small town experience near/within Vienna?

Not in Vienna, but what about beautiful Salzburg? We were not big fans of Vienna itself.

My vote that seems to meet your requirements is Sopron:

Still a bit "large" but about a third the size of Salzburg. Another I like is Gyor, Pannonhalma the town and the Archabbey; but a tad more difficult to experience.

1:15 train ride from Vienna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3yzYKqCWzM
https://www.travelsewhere.net/sopron-hungary/
https://wikitravel.org/en/Sopron
https://youtu.be/68VmeT8juHo

We stayed in a private home in Perchtoldsdorf which is within the SW part of Vienna. We loved this town with its castle, parks, restaurants, bakeries, historic downtown and 60+ heuringen within walking distance of the town’s center. We could walk to a tram and bus or drive to the next suburb for the train. Many hiking trails through the Weinerwald radiated out from Perchtoldsdorf.

Thank you, all!

When we were staying in Vienna we took a tram to Stammersdorf, a wine village, and spent the evening there before returning to Vienna at the end of the night. There are plenty of Heurigers/wineries there, and it was very charming.

I've wanted to go to Klosterneuburg since I saw it recommended on this site (maybe by Steven?). I even looked into lodging and found a place that interested me, which of course I can't remember now. And the old town part of Heiligenstadt is pretty neat. Happy hunting!

Consider Bratislava. It is incredibly easy to get to Bratislava from Vienna.

Buses leave from Vienna airport every 15-30 minutes. Reserve a spot on a bus--very well organized. We took the bus as we stayed at an airport hotel after our Rick Steves tour ended.

You can also take a boat or train.

Bratislava is also economical. Slovakia does not have VAT--saving you easily 20%. It's quaint, fun, and cool to hang out in a former communist country that is teeming with an incredible entrepreneurial spirit.

I don't know about accomodations there but I'm sure they would be excellent.

If you enjoy wine and vineyards, look at the Wachau Valley. You can likely find a fine view of the Danube and grapes coming to maturation somewhere between Melk and Krems. The Heurigen will offer you a different place to sample wine and have a nosh every evening. The Semmeln from Schmidl of Krems are great for your bread fix. It would be hard to find a better way to end your trip. You might find a similar experience in the suburbs of Vienna with some research since the vineyards are all around the city. Best of luck.

I think you are after a small town vibe within Vienna? Would you be happy to stay in a part of Vienna that is feeling more village-like but acknowledging that there won't be much to do without taking a 30 minute tram ride? Markets and bakeries are everywhere within walking distance, so that's easy. If this is all good, then I suggest the neighborhoods of Spittelberg (actually close to the center), Nussdorf, Stammersdorf, Hietzing or Grinzing. These are all within Vienna.

If you are looking for something outside of Vienna that would require a regional train ride, then I suggest Perchtoldsdorf, Rust, Baden, Spitz, Duernstein, Weissenkirchen, Melk or Krems.

Slovakia does not have VAT--saving you easily 20%

This is just wrong. Regular VAT is 20%, reduced for certain goods 10%.
(VAT is called DPH in Slovakia.)

As in most EU countries you may have the VAT reimbursed for goods taken abroad in excess of €400.

Janet , I'm glad that you were intrigued by Klosterneuberg . To whet your interest further , this video is from the Vienna New Year's Concert from 2014 . The Vienna Philharmonic plays Johann Strauss' " G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald " ( Tales from the Vienna Woods ) Including the original Zither sections. These are striking pictures of the Abbey , and surrounding forests and vineyards taken in Autumn . The shots of the copper - enameled triptych altarpiece are the famous Verdun Altarpiece , well worth a lengthy gawk .https://youtu.be/9Nl8y5KLpqs Emily mentions Hietzing and Grinzing , two charming parts of town that I frequently visit . Lots of beauty and history there . The part of Heiligenstadt , Janet speaks of , is also beautiful , Beethoven lived and worked there in the summer of 1802 , when he was starting to lose his hearing , and the first sketches for his Symphony # 6 ( Pastoral ) were composed there . The inn where he stayed is now a museum on Probusgasse .

Wow, Steven - thank you. The video was great, pictorially and musically. Makes me want to make my next trip to Vienna in the fall!