Opinions on Vienna....

ncmc

Just wondering what people here think of Vienna for a city break. My hubby and I normally go away for 4-5 days in Mar/Apr and we were thinking of Vienna next year. Is there much to do and see there? Would 5 nights be too long (bear in mind, we would probably go to Salzburg for a day).

Just looking at hotels and they seem pretty pricey, can anyone recommend a reasonable hotel that isn't in the middle of nowhere? Ideally, i'l love to spend no more than €100 pn.

We are in early 30's and like the usual things, historic sites, a bit of shopping, eating, drinking etc.

P. Breathnach

We stayed here a couple of years ago: http://city-hotel-deutschmeister.h-rsv.com/ and got a good deal - €74 for B&B, fourth night free. It's one tram stop outside the "ring". Moderately comfortable, decent breakfast.

Lots to see in Vienna: Hofburg Palace, Schonbrun Palace, Belvedere, museums, churches, plenty of music, coffee houses, rambling about. Bratislava is a short-range excursion. Meals are not dirt cheap, and a bit of checking of options is time well invested.

manafana

I went in feb, you'll find hotels are on of the pricer things and basic enough but clean, we stayed near rathaus, which was right on the underground which if your near your never far from anything as its so easy to use.
Only used tram once or twice when i went out to the aresnal for the war museum which was very good and excellent value, as it included the audio in price.
Around the museum quartier their is plenty to see, the museums across the way have a huge amount in them and could spend long day in them, the belverde is worth a quick walk then also.
I found food reasonable priced if you dont go obvious area's. And stick to beer rather than wine which was pricey.

cailinoBAC

I absolutely love Vienna. I've posted about it before so I'll try to find those posts later when I have time.

bills

yeah we found it hard to find a reasonable hotel too but there was a soccer cup on in the city at the time. we stayed at golden tulip art hotel- it was fine but basic, about 10-15 mins on bus to the very centre.

Check out the famous prater ferris wheel & have some sachertorte. Loads to do so I would say 5 days is perfect. Enjoy

ncmc

Thanks for all the great replies, thanks for that link P Breathnach, that hotel seems great value and scores quite well on Trip Advisor so will definitely consider it. I will trawl through your old posts CailinoBAC and see if I can find the ones on Vienna!

Sounds like there is loads to do and see. I'm really looking forward to it. I've been to all the usual spots like London, Paris, Rome, so it's nice to see somewhere different.

I'm not massively worried about it being expensive once we get there, I think there's always bargains to be had. People always talk about how expensive Rome is, but we got some wonderful cheap meals, just by moving a street or two away from the main tourist attractions.

mrhydeandseek

I was in Vienna earlier this year and I loved it SOOOOOOOOOOO much!!
I canr really recommend it and I'm going back myself next year.

Quint

There's loads to see there. Get one of those Top 10 books for the city, I found it quite good. It's one of those cities that has spectacular buildings absolutly everywhere!
Most definitely have some sacher torte in the Sacher Hotel!
Great public transport. Think it cost me €5 for a 24 hour ticket that works on all the trams (porshe trams!) buses and the underground! You validate it on the tram. There's a circular tram line around the city (2 lines beside each other, they go in opposite directions) and it's well worth getting that, doing a full circle and getting your bearings. Dublin badly needs something like that.
I found the bars/pubs to be fairly dead. Food isn't too expensive if you shop around.

Loujay

Hey,

I staryed in the NH Wien hotel on Mariahilfer strasse (the main shopping street). Hotel was reasonabbly priced think it was about €300 in total for two if us for four nights. Really nice hotel, rooms really spacious with seperate living room so quite like apartment.Good location for the daytime can walk to museum district but not much nightlife around, we used to get metro to Stephen's catheral at night and there were a few bars around there, not sure how much taxi costs as we used to get last metro home, only 2-3 stops away.

4-5 days perfect, would recommend putting a large chunk of a day by for Schonbrunn palace, we spent half a day there without even going inside the palace but so much to do with gardens and zoo, really nice place to visit.

ncmc

Thanks again for all the replies. A lot of food for thought there. Just one more question, are there any direct flights to Vienna from Belfast? Did a quick look on Expedia, but there doesn't seem to be. Would my only direct option be Dublin with Aer Lingus?

mrhydeandseek

Quint wrote: »

There's loads to see there. Get one of those Top 10 books for the city, I found it quite good. It's one of those cities that has spectacular buildings absolutly everywhere!
Most definitely have some sacher torte in the Sacher Hotel!
Great public transport. Think it cost me €5 for a 24 hour ticket that works on all the trams (porshe trams!) buses and the underground! You validate it on the tram. There's a circular tram line around the city (2 lines beside each other, they go in opposite directions) and it's well worth getting that, doing a full circle and getting your bearings. Dublin badly needs something like that.
I found the bars/pubs to be fairly dead. Food isn't too expensive if you shop around.

Very true!
It all looks so majestic.
When I was there the Army was having a public weekend with tanks, guns and showing the Austrian section of the "European Army" (yes really, European Army, literally, no BS, so much for all the treaty promises..anyways..). You could go down from a tower rope sliding ending right on the steps of the Hofburg Palace for free!! Really cool.
I went to see Mozart's house and all those streets are still authentic.
Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and I have been to most EU countries.
The underground works perfectly and the tickets work on bus,tram and underground indeed. Just avoid Wiener Prater! I stayed for one night in that area and it was full of criminals, junkies and bad folks. The hotel in that area was also a brothel.. Walls moving, women screaming fake orgasms... ugh
Luckily I had a hotel in that part only for a day.
The underground station for Karlsplatz is dodgy too but much too see in the area, that church will make your jaw drop!

mrhydeandseek

Loujay wrote: »

Hey,

I staryed in the NH Wien hotel on Mariahilfer strasse (the main shopping street). Hotel was reasonabbly priced think it was about €300 in total for two if us for four nights. Really nice hotel, rooms really spacious with seperate living room so quite like apartment.Good location for the daytime can walk to museum district but not much nightlife around, we used to get metro to Stephen's catheral at night and there were a few bars around there, not sure how much taxi costs as we used to get last metro home, only 2-3 stops away.

4-5 days perfect, would recommend putting a large chunk of a day by for Schonbrunn palace, we spent half a day there without even going inside the palace but so much to do with gardens and zoo, really nice place to visit.

When you walk around the palace and do not know whats behind it you will be so amazed.

I loved going up the hill there.

missmatty

Vienna is lovely but I only managed 2 days there when inter-railing. George Hook's Travel slot with Fionn Davenport (Newstalk 106) actually covered Vienna a couple of days ago so if you register for their travel updates you can get them to send you the one with tips on Vienna, might be handy.

undo

ncmc wrote: »

Would my only direct option be Dublin with Aer Lingus?

There are no cheap flights from Belfast to Vienna. Your options would be: Change somewhere en-route (eg. go via London), take Aer Lingus from Dublin to Vienna or take Ryanair from Dublin to Bratislava plus bus to Vienna.

ncmc

undo wrote: »

There are no cheap flights from Belfast to Vienna. Your options would be: Change somewhere en-route (eg. go via London), take Aer Lingus from Dublin to Vienna or take Ryanair from Dublin to Bratislava plus bus to Vienna.

Yikes! Dublin-Vienna with Aer Lingus it is! The other options do NOT sound appealing!

Just back from there. LOADS to see. Hofburg, Belvedere and Schonbrun Palaces, Danube and Prater, Stephansdom, Museum of Crime, Haus Der Musik, did a day trip to Semmering in the Austrian Alps, great architecture like Opera House, Burgtheatre, Secession Building, Hundertwasser Haus, stayed in lovely hotel beside Museum Quartier - Hotel Das Tyrol.

But won't go back. Seen it all. And it was kinda a joyless city. At night time there was no great craic - apart from New Year's Eve, which was good alright. Service in restaurants downright rude and slow. Well worth seeing once, beautiful. But think next time I'm around there I might try Salzburg.

Quint

Deleted User wrote: »

But won't go back. Seen it all. And it was kinda a joyless city. At night time there was no great craic - apart from New Year's Eve, which was good alright. Service in restaurants downright rude and slow. Well worth seeing once, beautiful. But think next time I'm around there I might try Salzburg.

Think that sums it up for me. I love German cities, the pubs and beer houses are all a bit of a laugh, I though Vienna would be the same. Even on saturday nights it was dead in the areas with all the bars. Maybe it doesn't get going till 1am like in Spain?

cailinoBAC

You should have gone to the Bermuda Dreieck
http://www.hostelvienna.com/cityinfo/entertainment.php

ncmc

ncmc wrote: »

Yikes! Dublin-Vienna with Aer Lingus it is! The other options do NOT sound appealing!

Well maybe reconsider.... you could fly into bratislava with ryanair and out of Vienna with Aer Lingus. Bratislava is nice for a day and you can go to Vienna from the city centre by boat down the Danube which is very cool.