blossombaby

We have never been to Vienna and are finding out how rich this city and area are and how much their is to see. We would like help with our itinerary. We enjoy digging in deep & slowly in our travels and are easy & free with our schedule. . We are in our late 50 ' s active & probably could spend a month traveling in Austria and never see it all. We will take the train when we travel out of Vienna on day trips or overnight. Thank you for suggestions

PalenQ

Austrian trains are fantastic - take day trips to Melk and the Wachau Valley (boat from Melk to Durnstein - bus to Krens - train back to Vienna) or Bratislava is but an hour by train - Graz is a real neat old town not too far away.

Consider making Salzburg another base or Hallstatt - an Alpine Wonderland and the wonderful Austrian Lake District between Salzburg and Hallstatt - anyway for lots of info on Austrian trains check www.seat61.com - good coverage of discounted tickets you can get if you book far enough in advance; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. www.westbahn.com is a cheap flat-fare train company operating Vienna-Salzburg in competition with Austrian Railways - cheap walk up fares with no need to book in stone far in advance like with many discounted tickets.

thursdaysd

Depends on how far you want to go. I really like Graz, which is fairly close. Hallstat is super cute, but touristy. Zell-am-See has a great location and attracts more European longer-stay tourists. I used it as a base for the Krimml waterfall and the Grossglockner alpine road - see https://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/...t-Zell-am-See/

I'm also a fan of Innsbruck and day trips from Innsbruck but that is a trek from Vienna.

fourfortravel

As an ex-pat who lives in Vienna, I am always happy when travelers to my adopted country are planning a visit! Austria is a fabulous country to explore.

The time of your travel may guide your itinerary; you may want to collect a few guidebooks and identify your interests against the particular seasons.

Though we do almost all of our exploration by personal vehicle, the state train system (ÖBB) routinely offers combination tickets to interesting locations. I wouldn't discount visiting the "neighbors," either. Day trips to beautiful cities, palaces, museums, and so forth in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary are within easy reach.

Happy planning!

PalenQ

2 weeks in Austria -

How about Vienna 5 days

Hallstatt 2 days

Lake District 2 days

Salzburg 2 days

Innsbruck 2 days

fly out of Munich - much closer to Innsbruck

neckervd

In summer:
Vienna (incl. Kahlenberg, Viennese Forest, Grinzing, etc.)
boat ride to and through the Wachau (Melk, Duernstein, etc.)
day trip to Neusiedlersee, Rust and may be Sopron
Esterhazy castle at Eisenstadt
1 day at Bratislava
2 days at Budapest (with Danube boat ride from Estergom to Budapest)
Waldviertel steam railway and hiking trails
Schneeberg cog wheel mountain railway
Raxalpe cableway and hiking trails
Danube Wetlands National Park
Schloss Hof: baroque palace and baroque gardens
day trip to Brno
etc. etc.

blossombaby

Thanks for your information it is helpful as we plan our trip. We have friends we are meeting when they come to Vienna on their trip. We have opted out of their trip feeling it is too much packing & moving for our travels. They are taking a 14 day trip starting in Prague then to Vienna, Budapest & Munich. How would there time be best spent with these cities? Thank you

PalenQ

Prague 3 days

Train or fly to Budapest - 2 full days + one day transit (there is an overnight train too)

7-Vienna - 3 days

11-14 Munich

Budapest is an outlier - lots of travel time - maybe cut it off and add time in say Salzburg en route to Munich - one of Europe's prettiest cities and easily managed in a day or two - smack on the route to Munich from Vienna.

thursdaysd

I would drop Munich and spend more time in Budapest. Although it has been "discovered" it is still less touristed than Prague, and is fun to explore. Maybe go via Krakow if another city is a must.

PalenQ

Don't miss the day out in the lovely bucolic Wachau Valley from Vienna - will be a highlight of your trip. Not sue when you are going - if in winter then perhaps no.

https://www.google.com/search?q=wach...w=1745&bih=868

fourfortravel

"They are taking a 14 day trip starting in Prague then to Vienna, Budapest & Munich. How would there time be best spent with these cities?"

blossombaby, are you asking for advice for your friend's trip, as well? Are you traveling with them in Vienna, or have you decided to add other cities? What time of year are you traveling? What are your interests?

blossombaby

Our friends are meeting us when they arrive in Vienna. We are using Vienna as our base with several day trips and are going to stay 2 days overnight in Salzburg. We are traveling in early May. We have opted out of their trip feeling it has too many stops, covering too much in the time of 14 days. Yes I wondered what itinerary would be best for the many places they are trying to see in 14 days.

We are planning on Wachau valley as part of our visit it sounds lovely. Looking into the other areas mentioned and how to route our trip with seeing all that Vienna has to explore and experience. Thank you for your ideas from all your travels!

RebeccahS

We've been to Vienna on 2 separate trips, 6 nights the first time and a week in 2015... and can hardly wait to go back for a week this year. I prefer staying in one place longer and doing day trips, although I found so much to do in Vienna that the longest "excursion" I did was only to Schonbrunn Palace! You're planning on 2 nights in Salzburg, I'd recommend more nights there so you can do some fantastic day trips. We spent a week in Salzburg, 2 days for the city sights and the rest for excursions. Although we had a car, I've read that many of the day trips from Salzburg are easily done with public transportation.

I'm kind of confused by your schedule though, are you flying in and out of Vienna?

fourfortravel

With 14 days in Austria in May you could enjoy some of the country's capitals. Vienna/Eisenstadt-Graz-Innsbruck-Salzburg-Vienna, for example, is one possible itinerary that would offer a good sample of much of the country along with pleasant weather. From all of the cities there are many day trip options to easily fill in the two weeks, depending on your interests.

RebeccaS, I am curious. I make routine visits to Prague, mostly for shopping (a scene Vienna lacks) and occasional overnights if there is a festival of interest, but what inspires you to return to Vienna? It being that I live here I naturally can find things to do, but I wouldn't put most of them on a tourist "to-do" list.

Helsie

I'm with you blossombaby and understand the way you like to do things but find that many on these forums don't. We also like to base ourselves in one place and do day trips from there without moving our base too often. You won't see the whole of Austria but will see Vienna and surrounds well and go home feeling like you " know" the place in more depth than those who " do" it in two or three days then move on. I love the feeling of finding a favourite place to eat/ shop for essentials and returning regularly so that they recognise you and start to chat. That is what makes for a memorable holiday IMO

RebeccahS

@fourfortravel - What inspires me to return to Vienna? Vienna is a beautiful, cosmopolitan city with fascinating history, wonderful museums and a terrific relaxing cafe culture. We can walk everywhere in the center. Our first visit was because I wanted to see this capital city. Our second visit was because we were visiting Hungary, Austria and Bavaria. Budapest to Vienna is not only easy but because I fell in love with Vienna the first time, the chance to spend another week was perfect. This year we'll be traveling to Slovenia and Croatia and it was easy to get Business Class award tickets to fly into Vienna. From there we move on to Slovenia. But another week in Vienna? Oh yes, more self-guided walking tours, world class museums and maybe this time fit in a heurigen.

PalenQ

Ah the Heurigen in suburban Vienna - on the edge of the Vienna Woods is a great place to waltz to from central Vienna at night - downhome Austrian food and great wine from the immediate vicinity.

Take a tram there from Vienna's centrum.

https://www.google.com/search?q=vien...HZnSBBIQsAQIGw