Join us for our visit to Vienna, Austria. From 15-19 October, 4 nights. Please leave your comments below.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter.
Izaak Walton
Being organised for a short break is essential. We purchased the following passes etc and planned a flexible itinerary.
- Vienna Pass
- Vienna Travel Card, n.b. a weekly pass costs the same as a 72 hour pass
- St Anna’s Church classical concerts
Day 1 – 15 October 2018
We left home early to catch breakfast at the Aspire Lounge in Edinburgh Airport. The flight left on time at 3.05pm.
It was already dark when we arrived at Vienna airport. We passed through the electronic passport control with ease. As this was a short stay we only had cabin baggage so we’re able to move through customs quickly. In the arrivals hall we were met by our young chauffeur who took us to our hotel in central Vienna. The journey was around 30 minute.
We were checked in quickly by the young girl at reception. The Pentahotel is very nice modern boutique hotel.
We were quite tired so had a beer, pizza and fries to share and bought a bottle of fizz from the local shop and retired for the evening. A busy day tomorrow.
Day 2 – 16 October 2018
The Pentahotel had a good choice for breakfast, continental or cooked.
We decided to walk into the city centre to pick up our Vienna passes. The welcome centre, which is next to the State Opera opens at 9.30am. I made sure we were first in the queue. The passes which were around £100 each give you entry to around 60 top attractions and the hop on sightseeing bus.
To get our bearings we spent around three hours on the bus. There are five lines. We used the Red central line and the Yellow line which takes you out to the big palace which we will visit later in the week.
In the afternoon we visited the House of Music and the Albertina art museum.
The House of Music is a must see. They have great interactive interpretation throughout the whole experience. There is something for everyone, including young children.
If you like visual art the Albertina museum has some fine displays including works from Monet and Picasso. To be honest it’s not really our thing but it was very interesting.
You could spend half a day in both of the attractions we visited today if you had the time.
It was time for a late lunch. Just something quick at Chatanooga and a nice refreshing Austrian beer.
It was now nearly 5.00pm so we took the subway back to the hotel where we had a nap for a couple of hours.
In the evening we just a short walk and a couple of drinks in a local wine bar.
Day 3 – 17 October 2018
Another clear sunny morning in Vienna. Just a light breakfast this morning. It should have been a short five minute walk to the subway but I went the wrong way. We found it eventually taking the U4 four five stops then the U1 for another. It was then only a five minute walk to the Johann Strauss apartment. Or was it! Google directed us to a narrow street and a address which was a fairly modern and apartment block. On further investigation we found the place a short distance away at the Wien museum. We were the first visitors of the day and had the whole place to ourselves. The interpretation tells the full story of the composer’s life and works. The gentleman at the reception was a little strange to say the least. He talked to himself the whole time we were there.
After a hot chocolate at a cafe we headed on the subway to the Danube Tower, which is situated in a large park across the river. Unfortunately we could not visit the observation deck as it was closed for filming.
We headed back across the river to Upper and Lower Belvedere. The two palaces are at either end of beautifully landscaped gardens. There are some fantastic works on display but we especially liked the temporary exhibition of Donna Huanca.
It was time for a light refreshments before our final visit if the day to the Museum of Natural History. What an amazing place but just too much to see in the short time we had.
The transport system is superb in Vienna. We used the subway, tram and bus, which all run regularly across the city.
We returned to the Pentahotel for the evening. We were too tired to go out for dinner so snacked in the room.
Day 4 – 18 October 2018
A full cooked breakfast to set us up for the busy day ahead. Once we were fuelled up it was a short walk to the subway for the U4 train to Schönbrunn Palace. We arrived about 9.30am to avoid any queues. The Vienna Pass gives you entry to the palace grand tour. It lasts about an hour depending on how quickly you move through the rooms. We have visited a few palaces over the years but Schönbrunn Palace is by far the grandest so far. The tout is very informative giving you an insight into the Habsburg dynasty which ruled over Austria until 1918. The vast grounds and gardens are well manicured.
We also visited the Imperial Carriage Museum which houses many of the coaches used by the Habsburgs through their reign.
Within the palace grounds is the Vienna Zoo. We spent some time there. It is laid out exceptionally well. We even managed to get a glimpse of the two giant pandas. We had lunch at the zoo, my first try of Schnitzel. Very nice.
In the afternoon we wandered around the vast grounds before heading back to the city centre on the subway.
Our final visit of the day was to the Wien Museum where we again were provided with a detailed view of Austrian history. It was then back to the hotel for a nap.
In the evening we attended a Mozart concert in St Anna’s church. Prefer a bit drum and bass myself but it was pleasant. We finished off the evening with a glass of wine and a pizza at a local restaurant near the hotel.
Day 5 – 19 October 2018
We had planned to visit the Spanish Riding school this morning but realised that our Vienna Passes expired yesterday. After breakfast we finished our packing, checked out, leaving our baggage in the hotel to collect later in the day.
As a Rangers FC supporter it was unfortunate that the timing of our Europa League away tie with Rapid Vienna did not coincide with our visit to the city. We did however decide to take the U4 subway out to the Allianz Stadium where they play.
We then took the subway back into the city centre and spent the rest of the day just walking around admiring the architecture. We stopped a couple of times for drinks and something to eat. We cannot praise enough how efficient the public transport system is throughout the city. It is so easy to get about, particularly if you are short of time. Although we were lucky with the weather during our visit and did walk about a fair bit.
We returned to the Pentahotel around 3.00pm to relax prior to our pick up for the airport around 4.00pm. Although the traffic was very busy the journey to the airport took about thirty minutes. The process at the airport is a little strange to say the least. We had checked in online and it took us a while to find out which direction to go in. You actually go through passport control prior to going through to the departure lounge, but no security check at this point. We went to the airport lounge for something to eat and drink. Our gate was advised at 5.20pm. when we got to the gate we had to stand in a queue for thirty minutes before they opened up the security check, This was really annoying. Once through the gate security we had a short wait in a seated area before boarding the flight. We took off on time and arrived back in Edinburgh around 8.35pm.
Summary
A beautiful city to visit. Four days is too short to take in everything and spend quality time at each attraction. The whole city is very clean including the very efficient transport systems. Prices are typical for a major Western European city. Not as expensive as Paris, comparable to London or Edinburgh. We will revisit the city at some point in the future. We would recommend visiting in autumn or spring. The temperature was between 19-22C during the day and about 10C at night. We stayed at the Pentahotel for four nights B&B flying from Edinburgh on the Monday at 3.00pm BST arriving around 7.00pm CET, returning from Vienna at 7.00pm CET arriving in Edinburgh 8.35pm BST. The cost of the trip booked through Jet2Holidays was £634 for two adults.
WyllieHQ 