Vienna, Austria

The Architecture

I’m a lawyer, not an architect, yet I am still enthralled with this city. It isn’t just the buildings. The vibe here is upscale and pleasant. There were fewer tourists than Budapest, and the town was focused on business. Many streets during the weekday in August were empty. Given that Austrians have a month's vacation, it appeared that many locals were away.

We Took the Train

I like trains, if you haven’t figured it out from my earlier posts. On our whirlwind trip to Budapest and Vienna, we took the RegioJet train in a four-person private car (with excellent air conditioning) from the Budapest-Kelenföld station to downtown Vienna. We walked from our hotel in Pest, across the river, into Buda to see more of the city on foot, the only accurate way to know a city when you have little time.

The train ride was two and a half hours across beautifully green countryside, past corn and hay fields. Our private car was 55 Euros for the two of us. The regular seats are much less expensive, but the train was packed with students and tourists, and I opted for a little more room (did I mention the excellent air conditioning? Prosecco?)

Just outside the train station door at the main Vienna station was a conveniently placed tram stop. We took the D tram across the city to our hotel, the Hilton Vienna Plaza, an excellent location for wandering in the city center. The trams run in front of the hotel, and most things are within easy walking distance. When I travel solo, I opt for an Airbnb or other unique accommodations, but the hotel points option works best when we have so little time.

A note on public transportation in Vienna: If you purchase tickets on the website, be prepared to show your tickets at any time, whether before you get on a train, bus, or tram, during the ride, or after you get off. Before you get on, the tickets can be electronically validated for the subway, but be prepared to be stopped. If you cheat and don’t buy a ticket, it will cost you. The public transportation only “looks” free. It isn’t.

Here is a glimpse of the city as we walked around.

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The Food

Dinner on our first evening was at a restaurant recommended by the hotel. We sat outside and had Austrian food, and I enjoyed people-watching. On our second evening, we ate at Zum Leupold, where my husband enjoyed schnitzel for the second night, and then we headed to a Mozart concert.

The Concert

The Vienna Mozart Orchestra provided an entertaining concert in one of the smaller concert halls. Yes, it is a tourist attraction, but it offers a good concert, especially for those people who are not familiar with classical orchestra concerts. The music included the most popular sections of various pieces, including opera (all the fun parts, no boring parts.)

The Garden Center

I almost lost my husband here. In the center of a building off of one of the shopping passages is a garden center with plants and trees (several were large pine trees). It included a restaurant in one corner, the rest of the area taken up with planters of all shapes and sizes, comfortable outdoor furniture, and displays under tents and umbrellas. I kept finding great places where I wanted to stop to hide and read a book or work on the ones I'm writing.

Stay Off the Main Streets and Wander

In Vienna, tourists tended to congregate on the main Instagrammable shopping streets. You know, the ones with famous names that make you cringe when you see the prices. Once we avoided those areas, we enjoyed wandering the streets with mainly locals and business people.

Vienna Airport

You have several choices to get from the city center to the airport. I opted for the CAT Airport train, a quick sixteen-minute non-stop ride, two stops on the U line from our hotel. The subway ticket is about 4 Euros, and the fast train ticket is 14 Euros. My concern was the hassle of the regular subway with luggage that I had experienced in London, but this train ride was so short it probably wasn’t necessary.

Will I return? Yes. With Vienna in such a central location, it will be a great place to explore much of Europe. I look forward to a fall visit when the leaves change colors, wine festivals are held throughout the region, or a winter trip with fairytale snow. That trip will include a rental car or extensive planning to use the train.

I look forward to returning to Vienna.