Vienna trip in March
 

I'm traveling to Vienna in late March for 1 week. I'm unfamiliar with the city, and wondered if anyone had specific recommendations for well situated hotels, or desirable areas to stay in. Is this an easy city to navigate, and are there neighborhoods to avoid?

Suggest you stay in the 1st District (inside the Ringstrasse and near St. Stephens) or somewhere adjacent to the Ring. We always stay at the HOtel Admiral which is a few minutes walk to the Ringstrasse, but there are many others recommended here that you can find by doing a search on Vienna Hotels.

Almost everything you will want to see is located either along the Ringstrasse or near St. Stephens except for Schoenbrun Palace.

Vienna is very safe for a larger city. I don't know of any areas in particular to avoid. Just use the same caution that you would in any large city.

These websites should prove useful to you:

http://www.admiral.co.at/index1.htm
http://info.wien.at/welcome.html?404.../e/article.asp
http://www.wien.gv.at/english/

Also, do a search on google.com for Vienna and you will get many good hits to aid your research.

thanks betty - the information is very helpful!

Be careful of scam artists that hang out in the western main train station. They can spot a tourist a mile away.

I've visited Vienna too many times to count over the last 12 years, sometimes staying 2 weeks at a time. There is one particular area to avoid at night, that is the area around Karlsplatz and Karlskirche, particularly the underground passage that leads to the Ringstrasse and U-Bahn station...lots of druggies and Euro weirdos. I guess the police let them congregate there because the rest of the city seems extremely safe. At least you know where they are. Generally, the large train stations (Westbahnhof and Southbahnhof) seem okay. I hardly ever see policemen, but they're watching. Once, several drunks started fighting at an underground shopping area adjacent to a U-bahn, before I could count ten, there were 7 or 8 policemen right on them coming from out of nowhere.
For hotels, I like to stay at Pension Wild on Langegasse a few blocks behind the Rathaus. It's away from the touristy area, but still an easy walk to the Ring where you can catch the trams. Vienna is a great walking city, there are pedestrian- only areas in the old city center.
In March, the weather can change considerably one day to the next....from freezing cold and light snow to mild. Layer up with non-bulky items such as shirt, fleece sweater and rain jacket...don't forget hat and gloves. Since you're spending a week, you could probably make an easy day trip the Danube valley to Krems, Melk and Durnstein. There are half-day tours available. A daytrip to Salzburg is also an easy possibility...a 3 hour trip by train each way.

I've been to Vienna twice in winter. Prepare for cold!

My recommendation is the Vienna Marriott -- a lovely hotel, located on the Ringstrasse, that is walking distance to St. Stephens and other sights. Very safe with lots of good restaurants in walking distance. U-Bahn station is close by and the trams that circle the Ringstrasse stop in front of the hotel. We used the trams at all hours with no problems at all. Lobby bar is great for people watching!

Vienna is a great city. I agree with the recommendations for day trip to Salzburg. Vienna Sightseeing Tours now offers hop-on/hop-off service between Vienna sights which would be a good introduction. They also offer half and full day trips to the Austrian countryside, Budapest, Prague, etc.

We stayed at the Radisson SAS which is next door to the Marriott. It is a good location...an easy walk to everything and near the trolley. The public area is very attractive. Often you can get specials at either the Marriott or Radisson SAS which are pretty decent...go to the hotel web sites.

HI
I'm going myself for the first time in early March.
I have a file on Vienna; if you'd like to see it,email me at
[email protected]

also, click at the top of this screen on Destinations--Fodors offers lots of info.