rellie2

Hi All

Hubby and I have a whole 2.5 days (this is actual on the ground, sightseeing time) in Vienna next year (not nearly enough time, but it is what it is). I had no real expectations of Vienna and we decided to visit it between Prague and Salzburg. The more I research it the more I have realised we will not be able to do all the things I'd probably like to do. Below are the things I'd like to see but I'm not sure it's doable in the time we have.

- Walk the Old Town
- Spanish Riding School
- Schonbrunn Palace
- Melk Abbey
- Wachau Valley Bike & Winery Tour

Does anyone have any feedback on the above, is it possible to do all of this in the time or am I nuts! I'm not sure if we should just give the Palace as miss as that would be fairly time consuming. We both love our wine and I've read the Wachau Valley is beautiful in Autumn (when we'll be there), but the trip to Melk would also looks good. We don't mind it being pretty full on for our time in Vienna as we will have some downtime in Prague (before) and Salzburg (after).

Also should we be staying in the Innere Stradt? I had found a hotel I liked in Wieden (Urbanauts) but given our short trip maybe I should listen to my husband and "be practical" and stay in the centre instead.

Any suggestions, hints or tips would be welcome!

Thanks
Rellie

nytraveler

Well it's going to be tough doing two trips outside of central vienna (not counting schoenbrunn which is about 30 minutes from the center) and still do it in the time you have.

Have you checked the time of the spanish riding school performances? I would organize that then you can see what else can fit. I think you will have to drop one of the trips outside the city.

kja

I agree with nytraveler -- I have difficulty imagining taking both day trips with such a short stay. Good luck!

annw

We spent 3 days our first time there and never left town. Were able to see the stables for the horses but not a show. We did see the palace from the outside when we left town!

I would recommend the street car trip that follows the ring road around the city to orient yourselves.

For us Vienna was about the opera house, the coffee houses, the music and the like, as well as a stop at Freud museum. But for you, it sounds like one day trip (wine?) is worth the time.

joannyc

Melk Abbey is gorgeous! Highly recommend a trip there.

fourfortravel

You really need to prioritize your itinerary and set it on a calendar. A performance at the SRS will eat the 10-12 or 11-13 time slots, depending on a weekday or weekend visit. Schönbrunn can also take a half-day. The better part of a full day will be needed for Melk; and a full day will be needed for the Wachau Tour. (The downside of a dedicated day for the Wachau without a Plan B could be the weather. The weather was gray and 15° here on Saturday, and sunny and 25° on Sunday, for example.)

Understandably a highlight of the Inner Stadt is Stephansdom, but in general, walking the Inner Stadt just means slogging along Kärtner Straße and Graben with the other tourists, staring at chain stores, a few expensive boutiques, and souvenir shops. Keep in mind that if you plan to walk around the Inner Stadt on a Sunday (or holiday), all but the souvenir shops and restaurants will be closed.

If you're set on Melk and the Wachau Tour, you may want to stay nearer to Westbahnhof, as that is the station from where the trains will depart. In addition, it's a little easier to make the U-Bahn connection from there to Schönbrunn than it is from the Inner Stadt.

annhig

you could see Melk on the way to Salzburg - and if you hired a car you could probably combine this with the Wachau valley. [fouffortravel will know more about this].

joannyc

<< you could see Melk on the way to Salzburg >>

Very good point, Annhig.

rellie2

Thanks for all you replies. You all confirmed my thoughts and I'll be doing some more research to narrow down my list.

I did find a tour that looks to include the Wachau vineyards and Melk Abbey in one day so I will investigate that.

Otherwise annhig your suggestion was great as I hadn't thought about that. We won't be in a rush to get to Salzburg so a stopover on the way is an idea.