el13207

We'll be in Vienna for 2 full days plus an afternoon and a morning in mid-October. As an art museum buff, my primary sightseeing objectives are to see the Kunsthistoriches Museum, Belvedere Palace, Secession Building and possibly the Albertina Museum, as well as the Hofburg Palace Apartments and Treasury. I think we can at least skim the surface of all those in 2+ days...I would love to also see the Schonbrunn Palace, but think we'll only have our final morning between the opening at 8:30 until perhaps 10:30 to see it (we have a 12 o'clock train to catch to Budapest and will need to reclaim our luggage and head to the train station).
My longwinded question is: should we skip trying to cram this in? I have read that there is an audioguide lasting one hour for the palace, and then endless grounds to wander, etc. and thought we might just have a taste of the place, but am concerned that we'll just be frustrated by our lack of time there.
Thoughts?

adrienne

I would do it. You'll regret not doing it after you leave Vienna. You can look at the grounds before the palace opens. When I went there was a guided tour and I don't remember spending more than an hour on the tour.

annhig

el - I would strongly recommend purchasing a "Sissi" ticket at the Hofburg; this covers you for entrance to the Hofburg, the Schoebrunn, and the furniture repository [more fun than you might think!]

we never got to the Albertina, but we didn't spend that much time in the KHM, and personally, if I had to choose between them and the Schoebrunn, I'd choose the palace every time. it's absolutely gorgeous, beautifully positioned in a park, with a lot to see [and the Sissi ticket gets you into all of it without queuing]. and it's pretty easy to get to. As a contrast, the Belvedere is a good option, too.

if you're going to fit anything in on the last morning, the KHM would be the thing as it's nice and central and will be much easier to get to than the Palace before you catch your train.

greg

Schönbrunn is out of town. It is not a good choice as a last day activity. I am not sure if you have specific item you wanted to see at Albertina. For me, Albertina did not have the compelling collection like Klimt collection at the Belvedere Palace.
There is a feeling of deja vu if you see the Schönbrunn Palace apartment and the Hofburg Palace apartment one after another. The Schönbrunn is grandiose. We hiked up to the Glorietta and had a cafe break at the Glorietta. If you have a short visit to Vienna in the future, in town attractions are easy to visit even for a short layover while Schönbrunn will always be a trek out of town.

kja

I was unable to see all the things your list as a high priority in 2 days. I think you have to make some really difficult decisions about what to skip, skim, and see. From my perspective, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Secession, and Belevedere were far and away the highlights. I enjoyed a day at Schonbrunn, some time at the Treasury, and several oyher sights (including the cathedral), but only you can decide which trade offs to make. Good luck! At least you will see some absolutely wonderful things no matter what you decide.

Percy

You choices in Vienna are good and you should allow ample time to see the places on your list.

I have to agree with greg, the Schonbrunn is out of town a bit and it is a lovely place.

I was there in June and of course everything was in full bloom.

It takes a decent hour for the Palace tour depending on how crowded it is when you are there.

The grounds a massive and lots to see and walk about.

I also walk up to the Gloriette which does take a little time.

What you have to say to yourself is , are you ever going to be in Vienna again ( in the near future)...if yes then skip the Schonbrunn Palace for a time when you will have time to do it justice.

Do not know which train station you are using for Bucharest but if it is the Meidling Train Station, then it is only a skip and a hop from the Schonbrunn Palace.

But you say you have to go back for your luggage.

Would it not be better to go to Schonbrunn on one of your full days in the afternoon and then that last morning see some places that are closer together like Hofburg, Art History Museum and Albertina.

Some food for thought.

Dukey1

The no-change train timings to Budapest all seem to leave from the Westbahnhof

fourfortravel

I think it's possible to see everything on your wish list in the time allotted, assuming you don't wish to stare intently at each and every piece of art.

Depending on your first afternoon arrival time, you could see Belvedere and Secession.

Get an early start on one of the full days to enjoy the grounds of Schönbrunn before the first palace tour (and the tour buses disgorging passengers), then wrap up your Imperial overload with a full afternoon at Hofburg. Or, skip the grounds. Walking between upper and lower Belvedere is also pretty. The Sisi ticket can be purchased online in advance--definitely recommended.

The remaining day could be divided between Albertina and KHM quite easily.

For planning, keep in mind that KHM and Secession are closed on Mondays, and Albertina is open until 21:00 on Wednesdays.

di2315

We were at Schonbrunn a couple of years ago. We arrived really early and made sure we were at the entry point before opening time.
We walked fairly quickly through the first couple of spaces, then slowed down and took our time. There were very few people around, making the visit much more pleasant than having to shuffle through later in the day when all the crowds and coaches arrived.
My suggestion is to prioritise your list of places to visit - go early to those most important to you so you can really enjoy them. Di

neckervd

Dukey: railjet 61 leaves 11.48 from Westbahnhof and 12.02 from Meidling

maxima

you can easily get to Schonbrunn by taking the U-Bahn (subway) Line 4 (green line) it is a 5 minute walk from the Schonbrunn station to the palace. The grounds open early each day and the palace opens at 8:30am. There are several audio tours to chose from.

greg

I reread your posting and if "we have a 12 o'clock train to catch to Budapest and will need to reclaim our luggage and head to the train station" is your <u>assumption</u> rather than a requirement, one way to do this rationally is to:

- Go super early to Westbahnhof.
- Put your luggage in lockers at Westbahnhof. http://www.oebb.at/en/Planning_your_...ggage_lockers/
- Take Tram #58 / walk (2.5km=1.5miles=30min) / taxi / U6 then U4 to Schönbrunn / tram #52 to Penzinger Strasse then walk 0.5km to Schönbrunn.
- Visit the ground before 8:30am.
- Get earliest reservation time to enter the apartment.
- return back to Westbahnhof in time for your train.

Cathinjoetown

There's a little train at Schonbrunn that leaves from just behind the palace and takes a circuitous route up to the Gloriette where you can get out or continue on back to where you boarded.

maxima

if you use the lockers at Westbahnhof prior to going to Schonbrunn there is no need to take a tram, taxi etc.
The U-Bahn U6 line goes to WestBahnhof

simply take the U-Bahn (subway) line U6 (brown) going in the direction of Sieberhirten from Westbahnhof two stops to Langenfeld-Gasse, and transfer to line U4 (green line) in the direction of Hutteldorf, two stops to Schonbrunn from there its a 5 minute walk to the gates of the palace and grounds.

take the reverse route back to Westbahnhof.