within the little ticket validator. It is just a little tougher to trace your route because the stations aren’t as clearly marked however there ought to be an LED show contained in the tram to let you already know what station you might be approaching. There are each trendy and old style trams. Children below 15 are additionally free on trams.
- Uber – Uber drivers are plentiful and it’s low cost! We discovered it simpler than taking a taxi since you didn’t want to fret about how a lot money you had or in the event that they took bank cards. You can also name them from wherever, versus attempting to hail a cab or discover one ready exterior of main points of interest/resorts. Check out these ideas for utilizing Uber or Lyft.
Vienna Travel Tips: Eating in Vienna
Eating out is without doubt one of the joys of a visit to Vienna. The wiener schnitzel is unsurpassed and you might also wish to attempt Vienna’s favourite sacher torte (personally I most well-liked all the opposite pastries across the espresso homes in Vienna.)
- Reservations are extremely really useful!
- Many eating places will settle for reservations on-line by way of their web site or reserving websites like bookatable.com, if not, contact your lodge concierge earlier than arrival they usually may help you e book reservations.
- Tipping is anticipated, though it’s extra modest than what you’d do within the United States. At a café, spherical up and depart just a few cash on the desk. At different eating places, they might make a degree of telling you that service will not be included and you may add a gratuity (I’d suggest about 10%) after they deliver the bank card cost terminal to the desk.
- Some eating places don’t settle for bank cards, so be ready with some Euro readily available. (Cafe Diglas is one which solely accepts money.)
- Coffee tradition reigns supreme in Vienna however essentially the most well-known ones are going to be crowded. To keep away from the wait, get there earlier than 12pm or see if you can also make a reservation.
- You are unlikely to discover a kids’s menu and lots of parts are massive and/or hearty so you might wish to share. When you’ve had your fill of conventional meals resembling Wiener schnitzel, boiled beef and goulash, there are many nice eating places of all cuisines out there.
- Check out my suggestions on the place and what to eat in Vienna and our favourite espresso homes.
- Be positive to attempt among the native beer and wine. Austrian wines are very reasonably priced and scrumptious. I used to be stunned to seek out that eating places didn’t mark up alcohol almost as a lot as what you discover within the States.
What you Need to Know Before Visiting Vienna
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- Plan to spend no less than 2-3 days in Vienna in case you are visiting different cities in Central Europe, resembling Prague or Budapest. If Vienna is your main vacation spot, 5 days in Vienna will not be an excessive amount of. It is the right period of time to discover Old Town, be taught the historical past of Vienna, take a strolling tour of Vienna, and go to all of the vacationer points of interest. You would even have time for a day journey or extra time to absorb the humanities and tradition.
- Vienna is a chic metropolis and its Viennese folks gown appropriately. Shorts are actually frowned upon. For nicer dinners, plan to decorate up and definitely if you’ll the opera home. During the day, you may get away with nicer denims, pants, skirts or appropriately accompanied leggings.
- You might want to e book tickets to performances of the opera, Vienna Boys Choir, and Spanish Riding School prematurely.
- Austria use 230 V electrical shops, so be sure you deliver a normal EU adapter/converter like this one that has 4 USB ports.
- Free WiFi is plentiful in cafes, eating places and museums. Occasionally, there will likely be cut-off dates however it’s normally greater than sufficient to leap on-line and verify e mail, request an Uber, begin Google Maps, and so on. so you may get away with not utilizing an International Data plan.
- English is fairly broadly spoken, even when not proficiently no less than sufficient to get by in most eating places. It by no means hurts to be taught a little bit of German (the official language in Austria) earlier than you go although.
- Almost all outlets are closed on Sundays. So in case you are checking in to an Airbnb on a Saturday, be sure you replenish earlier than the grocery shops shut, and in case you are arriving on a Sunday, be forewarned that you just received’t be capable to get fundamental provides very simply.
Vienna Money Saving Tips
The Vienna City Card affords choices for twenty-four, 48, or 72 hours of limitless journey on the general public transportation strains; in addition to reductions at museums, outlets and eating places. The Vienna City Card additionally consists of Hop-On/Hop-Off buses for twenty-four hours. Just validate your card in your first journey on public transportation to activate it.
There are just a few free points of interest that the entire household will take pleasure in, like a stroll by way of the Schönbrunn Palace gardens (however you received’t be capable to enter the Gloriette and not using a ticket) or the Prater (however you’ll want tickets for the rides within the amusement park.) You can even take pleasure in strolling across the Hofburg and Museum Quarter, and admission will not be required to stroll into St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
The Vienna Pass is the way in which to go in case you are planning on visiting just a few points of interest. They can be found for buy for 1, 2, 3 and 6 days and could be ordered on-line prematurely. You can have them shipped or decide them up on the airport or metropolis heart customer support workplaces.
The Vienna Pass offers you free entry charge to 70 of the town’s prime points of interest, sights, and museums just like the Albertina, apple strudel present on the Schonbrunn Palace, House of Music, Jewish Museum, Sisi Museum Hofburg, Giant Ferris Wheel, Upper Belvedere (the place you’ll be able to see Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss) and different museums. You may even get quick observe entry and lots of points of interest, in addition to a Hop On/Hop Off Bus tour and even a ship cruise.
Where to Stay in Vienna
I might suggest staying within the First District, however avoiding the extra touristy space by the Opera House. We beloved our keep on the Palais Hansen Kempinski. It had a stunning location simply throughout the ring street however in a quiet space, with quick access to the tram or underground. This elegant luxurious lodge has spacious rooms, wonderful service, and one of the best breakfast buffet.
There are additionally many reasonably priced Airbnbs and vrbo condo leases within the metropolis heart.
Frequently Asked Questions
The greatest locations to go to in Vienna embody Hofburg Palace, Schonbrunn Palace, the Upper Belvedere, State Opera House, St. Stephen’s cathedral, Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial, and the House of Music. Be positive to take a look at my put up with a 2-3 day Vienna itinerary that features all of the highlights.
We spent 5 days in Vienna and I assumed that was the right period of time to see all the key points of interest, benefit from the espresso tradition, and take a day journey. I’ve written a put up concerning the how a lot time you want in Vienna.
Yes, however not as a lot as within the United States. 10 % is satisfactory however if you wish to embody it in your bank card be sure to inform the server earlier than they enter the verify into the cellular cost terminal. Otherwise, be sure you carry small payments and alter to depart a tip.
Don’t fear about whether or not or not you appear like a vacationer! There are many vacationers in Vienna, particularly within the internal metropolis. Generally locals will gown elegantly and keep away from shorts and informal t-shirts. During the day you’ll find a wide range of types however folks are inclined to get a bit extra dressed for dinner.
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