(sorry if this is a duplicate - I got a message that my 1st didn't post). <BR>Arriving Vienna by air at 9:30am, departing by south train station for Rome via overnight train at 7pm. <BR> <BR>1) What is the best way to get from airport to the train station. Can we then check our bags there for the day? <BR> <BR>2) What are the "can't miss" things to do in the 1/2 day that we have. Remember that we will be embarking from the train station and need to be back in time to catch our train to Rome.

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It's a shame you don't have much time, but that's the way it goes sometimes. The main sights in Vienna are inside the Ringstrasse. It's a circular street that encloses Vienna city center which is home to the main sights (excpet for a couple notable exceptions). For 6 or so hours I'd consider these options: <BR> <BR>Hofburg Palace <BR>St. Stephan's Cathedral <BR>Kunsthistorisches Museum <BR>stroll down the pedestrian only Kärntnerstrasse for great atmosphere and lunch. <BR> <BR>That's likely more than you'll have time for, but that's what I'd consider. Good luck. <BR>

Doug: <BR> <BR>I guess your best bet would be to take a cab from Vienna airport to Südbahnhof. Public transportation would mean to change trains at Wiener Landstrasse (not a station easily managed with luggage). <BR> <BR>You can leave your luggage at the Südbahnhof, there are lockers and left luggage departments. <BR> <BR>The Südbahnhof is not on the subway, but you will be able to take the "D" Strassenbahn (tramway, streetcar, trolley) for 5 stops to Staatsoper or 6 stops to Burgring (the stop for the Hofburg Palace). <BR> <BR>I would suggest you ride to Burgring, visit the Hofburg, walk up Graben street to St. Stephen's cathedral, have coffee and cake at one of the Kaffeehäuser, visit the cathedral, walk down Kärntner Strasse and take the streetcar at Staatsoper back to Südbahnhof. I don't think there will be enough time to see anything else. <BR> <BR>By the way - just being nosy - what is the reason of your flying into Vienna and leaving the same evening for Rome? I seem to remember there is a perfectly adequate airport at Rome... <BR> <BR>Hope this helps <BR> <BR>Phil.

There is a bus that leaves the airport every 20 minutes or so right to the Südbahnhof, they store your luggage under the bus, and when you get to the Bahnhof, it'd be no problem to find a locker. You are leaving from the Südbahnhof, right? Anyway, the bus also goes to the Westbahnhof, and a one way ticket was only something like ATS60 last time I was there (about a year ago). I would recommend not taking a cab...really expensive! Have fun in Vienna...I think 6 hours is just enough time to get a good overview of the city.

Actually I don't want to play wise guy, but the Bus to Südbahnhof leaves once an hour only (at 10 Minutes past the hour (timetable at http://www.viennaairport.com/info/bus.asp)). <BR> <BR>So if your flight is due to arrive at 9:30 am, the first bus you can reasonnably expect to catch would be the one at 11:10 am. <BR> <BR>The fare is 70 ATS. A cab fare to city centre would come to about 300 ATS, so it's up to you to decide. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip <BR> <BR>Phil.

<BR>Doug-- <BR> <BR>Its simple--take a city tour bus. They have several and they cover a lot in very little time. <BR> <BR>I beleve they leave from in front of the opera house and maybe even from the train station--which mneans you can pick it up there at the beginning and be deposited there at the end. <BR>You can find out where and when from the tourist bureau at the station. <BR> <BR>AH <BR>

1) Thanks to all for replying to my request. <BR>2) To Phil - who asked why I'm doing such a crazy thing in the first place...a reasonable question. This the problem when you fly to Europe with miles (free) but wait too long to book the flight. Because of various commitments I had no flexibility on dates and couldn't get to Rome. I could, however, get to Milan (via Vienna with an 8 hour layover) but then I'd have the same problem of getting to Rome from Milan. This way I actually have a chance to have an embarrasingly brief visit to Vienna, then have my first experience with an overnight train. <BR> <BR>Doug <BR>

Just so you know, I just checked the bus schedule from VIE to the Südbhanhof on both the airport website, and that of the Austrian Rail System. From 5:25 am to 9:25 am there is only one bus an hour, at 25 after the hour. Starting at 9:55am, there is one every half hour. Fare is ATS 70 one way. Website is www.viennaairport.com/bus.html Just make sure you're looking at the schedule that say AB FLUGHAFEN WIEN -- WIEN SÜDBAHNHOF -- WIEN WESTBAHNHOF They run once an hour again starting after the 19:25 bus, so the next one is 20:25 (8:25pm)