elcon

Hello All,
I will be in Vienna the first week of December. I am wondering what towns/cities you might reccommend for a day trip. My hotel is booked, so no overnights please. I am interested in castles, architecture, scenery, Christmas markets, shopping etc. Also, I will be relying on train or bus transport. Thanks!!

nytraveler

Melk has an incredible abbey and is a short trip - by train and I think also boat.

Challiman

Budapest can be seen quickly in a day trip. We hired a van and driver for a group of 7 and had a wonderful day. Saw the sights, had a wonderful lunch with Hungarian Goulash, shopped, and were back in Vienna about 9 PM. Also, I second Melk, it was beautiful. Enjoy.

molker

While Melk Abbey makes a nice visit - the boat mentioned above only runs until october.

You must take a guided tour at 11 or 2.

But this is still an interesting place. Not much else to do there however.

access by train from Vienna.

A town that fits your criteria is Krems.
This is an easy 1 hour train ride from Vienna. Trains run about 1 per hour.The train station almost in the town center with most things available to see by foot.
This town first recognized in records from 995 AD.
Beautiful 15-16 th century buildings- local museum, Christmas markets .
The Gozzoburg Castle especially interesting.

A shopping area with pedestrian zone - most buildings along this way also very old . You must walk with eyes up on the buildings .
Good restaurants and cafes.
This is wine country - even a wine museum here.

www.krems.at

www.gozzoburg.at


for trains

www.oebb.at

And not so many tourists.

iris1745

Hi elcon; Durnstein would be another great town to visit. It's in the Wachau Valley on the Danube. Perhaps about forty miles from Vienna. ENJOY Iris

molker

Dürnstein is a beautiful town from May - October. filled with boat and bus tours.
In december perhaps one cafe may be open not much more.

with a little moisture ,the stone walkways become slippery. Usually a cold wind along the Danube. Your time much better spent elsewhere.

BTilke

I would add Graz to the list. Farther away, but a scenic ride and Graz is a wonderful city to visit. Lots to see and do there and of course, there is a Christmas market. Easily doable as a day trip, but give yourself a full day, don't plan on doing anything in Vienna that night. From the train station in Graz you can walk into the old town or catch public transport.

http://www.christmas-markets.org/aus...z/location.php

elcon

Thanks so much for all of the info. I can't wait to get there!

iris1745

Hi elcon; St. Polten is a very nice city. Not too far from Vienna. Perhaps 'molker' could advise on that city. I think they have a 'Christmas market. ENJOY Iris

PalenQ

Last Jan i did a day trip from Vienna to Bratislava, Slovenia, an hour away by hourly trains

A bit of old Eastern Europe - Bratislava is on the Danube and its compact city centre is all spruced up - i thought it was a great day trip. Bring your passport.

molker

Bratislava is not great . No longer cheap as before- many places attempt to rip away your money . Only a very small area in the center of the town has any interest at all.Cheap flights from England bring groups for their " Stag Do " never understand the reason to visit, spend all the time in a bar drinking until unable to move or if still able then going outside to leave a trail of bodily fluid in the street.

St. Pölten - well the capital of the federal state of Niederöstereich. Probably only selected some years ago due to its central location in relation to the reminder of the state.
A small area at the Domplatz and Rathausplatz with some old buildings but not much more.

The railroad station now in renovation and a mess.

I only go to this town for an auktion. A very small branch of the Dorotheum State Auction house has several auctions a year or to visit a state office for something. Or perhaps an event at the state sports academy.

Many , Many places much bettr to visit - my opinion.

Graz - a good city compact , nice sights , good restaurants , one of the best arms and armor museums in the world. Worth a visit to me.

PalenQ

I based in St Polten for some days to do the Wachau Valley and go into Vienna

It is a tres tres ordinaire town IMO - nice and pleasant but unremarkable tourist wise

I did enjoy Bratislava because it was something different - Slovakia - up by the old central train station were a bevy of peasants selling snack food, etc. - had the real old East Bloc feel. Something different. The town center is very pleasant and there is a palace in lower town and an awesome looking fortress on a hill dominating town

depends what you are looking for.

molker

I do not know why anyone would ever use St. Polten as a base to visit the Wachau and Vienna.
St. Polten as mentioned above is not very interesting itself, has poor choice of hotels and restaurants.
It is a 45 minute - 1 hour train ride to Vienna plus the time to reach the train station in St. Polten and the time to reach Vienna sights. The money used in train fare 17-18 per person is much better used to have a better hotel in Vienna and be near and much more convenient to sightseeing, good restaurants.

St.Polten Wachau ( Krems ) by train
30 -50 minutes not convenient.
If by auto think about cost of fuel and parking ees not economic.

Vienna , a much better base.
Regarding Bratislava - I doubt that above poster has been there in December as original poster has planned. Not a great time for this town.


Budapest, Melk , Krems much more interesting.

PalenQ

No i was not in Bratislava in December but in January and it was a rather sunny and warm day.

We used St Polten as a base because we were also doing the Marienzell train.

molker

Most here know the town as Mariazell and the train as the Mariazellerbahn.

Even taking this trip does not improve St. Polten. Still not a good base for anything except attending the sports school.

kingster

Someone mentioned Budapest. We have done Vienna for Christmas. Would anyone recommend Budapest itself for Christmas week?

elcon

How about Linz? Any opinions? It liiks nice, not a very long train ride. Are sights, shops close to train station? I checked the raileurope sight for trains to Krems and could not figure out the route. Any suggestions Molker, you seem to be very knowledgeable about the area. I leave in a few weeks, a daytrip is not mandatory, just an idea. Thanks!!

aibo1

Hello elcon

Krems makes a good day trip .
I would not rely on Raileurope -their schedules veryincomplete and their pricing very high.
Look on the Austrian rail system website

www.oebb.at

trains leave from the Vienna Franz Josef Bahnhof almost every hour.
This Rahnhof - train station is an easy ride on the streetxcar D from city center in about 10 minutes.
The trip takes about 1 hour in a usually modern double decked series of coaches - you can buy your ticket at the Bahnhof at the ticket window or automatic machine. No reservation needed.
Return trip just as easy - the krems station compact.

Krems is a very nice regional town with much history dating from 995 AD.
Numerous buildings from the 15th century.

for good info , town map, sights look to their website

www.krems.at

available in english too.
various Christmas markets in the town during december.
Nice antique shops - pedestrian shopping zone .
Excelent choice of restaurants among the best

Jell
Hoher Markt 8

www.amon-jell.at

on a nice square - austrian specialties
as the owners husband has a respected meat market , excelent meat selections.


Zum Kaiser von Osterreich
Könermarkt 9

not inexpensive but excelent food and wine also on an intersting square near to the wine museum and usually a Christmas market
zone too.
www.kaiser-von-oesterreich.at

Several small nice local resturnat in the pedestrian shopping

Also interesting if you like wine

www.winzerkrems.at

excelent award winning wines-
they have ben selected to travel with the Spanish Riding schol when touring to offer a taste of the good austrin wine.

In my opinion worth a visit - a contrast from Vienna and offers a sampling of more country life.

with frequent train connections to Vienna easy to stay as long as you wish and quickly return .

molker

Molker actually posted above info. Just failed to change the login by Aibo ,my wife.

elcon

Thank you Molker, I will be leaving December 4. Can't wait to see everything.