Christmas in Vienna - Single Person

You'll love Vienna at Christmastime. Go forth and enjoy without worry!! If you are staying for more than 5 days I recommend Apartments Augarten, 5 min from city center, no tourists:
http://www.appartementsaugarten.at/
Really, you will love it there during this time!
Emily will probably come on board with some good rec's for walks or you can PM me, but hurry I am leaving for Austria 3 September.

Thanks Alex for the tip. Is that a big park near that apt. building I see in their map?

Enjoy the trip. Would be fair to say you travel a lot I think! I saw Emily posting in other threads so I hope she will be around as you say.

Gerry

Gerry it is a nice local area and the Taborstrasse U-Bahn station is right in front of it, so you can be in cirty center within 5 minutes. Beatrix is an excellent landlady who speaks English and is quite easy to deal with. her family owns the restaurant on the ground floor, Zur Reblaus, which is very local and quite good. many markets nearby and some great local bakeries as well. The big park is right up the street and actually has a huge flack tower from WWII that was just too massive to take down. Our Jack Russell, Thor, loved that park for early morning walks. There is also a famous porcelain factory there. We stayed there over Christmas in 2011 and had a wunderbar time.
Going to be in Vorarlberg in September in Lech am Arlberg.
Emily will give you great advice. Vienna has a specail feel to it during Christmas, I encourage you to take it all in, try the Punsch at the Christkindlmarkts (mainly the one in Spittleberg) eat roasted chestnuts and have a great time!

Thanks again.
Another question. How about eating out on Christmas Day and the 26th? Are restaurants open? Do you need reservations for them.

Gerry

Most restaurants should be open Christmas day. Christmas Eve is the big day where most everything will be closed. There is usually a list posted in November for who will be open on CE...reserve for sure. We had a really nice (not cheap) CE dinner at Der Kuckuck:
http://www.derkuckuck.com/Restaurant_Der_Kuckuck/Restaurant_Der_Kuckuck_ueber_uns.html
Markets are closed for both days, but there are a couple around some of the U-Bahn stations that should be open (and mobbed). Emily will know.
Walking the Ring and the city center is very nice, as is walking out in Nussdorf/Sievering/Heilegenstadt/ area. Stop in a Heuriger for some very nice wine.

Thanks Alex:
I was thinking of going out to the Wienerwald for some walks. Any experience of that in winter? Wondering if the cafes that Rick Steves mentions are open in Winter.
Gerry

You can do some nice hikes from the Kalenberg back down into Nussdorf, hitting a few heurigen along the way. PM me for some good cafe rec's. Rick's are a bit too touristy. not that this is a bad thing, but...

I was in Vienna in early July 2014. I stayed at Hotel Senator which I can take the Tram 9 or 43 to Westbahnhof. Right next to the hotel is Lidl Supermarket and there are a few eateries close-by, very convenient and are cheaper than in the city center. Schlob Schonbrunn (Palace) is a must-see. The Palace and the Garden are huge. The Garden is free. I took the Imperial Tour (11.5 Euros) to see 22 rooms of the Palace. If you take the U6 subway, the last 2 stations before Westbahnhof is the shopping street Mariahifer where there are hundred of shops and eateries along the road.

Thanks for the tips.
Gerry