Vienna Travel Guide

My First Trip to Vienna

The first time I went to Vienna was in 2010 as part of an Interrail trip. Of course, we stayed for a very short time, but we liked the city’s dynamic atmosphere. We stumbled upon an event like a cocktail party for a film festival, and I thought, “What an art-filled city.” Except for the fact that everything closed early and they even put honey sauce on burgers, I left the city satisfied. Although I had thought about visiting again, it wasn’t among my priorities. This year, I think seeing posts about the city on Instagram influenced me. And since it didn’t make sense to spend the entire holiday in Prague after visiting it, I opted for Vienna as a more affordable option for returning home and an easy transfer from Prague. When I arrived in Vienna, I rediscovered the beauty of the city and realized that the things I complained about were no longer relevant, which made me think, “Why didn’t I spend more days here?” Luckily, the weather was also great.

Transition from Prague to Vienna by Train

Since the train from Prague to Vienna was almost the same price as buses, I chose the train. I looked at options on Omio but ended up buying my ticket directly from RegioJet’s website to avoid paying Omio’s service fee and to see all my options clearly. I discovered that RegioJet even has a lounge at the Prague train station, although it took me a while to realize it, but I’m glad I did. The lounge offers free tea, coffee, water, and ice cream, and you can enter regardless of your ticket category. You can also track the platform from screens in the lounge. However, the park just outside the Prague station is also a good option for waiting.

I bought a standard ticket on the RegioJet train, but when I got on the wrong carriage, I noticed the other seats were more comfortable. Aside from occasional toilet smells and my charging port not working, there were no issues. There’s also a complimentary water service on the train. If you want to order food or something else, you do it through the app or website.

First Impressions of Vienna

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, one of the things we disliked about Vienna 14 years ago was that everything closed early, but during this visit, the city was bustling at all hours, and I didn’t encounter any places that closed early.

Vienna is an architecturally stunning city; I love how well they’ve preserved it. Walking around, every building feels like a tourist attraction. I wonder what it would be like to work in such a building. You’d feel like a princess walking in, only to turn into a slave when work starts 🙂

I think the nice weather contributed to people’s overall good mood, although at times it did get uncomfortably hot. Fortunately, Vienna has machines on the streets that spray a mist to cool you down.

There’s a romantic theme at the traffic lights, which adds a subtle touch to the city’s romantic ambiance. When you’re walking by the river, exploring palaces and museums, or attending an opera, you already feel romantic. The concept of a honeymoon varies for everyone, but if I had to choose a European city, Vienna would definitely worth being on the list. If only the river were a bit more vibrant in color, I would stand not seeing Bosphorus for a longer period.

As a woman traveling alone, I passed through some deserted areas after dark but didn’t feel unsafe. Overall, I didn’t see many homeless people either. There are people asking for money or food, but they’re generally on the busy streets. There are also a lot of cyclists in Vienna, it’s not as much as in the Netherlands though.

I think you should spend at least 4 days in Vienna; it could be shorter if you’re not visiting any museums, but if you plan to visit more than 2, even 4 days might be too little. There are so many experiences to enjoy in the city. I think it’s better to explore Vienna fully without combining it with another destination. Since I combined it with Prague and visited museums there, I skipped some places in Vienna to stay within my budget, but if I had focused only on Vienna, there would have been many more things to experience.

Accommodation in Vienna

I stayed at Ibis Messe-Prater. I got off right in front of the hotel with just one tram from the train station. At first, I thought the area was a bit deserted, but the parallel streets were not like that at all, and I didn’t feel unsafe. In fact, since this side of the bridge is quieter, it can be much better. The room I stayed in was a double room, and the bathroom and toilet were separate, with no door on the bathroom. If you’re staying with someone you’re not very close to, this could be an issue, so it’s worth clarifying this with the hotel.

Transportation in Vienna

The most economical option for transportation in Vienna is the daily ticket, especially if you’re not staying in the central area, as it’s sensible for saving time. When I got on the tram from the train station, I hadn’t been able to buy a ticket yet, but thankfully, there’s a ticket machine inside the tram (usually near the 2nd door). You can buy a single ticket or a daily ticket from here.

The only issue with Google Maps is that it sometimes shows walking distances even though a vehicle is available; but with a daily ticket and in hot weather, people understandably don’t want to walk. I think it might be because the departure time is longer, so it doesn’t show the option. Also, they make announcements when there’s a protest or event, but since the announcements are in German, it’s impossible to understand. You can usually follow which stop is next on the screens inside the tram.

I only bought a 24-hour ticket for the day I was going to the opera. It continues for the next day until the same time, not ending at midnight. The other places I wanted to visit were close to each other, so I mostly walked around the city. Even in June, during the summer, it was hot, so if you’re going in July or August, you might want to consider the options for the entire duration of your stay.

Since the CAT was said to be a more expensive option that doesn’t make much of a difference, and since there was a train station near my hotel, I took the regular train to the airport. However, when buying a ticket, it asked me to select a time, and since there were only 2 minutes until the next train and I wasn’t sure if the ticket would be valid for the next one, I had to buy for the following train.

There usually isn’t any control on public transportation in Vienna; I never encountered it. Locals said that sometimes a civilian-looking person might take out their ID and check tickets, so I didn’t take any risks.

There are also options like the Vienna Card, but after examining the Vienna City Card in detail, it didn’t seem very economical to me. Some of the museums I wanted to visit didn’t offer any discounts, or only offered a small amount, like 1 euro. The Vienna Pass seemed more logical for what it covered, but you can evaluate it based on the places you want to visit.

You can also visit “Museums and palaces in Vienna“.