Last Updated on February 12, 2024 by Travelationship
Another three days, another beautiful city. I don’t know where to begin with Vienna. The beauty? The friendly residents? The food? The eye-popping palaces? The music? I am not sure which part I liked best.
Time in Vienna is Always Delightful
It was no surprise that the Historic Center of Vienna is listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site. The incredible architecture, beauty, and history oozing out of every corner of the city. The greenery and the landscaping of this town are a visual delight. The blending of the elements helps to encourage a relaxing and enjoyable experience for everyone. We tried to visit quite a few of the main stops in the city. We couldn’t see them all, but Vienna is one of those places we hope to visit again.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral and South Tower (Stephansdom) were worth the visit. If there is a tower to climb, Matt and I will always be at the top. The views from the top of the 343 steps of the South Tower are stunning. Other notable locations in the area are St. Peter’s Church, Town Square (Stephensplatz), and the Holy Trinity Plague Column. The entire Vienna Historical Center is easily walkable. I would recommend starting on one side and wandering around the streets and buildings heading in the direction of the other side. The Town Square offered some mouth-watering street vendors. Sausage and beer galore. Grab your food, hang out, and people-watch.
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One of my favorite things while traveling is engaging in lively conversations with locals. At dinner our first night, we met a well-traveled local lady dining independently. She heard our American accents and started to offer us recommendations on where to visit, where to eat, and fabulous little tidbits about Vienna. Our chat quickly led to our various travels, politics (I know, never talk about politics, but it went well), and relationships. We talked with her for hours, and it was one of my favorite moments of our entire trip. It thrills me when I meet someone who I have seemed to know forever. Looking back, I so regret not getting a photo with her.
After a night of delicious food and conversation at Reinthaler’s Biesl, my hopes for Vienna were high. I highly recommend eating at Reinthaler’s Biesl at least once during your visit. We shared the schnitzel (of course) and a burenwurst sausage special; both were so good. If the weather is nice, eat outside and watch for some chatty locals to engage with.
A Visit to the Royal Palace
If the royal palaces are on your agenda, and you are limited on time, I recommend starting with the summer palace, Schonbrunn. I enjoyed both palaces, but Schonbrunn was especially lovely; we wish we hadn’t left it for last. The gardens and mazes are two of the best parts of the palace. Take the time to notice all the little details. Play on the music mat, challenge someone to a game of tic-tac-toe, or try to find all the hidden statues.
Make sure to go when the weather is good, so you can soak it all in. We did not make it to the Palm House or the zoo, but we did the Imperial palace tour, played in the maze, walked the grounds in and around the Gloriette, and gawked at the gold royal carriages. Bring water, and if you go in the summer bring an umbrella for shade. The palace grounds are huge, and it will take some time to wander around. Photos are not allowed inside. Check their website for current hours and prices.
A Night Out in Vienna
Matt had surprised me with a romantic evening with visits to 2 world-famous Vienna stops. Our first stop was Café Sacher to try a piece of the original and world’s classiest chocolate torte cake, the Sachertorte. I am not a dessert connoisseur and could not tell you if it was the best or not. It was good though; the ambiance and the service made for a one-of-a-kind experience. I would recommend a visit, but I wouldn’t recommend waiting if the line is long.
From the restaurant, we headed over to the world-famous Vienna State Opera House to see “Eugene Onegin.” You don’t have to be an opera lover to love this place. Linger in the lobby and watch the elite dressed in their nightly best mingle with each other. As you head to your seats, look around, and notice all the details from floor to ceiling. We sat on the upper balcony right above the stage. I loved our seats (yes, the cheap seats) because we had such an incredible view of the entire theater and the stage. If you can see an opera at this historic location, do it! I left the opera that night feeling so lucky to have been able to experience such an incredible time. Get cheap tickets and try to get as close to the edge as possible. To be right over the performers was really fun.
Maynard’s Guide to Sausage
This is a delicious staple for this region of Europe. Typically, the darker, the spicier.
- Blutwurst – made from congealed blood
- Bosna – with onions and sometimes curry
- Burenwurst – pork sausage similar to kielbasa
- Debreziner – boiled, thin, and spicy with paprika
- Frankfurter – boiled, closely resembles our hot dog (aka – wiener)
- Kasekrainer – boiled, with melted cheese inside
- Thuringer – long and skinny, also peppery and in a short roll
- Waldviertler – smoked sausage
- Weisswurst – boiled, white sausage (peel the casing before you eat)
Travel Basics
Language: German
- Hello – Grüß Gott! (gruus got) (formal) or Servus! (SEHR-voos) (informal)
- Goodbye – Auf Wiedersehen (owf vee-der-zayn)
- Please – Bitte (bit-teh)
- Thank You – Danke (dahng–keh)
- Where is the Bathroom – Wo ist die Toilette, bitte? (voh ist dee twah-LET-uh, BIT-tuh?)
Money Matters
Austria is part of the EU; therefore, on the Euro. As with all currencies, there is fluctuation so check conversion rates while planning your trip. You should do your currency conversion at the ATM and avoid Dynamic Conversion if it comes up during your transaction.
Tipping: As with most of Europe, tipping at restaurants is only done when getting table service, in this case, you should tip 5-10%. If you get your food as takeaway, no tip is required. Taxis are also in the 5-10% range. Please give more if you feel your taxi driver went above and beyond. On the other hand, if you feel you are being taken advantage of and possibly driven in circles, feel free to skip the tip. The only other time you might consider giving a tip is with a tour guide or very helpful hotel workers, like valets or the concierge.
Vienna Logistics
Train – Vienna’s Hauptbahnhof train station serves as its main station for most of its traffic. However, please look closely at your ticket to ensure you are headed to the correct station. The stations are as follows:
- Wien Hauptbahnhof – Vienna’s central train station. Opening in 2014 this is Vienna’s first unified train station, and it has everything you could want inside; its only fault is that it is only serviced by one U-Bahn line.
- Westbahnhof – The western station’s renovation left a 1950s outer shell with a modern inside. It is currently used for trains going to destinations west, such as Melk, Hallstatt, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Munich.
- Wien-Mitte Bahnhof – is a smaller station just west of the ring. It is the terminus for S-Bahn and CAT trains to the airport. Be aware the U-Bahn station name is “Landstrasse“. A tram also connects this station to Hauptbahnhof; Tram #O.
Plane – Chances are you will be flying into Vienna International Airport (VIE). A well serviced airport, you will find lots of choices for flights. There is an excellent selection of options to traverse the 12 miles into the city.
Getting To and From the Airport
- A taxi that will cost roughly €35-40 and take ~30 minutes can be grabbed from the taxi stand in front of the airport. Uber is also an option in Vienna.
- For €8, the bus will take you to 3 predesignated spots in the city. Morzinplatz for city center hotels, Westbahnhof for Mariahhilfer area hotels and Wien-Meidling Bahnof train station. Buses can be caught by exiting the terminal and heading left, checking the monitors for destinations and times, and purchasing your tickets from the drivers.
- There are two train options: the S-Bahn, which puts you directly in the public metro system via the S-7 Yellow line train; tickets are €4.40. The other option is the CAT (City Airport Train), which is €12 and rushes towards the city center. I would go with the reliable S-Bahn as chances are you will have to transfer to get to your hotel regardless. Both trains can be reached by exiting the terminal and heading straight for the CAT green sign. Once you reach the screens, trains leaving next will be denoted by a red strip, and the green screens are for CAT trains only. To reach the S-Bahn is to the right and then left down a hallway marked just with the train logo.
Recommendable: Yes! Enjoy time wandering around the place consistently rated as the world’s most livable city
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I’m surprised to see your comment about tipping. When I lived in Germany you would just round up the bill and that was considered nice, as the “service fee” was part of the price. That was still the case when I was in Europe a couple years ago. Has Europe picked up America’s bad habit? Tipping is being seen more and more as a way to pay service workers less, which means lower social security at retirement. Some are advocating that service workers receive the same minimum wage, or more, with no tipping.
Hello, Paul. The first couple times I was in Germany and Austria that was the information I was given also. As a rule of thumb, one was to round up there bill and that would serve as a tip. While I don’t think anyone would give you any grief or say anything if you still followed that rule, the current etiquette is the 5-10% rule.
-Maynard