Hi Stu,

when i was lookng at Vienna, [please remeber that this is a trip I have yet to do and in any event could not hope to rival the degree of detail that you get into your intineraries] - I seem to remember being spoilt for choice for possible day trips from Vienna -
boat or train up the Danube to Melk, and Krems,
down the Danube to Bratislava on the hydrofoil,
heading out south-west into the austrian countryside [mountains I think]
over the border into Hungary to look at Sopron and lake ferto.

I do think that a car would be need for most of these, but not all.

in Vienna itself, the Schoenbrun palace would take most of a day, I think.

to get to Budapest, there are boats in the summer that go all the way there.

as for Linz - t'creath you're probably right. I think i meant Hallstadt.

regards, ann

Thanks again Ann.

I pulled out my Austria Green Guide, and it looks like exploring the Danube would be as good idea. Lots of interesting towns & a dozen or so castles.

Stu Dudley

Hi Stu,

if you didn't much like vienna, then you could think about staying in one of the little towns along the danube. also staying in such a place, you might find the locals more "gemuetlich".

regards, ann

Thanks, ann

Anyone have a suggestion for a place or village to stay in for a few days along the Danube???

Stu Dudley

Stu, we visited the Wachau Valley a few years ago and had a wonderful time. It's very beautiful and the towns are lovely. We particularly liked Melk and Durnstein. The Abbey in Melk is not to be missed, as it's truly a masterpiece.

One of my favorite vacation experiences was renting a bike and biking along the Danube in this area. We picked up our bikes in Krems and biked from town to town. We finally stopped in Spitz and took the boat back to Krems to pick up our car.

Tracy

Thanks tcreath - I was just reading about Melk & Spitz.

Did you like Krems?

Which of those towns do you think would be a good place to stay for 3-4 days?

Stu Dudley

A lot of people seem to like Krems, but for some reason we didn't like what we saw and never made an effort to go further into town than the parking lot across from the ferries. It seems larger and not as quaint. I guess we should have made more of an effort, but we lacked the desire to do so.

I really liked Melk and Durnstein the best, if I had to choose. Melk is a little larger, with a nice square and several cafes and restaurants. Durnstein is a little smaller but right on the river and equally nice. All of the towns are fairly close together so I don't think you could go wrong with any of them.

Best wishes,
Tracy