We’ve collected the dos and don’ts to help you get around the city and avoid wasting our time on unworthy things.
Why Visit Vienna
Vienna, the capital of Austria, is actually almost perfect. It has been voted the world’s most comfortable city on the Economist’s annual Global Livability Index for more than 10 years! And, there is actually nothing surprising about this.
Vienna has a perfect public transportation system, a great number of quality restaurants, stunning architecture, art galleries and dozens of museums. There is always something to do here.
After visiting Vienna once, you will definitely want to visit again. However, due to the number of tourists attractions and things to do, it can be overwhealming when planning a trip for the first time.
We’ve decided to help make your first trip to Vienna extra special and have written this guide with information about must-see attractions, top places to go and things to avoid. These travel tips will hopefuly help you to find your bearings in Vienna and enjoy an amazing city break.
Getting to Vienna
Vienna is located centrally in Europe and this is one of the most connected and easiest cities to get to. There are cheap flights with low cost European airlines all year round, whilst you can travel from London and other major cities to Vienna on the Eurostar, Deutsche Bahn, SNCF and ÖBB trains. Book in-advance for the best prices.
Where to Stay
There are accommodation options for all budgets, from luxury hotels to Airbnb to budget backpacker hostels. Hotels are reasonably priced especially compared to cities like London, Paris and Madrid. Check comparison sites to get the best deals.
Getting Around
If you stay centrally you can reach a lot of the main tourism attractions on foot. Sightseeing tours are available to book if you would like to learn more about the places you visit, usually these are led by local guides and are affordable. Some companies offer free walking tours too.
If you want to discover Vienna by yourself and don’t want to get lost you might want to consider staying connected whilst in the city.
Sometimes using a foreign phone/sim on roaming can run up huge bills but you might want to consider getting a personal virtual number by eSimPlus. This will allow you to use the internet on the go, get advice, view maps and also keep in touch with your friends and family.
Must Dos in Vienna
These are some essential things to add to your Vienna itinerary.
Explore the city center
Why not take a stroll around the city center? We know this piece of advice is pretty obvious, however, this is still a must.
It isn’t worth it to spend more than a day there. If you have some spare time, then it's better to explore the city from a different, non-tourist perspective. Fortunately, the Inner City (Innere Stadt) is quite compact.
You can join a free sightseeing tour in Vienna on foot or explore independently. The main sights include the Opera house, the Parliament, the Rathaus, the Natural History Museum and so on. All this information is available in any travel guide. But few people know about the other highlights of the city.
Even for visiting places outside of the city center the distances are short and comfortable public transport system in excellent.
Vienna is also considered to be expensive for tourists (if you keep buying stuff) and eating out at fancy restaurants, but is generally considered much less expensive than European counterparts such as London, Paris or Rome.
Taste local coffee
Vienna is famous for being one of the coffee capitals of Europe. Don’t hesitate to visit some of the local authentic coffee shops. And try not to stick to the city center. There is a great number of nice coffee shops with no tourists in different districts.
Never visit Starbucks. Even if your inner hipster tells you to. You will find nothing special there.
The unique types of coffee you should try in Vienna are Kaffee verkehrt (latte), Kleiner Brauner (espresso with a little cream) and Melange (espresso with whipped milk, decorated with milk foam).
Visit Prater
Prater (Praterstern metro station, metro lines U2 and U1) is one of the first amusement parks in Europe. And it is still functioning. It is worth visiting, even if you’re not planning to use the rides and get some adrenaline.
Here, you can also find one of the most famous and important attractions of the city, which is the Ferris wheel. If you have not made a circle on the Vienna Ferris wheel, then you have not been to Vienna at all. That’s the unspoken rule for all visitors.
There are some rumors that the park is about to be closed, so you’d better make sure to get there soon.
Party on the Schwedenplatz
When night is coming, it's time to go to the Bermuda Triangle. That's what the locals call the Schwedenplatz area, which is full of bars and clubs where you can have a great night out. Most young people go there every Saturday. Exploring the nightlife is a great way to find out more about the lifestyle of the locals and to destroy the stereotype of the boring aristocratic city.
It is useful to know that the metro in Vienna operates around the clock during the night from Friday to Saturday, as well as on Saturdays, Sundays and before public holidays. So, you can safely have fun without worrying about keeping track of time.
Interact with locals
This recommendation is relevant for almost every city. Only the locals know the best places, restaurants and sights. You can never go wrong with their guidance.
People in Vienna are extremely intelligent, tactful, well-spoken and polite. They are interested in various subjects and have a lot of opinions. Local people you encounter are likely to be friendly and polite, and although most people speak at least basic English you might want to learn some basic Gerrman travel phrases to impress people.
Don’ts in Vienna
Buy bottled water
In Vienna, you can drink water right from the tap. The local mineral water comes from alpine springs and the mountains. In addition, it is served free of charge in most cafés and restaurants (ask for Leitungswasser). In the city you will also find a lot of fountains where you can get some right there or fill up a bottle to take with you.
Sunday shopping
On Sunday, the people of Vienna devote their time to relatives and friends who live far away. On Saturday morning you may come across long lines in all the supermarkets. The only places that are open all week are souvenir shops, but they have limited hours. Shops at gas stations are open 24/7, but the prices are usually much higher there.
Buy Mozart candies
Well, they smell good and are a popular souvenir. The original candies in a silver wrapper are sold in the Furst confectionery (Salzburg), everything else is no more than mass production. They can be bought all over the world, so there is no point in buying them as a souvenir.
Throw away metro tickets
Do not forget to validate your transport ticket at the entrance and do not throw it away until the end of the trip. There are no gates, but inspectors do check tickets at stations and if you don't have a valid ticket you are likely to be fined.
Plan a City Break to Vienna
As far as you might have noticed, the list of dos is much longer than the list of don’ts. But even the don’ts will help you to save some time and money. Book a trip to Vienna and appreciate its beauty for yourself!
