What do you need to know before you visit Vienna for the first time?
Vienna is a city that’s easy to fall in love with.
It’s the perfect place to find elegant architecture, b eautiful urban nature, classical music, and magnificent art museums.
The capital of Austria is a great destination a short city break, but you can also spend a couple of weeks in Vienna and never get bored.
I’ve been to Vienna twice and think it’s a tourist-friendly destination overall, but there are some things that may be confusing for first time visitors.
In this guide, I’ll share my Vienna travel tips that will help you make the most of your time in this beautiful city.
Table of contents
How to get to Vienna
Flying to Vienna
Vienna International Airport (Flughafen Wien-Schwechat) (VIE) is just outside the city.
You can reach it from most European countries with both major and low-cost airlines and from big cities in North America.
How to get from the airport to Central Vienna
To get to the city from the airport, you can choose from these options:
- Use the fast City Airport Train (CAT). The ride takes 16 minutes. It takes you to Wien Mitte-Landstraße train station and from there you can take a metro or a tram to your accommodation.
- Take a taxi or an Uber. The ride takes about 20-30 minutes.
- Book a private transfer in advance for peace of mind.
- Use the S7 train to Wien Mitte or Wien Praterstern stations in 25-30 minutes.
- The Vienna Airport Lines bus reaches different parts of the city.
Getting to Vienna by train or bus from other European cities
It’s easy to reach Vienna by train from nearby countries, including Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland.
Schedules and availability change from time to time.
Search for trains and buses to Vienna.
There are four big train stations in Vienna:
- Wien Hauptbahnhof – Vienna’s central station
- Wien-Meidling Station
- Westbahnhof Station
- Wien-Mitte Station
International bus services to Vienna arrive on a regular basis from many countries in the Balkans, the Baltic countries, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and other places in Europe.
Where to stay in Vienna
Vienna city centre hotel
Hotel Stefanie is the oldest hotel in Vienna, located in a very central location, next to Saint Stephen’s Cathedral. The rooms are charming and comfortable.
If you stay in the city centre, you’ll be able to reach most attractions on foot, they’re within walking distance from each other.
Aparthotel / serviced apartmenets in Vienna
Zuko is a super stylish apartment hotel in the Leopoldstadt neighbourhood (2nd district), close to Prater, with green spaces, and nice local cafes.
You can stay in your own furnished apartment with a small kitchen and access to a gym, rental bikes, and a washing machine. The extra amenities make it conveninet for longer stays.
Zuko has a coworking space, so it’s ideal for digital nomads, remote workers, or business travellers in Vienna.
It’s easy to get around Vienna, so you can also stay outside the centre in a less touristy area and use public transport to get anywhere easily.
Budget-friendly options
MEININGER Hotel Wien Downtown Franz is a budget-friendly hotel with good reviews, not too far from the city centre.
If you find accommodation costs are still too high, try TrustedHousesitters. You can stay in people’s home for free when they’re away, in exchange for looking after their house or pets.
How to get to know the city
After arriving in the city and cheching into your accommodation, it’s time to get to know the place.
Take a free walking tour in Vienna
When you visit Vienna for the first time, it’s a good idea to start your visit with a free walking tour.
It will give you a good overview of the city’s history, landmarks, and interesting spots.
The free walking tour in Vienna is the one I started my trip with. It included all the highlights, funny historical anecdotes, great architecture, stories about famous composers, and much more.
I always recommend you start a visit to a new city with one of these general walking tours for a good introduction that will put things in context for you.
On a free tour, you tip the guide as much as you like at the end. Find out more in my full guide to free walking tours in Europe.
Take a private tour in Vienna
Instead of a group tour, you can take a private tour with a dedicated guide.
The main advantage of a private tour is that you can have the guide tailor the tour to your own preferences.
You can can select the start time, dive deeper into any specific interests you have, ask more questions, and have more time to take pictures.
The Private Walking Tour for First Timers is designed for tourits who are new to the city and covers everything you need to know about Vienna.
How to plan your Vienna itinerary
On your first time in Vienna, you might feel a bit overwhelmed…
Vienna isn’t a budget destination. Entry fees to most of its main attractions are quite high, even for a Western European capital.
The easiest way to plan your itinerary and save money on attractions in Vienna is by using on of the city passes.
Vienna sightseeing passes and discount cards
There are several different city pass options in Vienna. The main ones are:
They’re priced differently and each gives you different benefits: discounts or free entry to museums and attractions, free rides on public transport and so on.
To choose the right pass, first work out which attractions and museums you actually want to visit, check how much they cost and which part of the city they’re in. and then see if the pass or the card is worth it for you.
Vienna city passes – your main options
The Vienna Pass
This is the best option if you want to see many attractions in a short visit and don’t want to wait in line.
- The Vienna Pass grants you free entry to over 70 attractions and museums.
- It is available for 1, 2, 3 or 6 days.
- You can add a travel card to it for all public transport in Vienna at an extra charge.
- It includes fast-track entry (skip-the-line) to some of the attractions.
The Vienna City Card
- The Vienna City Card offers discounts on many attractions and museums in Vienna.
- It is available for 1, 2 or 3 days.
- The card includes free travel on public transport in Vienna for 24, 48 or 72 hours.
The Vienna Flexipass
This pass is valid for a longer period of time, but is limited to fewer attractions.
- It grants you free entry to 2, 3, 4 or 5 Vienna attractions of your choice.
- It is valid for 60 days.
The main attractions to see in Vienna
Vienna has a lot of things to do and places to see, espcially if you love cultural experiences, museums and palaces.
I listed the most popular attractions in Vienna below.
It’s generally a good idea to book tickets in advance, especially if you travel in peak season.
- Schönbrunn Palace: a gorgeous palace with wonderful gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of Vienna’s top places to visit. You can see this historic palace on a guided tour.
- Belvedere Museum: An incredible art museum with artworks from the Middle Ages to modern times, famously featuring “The Kiss” by Klimt.
- Vienna State Opera: The famous opera house in the city centre is well worth a visit. It runs behind-the-scenes tours that you can join and you can also see an opera or listen to a concert at this amazing hall.
- Prater: An amusement park with Vienna’s iconic Giant Ferris Wheel. Skip-the-line tickets are available.
- Albertina Museum: An art collection housed in a former palace, featuring famous masterpieces. Book your entrance ticket here:
- Hofburg Palace & Sisi Museum: Visit the gorgeous imperial rooms of the Habsburg dynasty and the life of Empress Elisabeth.
- The Danube Tower: For a panoramic view of the city and the Danube River, visit the tower on a clear day.
Unique experiences in Vienna
If you’d like to try unique things to do in Vienna to make the most out of your first time there, here are some ideas for activities in Vienna that will make your trip more memorable:
- Vienna’s concert cafes: Try an authentic Viennese experience at one of the city’s live music cafes, including Café Bräunerhof, Café Schwarzenberg and Café Weimar.
- A virtual reality tour: The Time Traveller Walking Tour is a special virtual reality city tour that lets you go back in time with a multilingual audio guide.
- Attend an opera performance: The iconic opera house in Vienna is an amazing experience to have when you’re in the city. It’s also become atourist attractions thanks to the affordable standing tickets it offers to the general public at a great discount. I did it myself on my last trip to Vienna and it was a fun and memorable evening.
- Vienna Christmas markets: If you’re visiting Vienna in November or December, you’ll get a chance to visit the fairytale Christman markets. You can book a guided tour of the markets that includes drinks and traditional snacks.
- Danube cruise: This is a fun, relaxing experience to try in Vienna. There’s a nice selection of cruises on offer. Some cruises include dinner or lunch and some have traditional entertainment.
How to get around Vienna by public transport
Public transport in Vienna is excellent and it’s fairly easy to get around the city.
The system includes the U-Bahn (metro), trams, buses and trains.
You can add a public transport pass to your Vienna Pass or Vienna City Card.
You can also buy your travel card from ticket machines or counters, but I personally preferred to use the mobile app.
The WienMobil app is very convenient and lets you purchase different types of tickets online on your phone.
Getting around on foot is very easy in the city centre, but you can always buy a single trip ticket or a day ticket on the app.
Also, you can easily get an Uber in Vienna.
When to visit Vienna
It’s best to visit Vienna in spring (April- May) or autumn (September – October).
The weather is nice and the city is not overly crowded.
The winter is cold, rainy and snowy, though you may still want to visit Vienna in winter for the Christmas markets.
Summer is high season. The weather is nice, but in a popular city like Vienna, the high season means too many crowded places and high prices.
When you plan the timing of your first trip to Vienna, take into account that:
- Many museums and attractions in Vienna are closed on Mondays and some on Tuesdays.
- Some museums are free on the first Sunday of the month.
- Many shops are closed on Sunday. When I wanted to buy some juice on Sunday afternoon, it was difficult to even find a supermarket that was open…
- Check the dates of public holidays in Austria. I forgot to check, got there on the Austrian National Day and found that many shops were closed.
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6 Comments
Schonbrunn Palace is an interesting palace with lots of Austrian history and stunning grounds. In December they have a Christmas market in the front garden. The tour of the palace is incredibly popular so we recommend that you book online in advance to get the time slot you want.
The Sisi Museum at Hofburg Palace is also an absolute must do. For a couple of extra euros you can get the guided tour – it’s well worth doing!!
Thanks for the tips!
I absolutely loved Vienna! The museums and galleries were top-notch and there seemed to be something going on every single day. 🙂
I recently had the opportunity to visit Vienna and it was an absolute dream come true. The city is absolutely stunning, with beautiful architecture and a rich cultural history.
Thanks, Vienna is on my go to list.
I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!