kathy

After planning our Vienna itinerary for December we have a day "left over". Can anyone suggest a day trip? Thanks.

wes fowler

Kathy, <BR>Consider a day trip to Budapest! It's about three hours by train from Vienna's Westbahnhof. Leave about 9AM (you'll be on a leg of the Orient Express - nothing fancy, no exhorbitant cost). Arriving about noon allows time for lunch and a two hour or so tour of the city by bus that's fairly comprehensive, including both Pest and Buda. Another hour or two to simply roam about the city, then return to Vienna. Made the trip last October and felt it well worth while.

Richard

Another suggestion, a trip down the Donau (Danube) to Melk, a tour of the Abbey, and stops at Durnstein and Krems on the way back. This can be done by rail or ferry, but I don't think the ferries run in December. We also made the rail trip to Budapest, lovely city with graceful old buildings (sadly, many in need of repair) juxtaposed with typical Communist era ugly boxes.

Christina

There are several possibilities within Austria as well as Budapest as someone mentioned. If you are not seeing any other part of Austria, then I might suggest Salzburg--you can get there by train in about two hours. It's a beautiful town and worth a couple days, but definitely worth a day trip if that's all you have. That would be my first choice. There are bus tour companies that have many good day trip itineraries, that's how I picked mine to Budapest; there are these tour company/travel agency offices right on the main pedestrian street area (Karntnerstrasse? I think so), so you can't miss them. They do a very good job, at least the one I picked. I was going to Salburg later on my own so wanted something very different and chose Budapest. I would recommend a tour company to do this conveniently and in the best time possible and for good commentary rather than doing it on your own. It wasn't that expensive, the bus trip each way was about 3 hrs as I recall, but pleasant and comfortable and we had a very good guide. We didn't get back until about 7-8 pm, and they pick you up and drop off at your hotel so it's very nice. Perhaps I missed something, but when I was there, it was not very feasible to do this on your own by train as the train system was much worse than the bus and took about 5 hrs each way. I myself would not usually recommend a do-it-yourself day trip in an unfamiliar area that took 3 hrs+ each way travel. There are some trains that only take 3 hrs between Vienna and Budapest but others take 4-5 hrs, and Budapest isn't that small so you would have to figure out how to get around Budapest to see the main things you wanted to see. There isn't any advantage to that that I can see as those bus tour companies have a good schedule, good guides, and handle everything so I would recommend that if you plan to go to Budapest; also, if you do it on your own, be sure you have appropriate passport requirements regarding validity dates into the future, they may not be what you expect for just Austria. It wasn't that expensive, either, maybe US$100 for the entire day including pickup and drop off at hotel, lunch and expert commentary in fluent English and German. Those tour companies had some other interesting day trips, too, like tours of the Vienna woods and countryside, etc; I think those nice busses actually are pleasant for those kind of countryside viewing tours.

xxx

O.K. Christina, we have all gathered by now that you work for a tour company. Enough with the sales pitch. <BR> <BR>Kathy, it's a piece of cake to use the train systems and go wherever you like. Visit the DB (Deutsch Bahn) train site, punch in your estimated itinerary and destinations and you'll have your train schedule. Buy a guide book and read up on your chosen destination, just like you did for Vienna. No need to fell intimidated or pressured into taking a guided tour unless that's what you choose, because it's easy to get around in Austria and yes, even Budapest.

kathy

Is a day trip to Mauthausen (WWII concentration camp) do-able? Has anyone been there?

Richard

Kathy, Yes, Mauthausen is doable from Vienna (Wien). Trains stop at St. Valentin, then hourly trains to the village of Mauthausen, from there a taxi or walk to the konzentration camp. We were there on a lovely sunny day and came away shaken and depressed. I don't think I'd visit on a cold, gray December day, it's a very emotionally moving site, gas chambers and oven still intact. We won't go there again.