Vienna on your own: a trip to main city Austria. How much does a vacation in Vienna cost? How to prepare for the trip? Everything you need to know before your trip.
I started writing this article to put together all the information that was presented in other blog articles, and to present to your attention a kind of guide to Vienna - a collection practical information for those who are going to make a trip to this city. With the help of this article, you will be able to quickly prepare for the trip, plan your budget, find suitable accommodation, decide on the route in Vienna, and also solve other pressing issues that arise during any trip.
General information.
Belvedere Palace...
Vienna is the capital of Austria, a city of majestic palaces, gigantic churches and outstanding musicians (from Mozart to Conchita Wurst). The population of Vienna is 1.8 million (which is only slightly less than the population of Minsk). Old city Vienna, as well as the Schönbrunn Palace, have been on the list since 2001 world heritage UNESCO. According to a study by the international agency Mercer, Vienna has ranked first in the list of the most comfortable cities for living five times in a row.
Currency: euro.
The language of communication: German. But you can safely use English. The vast majority of Austrians (from people of Bieber's age to people of Trump's age) speak this language perfectly. Due to the large number of immigrants on the streets of Vienna, many other languages are also constantly heard - Polish, Turkish, Arabic, Russian, Slovak, etc.
Visa.
Mozart's house in Vienna...
A regular Schengen will do (including the Polish Schengen “for purchases”). If you do not yet have a visa, you can open it at the German Embassy in Minsk (it represents the interests of Austria in the Republic of Belarus), as well as at the embassy of the country whose border you will cross first (Poland or Lithuania, less often - Latvia). On some sites on the Internet you can also find information that you can open a Schengen visa at all in any EU embassy. But personally, I advise you to leave this option as a last resort (especially if before that you had no experience of independently opening visas in different embassies).
The Austrian Embassy in Minsk is located on the street: Engels, 34a, building 2. But I emphasize: at the time of writing this article, the Austrian embassy has not yet been issuing visas to citizens of Belarus (the official reason is the lack of the necessary staff).
The German Embassy in Minsk is located at: Zakharova street, 26 (next to the metro station Victory Square).
Do I need insurance to travel to Vienna?
Yes and no. At the embassy, they will ask you for it anyway. But at the border, insurance is rarely asked. Although personally I recommend that you still issue it. Medicine in Austria is expensive. You never know. These 7-10 dollars are not a big price to pay for peace of mind.
You can buy a policy from any Belarusian insurance company (the minimum amount of compensation is 30,000 euros). However, personally, I usually buy insurance online. Here are the policies of many well-known companies from Russia, Europe and the USA. You can pay for insurance directly from home. After payment (by card), the electronic policy comes to e-mail. It looks like this.
You can also contact him at the embassy when applying for a visa. In fact, it is the same insurance as any other. Other nuances of choosing insurance for Schengen countries are described in the article below.
How to get to Vienna from Minsk (by land).
Trains run from Minsk to Vienna on Thursdays and Fridays. You can check whether this information is outdated on the website poezd.rw.by. In addition, you can get to Austria from Belarus by buses of Eurolines and Ecolines companies. They go directly from Minsk. But they are quite expensive (like trains). Much cheaper to get to Vienna with an intermediate stop in Warsaw. You can leave Austria from Poland on buses of companies, PolskiBus, FlixBus and many other carriers. The cheapest tickets can usually be found with the PolskiBus company (during sales, their prices can drop to 2-3 euros).
You can read more about all travel options at the link below.
How to buy a cheap plane ticket Minsk - Vienna.
Direct flights from several different airlines fly from Minsk to Vienna. At the same time, flight prices can often be even lower than bus or train tickets (from 156 to 260 euros for a round-trip flight). To find the best connections and the cheapest tickets, I recommend that you use popular search engines such as Buruki, Skyscanner (here the prices are often even slightly lower than on the websites of specific airlines). When I need to find some cheap flight, I usually use all three sites at once. And I buy tickets where they are the cheapest. If you are not attached to specific dates, you can also try to search for tickets using the Low Price Calendar on the Aviasales website. This flexible search feature will immediately show you which days the cheapest flight is. You can also use the form below to search. The running line shows the cost of tickets to Vienna from Minsk and nearby cities (ROUND-BACK).
I wrote about all the nuances of finding cheap flights in the article below.
How much are flights to Vienna from nearby cities?
You can find out by using the search form below. Running line shows the best prices for the near future (for a flight in TWO directions). If the price seems too high for you, try comparing it with the cost of tickets on other days. Often, simply by changing the day of departure, you can save a lot of money. And one more thing: if the price suits you - do not pull too long. The cost of air travel is not static and can change constantly. It is likely that while you are thinking, she will have time to grow up.
What are the best websites to book accommodation for a trip?
The view from the windows of my "Viennese" apartment...
Apartments. Personally, during this trip, I rented a separate apartment for myself on the AIRBNB website. In my opinion, such accommodation is more comfortable than a hotel room. Yes, and its cost can often be significantly lower. Although I emphasize: this, of course, is an inexact science. Therefore, before the trip, I would recommend that you study in detail all the options.
If you end up choosing the AIRBNB option, register here at this link. So you will immediately receive a small bonus on your first booking (with a total amount of 75-77$). Make it a must. Let it be. But keep in mind that this is not the only way to save money when booking accommodation on this site. They always have quite a lot of various discounts and bonuses. Read more about them in the article below.
Why do I recommend you use these particular search engines? Everything is very simple here. Such sites allow you to compare room rates simultaneously on dozens of different sites (including the same Booking). At the same time, I emphasize: on different sites, the same number can cost completely differently. Thus, search engines like the ones I mentioned above allow you not to overpay in vain and always find the best prices.
Karlskirche...
- Do not settle directly in the center. Vienna is a big city. You still can't get around it on foot. There is no transport here. Therefore, it is best to just choose accommodation near the metro.
— If you are traveling by your own car, consider renting accommodation not in Vienna itself, but in neighboring Bratislava. Hotels and apartments there are much cheaper. And you can get from one city to another in just an hour.
— Pay for hotels (apartments) with cards with a cash-back system. They can be issued in many Belarusian banks. This simple trick will save you a few extra dollars on your booking.
My personal selection of good and inexpensive hotels in the capital of Austria is given here.
Walking route in Vienna
Follow the pink rabbit...
Attractions and interesting places there are so many in the Austrian capital that they would be more than enough for several cities. Therefore, even before the trip, try to determine for yourself which sights you want to see first of all, and which ones you are ready to leave for “later”. My articles on the subject are below.
Route number 1. Stefanplatz - St. Stephen's Cathedral - Plague Column - St. Michael's Wing - Amalia Castle - New Hoffburg - Museum of Natural History and Museum of Fine Arts - Austrian Parliament - Vienna City Hall - Burgtheater.
Mikhailovsky wing of the Hoffburg castle...
Route number 2. Stefanplatz - St. Stephen's Cathedral - Plague Column - Mikhailovsky Wing - Austrian Library - Albertina Museum - Vienna Opera House - Karlsplatz - Karlskirche - Monument to Soviet Soldiers - Lower Belvedere - Upper Belvedere.
Vienna Opera...
Route number 3(on transport). Schönnbrun Palace (metro station of the same name) - Belvedere Palace (Sudtiroler Platz-Hauptbahnhof metro station) - lower Belvedere - Monument to Soviet soldiers - Karlskirche and Karlsplatz - Vienna Opera (take tram number 1) - Hoffburg - Museum of Natural History and Museum of Fine Arts - Austrian Parliament - Vienna City Hall - Burgtheater - (again take tram number 1) - Hundertwasser House.
How to navigate in an unfamiliar city
In order not to get lost on the streets of Vienna, download for yourself mobile app MAPS.ME. This is a development of Belarusian programmers, which allows you to easily find the shortest path from point A to point B. Everything is very simple there: you set a specific goal, street or point on the map - and just follow the arrows. If you couldn’t find some attraction or address in the search, try writing its name the way it looks in the original (for example, not the Vienna City Hall, but the Rathaus). I think the principle is clear. The application works offline. The only thing you need to do before the trip is to pre-download a map of the desired area (for example, Vienna). To do this, go to the application menu and click "Add card".
Vienna attractions on the map
Excursions in Vienna
If you don’t want to bother with planning a route and other nuances, you can simply book a tour on the Internet. For these purposes, I can advise you on two different sites: and.
There are always a lot of some unusual author's tours around the Austrian capital and other cities. Plus, on these services, you can immediately read reviews about the tour, get acquainted with the excursion program, and also see its rating (based on the opinions of previous clients). If you decide to choose this option, you will only need to make an advance payment online. The rest - personally to the guide, at the meeting.
Below I will place here a small widget with excursions in Vienna, so that you can immediately imagine what is at stake. To see full list available walks click on the top inscription " Unusual excursions in Vienna".
Bratislava
You probably now ask: what does the capital of Slovakia have to do with the article about Vienna? The answer is that the whole point is that between these two cities there is only an hour's drive, so in terms of tourism, Bratislava can be perceived as a good bonus to a trip to Vienna. The capitals of Austria and Slovakia are the two closest capitals in Europe. You can get from one city to another in just an hour. Therefore, do not miss the opportunity to combine two countries at once in one trip. I wrote about how to get from one city to another in this review (see below).
Vienna transport
Tram number 1. Drives through the city center past most of Vienna's sights.
Metro Vienna. Dull and confusing. You always walk in it more than you drive. But you can't do without it. The station map is shown below.
Circled in blue are those metro stations that can be conditionally called the center of the city.
Transport card. It costs 7.60 euros for 24 hours and 13.30 for 48 hours. There is also a travel card for three days, but I no longer remember how much it costs. If you come to Vienna for 2-3 days, buy a travel card for the corresponding number of days. Don't try to get away with a daily pass. Personally, in the end, I just bought a daily pass twice (and instead of 13.30 I paid 7.60 + 7.60). You can buy a ticket in special machines at metro stations.
You can activate it there. You put the ticket in the validator - and the date and time are stamped on it. From this moment begins the calculation of those same 24 or 48 hours of action.
Composter at the entrance to the subway...
The ticket covers all transport in Vienna. There are no turnstiles in the metro or trams. But there are controllers that are quite common. The fine for traveling without a ticket is more than 100 euros. And yet (if you suddenly pay for a ticket with a bank card), keep in mind that not one ticket falls out of the machine, but two at once (the ticket itself and the payment receipt). They are very similar. Therefore, do not confuse. Photo below.
Food prices in Vienna
I can’t call Austria a very expensive country, but most food in Viennese stores is still noticeably more expensive than in Minsk and other Belarusian cities. For many positions, the cost is twice as high.
Lunch at a fast food restaurant will cost you 7-8 euros per person. Dinner for two in a more or less decent restaurant will cost 30-50 euros. Viennese strudel can cost from 8 to 14 euros (depending on the level of the establishment). A famous dessert called "Sacher" will cost you 4-10 euros. In general, it is quite expensive here. If you still get from Vienna to Bratislava, buy there in full. In Slovakia, prices are much more pleasant.
The cost of souvenirs in Vienna
Good magnets in the Austrian capital cost from 3.9 euros and more. The price depends on the proximity to the center and the total number of tourists in the city. The cheapest magnets that I personally found were in a Turkish shop next to the Prater park (4.5 euros each). In the center, they could ask for 5-7 euros for them. The only exception is this Tobacco / Lotto shop, approximately halfway between the House of Music (Haus der Musik) and the Imperial Hotel.
Google Maps tells me it was Schwarzenbergstrasse. But personally, I would not bet on this condition (even if I had it). The exact address I myself, alas, do not remember.
Optimal trip duration
Personally, I would recommend that you go to Vienna for at least 3-4 days. There are a lot of sights and interesting places here. Therefore, even without taking into account a trip to Bratislava, it is worth laying down more time. Personally, I ran around the whole city in 3 days, but at the same time I erased my legs to the very knees. At the end of this trip, "Pain" was my middle name.
Personal impressions of Vienna
I usually do not really like such pop and deliberately tourist cities. But the capital of Austria made a very pleasant impression on me. The architecture there is simply amazing. And I liked the city itself in its rhythm and mood. Live Vienna looks even better than in the photo.
Of the minuses, I would note the ill-conceived metro system, high prices and an abundance of construction sites near key attractions. You can read more about my impressions of a trip to this city in the review below.
Most of Vienna's sights are located in the Inner City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In this article you will find a description of two walking routes along historical center Vienna. Print out the map and go on your own to get acquainted with the history and architecture of one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
Walk around Vienna. The first day
Map walking route in Vienna No. 11, 2. From Vienna State Opera (Opernring 2) follow the Kärntnerstraße pedestrian street to business card cities - St Stephen's Cathedral(Stephansplatz).
3. Find Mozart House(Domgasse 5), where the composer lived from 1784 to 1787.
4. Pass the Graben street with the Plague Column and the Josef and Leopold fountains, turn onto the Kohlmarkt shopping street towards the palace Hofburg(Heldenplatz). Once the Hofburg was medieval fortress, then the palace of the Habsburg family, now it houses the residence of the President of Austria.
5. Cross the Heroes' Square Heldenplatz, in its northwestern part opens beautiful view to the Parliament, the Town Hall and the Burgtheater. Pass through the Burgtor Gate and the Burgring Ring towards Kunsthistorisches Museum The Museum of Art and History (Maria-Theresien-Platz), opposite it is the Natural History Museum, in the center is a monument to Empress Maria Theresa. Vienna museum tickets online
6. Across the road is Museum Quarter(MQ), which includes the Leopold Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Kunsthalle, Zoom.
7. Continue along Getreidemarkt to the golden dome of the house Secession(Friedrichstraße 12). This building is outstanding architectural monument Austrian modern.
8. By underground passage metro passing under Karlsplatz, get off at the Künstlerhaus and the Vienna Philharmonic Wiener Musikverein(Musikvereinsplatz 1).
9. From here you can see the Catholic Church Karlskirche(Karlsplatz), built in the Baroque style and the Vienna Museum Karlsplatz adjacent to it.
10, 11. Follow Lothringerstraße towards the building Konzerthaus(Lothringerstraße 20), walk through the City Park Stadtpark, where there are monuments to Johann Strauss, Franz Schubert and other prominent personalities.
12. Cross the Schubertring Park and go to the House of Music Haus der Musik(Seilerstätte 30), it houses an interactive sound museum.
13. At the end of the route, return to Kärntnerstraße and through Albertinaplatz, go to the Albertina Gallery Albertina(Albertinaplatz 1). IN former palace Duke Albert von Sachsen-Teschen has one of the world's most significant collections of graphics.
Walk around Vienna. Second day
Vienna walking route map No. 21. The route starts in the park Burggarten(Josefsplatz 1), which houses statues of Mozart, Goethe and Franz Joseph.
2. Past the Hofburg Palace, go to the Heroes' Square Heldenplatz(Burgring), in the center of the square are bronze monuments to Prince Eugene of Savoy and Archduke Charles. The nearby Volksgarten park is famous for the statue of Empress Sisi.
3. Cross the Ringstraße to the building (Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring 3) and the sculptural composition Pallas Athena with a fountain that adorns it.
4. Through another city park Rathauspark with fountains, statues and exotic trees, approach the building town halls(Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 1), built in neo-gothic style.
5. Opposite the Town Hall is Burgtheater(Universitätsring 2), established in 1741 by decree of Empress Maria Theresa.
6. Turn right to Minoritenkirche(Minoritenplatz 2a). In the Church of the Order of the Minorites, the Last Supper mosaic has been preserved - an exact copy of the work of Leonardo da Vinci, made by order of Napoleon Bonaparte.
7. Along Freyung Street, once populated by merchants and buskers, walk to the square am hof. In 1960, the remains of a Roman settlement were discovered at this site. Most beautiful building on the square is the Gothic church Zu den Neun Chören der Engel.
8, 9. Through Judenplatz with the Holocaust memorial located on it and the narrow streets of the Old Town go to the Upper Market Hohermarkt. High Noon Anchor Clock Ankeruhr music is played and a parade of 12 dancing figures begins.
11. Rotentumstraße will take you to St Stephen's Cathedral(Stephansplatz).
12. If you have any questions, follow Kärntnerstraße to information center Vienna(Albertinaplatz).
If your time is limited, buy a ticket for the hop-on hop-off tourist bus, on its route 21 stops at the main sights of Vienna and an audio guide in Russian. For a more complete acquaintance with the Austrian capital, go to.
Most often, acquaintance with Vienna begins with a one-day visit to the city, and the main goal of such a visit is to see as much as possible, so that you will definitely return to this hospitable city. After all, it is not the first time that the capital of Austria has been recognized as the most comfortable city for living. You need to come here for at least a week, but in one day you can get to know the main attractions of the old city in full detail.
St. Stephen's Cathedral at Stephansplatz
It is worth starting the walk from the dominant of the city - St. Stephen's Cathedral on Stephanplatz square. It acquired its current appearance only in the 16th century, and before that, several Romanesque churches stood here in turn, burned down during fires. The cathedral itself suffered significant damage at the end of World War II, but was quickly rebuilt. You should definitely go inside to admire the magnificent decoration of the cathedral, as well as climb the south tower, which offers a breathtaking view of Vienna. Here you can also take a closer look at the cathedral's mosaic-covered roof and decorative elements that adorn the building.
Having rounded Stephanplatz on the left, you can reach the Mozart house, which will be on the right side of the street. Here the great composer lived and worked for three years.
Jesuit Church or University Church Moving further towards Wollzeile, we will come to the Jesuit Church. It appeared here as a result of the unification by the Jesuits of two faculties of the university - philosophical and theological. It is worth going inside and admiring the image of St. Catherine, located in the very first chapel at the entrance.
Windows of the Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity After leaving the church, go straight to turn left and left again. Here, on the right side of the street, you need to pay attention to the Greek Orthodox Church Holy Trinity. Once this area was considered the center of Orthodox culture in Vienna. Although today, bars and nightclubs are more interesting. In one of the taverns, located next to the church, the famous Austrian composers Brahms and Schubert liked to sit.
anchor clock We go further to the first turn to the left, turn there, and turn right into the second lane. So you can go straight to the anchor clock. They are located on the Honer Markt. The square has a rich history dating back to the time of the Romans, who camped on this very spot. The figurines on the Anchor Clock move to the music and dozens of tourists flock to watch it. Another decoration of the square is the Wedding Fountain.
From the clock we move along the elongated square to the yellow-pale building. This is the Old Town Hall. The building opposite the Town Hall is also interesting - the Bohemian Court Office was previously located here. Walking a little forward and turning right, you can see a Gothic temple hidden in the back alleys.
Am Hof Church Now the path lies in the direction of Am Hof Square, where you should pay attention to the Collalto Palace. It was here that Mozart performed at the age of 6. Here, on the square, the snow-white building of the Am Hof church pleases the eye.
Michaelerplatz Square and the Mikhailovsky Wing of the Hofburg From here, the path leads towards the pedestrian Kohlmarkt, which will lead us to Michaelerplatz. This square, in the center of which there are fenced excavations, is named after the church of St. Michael. It is located here, pointing up the spire of the tower.
The square overlooks the Hofburg Gate. This magnificent palace, which was the imperial residence, was built for several centuries, so in the appearance of many buildings of the complex, you can find echoes of various architectural styles. Directly under the arch is the entrance to the imperial chambers. Here you can see a rich exposition of dishes used by the imperial family, as well as visit several rooms dedicated to the Austrian people's favorite Empress Elisabeth (Sisi).
Museum of Natural History in Maria Theresa Square Having walked a lot around the palace, lying on the grass in the garden, we go to Maria Theresa Square. In the center of the square, on the throne, the empress herself is located in the form of a monument, and on the sides rise two luxury buildings Museum of Art History and Natural History Museum.
Austrian parliament building Here you can also sit on the grass and admire the architecture of the square. Then we head north. On the left is the building of the Austrian Parliament.
The Vienna City Hall is located on Friedrich Schmidt Square Let's complete day trip in Vienna on Friedrich Schmidt Square, where the Vienna City Hall is located.
Vein former capital empire of the Habsburgs, that says a lot. The imperial style in architecture is still in abundance today. In this article I will show you how to organize your independent travel to Vienna, what to see, what museums to go to, where to eat tasty and meaningful. What day trips can be made from Vienna inexpensively. And how much will it all cost. I'll give you all the links you need.
Vein old City, but most of the outstanding buildings were made in the 19th century under the penultimate emperor of Austria-Hungary, Franz Joseph. Vienna is Sissi, Mozart and Klimt. Vienna is a cake with the indecent name "Sacher", tafelspitz, Wiener schnitzel, strudel and coffee. Vienna has world-class museums comparable to the Louvre and the famous Vienna Opera. Vienna is German accuracy and pedantry in everything.
Currency
Euro, so for the majority with prices everything will be clear, but not joyful. Austria is quite an expensive country. The price level in Austria is higher than in Germany.
Language
German. IN tourist places speak English, there are signs on English language. Some vending machines for public transport tickets even switch to Russian. All major Viennese museums have audio guides in Russian.
Why go to Vienna
If you love painting and art this is your city. In Vienna, you can see paintings by Pieter Brueghel, such as " tower of babel”, “Hunters in the Snow” or numerous portraits of the Infanta Margherita by Diego Velasquez, engravings by Durrer and many outstanding paintings that have made the pride of world art.
If you are an opera lover this is your city. The Vienna Opera is one of the most famous in the world. In addition, throughout the city center there are ticket sellers for all kinds of concerts, mainly classical music.
If you are a fan of coffee, this is your city, it has its own exquisite culture of consumption of this aromatic drink. Viennese coffee houses are a different story.
Prices in Austria
Prices in Austria are high. But plane tickets to Vienna are relatively cheap, especially from Moscow. According to the Numbeo portal, the cost of living in Vienna is 58% higher than in Moscow. the cost of food in cafes and restaurants is 30% more.
In the center of Vienna, breakfast in a cafe will cost you 9-10€, in less central places you can find breakfast for 5-7€. A cup of coffee in the center of Vienna costs from 5 to 8 €, and the same amount for one modest cake.
Visiting restaurants in Vienna is quite expensive.
Hotels and apartments in Vienna
My favorite method of searching for hotels on booking among:
- Fill in the number of people and other important options
- Sort the resulting list by user rating
Gives the room rate in low season from 65 €, but most options still cost 80-90 € per day. In Vienna, due to the high cost, apartments with a kitchen are very common, this will save on food. Hotels in Vienna are very decent. German accuracy makes itself felt.
If you couldn’t find a hotel on booking, you can try to rent a room or apartment from the owners on the airbnb website. If you are not yet registered on this site, then following my link you can (or 22€) for the first booking. And if you are registered, you can still get a gift if you register a new profile with a link to a different e-mail address. See what we filmed in Vienna.
It is important to choose accommodation in Vienna in the first transport zone in order not to overpay for travel in public transport twice.
How to get to Vienna on your own
By plane
Vienna is a hassle-free city in terms of getting to it. There are direct flights from St. Petersburg and Moscow. Flying with a transfer is not profitable, the price does not change down from this.
Our low-cost airline Pobeda flies from Moscow, their prices are pleasant, but you need to study very well all their requirements for hand luggage, since a fine for violations can make your flight by no means budget. At Pobeda, you will have to pay for choosing a seat in the cabin. In fact, Pobeda will land you in Bratislava, and from Bratislava will take you to Vienna by bus to the central station (1.30 hours), this will allow you to save on transfers.
It is better to start looking for tickets 3-4 months before departure, then tickets will only go up in price. In the high season on the eve of departure, tickets will cost significantly more than the average throughout the year. Travel time 2 hours 40 minutes.
Monthly price change calendar. If you don't live in Moscow feel free to change the city, the calendar is interactive.
Transfer in Vienna from the airport
The minimum cost of a transfer in Vienna on the S7 train is only 4.40 €. This train travels with stops of only 25 minutes. Tickets for it must be bought at a ticket machine for public transport, in fact this is the ordinary public transport in Vienna. The airport is located in the second zone. You need to buy 2 tickets for 2.20€ and validate them. For children from 6 to 15 years old, tickets are purchased at half price.
The high-speed City Airport Train (CAT) travels only 16 minutes to the same station as the previous one without stopping, but this pleasure will already cost 11€ for a one-way ticket and 17€ if you take a ticket in both directions at once. But travel for children under 14 is free.
Bus number 1187 fare 8 € one way.
All these three modes of transport run from early morning until late at night with an interval of 30 minutes. At night, the only way to get to or from the airport is by taxi. Order . Taxi transfer costs 37€. You make an order and a small prepayment on the website, the driver will be waiting for you at the airport with a sign with your name. You don’t need to explain where to go, just enter the address of your hotel on the website. This method also works in reverse.
Taking a taxi directly at the airport costs 40-45 euros.
Trains are traditionally intended for those who are very afraid of flying and agree to overpay.
By bus
By bus to Vienna, you can only go on a very profitable special. offer, because without special. offers the cost of tickets is comparable to a plane ticket. From Moscow to Vienna you will have to travel 52 hours with one change. There are no buses from St. Petersburg to Vienna at all. But from Ukraine or Belarus it is really possible to get to Vienna by bus. View bus tickets on the website.
On your car
From St. Petersburg to Vienna, only 1868 km, 23 hours of pure driving. You will have to go through the Baltic states and Poland. In the Baltic States and in Poland to Warsaw, slow roads through all settlements, the coverage is excellent, a lot of speed cameras. Outside of Warsaw, everything is much better; a high-speed highway has already been laid there.
From Moscow to Vienna 1945 km, 22 hours of pure driving. In any case, the journey to Vienna by car will take at least 2 days, but it will allow you to see something extra along the way.
In both cases, the road will run through, in which you can make a one-day halt, then through Katowice (Poland), Ostrava (Czech Republic), Brno (you can see the Austerlitz Museum nearby). The last cities, of course, do not belong to the category must see, but if you wish, you can also find something interesting in them.
In Vienna itself, the car will be a burden. Parking costs 2 € per hour, but in the center you can leave the car even for money only for 2 hours, you need to use parking tickets. In P+R car parks you can leave your car for only 3.40 per day, but it is far from the center. But if you are planning a trip to Austria, a car will just be a great help.
Ready tours
Ready-made tours to Vienna are offered most often for three days without meals and transfers, a 3 * hotel not in the center from 20,000 rubles. In general, ready-made tours for Vienna are not the most suitable option, but you can try. Look . It makes sense to take ready-made tours in last moment if you want to leave next week. It is always worth checking reviews of hotels offered on tours on the site.
Public transport in Vienna
There are two public transport zones in Vienna. The fare differs within the zone and when leaving the zone. If you leave the first zone, you need to buy two tickets and validate two tickets at once.
A one-time trip in one direction within one zone costs 2.20 €, if you change direction, you need to buy another ticket, you can change from transport to transport in one direction.
Children under 6 travel on public transport for free. From 6 years old to 15 years old at half price, and on Sundays, weekends, as well as during school holidays in Vienna, children under 15 travel free of charge.
The weekly pass costs €16.20 and is only valid from Monday to Monday.
The Vienna Card costs €24.90 and allows you to make an unlimited number of trips within three days (there are cards for 1 and 2 days). The same card provides discounts on tickets to museums and discounts in some restaurants (discounts are very small). With this card, you can carry one child up to 15 years old inclusive, this is the most significant bonus. You can read more about the Vienna Card on the official website wien.info.
What to see in Vienna on your own
From ground walks, I recommend walking along Graben Street to the Hofburg and Maria Theresa Square from St. Stephen's Cathedral, taking a tram along Ringstrasse Street or walking along it, go to see the houses of Hundertwasser, explore the surroundings of Schönbrunn Palace. This program can be laid in 2-3 days. If you plan to visit the main museums in Vienna, then you need to spend a week in Vienna. You can get acquainted on one page with ticket prices for all the main museums in Vienna. Museums in Vienna, alas, are not the most budget entertainment, but they are worth it.
The opera is recommended only to amateurs, this event is expensive, for example, a ticket for La Traviata on 11/23/2019 costs from 52 to 285 €, cheap seats are located very far from the stage. After a whole day on your feet, are you ready to listen to foreign language singing for hours? If yes, then welcome to the official box office opera house, and if not, then the interior of the theater can be viewed without a performance, it will cost much less, only 7.50 €.
If you like excursions, then I recommend reading the article. I mention Prague there, not Vienna, but it doesn't matter. On the four sites named in the article, look for acceptable offers. Due to the high cost of Austria, you will have to dig through all four sites to find something interesting and not very expensive.
First day
The most central sight of Vienna is St. Stephen's Cathedral. The silhouette of the cathedral is drawn on all metro maps. This cathedral is the heart of old Vienna. It can be explored from ancient cellars to viewing platforms on the towers, and it's worth it. St. Stephen's Cathedral is the apotheosis of art and culture throughout Austria. You need to buy a ticket to the Cathedral, without a ticket they are only allowed to stand at the entrance. You can read more about the different types of tickets and what you have to see in a separate article.
View of Vienna from north tower St Stephen's Cathedral After visiting the cathedral, it is worth continuing your walk along Graben Street. This is one of the main streets in Vienna, now it is completely pedestrian, it still remembers the ancient Romans. Read more about what you can see in a separate article with photos.
Graben street with chandeliers Almost all houses have shops and cafes on the first floors. On the Kolchmarkt Street stands the famous Café Demel, one of two historic cafés associated with the famous Sacher cake. You can read more about two historical cafes in a separate article. In fact, this cake will be served to you in any Viennese cafe, it is not at all necessary to go and try it in historical places. In high tourist season in historical cafes, the queue can be significant, in December there was no queue at all, I personally checked it.
The price for a piece of cake in different cafes in Vienna is almost the same, the difference is only in the length of the queue in the high season. You can also buy a Sacher cake in Vienna shops.
Museums leave the next day to proceed to them with fresh energy. However, my recommendations regarding museums are not binding, always think about whether it would be interesting for you personally. Options are possible, you can go to museums, or you can go to parks, depending on weather conditions and your preferences. Weather conditions can be different, in case of prolonged rains, museums can save the day.
Second day
The Ringstrasse street is considered obligatory for inspection; it is a circular boulevard 5.3 km long. On this boulevard you can ride on a special tourist tram. The trip will take only 25 minutes. The tram offers audio accompaniment in Russian through headphones. The ticket costs 8 €, for children from 6 to 15 years old - 4 €. Weather permitting, the Ringstraße can be explored on foot. You will see the building of the Vienna Opera, the Burgtheater, the parliament, the town hall building, everything there is very monumental and majestic.
Parliament building on the Ringstrasse Sissi is one of the legends of Austria and Vienna, so you should think in advance if you would like to know more about the beloved Viennese empress and visit the Sissi Museum, the imperial chambers and the silver pantry. To make it easier for you to make your choice, I wrote. A complex ticket to the listed three museums costs 11.50 €, but there are options with tickets, read the review. Museums offer a Russian audio guide.
Hofburg, there under the arch is the entrance to the Sissi Museum In the evening, if you are imbued with the fate of Franz Joseph and Empress Sissi, you can visit the pretentious restaurant "Plahuta" and taste the emperor's favorite dish in the most correct restaurant. Read how we ate. I will warn you right away that this is not a cheap pleasure and it is better to reserve a table in advance.
The third day
For art lovers, a visit to Artistic historical museum Vienna. There are numerous masterpieces. Read more in my review "", sometimes it is called that. To examine it completely with feeling, sense and arrangement, a whole day is not enough. During a break, you can have lunch or a cup of coffee right under the main dome of the museum.
Main staircase of the Art History Museum The cost of an adult ticket is 14 €, you can immediately take a complex ticket for the Museum of Art History + = 20 euros (save 6 euros).
The museum offers a Russian audio guide (cost 4 €), but according to experts, it is much poorer than the English version.
Fourth day
Vienna, as the former capital of the Habsburg Empire, still holds treasures collected by generations of kings and emperors. You can touch this wealth by visiting the Habsburg Treasury. There you will see nothing less than the famous Spear of Destiny, the Holy Grail, the crown of Charlemagne and much more.
Royal regalia in the Habsburg Treasury The museum offers a Russian audio guide (cost 4€).
You can spend from 1.5 to 2 hours to inspect the treasury.
Then you can take an acquaintance with modern, but very entertaining architecture. I suggest you take a look at the Hundertwasser houses. You can read more about who it is and how to get there in a separate article. This walk through the quarters of Vienna will cost you absolutely free.
Hundertwasser House Fifth day
I suggest visiting the Schönbrunn Palace and everything that is located next to it. One day is definitely not enough for everything. Schönbrunn Palace itself is the former summer residence of the imperial family, it is surrounded by a beautiful park, a magnificent zoo and greenhouses are located nearby. In the premises of the cafe "Residenz" tourists are offered a show of baking strudel with the subsequent eating of this strudel (more about this event on the website wien.info). See prices for combined tickets on the official website of Schönbrunn Palace (English), combined tickets will help you save a little, because the prices bite.
Vienna Zoo is very good, it is the oldest zoo in Europe. Read.
Sixth day
In addition to the already mentioned Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Belvedere in Vienna there are at least three interesting art museums- Albertina (Dürer), Leopold Museum (modern art), Mumok (contemporary art). Therefore, art lovers in Vienna have a place to turn around.
If you can visit with children, it is located on Maria Theresa Square, opposite the Art and History Museum, they are also called twin museums. We really liked it, many tourists visit this museum even without children.
Day trips from Vienna on your own
If you have not found excursions at affordable prices, then below I will tell you how to organize a couple of trips for yourself. Train tickets can be bought at the station or on the Internet on the Austrian Railways website, where you can plot any route in Austria and immediately see how much the ticket will cost, at the last moment a ticket can cost more than pre-purchased on the Internet. For country trips you can also use Student Agency buses (English), bus tickets will cost less than train tickets, but Student buses Agency go only to neighboring countries.
In light of the high cost of tickets in Austria, renting a car can be financially justified. The car significantly saves time and effort, you will be able to see more. View prices (prices for car rental per day from 45€). With a car, you can choose hotels not in the center, this will save you money.
From Vienna to Bratislava on your own
If you want to take a break from the Austrian high cost, then you should go to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. The distance is only 66 km. Departure of the train from the Central Station of Vienna (Vienna Central Station), arrival at the Central Station of Bratislava. Travel time is 1 hour, trains run every hour. The cost of a round-trip ticket is 20.20€.
On the bus, round-trip tickets will cost only 10€, but the bus ride takes 1.5 hours. In Vienna, buses depart from the Stadion metro station in Bratislava and do not stay in the center, but public transport in Bratislava is much cheaper than in Vienna. Bratislava is just very good for a one-day tour.
Into the Vienna Woods on my own
You can see the Vienna Woods without going far from Vienna. All you have to do is get to the last stop of the tram. View all possible walks in the forest (English), not far from Vienna. In general, of course, the Vienna Woods is a broad concept, it is very large.
Official tours of the Vienna Woods include visiting the town of Baden, Liechtenstein Castle and the town of Mödling, where crown Prince Rudolf committed suicide, an underground lake on the outskirts of Mödling in the town of Hinterbrühl. The cost of an organized tour starts from 55€ per person, without tickets to the cave and castle.
In principle, you can organize this route yourself, but you will have to walk a lot.
From Vienna to Mödling (Mödling Bahnhof) can be reached by train in just 20 minutes, the ticket costs only 4.40 €. Walk around the town towards the cave for 3.5 km, visit the cave with the largest underground lake in Europe (the cost of visiting the cave is 10 €, the tour lasts 45 minutes). From the cave to Liechtenstein Castle is only 1.5 km, but uphill (adult ticket price 9€), tours only in German and English. To Baden, if you have the strength, in any case, you will have to go to light rail from the Mödling Bahnhof station and after a walk through Baden back to Vienna.
In Puchberg am Schneeberg on your own
People go to the small town of Puchberg mainly to climb the Schneeberg mountain, about 2000 meters high, to go hiking or skiing in winter. From the mountain, in good weather, a breathtaking view of the valley opens up. A special train "Salamander" will take you up the mountain along the cog railway for only 31 €, mountain railways or cable cars are traditionally expensive. In winter, the train operates on a truncated schedule and route. Of course, you can go on foot, but for this you need to be in very good shape. A train ride from Vienna to Puchberg (80 km) will cost 33€, round trip and time will take 1.5 hours.
To the Wachau on your own
The Wachau Valley was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. They are waiting for you there beautiful landscapes with ancient towns located along the banks of the Danube and a huge baroque abbey. Best time to visit of course summer, autumn.
The most popular method is to buy a combined ticket for railway station. IN winter time this route is not working. Read more in English. language, you can familiarize yourself with the offer. The point is that at the railway station you take a ticket that includes:
- travel by train to the town of Melk (1.5 hours)
- visit to a very beautiful Benedictine abbey on the banks of the Danube
- a walk on a river boat to the town of Krems (1.5 hours). Many get off at a stop earlier in the village of Dürnstein to climb to the local castle and admire the Danube from above.
- departure back to Vienna by train from Krems. (1 hour)
The route can also be done in the opposite direction. It does not matter. This pleasure will cost about 50 €.
From Vienna to Budapest on your own
The second way to take a break from the high cost of Vienna is a trip to Budapest. From Vienna to Budapest is only 240 km and a train ride from Vienna Central Station to Keleti Station in Budapest takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. The cost of round-trip tickets is about 40 €. When traveling by bus, the cost of one-way tickets is only from 9 to 11 €, but the bus will have to go with a change in Bratislava and it will take 4 hours.
In principle, if you go one day, then it makes sense to take an organized excursion to Budapest from Vienna, this more expensive than tickets for the train for only 15 €, but hiking in Budapest is included in the price and you don’t need to think about anything on your own.
The currency of Hungary is the forint, so the money will have to be changed. In half a day you can get around and walk on the opposite bank of the Danube. While Budapest certainly deserves more, it's a good idea to spend a few days in the Hungarian capital.
From Vienna to Salzburg on your own
Many people want to go to Salzburg, this is the birthplace of Mozart, the most musical city in Austria. From Vienna to Salzburg, almost 300 km and on the way you will have to spend 2 hours and 20 minutes one way. The cost of tickets for the train there and back is 51 €. Cheap buses in Austria do not go, alas. The train will pass past the city of Linz, also worthy of inspection, maybe another day. Ready excursion to Salzburg per person starts from 119€. Salzburg interesting city, it is quite possible to plan an overnight stay there and continue acquaintance the next day.
Salzburg Of course, this is not all that can be seen in Austria and neighboring countries, but the most popular for the first time. At different inspection speeds, it will last for 1.5-2 weeks. We spent a week in Vienna and saw far from everything from this list. Vienna is a city to which you want to return.
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