Vienna December - 4 Days

I am really biased, but you will be there at a beautiful time of year with all the christmmas lights up so I say you run down to Budapest for one night

Budapest is a tease for one day James. It would be better to save Hungary for another trip. On the other hand, Bratislava is fine for a one day trip.

We were in Munich and Vienna last December and just loved it. Vienna is especially festive .And we took the easy train to Bratislava for a day and it was well worth it.

4 days is not really too long for Vienna, there is so much to see. You can spend one whole day just in central Vienna, inside the Ringstrasse circle. Also half a day in Hofburg musems, Sisi museum, etc. Kunsthistorsches museum (KHM) is also not to be missed, a few hours at least. Then Shonbrunn gardens and palace. Markets, like Nashmarkt, then Prater... Many cafes are story for itself, real city landmarks. Try not to misss New Yer's eve in Vienna it is spectacular. If you really want a day trip I think Salzburg is the best. There is a very fast train (it goes up to 200 km/h) to Salzburg.

I had 4 days in Vienna this past December and chose Salzburg as my day trip. Took the 8 am train out and the 7 pm back. Loved it.

I think that Budapest and Salzburg are quite far for a day trip and a day just doesn't do them justice. I would have felt quite sad to leave those cities having spent just a few hours in those wonderful cities. If you travel quite frequently and go with the frame of mind, "I'll be back soon", maybe proceed, otherwise, I just wouldn't. I have not been to Bratislava. I have heard good things. It is easily and quickly accessed from Viena and the next time I'm in Vienna, I plan to do Bratislava as a day trip.

For either Budapest (2.5 hours on the train) or Salzburg I would keep my Vienna hotel, pack really light, take a morning train, spend the night and do a morning train back.

Someone else can help you with Salzburg, but I could help you with a great day and evening in Budapest.

My advice: Don't plan anything. Nobody knows when will be the end of these restrictions. Certainly we all hope that by this December it will be all over. But if you want to dream, day trip from Vienna to Budapest - no. Day trip to Bratislava or Brno --_yes. Budapest is farther away and it is a big city. In few hours you would be able to see very little. Bratislava and Brno are closer and are significantly smaller than Budapest so even few hours there could satisfy your appetite.

I agree with Jules. I would go so far as to suggest that you stay in Vienna and Munich - there's so much to see in both cities. The Kunsthistorisches Museum alone is worth a day. But this all depends on type of traveller you are. I think that visiting a city for just a day won't give you real insight especially if you are just passing through. That being said, there are plenty of castles and other historic sites to visit in the vicinity of both cities.

OP - are you used to the cold? My partner is but I do not particularly like cold weather and it really slows me down - this is something to keep in mind as both Vienna and Munich will be quite cold.