itspat

We are probably landing on Vienna as our 1 week stopover from India. We missed it on our last trip and only made it to Salzburg, which we loved.

How might we expect the Vienna experience to differ from Salzburg, other than being a bigger town? Any cultural geographic differences, or major cuisine differences? (We loved the beer, sauerkraut and potato salad in Salzburg but maybe because it's closer to Munich?)

We'd like to maybe have 2-3 days in the town itself, and then perhaps branch out to somewhere else in Central Europe if we can. What trips have you found to be pleasant and doable from Vienna? Are Prague or Budapest reasonable in terms of time/train travel? Would you venture further?

Thanks.

Bellarosa70032

Vienna is a cosmopolitan city that housed the head of the Autstrio-Hungarian Empire; it's very different from Salzburg. There is quite a bit to see in Vienna to keep you occupied during your stay, but you might consider a day trip to either Bratislava or Melk. I would save Prague and Budapest for another trip. Look at the www.bahn.de website for ideas of how long the train travel is from Vienna to those cities. It's only around an hour to Melk or Bratislava, so you're not wasting all your time traveling.

DebitNM

We did 4 days in Prague, 3 days in BRATISLAVA (with day trip to Vienna) and 4 days to Budapest. We took trains between cities. We really enjoyed all of the cities, but would have swapped longer time in .vienna with time in BRATISLAVA. We would have added a day to both Prague and Budapest in hindsight.

fourfortravel

Austrian cuisine does indeed vary by region, with many Viennese dishes having been inspired by the foods of the imperial provinces. Wiener Schnitzel was co-opted from the Milanese pork cutlet; Goulash, of course, from the Hungarian side of the empire, and so forth. If you can look beyond Schnitzel and Sacher Torte, you'll find many delicious meals in Vienna.

As for traveling further afield, it depends on your interests and the time of year. We personally do not enjoy the Wachau Valley in winter (too gloomy) and summer (too touristy), but put Melk Abbey on the draft Vienna day trip list for visiting friends. Bratislava is a 75 minute train ride away from Vienna; most day trippers wander the Old City, have a hearty Slovak lunch and return to Vienna. The towns of Znojmo and Mikulov (Czech Republic) are around an hour or so from Vienna on the train, too. Both have castles/remnants and an old city to explore. Stift Klosterneuburg, just north of the Vienna border, can be an interesting side trip. If the weather is good and you're into outdoor activities, taking public into the vineyards at the northern edges of Vienna and hiking/walking down can be especially enjoyable if you wrap up your outing with a heuriger visit.

If you really want to split your time between Vienna and Budapest or Prague, then do it. Of course you'll never "see everything" in any of these cities, but if planned right you will at least enjoy a small sample of Central Europe.

itspat

Thank you. We are leaning toward basing in Vienna for the week, with maybe a day trip each to Bratislava and Melk. We are on the fence about leaving for a night each to Budapest and/or Prague, realizing that our time there would be extremely limited and dominated by train travel, but it's something we're considering and prepared for.

Can anyone say if there is a general Eurail or other company pass that would cover Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary... or does each company have their own system? Is there a reasonable "pass" option, or would we better off with point-to-point tickets depending on what we decide?

itspat

Another question: a while ago, we read one of those cheesy "best of" lists for the world's best hot chocolate. #1 was Angelina in Paris, which was amazing indeed. #2 was somewhere in Vienna, but I can't remember the name of the place - would anyone have any idea where the "best hot chocolate" in Vienna might be?

itspat

I just came across this, written by one of Fodor's own, and was wondering if anyone has tried this or something similar and what you thought of it.

Thanks for your feedback thus far.

http://www.fodors.com/news/perfect-w...days-7248.html

fourfortravel

The ÖBB (Austrian State Railways) runs an almost-hourly train between Vienna and Bratislava. The ticket is €15 RT and includes public transport in Bratislava (you'll need to catch the X13 bus to Stare Mesto). The tickets can be purchased right before travel at the Wien Hauptbahnhof. There are similar options for Znojmo and Mikulov.

There are combination Danube cruise/Melk visits, if that is of interest. They only operate in the warmer months, however.

If you know your travel dates, ÖBB offers RT fares to Budapest from Vienna for as little as €38. But, you have to book months out and tickets sell quickly.

I can not comment on the "best" hot chocolate in Vienna, though I can suggest that Demel's, the former royal and imperial cafe and bakery would probably come close.

itspat

We found the article and it WAS Demel's! Thank you!

We are still trying to choose between Prague, Budapest, Melk, Salzburg, or others for a 1–2 night trip from Vienna. Any other insight/experiences to share in addition to above is appreciated.

We had an amazing experience our last time in Salzburg at the St. Peter Stiftskiller (sp?) Mozart concert dinner. Is there something comparable in Vienna?

Sue_xx_yy

I am a fan of 'The Third Man' film and learned just prior to visiting Vienna that it has a cult following there.

Carol Reed got to shoot that movie on location in Vienna in 1948-49, at a time when Vienna was still recovering from the ravages of the war.

You have to watch that movie before visiting, if only to see the contrast between then and now.

(Joseph Cotten opens the film with this introduction)

<i> I never knew the old Vienna before the war, with its Strauss music, its glamour and its easy charm - Constantinople suited me better. I really got to know it in the classic period of the Black Market. [Boots, stockings, cigarettes, and watches exchange hands.] We'd run anything, if people wanted it enough- mmm - had the money to pay. Of course, a situation like that does tempt amateurs, but they don't last long, not really, not like professionals [A view of a dead body floating in an icy river.] </i>

greg

Demel's is also the birthplace of Sachertorte. The meals at Demel's was also excellent. I also liked Oberlaa Konditorei. I thought Sachertorte at Demel's and Oberlaa were better than at Hotel Sacher. Hotel Sacher has a more classic ambiance, but more tourist familiarity as well as prices to go with them. Even though may dishes are available at other Austrian cities, I thought Viennese cuisines were above what I have eaten elsewhere.

itspat

Sue - ok, I'm intrigued by your mention of that movie! I did a quick search and it's not on Netflix streaming, but we'll try to find it. Thanks.

Greg - thanks for the suggestions.

Couple more questions...

Is early March a reasonable time to visit a heuriger? We'd also like to wander to Vienna Woods and were wondering if we can combine these 2 experiences.

If we decide to spend a couple days in Prague/Budapest, which city would you spend more time in and why? Looking for more your personal experience, as I know everyone has different interests. For us, it would be: beautiful city architecture/landscape, meandering side streets, friendly locals, unique cuisine with a seafood/vegetarian focus, good coffee, sense of history, musical/dance/acrobatic performances (maybe as a dinner show?), river cruises, lots of walking, overall safety... Those are our general things we like on our travels!

fourfortravel

itspat, this is just my opinion, but there is never an unreasonable time to visit a heuriger. Though, in March the outdoor tables will not be available and many have limited (and smoke-filled) indoor seating. For some, the outdoor garden is the main reason for visiting.

We have two favorite walks that combine the woods and the vineyards, and end at heurigen. The first starts at Kahlenberg and follows the trails down to Nußdorf and our favorite heuriger, Kierlinger. The second starts at Cobenzl and follows the trails down into the row of heurigen along Neustift am Walde and Hameaustraße. We don't have any particular favorites along this stretch except to avoid the big yellow heuriger where the tour buses stop. To do either of these walks, take the U4 to its terminus at Heiligenstadt, then catch the 38A bus to either Kahlenberg or Cobenzl. Once down in Nußdorf or Hameaustraße, the D tram or 35A bus will take you back toward the U4. Assuming you're staying in the InnerStadt, I would allow a good 4-5 hours for transport time, walking, and enjoying the heuriger.

I am unable to express a preference between Prague and Budapest, as I love them both for most of the reasons you list: architecture, meandering streets, friendly locals, good coffee, history, lots of walking, and safety. And for food. I have a soft spot for well-prepared whole Zander (pike-perch) and Austria, Czech Republic and Hungary all excel with Zander, Saibling, and Forelle. In Budapest we at BigFish, and though it was not easy on the pocketbook, we found the seafood to be among the best we have eaten.

Happy Planning!

WeisserTee

We will also be in Vienna in March. We're spending a week in the city with a day trip to Graz, one of our favorite places in Austria. It's easily reached by train -- just over 2.5 hours each way. Catch a 7 am or 8 am train, wander the city, have lunch in a nice restaurant (be sure to try the local wines), wander the city some more and head back early evening.

If you will be in Vienna on a Thursday, a pleasant way to spend the evening is to have dinner at the Kunsthistorisches museum.
http://www.wien.info/en/shopping-win...-in-the-museum