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First time in Vienna, is this a good itinerary?

Posted by on

We arrive mid afternoon December 2 plan a ride around Ringstrasse on trams.
If not too jet lagged, walk to Staats Opera and have an early dinner, visit a Christmas market.
WE LOVE LIGHTS and one of the most important things was to see several Markets .
If any locals are reading this can you recommend a few to see?
Day two go to Hofburg and if my 96 year old partner has enough energy go to Albertina.
Day three off to Schonbrun spend bunch of time there,Palmenhaus Zoo etc.
Day four see the Kunsthistoriches,have snack or lunch at cafe there,then 7 p Lipizzaner show.
It's only thing pre-booked we have.
Guess Saturday and Sunday might try to see a recital at Staats Oper or the performance of La Boheme, if we can find a a seat we like.
As I stated in a previous post,one Can Not pick an exact seat location this far in advance.
You might be able to buy a ticket some place else for extra cash but it's not a priority for us.
Funny, seats for subscribers were made available Jan 1
So we'll leave that for another day.
We also want to go to Belvedere at some point.
Probably leave last three days open to serendipity.
Thoughts ??
Thanks in advance

Posted by
940 posts

Wow, 96!!!! Amazing. I love Vienna. You have some great plans, and while it seems your 96 partner has incredible stamina for his or her age, don't overdo it (as I'm sure you don't need me to tell you). Here's a thought: At 96, they would have been about 18 when The Third Man was filmed in grim postwar Vienna, I doubt they visited then, but the Burg Kino theater has screenings of that movie in English, and there are tours, that might be an interesting and nostalgic thing to do that isn't too ambitious for someone of that age. I remember when I visited Vienna as a college student back in the 80s, I was in Paris but had friends there I could crash with, it was winter, we went to see that movie at the Burg Kino, and while we were there it had started snowing and it was piling up nicely when we left the theater. Magical.

Posted by
2859 posts

As I stated in a previous post,one Can Not pick an exact seat location this far in advance.

You cannot buy a ticket for Staatsoper earlier than permitted by the rules. Ticket sales for December start on October 1st, 10am (local time). At that moment you should be logged in and try selecting your seat after you have reached the top of your waiting queue.

The only thing you can do further in advance is writing to the ticket office and asking for a pre-order (within a certain price range). This can be successful, but there is no guarantee for obtaining a ticket.

Posted by
6144 posts

A few comments:

  1. The Staatsoper is on the Ring, so you would already see it when you ride a tram on the Ring.
  2. The best LIGHTS are not at the markets, but in the city center. Walk up Kaerntnerstrasse, take a left on the Graben, look left down Kohlmarkt. There are also good lights on Rotenturmstrasse.
  3. Best markets - Karlsplatz, Spittelberg, Freyung/Am Hof, Schonbrunn.
  4. The interior of the Hofburg focuses on the life of Empress Sisi and I find it boring. Much better is to visit the Treasury and the National Library.
  5. Schonbrunn - the carriage museum is really the highlight. You describe a day with A LOT of walking. Remember that there is a huge Christmas Market here as well.
  6. For the Opera, which I know has already been discussed, you need to wait to buy the tickets. Do not buy from a reseller. Of course the tickets were made available for subscribers already - these venues are for serious locals as these are not tourist concerts. What do you think a subscription pays for?
Posted by
14 posts

I know what a subscription is!
I approve of them, just bemoaning the fact that subscribers have ten months to make up their minds and pick a seat.
I don't ever buy a ticket from resellers,hate fees.
Artists don't get a cut of those.

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