Day Trips From Vienna

If you are into nature, then that will be the counterpart to the mountains you will have experienced in Innsbruck.
This is the only stretch of Austria which is really flat, the area around Neusiedlersee (Lake Neusiedl), parts of it being a National Park.
https://www.nationalparksaustria.at/en/national-park-neusiedler-see.html

A wine town like Rust on the Neusiedler See. I've been to Wiener Neustadt a few times and enjoyed it. Schneeberg mountain...

Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It's only an hour by train from Vienna. And it's one of those back door experiences fans of Rick Steves crave. I regretted skipping it in 2015, when I visited Poland, Hungary and Austria. My train went through Bratislava, and it looked like an interesting city. Then, in Budapest, I met two guys on a bicycle tour who had just spent three or so days in Bratislava, calling it the best place they had been. Here's a Rick column on the city: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/booming-bratislava

Bratislava? Back door? Old Town is very nice for a few hours, but it exists, as does Main Street in DisneyLand, for one purpose and one purpose alone.

Is the train from Vienna running?

Bratislava? ... Is the train from Vienna running?

Why not? At the moment there is one train per hour, effective October 11th there will be a train every 30 minutes, if the Slovak railway will have completed their track repairs, which were due already more than a year ago.

wmt1 good to hear it's finally done. Wasn't sure is why I asked. Door to door less than 90 minutes each way and 4 hours there, it's a day spent alright. Make sure you give Vienna 4 days. Other trips (more interesting), Melk. Györ, Pannonhalma.

Melk is a popular choice.

Not really sure I agree with many of the options above. Rust is very hard to reach on public transportation. Wiener Neustadt? I wouldn't call that a pretty place to visit.

The top day trip from Vienna is the Wachau Valley, which includes Melk. There are many posts you can search on this forum for more information. This is a pretty place to visit.

Next most popular is probably Bratislava, but this is another city. I would describe it as interesting, not necessarily pretty.

Emily, I enjoyed 6 euro beer in the UFO.

Leona Lyonz, how many days will you have in Vienna?

Yeah, I can see that.

We did a Wachau valley bike and wine tour that was fun.

Here is where you reach the border between Wein and the rest of Austria. I can think of many beautiful places, but unfortunately most are in the mountainous regions of Austria outside of daytrips. Even a dip into Slovenia or Italy. Maybe make the most out of Wein and visit the whole city. Get some culture. Try different restaurants. Try a free or paid tour?

The last time I was in Vienna I took a day trip to the beautiful town of Steyr. It has a charming old town, lots of history, a castle, and a scenic, hilly setting where two rivers (Enns and Steyr) meet. And it is not well known to American tourists. There are good YouTube videos of Steyr.

I recommend visiting the Wachau (especially in autumn). If you enjoy walking, follow the Wachau World Heritage Trail from Dürnstein to Krems.

Yeah, I can see that.

Well it's real. More than I can say for Old Town as a cultural experience. But we stopped in Györ and the Pannonhalma Archabbey on the way home.

Speaking of that, people go to Hallstatt as a day trip. Or Dubrovnil to Mostar for instance. So why do they bounce off the walls when I say come down here for a day trip?

Our company once had offices in Bratislava. An Eastern German colleague had picked the location due to favorable trade opportunities as well as his own comfort in that environment. He also had a hand in establishing our offices in Budapest. We used to send office staff from our US headquarters there (both places) while we were training new office personnel and setting up their sales, customer service and financial operations. Our staff could be onsite for several weeks at a time. I made it a habit to offer the folks stuck in Bratislava a tour of Vienna if I happened to be there. I never had anyone complain about Vienna. Without fail, they all loved it, at least what I introduced them to. I never met anyone who was enamored with Bratislava, at least not for an extended stay.
Budapest was a different situation. The local office staff (including the American European manager) were really good about introducing their guests to Buda and Pest. Frankly, no one ever raved about Budapest. They all preferred Vienna. These are most definitely an apples and oranges comparison, Budapest having been defined for so many years by Soviet presence. Years before, I got a similar vibe from my visits to East Berlin and East Germany. The Soviets had a way of really allowing things to slide. Dark dirty buildings. Very dated infrastructure. Of course this is no longer the case. Budapest has transitioned markedly in the last 40 years.
All of that to say, Bratislava would likely not be on my day trip list. Budapest might be, but it really needs one more day, possibly two.

Unlike you, I cant make the comparison of 40 years ago, 1985 before the russians left and Hungary regained indpendence. My first trip was 2002, only 23 years ago. Yes, changed a lot since then. But maybe I was abel to see a bit into the future when I saw it in 2002 because I loved it and kept returning. I am only able to live here now because I gambled on some real estate here in 2008. Its a good life. But everyone is different. Emily would go crackers here for an extended period of time. I understand that. I would do likewise in Vienna. I wouldnt survice Berlin for 3 days, but could spend years in Kyiv. Comparisons and judgmental "analysis" really doesnt work in this sort of subject. Its why the rainbow has so many colors.

Hi,

Laxenburg....its Schloss (chateau) Take the bus # 200 or 201 from the Wien Hbf bus depot.

Schloss Laxenburg is a large area. I've been there several times, well worth seeing this historical site. Overwhelmingly the "visitors" are locals, a few foreign tourists, Americans too who appear to be those living in the Vienna area.

Laxenburg as an excursion is worth it, also interesting the area the bus passes through giving you additional sights of the city and population.

https://www.schloss-laxenburg.at/en/

Back on topic. If you only have time for 1 .... cause you need 3.5 days for Vienna then Wachau Valley and Melk. If you have time for 2, then add Bratislava. I'm not a huge fan, but a fair trip to make your own judgment .... or Budapest ... or Graz. Write me and I'll help you plan a great day in Budapest. If you have time for three, then do two, Wachau Valley/Melk + an overnight in Budapest.