Anyone been to Vienna?

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onekeano

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Checked previous threads but can't find any reference to Vienna - just wondering if anyone has been there and has any recommendations for things to do and especially hotels?

Think of going during mid term at end of October.

Thanks
Roy
 
I was there ~5 years ago...beautiful city. I can't remember what hotel I stayed but it was really old and really nice. Regarding things to do...the night life didn't seem great to me, pubs were very subdued...the Austrians aren't exactly noted for the craic! I'd suggest go to a few museums, opera, all that high brow cultural stuff.
 
I was there 2 years ago and liked it a lot. As Squonk says it will be hard to find much life after 11pm. The Casino can be a good laugh as long as you don't bring too much money (you need to bring your passport the first time you go). If you're willing to pay €10 for a drink check out the Skybar - it has good views and and a great crooner at a piano.
Full of culture and great for strolling around. The open-top bus tour is very good for getting your bearings. Go and see the horses training at the Spanish Riding school. The real show can be very pricey and needs to be booked a long time in advance.
A good way of checking out the Opera is to queue up with the locals an hour before the event and get a standing ticket for €3-€4. You can sneak off long before the fat lady appears.
The fun-fair is good if you are bringing children.
I stayed in a lovely 2 bed apartment which I think was about €90 a night.
Do & Co at St. Stephens square is a great restaurant but a bit pricey.
If you are staying for a few days a day trip to Bratislava would be great.
 
Jeez, what kind of guide-books did you folk use??? There's lots to do in Vienna at night, you just need to know where to go....
Onekeano, let me know what you're into and I can certainly recommend a view things. And in terms of hotels, I think your cheapest option would be to go through priceline. Again, I can advice on areas etc...

Oh yeah, by the way, I am from Vienna...
 
llived in Austria for a year and visited Vienna several times. Unfortunately I can 't recommend hotels etc as I stayed with friends but I do remember several basement bars that were hopping until 2 or 3am. Where I lived in Graz we went from bar to bar until the breakfast place opened at 7am. The Austrians can be great craic, oh the memories............
 
Vienna is a really nice city but it is quiet at night as the decent bars can be tricky to find. i was in a couple of good places but can't remember them, one was a great little wine bar. i liked the austrians and if you understand german I recall the vienna folk having a strange accent!

as for hotels theres loads of nice ones in the city centre, so don't make the mistake we did and stayed in this horrible shabby tower of a place full of german tourists a few miles out of town.
 
Nice one Brendan :)

thanks Petal - looking for advice on shopping areas / nice restaurants / day excursions (for example the day trip to Bratislava) and a nice hotel (with a bit of character).

Many thanks
Roy
 
Roy,

What type of food do you like?Are you more interested in trendy bars or the more traditional type restaurant (what about good hearty austrian food - lots of meat), and what type of shopping? High street or really expensive? And day trips, wouldn't bother with bratislava to be honest... Salzburg is only three hours on the train, but again it depends what you're into. Salzburg is very touristy with all the Mozart stuff, but it has lots of history and is very idyllic, people usually love it. Also how long are you planning on staying and do you have to go in October? Vienna is at its best either in summer or in winter, inbetween is still ok but you'd miss out on a lot of the good stuff (like outdoor opera cinema, or x-mas markets etc...). Also you don't sound like you're really into the nightlife, but if you are let me know and I can recommend some places. And hotels, I'm not the expert, obviously never had to stay in one, but give me an idea of your price-range and I can check out a few and give you an idea where they are and if they're handy for sightseeing/shopping, etc. Are you going with a mate or a partner? Honestly there is so much to do, if you give me a better idea I can probably advise you better....
 
Petal said:
Roy,

What type of food do you like?Are you more interested in trendy bars or the more traditional type restaurant (what about good hearty austrian food - lots of meat), and what type of shopping? High street or really expensive? And day trips, wouldn't bother with bratislava to be honest... Salzburg is only three hours on the train, but again it depends what you're into. Salzburg is very touristy with all the Mozart stuff, but it has lots of history and is very idyllic, people usually love it. Also how long are you planning on staying and do you have to go in October? Vienna is at its best either in summer or in winter, inbetween is still ok but you'd miss out on a lot of the good stuff (like outdoor opera cinema, or x-mas markets etc...). Also you don't sound like you're really into the nightlife, but if you are let me know and I can recommend some places. And hotels, I'm not the expert, obviously never had to stay in one, but give me an idea of your price-range and I can check out a few and give you an idea where they are and if they're handy for sightseeing/shopping, etc. Are you going with a mate or a partner? Honestly there is so much to do, if you give me a better idea I can probably advise you better....
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Thanks Petal,

- Restos = prefer the more traditional - Austrian sounds good.
- Shopping - please don't use words like "really expensive" in case Mrs Roy starts getting ideas?
- Salzburg sounds very nice, anywhere else < 3 hrs by train?
- Dates for travel kind of restricted by kids school travel dates so end Oct / early Nov
- As for nightlife - like nice bars but not crzy clubbing
- Hotels price rangfe €150-175 per night ballpark
- Bringing wife so need to get this right - 3-4 nights

Many thanks
Roy
 
Roy,

I'll get some stuff together over the weekend and give you some ideas then, if that's ok?
 
Petal said:
And day trips, wouldn't bother with bratislava to be honest... Salzburg is only three hours on the train, but again it depends what you're into.
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I believe Salzburg is too nice a town to limit yourself to a lightning one day visit. I spent 4 days there and used it as a base to drive around the alps. 6 hours on a train would be a bit much for a short break for me.
If I was you Keano I'd get the hydro-foil up the Danube to Bratislava (less than an hour) and let Mrs Roy potter about shopping while you sit in the old town supping beer.
 
Was in Salzburg a couple of years ago, and there was a really lovely fish restaurant right on the main shopping street- almost buffet/takeaway style- with really really fresh fish and seafood, washed down with a beer- perfect for lunch. Place is VERY expensive, shopping wise, so steer Mrs Roy away from the Louis Vuitton shop ( we went in for a laugh but came out very intimidated!). Its a lovely city alright, but I wouldnt spend much more than a day there.
 
Vanilla said:
Was in Salzburg a couple of years ago, and there was a really lovely fish restaurant right on the main shopping street- almost buffet/takeaway style- with really really fresh fish and seafood
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Nordzee ( i think that's the spelling) - lovely. We found them in Vienna also. Always thought it a bit odd - in one of the most land-locked countries in Europe, there exists a chain of gorgeous takeaway seafood restaurants.
 
If nobody minds, I'm going to split/edit this thread to make it a Key Post — we don't have anything on Vienna under City Breaks. So please do post back any further details/links, Petal!

jonnyhotspur and Vanilla, that will mean that your last few posts will be split into a separate new thread on Salzburg — certainly worthy of a Key Post in its own right, but I won't 'promote' the new thread to a Key Post until it grows a little... ;)

[Edit: I may not get around to this until later this evening, so feel free to carry on in the meantime!]
 
Vienna is a really nice city.
Check out Schonnbrunn palace and get a trip on Danube from Krems to Melk.
I thought Vienna would be expensive but Dublin is just as bad.
 
Vienna not as expensive as Dublin and much better standards of service, quality of food, etc. Great selection of restaurants with great Austrian wine - better quality and more reasonable than Dublin restos.

Enjoy, it's a wonderful city!
 
Johnny / Vanilla / Teabag - thaanks a million for teh suggestions. Just wondering if I should extend by a couple of days - sounds like Salzburg is a good option and supping beer in Bratislava..... that sounds good too.

Roy
 
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