Autumn in Austria & the Czech Republic - October 1st - 17th, 2010
Oct 25th, 2010, 02:44 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Autumn in Austria & the Czech Republic - October 1st - 17th, 2010
We began planning our 17 day trip to Austria and the Czech Republic more than a year ago. Our friends from Oklahoma, L & S, decided to join us, and so we began the planning. We booked our AA flights with miles, 330 days out in order to get the flights we wanted. As we are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary this year, we decided to splurge and book Business class tickets going over – but booked tourist class tickets coming home. We flew from our small airport, ACT, to DFW, to LHR to Prague. Coming home, we flew Vienna to LHR to DFW to ACT. We had long layovers at DFW, and medium long layovers at LHR. We enjoyed the Admirals Club at DFW on the way over as well as the British Airways Lounge at LHR. We met our friends at LHR and flew together on to Prague. We had booked an apartment with Prague-stay in Prague (more on that later) and they sent a car with driver to pick us up at the airport. It seemed like a good deal – 25€ for the four of us with our luggage, but even though they were aware of the size of our party, they sent a small car to pick us up. It was a very uncomfortable ride with five people and all the luggage. Glad it wasn’t a long ride into Prague. Next time I would book with one of the transfer services such as Prague Airport Shuttle (www.prague-airport-shuttle.com).
PRAGUE
We arrived on time in Prague, found the driver, and went to our apartment which was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, kitchen/dining/living room. One bedroom and bath and small loft living area were upstairs, the rest downstairs. The apartment representative met us outside the apartment. There was a short flight of stairs up to the elevator, then another short flight of stairs from the elevator up to our apartment. The biggest difficulty was in going in and out. There were three keys – one to the outside door of the apartment building – which had to be unlocked and then locked from the inside. Up the stairs to the elevator – a magnet unlocked the elevator – up the next flight of stairs to another door which had to be unlocked and then relocked on the inside. Finally, yet another key, unlocked the apartment door which also had to be relocked from the inside. So three sets of locks to be unlocked and relocked every time we went in and out – plus the elevator. This was the greatest negative to the apartment. However, the location was wonderful – just a few steps from the Old Town Center and all the restaurants, shopping, etc.
Also, the apartment was very clean and very spacious. It had a washer and a drying rack which came in handy. It also had wi-fi which worked part of the time. The young lady who met us with all the keys, paperwork, etc., didn’t know much about the apartment itself. She didn’t know how to work the washer (which is always a huge problem), didn’t know how to turn on the radiators or much about the wi-fi. She was very nice and spoke good English which made us more accepting of the other things. The price was great – we paid 122€ a night for four nights which was split between the two couples. It was nice to have the kitchen and nice to have all the room to spread out and relax. It was great to be so close to everything. So, in the end, we would probably stay here again as the positives far outweighed the negatives. www.prague-stay.com Apartment U Dvou Velbloudu, Apt. C.
We spent 3-l/2 days and four nights in Prague. We did the general sightseeing – Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, Jewish Quarter, and Prague Castle. The men took a day trip to Terezin Concentration Camp while the women shopped. We had good food and good weather. We thought that the buildings in Prague were the most beautiful we have ever seen. Just unbelievable how many beautiful buildings in one city. We had booked Prague Airport Shuttle to take us from Prague to Cesky Krumlov. This worked out great – Chris picked us up on time and drove us to our hotel in Cesky K. The price was 3200 CZ for the four of us (which was about $180). We were picked up in a van which had ample room for the four of us and our luggage. It made the 2 l/2 hour trip very enjoyable.
PRAGUE
We arrived on time in Prague, found the driver, and went to our apartment which was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, kitchen/dining/living room. One bedroom and bath and small loft living area were upstairs, the rest downstairs. The apartment representative met us outside the apartment. There was a short flight of stairs up to the elevator, then another short flight of stairs from the elevator up to our apartment. The biggest difficulty was in going in and out. There were three keys – one to the outside door of the apartment building – which had to be unlocked and then locked from the inside. Up the stairs to the elevator – a magnet unlocked the elevator – up the next flight of stairs to another door which had to be unlocked and then relocked on the inside. Finally, yet another key, unlocked the apartment door which also had to be relocked from the inside. So three sets of locks to be unlocked and relocked every time we went in and out – plus the elevator. This was the greatest negative to the apartment. However, the location was wonderful – just a few steps from the Old Town Center and all the restaurants, shopping, etc.
Also, the apartment was very clean and very spacious. It had a washer and a drying rack which came in handy. It also had wi-fi which worked part of the time. The young lady who met us with all the keys, paperwork, etc., didn’t know much about the apartment itself. She didn’t know how to work the washer (which is always a huge problem), didn’t know how to turn on the radiators or much about the wi-fi. She was very nice and spoke good English which made us more accepting of the other things. The price was great – we paid 122€ a night for four nights which was split between the two couples. It was nice to have the kitchen and nice to have all the room to spread out and relax. It was great to be so close to everything. So, in the end, we would probably stay here again as the positives far outweighed the negatives. www.prague-stay.com Apartment U Dvou Velbloudu, Apt. C.
We spent 3-l/2 days and four nights in Prague. We did the general sightseeing – Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, Jewish Quarter, and Prague Castle. The men took a day trip to Terezin Concentration Camp while the women shopped. We had good food and good weather. We thought that the buildings in Prague were the most beautiful we have ever seen. Just unbelievable how many beautiful buildings in one city. We had booked Prague Airport Shuttle to take us from Prague to Cesky Krumlov. This worked out great – Chris picked us up on time and drove us to our hotel in Cesky K. The price was 3200 CZ for the four of us (which was about $180). We were picked up in a van which had ample room for the four of us and our luggage. It made the 2 l/2 hour trip very enjoyable.
Oct 25th, 2010, 03:49 PM
#2
nice start - though a shame about the size of the cab. this happened to us once on the way back from holiday - 4 of us plus one bag each and the driver crammed into a small car with 3 bags stuffed in the boot, and the 4th one on my lap. AND the driver went the wrong way!
the tip to use the shuttle co. looks good.
looking forward to more!
the tip to use the shuttle co. looks good.
looking forward to more!
Oct 25th, 2010, 04:56 PM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks Ann. Yes, we were much happier with Prague Airport Shuttle - too bad we didn't use them from the airport. I thought that the driver associated with the apartment company would know exactly where the apartment was located which can sometimes be a problem for a taxi or shuttle service. And he did know the location which was slightly difficult to find. So at least that was a good thing.
CESKY KRUMLOV
We arrived in Cesky Krumlov about noon on Wednesday, and checked into Hotel Konvice - http://www.en.stadthotel-krummau.de/index.html. We paid 1900 CZ ($105) for each room per night (2 nights). Our rooms were both very nice – large by European standards, very clean and comfortable. The breakfast was included and was very good. A nice selection on a buffet – and could also order eggs if desired. The only negative was the wi-fi – had a lot of trouble getting it even in the lobby.
Cesky Krumlov is charming, and we loved our day and a half there. We enjoyed just walking around the beautiful town and were fortunate to have wonderful weather – sunny days just perfect for picture taking. We didn’t take the castle tour, but our friends did and enjoyed it very much. We were happy to just stroll around and take it easy after our rushed days in Prague.
Our favorite restaurant was Na Louzi – we had a wonderful meal there both nights! The first night there was a man playing the piano and a sing along. It was a lot of fun, and we were sorry he wasn’t playing on the next night. Some of the restaurants were closed – off season in the middle of the week. But we were happy with Na Louzi, so it was fine.
The next morning after another good breakfast, Daniel with Shuttlebus.cz (www.shuttlebus.cz) picked us up at 9 am in a large van (there were three other passengers) and drove us to Salzburg to our Europcar office where we picked up our rental car. The shuttle cost 3960 CZ ($220) for the four of us.
CESKY KRUMLOV
We arrived in Cesky Krumlov about noon on Wednesday, and checked into Hotel Konvice - http://www.en.stadthotel-krummau.de/index.html. We paid 1900 CZ ($105) for each room per night (2 nights). Our rooms were both very nice – large by European standards, very clean and comfortable. The breakfast was included and was very good. A nice selection on a buffet – and could also order eggs if desired. The only negative was the wi-fi – had a lot of trouble getting it even in the lobby.
Cesky Krumlov is charming, and we loved our day and a half there. We enjoyed just walking around the beautiful town and were fortunate to have wonderful weather – sunny days just perfect for picture taking. We didn’t take the castle tour, but our friends did and enjoyed it very much. We were happy to just stroll around and take it easy after our rushed days in Prague.
Our favorite restaurant was Na Louzi – we had a wonderful meal there both nights! The first night there was a man playing the piano and a sing along. It was a lot of fun, and we were sorry he wasn’t playing on the next night. Some of the restaurants were closed – off season in the middle of the week. But we were happy with Na Louzi, so it was fine.
The next morning after another good breakfast, Daniel with Shuttlebus.cz (www.shuttlebus.cz) picked us up at 9 am in a large van (there were three other passengers) and drove us to Salzburg to our Europcar office where we picked up our rental car. The shuttle cost 3960 CZ ($220) for the four of us.
Oct 25th, 2010, 05:06 PM
#4
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,574
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm enjoying reading your trip report. I have been to Prague twice, & the last visit was Aug 2009. On our last trip, we also visited Cesky Krumlov, which is beautiful & then drove on to Telc & Karlovy Vary.
Looking forward to the rest of your report. We were in Salzburg many years ago for one day. What was your favorite place?
Looking forward to the rest of your report. We were in Salzburg many years ago for one day. What was your favorite place?
Oct 26th, 2010, 05:14 AM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks, Kwoo. Our favorite place was probably the cemetery at St. Peter's. It was so beautiful with all the little gardens. I have never seen anything quite like that. Also the Mirabel gardens were beautiful on a sunny day with the roses blooming everywhere.
SALZBURG
We arrived in Salzburg a little before noon on Friday. We picked up the car, drove around looking for an ATM and then for a restaurant for lunch. Finally found both, then using the GPS, we were able to drive to our B&B Haus am Moos. We stayed here for three nights and had very nice rooms and a very enjoyable time. This is truly a bargain place as many others have reported. Our rooms were 50€ a night including a delicious breakfast each morning. The owners are great – very helpful and delightful to visit with. The grounds are lovely, and we enjoyed the beautiful gardens. There is also a nice pool for the warmer months. http://ammoos.at/en-home.htm
Although there is public bus transportation into Salzburg from Haus am Moos, we decided to drive as it isn’t very far. We went into the center and visited Mirabel Gardens. It was a beautiful afternoon, sunny and warm, and many people were out in the gardens. We stolled around, taking photos, and enjoying the beautiful flowers. We walked into the center afterwards and shopped a little before returning to the B&B. After a short break, we went to dinner just down the street at the recommended Gasthof Reiterhof. The food was wonderful – schnitzels or sausage with potatoes – just delicious!
The next day, Saturday, we returned to the center, walked down the old shopping lane (with stops for shopping), had lunch, then went to Mozart’s Residence and took the audio tour there. On our way to the Fortress, we found a festival in progress. Then we walked up to the Fortress for the wonderful views of Salzburg and stopped at St. Peter’s church and cemetery on the way down. The cemetery is absolutely beautiful and each grave is a mini garden. This cemetery was the inspiration for the SOM scene in the cemetery (but was actually filmed on the movie lot). We happened on to a wedding reception in the courtyard of the church – a band playing and everyone dressed in their native dress. It was vert festive – and the tourists were all wandering around watching the celebration. It was interesting, and we enjoyed all the festivities.
We returned to the B&B for a rest. Later we went out for dinner at the other recommended restaurant, Schachlwirt, down the steet from the B&B. We didn’t like our dinner nearly as well as the night before, and the service was very slow. We wished we had returned to the other restaurant.
The following day, Sunday, we drove over to Berchtesgaden, Germany. It was a very short trip from the B&B. However, we arrived to find some kind of festival in progress and found many of the roads were blocked off. We couldn’t find our way up to the Documentation Center/Eagle’s Nest. Finally, we found a TI and stopped and asked. We were told to follow the detour signs and that we would be rerouted to the Documentation Center. We did this – and finally found it. Our friends took the bus up to the Eagle’s Nest, and we went to the Documentation Center. They enjoyed their time, and we did too. The Documentation Center is very interesting - you have to get the audio phone (2€) as everything is in German only. You would have no idea what you were seeing without the phone. The center does a very good job of showing how Hitler rose to power and all that followed. Very chilling. Then you see the underground bunker system which was amazing. This took about two hours and that was without seeing any of the videos which were in German as well.
We had lunch in the restaurant – it was good and fairly reasonable. We drove back to Haus am Moos, rested awhile, then went back down to the center and had pizza for dinner.
SALZBURG
We arrived in Salzburg a little before noon on Friday. We picked up the car, drove around looking for an ATM and then for a restaurant for lunch. Finally found both, then using the GPS, we were able to drive to our B&B Haus am Moos. We stayed here for three nights and had very nice rooms and a very enjoyable time. This is truly a bargain place as many others have reported. Our rooms were 50€ a night including a delicious breakfast each morning. The owners are great – very helpful and delightful to visit with. The grounds are lovely, and we enjoyed the beautiful gardens. There is also a nice pool for the warmer months. http://ammoos.at/en-home.htm
Although there is public bus transportation into Salzburg from Haus am Moos, we decided to drive as it isn’t very far. We went into the center and visited Mirabel Gardens. It was a beautiful afternoon, sunny and warm, and many people were out in the gardens. We stolled around, taking photos, and enjoying the beautiful flowers. We walked into the center afterwards and shopped a little before returning to the B&B. After a short break, we went to dinner just down the street at the recommended Gasthof Reiterhof. The food was wonderful – schnitzels or sausage with potatoes – just delicious!
The next day, Saturday, we returned to the center, walked down the old shopping lane (with stops for shopping), had lunch, then went to Mozart’s Residence and took the audio tour there. On our way to the Fortress, we found a festival in progress. Then we walked up to the Fortress for the wonderful views of Salzburg and stopped at St. Peter’s church and cemetery on the way down. The cemetery is absolutely beautiful and each grave is a mini garden. This cemetery was the inspiration for the SOM scene in the cemetery (but was actually filmed on the movie lot). We happened on to a wedding reception in the courtyard of the church – a band playing and everyone dressed in their native dress. It was vert festive – and the tourists were all wandering around watching the celebration. It was interesting, and we enjoyed all the festivities.
We returned to the B&B for a rest. Later we went out for dinner at the other recommended restaurant, Schachlwirt, down the steet from the B&B. We didn’t like our dinner nearly as well as the night before, and the service was very slow. We wished we had returned to the other restaurant.
The following day, Sunday, we drove over to Berchtesgaden, Germany. It was a very short trip from the B&B. However, we arrived to find some kind of festival in progress and found many of the roads were blocked off. We couldn’t find our way up to the Documentation Center/Eagle’s Nest. Finally, we found a TI and stopped and asked. We were told to follow the detour signs and that we would be rerouted to the Documentation Center. We did this – and finally found it. Our friends took the bus up to the Eagle’s Nest, and we went to the Documentation Center. They enjoyed their time, and we did too. The Documentation Center is very interesting - you have to get the audio phone (2€) as everything is in German only. You would have no idea what you were seeing without the phone. The center does a very good job of showing how Hitler rose to power and all that followed. Very chilling. Then you see the underground bunker system which was amazing. This took about two hours and that was without seeing any of the videos which were in German as well.
We had lunch in the restaurant – it was good and fairly reasonable. We drove back to Haus am Moos, rested awhile, then went back down to the center and had pizza for dinner.
Oct 26th, 2010, 08:09 AM
#6
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am enjoying your report! Question for you, regarding your flight with AA miles: how did you book it? I am planning on using AA miles from my flight in October 2011 and Vienna is not listed as a city where I can redeem AA miles. Is this something that I need to contact the AA ticket desk?
Oct 26th, 2010, 08:31 AM
#7
kerij, British Air, an AA partner, flies to Vienna (I checked from JFK) with a stop in London, so you shouldn't have a problem using AA points. It may be too early for your search... you have to be about 330 days out from your flight date.
Oct 26th, 2010, 09:42 AM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi kerij. Yes, you can book your flight through AA flying through London and on to Vienna on British Air. You do have to book on the phone as these partner flights can't be booked online. Also, now you can fly with AA miles on British Air across the Atlantic - so you could go all the way to Vienna on British Air if you were flying out of certain US cities. However, the fees are much higher on BA.
You can go on aa.com and see what flights are available to London on miles on your dates - you can also go on britishairways.com to check to see flight times from London to Vienna.
You can go on aa.com and see what flights are available to London on miles on your dates - you can also go on britishairways.com to check to see flight times from London to Vienna.
Oct 26th, 2010, 10:17 AM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 25,877
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
blh, I'm looking forward to more!
kerij, you need to call AA to book award flights on BA (OneWorld partner airlines). You didn't say when in Oct 2011 you'll be going, but bear in mind that if your trip begins AFTER mid-Oct (I think Oct 15 - double check that), you're eligible for the off-peak rate, which is only 40k r/t on Economy. It's a great bargain (vs 60k r/t during peak times).
kerij, you need to call AA to book award flights on BA (OneWorld partner airlines). You didn't say when in Oct 2011 you'll be going, but bear in mind that if your trip begins AFTER mid-Oct (I think Oct 15 - double check that), you're eligible for the off-peak rate, which is only 40k r/t on Economy. It's a great bargain (vs 60k r/t during peak times).
Oct 26th, 2010, 02:22 PM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
HALLSTATT & THE SALZKAMERGUT
On Monday morning after breakfast, we left Salzburg for the Salzkamergut. We caught the boat in Strobl for St Wolfgang, and rode the Schafberg Mountain Railway up the mountain. It was an absolutely beautiful day which made the boat ride on the lake and train ride up the mountain a great success. We enjoyed it so much and appreciate the recommendation here on the forum from BettyK. We stayed on top of the mountain for quite awhile, having a small lunch at the restaurant at the top. It was the highlight of our trip, and we were happy to have the weather cooperate!
After the boat ride back to Strobl, we drove on and stopped in Bad Ischl hoping to find a pastry shop that was recommended here. We did find it – but it was closed on Monday. We continued on to Hallstatt and located our B&B Pension Sarstein, 65€ per room per night with breakfast. http://members.a1.net/pension.sarste...isch/index.htm
This was the best value of the trip – they have completely remodeled the B&B, and it is like brand new. The only negative is there are lots of stairs, so if this is problem, you would want to ask for a room on one lower floors. We had Room #5 at the very top. It was a corner room and was large with a big bathroom and tons of storage. We had a small balcony overlooking the lake – and the view was to die for! The owners are very nice and helpful. Breakfast is downstairs and is also overlooking the lake. Breakfast was mainly bread/jelly, cereal, and a boiled egg if you want one (coffee & juice, of course). There is a small lawn where you can sit outside with coffee and enjoy the view. In the warmer weather, you can swim in the lake – there is a slide into the water. The swans and ducks hang out here as the owners feed them. It was completely booked even though it was off season and during the week. So you must have reservations here – and they won’t take them too early. I had to wait to make these reservations until about 60/90 days out, but it was well worth the wait.
We had dinner at Gasthof Simony – very delicious food and good service. Had a good breakfast with a great view the next morning at the B&B. Our friends decided to take the Salt Mine Tour, and we decided to just enjoy Hallstatt. It was another beautiful day, and we spent the day going in and out of the little shops, enjoying a drink by the lake and watching the boats, having lunch by the lake at Gasthof Simony, and just relaxing. We had meant to go for a drive in the afternoon, but we just never did manage to go. We wished for another day or two in Hallstatt. Would have liked to have cancelled the rest of the trip – and just stayed. But that was not to be. We sat out on the lawn at the B&B with a cup of tea and watched the swans and ducks. Later we went to dinner. Not many places were open on Tuesday evening. We ended up at Gasthof Zauner which is one of the nicest restaurants in town. It was very crowded – we got the only empty table. Our food was very good. Our service was slow, and our waiter was a little obnoxious. He was sarcastic – and was getting lots of laughs from a large group sitting closeby. It went on too long, and got a little tiresome. But we enjoyed the meal in spite of the waiter!
On Monday morning after breakfast, we left Salzburg for the Salzkamergut. We caught the boat in Strobl for St Wolfgang, and rode the Schafberg Mountain Railway up the mountain. It was an absolutely beautiful day which made the boat ride on the lake and train ride up the mountain a great success. We enjoyed it so much and appreciate the recommendation here on the forum from BettyK. We stayed on top of the mountain for quite awhile, having a small lunch at the restaurant at the top. It was the highlight of our trip, and we were happy to have the weather cooperate!
After the boat ride back to Strobl, we drove on and stopped in Bad Ischl hoping to find a pastry shop that was recommended here. We did find it – but it was closed on Monday. We continued on to Hallstatt and located our B&B Pension Sarstein, 65€ per room per night with breakfast. http://members.a1.net/pension.sarste...isch/index.htm
This was the best value of the trip – they have completely remodeled the B&B, and it is like brand new. The only negative is there are lots of stairs, so if this is problem, you would want to ask for a room on one lower floors. We had Room #5 at the very top. It was a corner room and was large with a big bathroom and tons of storage. We had a small balcony overlooking the lake – and the view was to die for! The owners are very nice and helpful. Breakfast is downstairs and is also overlooking the lake. Breakfast was mainly bread/jelly, cereal, and a boiled egg if you want one (coffee & juice, of course). There is a small lawn where you can sit outside with coffee and enjoy the view. In the warmer weather, you can swim in the lake – there is a slide into the water. The swans and ducks hang out here as the owners feed them. It was completely booked even though it was off season and during the week. So you must have reservations here – and they won’t take them too early. I had to wait to make these reservations until about 60/90 days out, but it was well worth the wait.
We had dinner at Gasthof Simony – very delicious food and good service. Had a good breakfast with a great view the next morning at the B&B. Our friends decided to take the Salt Mine Tour, and we decided to just enjoy Hallstatt. It was another beautiful day, and we spent the day going in and out of the little shops, enjoying a drink by the lake and watching the boats, having lunch by the lake at Gasthof Simony, and just relaxing. We had meant to go for a drive in the afternoon, but we just never did manage to go. We wished for another day or two in Hallstatt. Would have liked to have cancelled the rest of the trip – and just stayed. But that was not to be. We sat out on the lawn at the B&B with a cup of tea and watched the swans and ducks. Later we went to dinner. Not many places were open on Tuesday evening. We ended up at Gasthof Zauner which is one of the nicest restaurants in town. It was very crowded – we got the only empty table. Our food was very good. Our service was slow, and our waiter was a little obnoxious. He was sarcastic – and was getting lots of laughs from a large group sitting closeby. It went on too long, and got a little tiresome. But we enjoyed the meal in spite of the waiter!
Oct 27th, 2010, 01:13 PM
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks, Aussie!
DURNSTEIN AND THE DANUBE
On Wednesday morning we had breakfast at the B&B, packed up and left for Melk Abbey in the Danube Valley. We arrived about 11:30 and went into the cathedral where we were expecting "noon prayers", but the cathedral was filled with teenagers there for a special day of some kind - what a surprise! We enjoyed the beautiful singing, and then continued on with our tour of the abbey. The newly restored abbey is very beautiful. The library was wonderful, very elaborate and truly amazing. They are still working on restoring another area of the abbey which will be finished in 2012. We walked through the gardens in the Abbey park which are so pretty and had coffee outside the park cafe and enjoyed the sunny day.
We drove on and stopped in Joching at the Jamek Winery and had a wonderful late lunch. I had seen a recommendation for this winery on Trip Advisor, and had made note of it. We enjoyed our lunch and were glad we stopped. We enjoyed the Wachau Valley and Danube River as we drove to Durnstein.
We got to our hotel – Sanger Blondel about 4:30 and went to a few of the cute little stores before they closed.
http://www.saengerblondel.at/english...e_english.html - 96€ for room including breakfast.
The hotel was very nice. Our rooms were small, but comfortable. We had such a late lunch that we decided to just have some snacks in the room instead of going out for dinner. We were tired and knew we would have a busy next day going to Vienna.
DURNSTEIN AND THE DANUBE
On Wednesday morning we had breakfast at the B&B, packed up and left for Melk Abbey in the Danube Valley. We arrived about 11:30 and went into the cathedral where we were expecting "noon prayers", but the cathedral was filled with teenagers there for a special day of some kind - what a surprise! We enjoyed the beautiful singing, and then continued on with our tour of the abbey. The newly restored abbey is very beautiful. The library was wonderful, very elaborate and truly amazing. They are still working on restoring another area of the abbey which will be finished in 2012. We walked through the gardens in the Abbey park which are so pretty and had coffee outside the park cafe and enjoyed the sunny day.
We drove on and stopped in Joching at the Jamek Winery and had a wonderful late lunch. I had seen a recommendation for this winery on Trip Advisor, and had made note of it. We enjoyed our lunch and were glad we stopped. We enjoyed the Wachau Valley and Danube River as we drove to Durnstein.
We got to our hotel – Sanger Blondel about 4:30 and went to a few of the cute little stores before they closed.
http://www.saengerblondel.at/english...e_english.html - 96€ for room including breakfast.
The hotel was very nice. Our rooms were small, but comfortable. We had such a late lunch that we decided to just have some snacks in the room instead of going out for dinner. We were tired and knew we would have a busy next day going to Vienna.
Oct 28th, 2010, 07:24 PM
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
VIENNA
On Thursday morning after a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, we went to a few of the little shops before leaving for Vienna about 10:00 am. We drove to the airport where we turned in the rental car and got a taxi into our pension - http://www.pension-sacher.at/?url=pa...l&lang=English.
This pension has about eight apartments on the 7th floor of a large building across from St Stephen’s Cathedral. These are truly wonderful apartments in a great location. Our apartment was their “one-room” apartment – it had a large room with twin beds, table and pair of comfortable chairs, wardrobe and several other nice pieces of furniture. There was also a separate small kitchen and a large bathroom off an entry hall. There was a washing machine in the bathroom and a drying rack. The owners are the nicest and most helpful people you could ever meet – also speak good English. Our room was 92€ a night. Our friends had a much larger apartment – two rooms – a large bedroom, a large living and dining room and a large kitchen. Their room was 112€ a night. There is no breakfast provided. They stay completely booked months in advance. Some people stay for weeks or even months at a time. I would give this Pension **** for location, beautiful rooms and furnishings, and the very nice owners. It is one of the nicest places we have ever stayed in Europe. Of course, we don’t do large hotels so the comparison is to small hotels, B&B’s, and apartment rentals.
We went out into the street and walked around the area, had a gelato, bought a few groceries to take back to the apartment. Later we went back out and had pizza at Bizi’s just down the block. We walked around for awhile – went inside St. Stephen’s where there was a program in progress.
On Friday we walked around the area some more and then caught the tram and circled on the ring road. Stopped at a huge Nespresso store where we had a coffee. That night we had dinner at Figlmuller which was not far from our apartment. The schnitzel was huge – we shared it and had a delicious salad and potatoes with the schnitzel. The meal was really good.
On Saturday, we went to the Hofburg Palace. It was so interesting. Hard to believe all the china collections and table decorations. So many rooms full of all the Habsburg glass, silver, and porcelain as well as table linens, cooking utensils and table decorations. Next was the Sisi Museum which told the life of the Empress Elisabeth (SiSi). She was assassinated in Geneva in l898. Her life was very unusual and the museum had some of her dresses on display as well as many of her beautiful portraits and some of her jewellery. It was all so interesting. Next were the Imperial Apartments, which were the private apartments of the Habsburgs. The Hofburg was the residence of the dynasty for over 600 years. There is a magnificent marble staircase which goes up to the 19 state and private rooms of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth. They have been beautifully restored. Audioguides are included with the admission and are quite good in the descriptions of all these museums.
After breaking for lunch, we continued to walk through the historical area, stopping to look at several of the famous coffee houses – Demel, Café Sacher, and Central Café. They are all quite interesting and were very crowded. We stopped for coffee and pastry at Gerstner, another famous café. Overall, we were a little disappointed in the Vienna pastries. We didn’t think they were nearly as good as the pastries we always get in Paris. The coffee shops were all so crowded that they were not comfortable or easy to get into any time day or night. They are certainly popular!
The apartment owner arranged for a car to take us to the airport at 6 AM (40 €). The driver arrived a few minutes early and helped carry the luggage down to the car. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time, checked our luggage, and went to our gate where there were security lines at each individual gate. I had never seen this before. The line didn’t open until just prior to boarding the plane. We had to stand in line until the line opened, and we passed through a normal security check with our carryon luggage, then started boarding the plane very shortly. Our plane left a few minutes late, but it wasn’t a problem as we had had plenty of time in London. We didn’t have to change terminals at LHR which was nice. However, the security lines were terrible. At the gate, we had to go through three different lines where they looked at our passports and our boarding passes. These lines were long, and we were beginning to think we would never get on the plane. Finally, we boarded our plane for DFW. It was a very long flight, but we weren’t too uncomfortable. We landed in Dallas on time, went through immigration and customs and still had a couple of hours to kill before our final flight. We arrived home on time about 9:15 pm. It was a very very long day. We were tired.
On Thursday morning after a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, we went to a few of the little shops before leaving for Vienna about 10:00 am. We drove to the airport where we turned in the rental car and got a taxi into our pension - http://www.pension-sacher.at/?url=pa...l&lang=English.
This pension has about eight apartments on the 7th floor of a large building across from St Stephen’s Cathedral. These are truly wonderful apartments in a great location. Our apartment was their “one-room” apartment – it had a large room with twin beds, table and pair of comfortable chairs, wardrobe and several other nice pieces of furniture. There was also a separate small kitchen and a large bathroom off an entry hall. There was a washing machine in the bathroom and a drying rack. The owners are the nicest and most helpful people you could ever meet – also speak good English. Our room was 92€ a night. Our friends had a much larger apartment – two rooms – a large bedroom, a large living and dining room and a large kitchen. Their room was 112€ a night. There is no breakfast provided. They stay completely booked months in advance. Some people stay for weeks or even months at a time. I would give this Pension **** for location, beautiful rooms and furnishings, and the very nice owners. It is one of the nicest places we have ever stayed in Europe. Of course, we don’t do large hotels so the comparison is to small hotels, B&B’s, and apartment rentals.
We went out into the street and walked around the area, had a gelato, bought a few groceries to take back to the apartment. Later we went back out and had pizza at Bizi’s just down the block. We walked around for awhile – went inside St. Stephen’s where there was a program in progress.
On Friday we walked around the area some more and then caught the tram and circled on the ring road. Stopped at a huge Nespresso store where we had a coffee. That night we had dinner at Figlmuller which was not far from our apartment. The schnitzel was huge – we shared it and had a delicious salad and potatoes with the schnitzel. The meal was really good.
On Saturday, we went to the Hofburg Palace. It was so interesting. Hard to believe all the china collections and table decorations. So many rooms full of all the Habsburg glass, silver, and porcelain as well as table linens, cooking utensils and table decorations. Next was the Sisi Museum which told the life of the Empress Elisabeth (SiSi). She was assassinated in Geneva in l898. Her life was very unusual and the museum had some of her dresses on display as well as many of her beautiful portraits and some of her jewellery. It was all so interesting. Next were the Imperial Apartments, which were the private apartments of the Habsburgs. The Hofburg was the residence of the dynasty for over 600 years. There is a magnificent marble staircase which goes up to the 19 state and private rooms of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth. They have been beautifully restored. Audioguides are included with the admission and are quite good in the descriptions of all these museums.
After breaking for lunch, we continued to walk through the historical area, stopping to look at several of the famous coffee houses – Demel, Café Sacher, and Central Café. They are all quite interesting and were very crowded. We stopped for coffee and pastry at Gerstner, another famous café. Overall, we were a little disappointed in the Vienna pastries. We didn’t think they were nearly as good as the pastries we always get in Paris. The coffee shops were all so crowded that they were not comfortable or easy to get into any time day or night. They are certainly popular!
The apartment owner arranged for a car to take us to the airport at 6 AM (40 €). The driver arrived a few minutes early and helped carry the luggage down to the car. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time, checked our luggage, and went to our gate where there were security lines at each individual gate. I had never seen this before. The line didn’t open until just prior to boarding the plane. We had to stand in line until the line opened, and we passed through a normal security check with our carryon luggage, then started boarding the plane very shortly. Our plane left a few minutes late, but it wasn’t a problem as we had had plenty of time in London. We didn’t have to change terminals at LHR which was nice. However, the security lines were terrible. At the gate, we had to go through three different lines where they looked at our passports and our boarding passes. These lines were long, and we were beginning to think we would never get on the plane. Finally, we boarded our plane for DFW. It was a very long flight, but we weren’t too uncomfortable. We landed in Dallas on time, went through immigration and customs and still had a couple of hours to kill before our final flight. We arrived home on time about 9:15 pm. It was a very very long day. We were tired.
Oct 29th, 2010, 10:11 AM
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SUMMARY
We had a wonderful trip and fantastic weather. We were so worried that we would have a lot of rain – but we never even used our umbrellas. It misted one day for a little while in Prague – but that was it. Some days were cloudy and overcast, but the days in the Salzkamergut were bright and sunny as were many other days as well.
We enjoyed the food very much, but did get tired of schnitzels and sausage after awhile. As I have already said, we were disappointed in the pastries. We also had a lot of good Italian pastas and pizzas. The service was pretty good overall, and we thought the prices were very reasonable.
We enjoyed most of the attractions – castles and cathedrals, boat rides, museums, etc. But most of all, we enjoyed all the beautiful architecture and lovely scenery. Our favorite place was Hallstatt, and we would love to return to the area someday as we didn’t feel like we got to see nearly enough.
We had a wonderful trip and fantastic weather. We were so worried that we would have a lot of rain – but we never even used our umbrellas. It misted one day for a little while in Prague – but that was it. Some days were cloudy and overcast, but the days in the Salzkamergut were bright and sunny as were many other days as well.
We enjoyed the food very much, but did get tired of schnitzels and sausage after awhile. As I have already said, we were disappointed in the pastries. We also had a lot of good Italian pastas and pizzas. The service was pretty good overall, and we thought the prices were very reasonable.
We enjoyed most of the attractions – castles and cathedrals, boat rides, museums, etc. But most of all, we enjoyed all the beautiful architecture and lovely scenery. Our favorite place was Hallstatt, and we would love to return to the area someday as we didn’t feel like we got to see nearly enough.
Nov 18th, 2010, 10:32 AM
#19
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 25,877
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi blh, I finally had a chance to catch up with the rest of your report. The Pension Sacher in Vienna looks like a winner! I've already bookmarked it, as we prefer to stay in apartments (w/kitchen or kitchenette) these days. Was noise an issue there? And I assume there's elevator in that bldg (since the apts are on the 7th floor)?
Thanks again for your detailed report!
Thanks again for your detailed report!
Dec 1st, 2010, 07:07 PM
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi yk. Sorry I'm just now seeing your post. Yes, there's an elevator. You do walk up a few steps to a landing to catch the elevator. Noise wasn't an issue for us as we kept the windows closed most of the time. It might be more of an issue in warm weather as there isn't any air in the apartment.
It does face a busy street that has lots of tourist traffic.
It does face a busy street that has lots of tourist traffic.
