Vienna in 3 days during Christmas Markets

Lodging (not necessarily fancy but maybe atmospheric and easy to airport)?

As you arrive by train from Budapest at Vienna's main train station, also where from the express trains to the airport depart, it would make sense to stay in one of the new modern hotels right at the train station.

I am confused by the dates on the schedule notes.
11/30 (Sun) the last day of November is a Monday. You will arrive in Budapest on the boat?
12/1 (Tues) Then the next morning after arriving in Budapest you take the train to Vienna?
12/2 Vienna
12/3 Depart

You want to spend time in Vienna “Old Town”, which I guess you mean within the Ringstrasse, so that’s where you should stay, “within the Ringstrasse”. With so little time I think it makes the best sense. Within or on just outside on the southern side.

For lodging in Vienna, I plugged your dates into booking.com to see what is available at a decent rate. Easy to the airport is not a thing at the moment as nearly all of the train service is interrupted and running with replacement buses until October 2027. That said, you can take the Railjet train from the airport to Hauptbahnhof, which is on the U1 subway line, which will get you anywhere. For me, I would recommend spending another 10 minutes on public transportation to get you to a nicer part of town instead of the soulless area around the Hauptbahnhof (main train station).

My suggestions:

1. Boutiquehotel Das Tyrol - on the main shopping street, very nice hotel, decent price for December, very near to some of the best markets.

2. Hotel Motto - Another winner at a decent rate on Mariahilferstrasse (the main shopping street). The Motto Bakery on the ground floor is excellent.

3. Hotel Indigo at Naschmarkt - Again, a winning location near the Naschmarkt and not far from Christmas markets. Modern design, but very good quality. My business guests always stay here. The neighborhood is very good - check out Silberwirt and Zum Alten Fassl for dinner.

4. Singerstrasse 21-25 Aparthotel - Very good price for probably the best location in the entire city. I stayed here when I moved to Vienna for a month and liked my stay.

5. Boutique Hotel Spiess & Spiess - Tucked in a quiet street (near my apartment) but right next to a subway stop, this might be the ultimate hotel secret in Vienna. An absolute turn of the century stunner, this hotel is amazing value. I think this would be my favorite in this list.

6. Buxbaum Beletage Design & Boutique Hotel - This is a new hotel which grew as an offshoot of a really nice restaurant. The price includes breakfast and the location is right in the middle of things.

7. Hotel Gilbert - Ok, this one. Right at the best Christmas Market in the city (Spittelberg) and just behind a few others. For Christmas Markets, this is the best location. Known for very good breakfasts as well.

I am going to stop my list there but if these do not suit your budget, I can look again.

When you dock in Vienna on your cruise, maybe you want to spend that day visiting Schonbrunn so that you can spend your longer stay in areas closer to the city center?

As Mr. E points out, there is no "old town" in Vienna as most everything here was demolished either by Franz Joseph or by WW2 bombs. What exists now mainly dates from the 1880s to present, but you can find older gems if you know where to look (the Cathedral is the obvious one, but it was rebuilt after the war). You are likely referring to the First District (Innerestadt) which is inside of the Ringstrasse.

What excursions do you plan to do with Viking on December 1st? The included excursion looks to be an interesting intro to Vienna. Then, you can do either Schönbrunn or Belvedere, for example. I expect that these excursions will focus on the museums themselves and you won't have any time to visit their respective Christmas Markets.

Emily

would you recommend the Boutique Hotel Das Tigra? Have you stayed here before and if so, is it close to the main sites, restaurants and shopping?

Would you recommend the Boutique Hotel Das Tigra? Have you stayed here
before and if so, is it close to the main sites, restaurants and
shopping?

I have never stayed in this hotel, nor have friends stayed there. If you look at a map, you will see that the hotel is located in the heart of the First District, making it very close to restaurants, shopping and the main sites (except Schonbrunn and Belvedere, both of which are easily accessed by public transportation). In addition, some of the best Christmas markets are nearby - Freyung/Am Hof and Altes AKH.

Thanks , so what hotel would you recommend in District One?

Depends on dates and budget. Can you share those details?

Not too worried about budget but dates would be Nov 27 to Dec 5 . Ideally hotel to be located in District One and walkable to major Christmas markets , restaurants and museum . I will not have a car.

Forget the idea that having no car means walking all the time. Not all sights and not all Christmas markets are in reasonable walking distances. You have to get acquainted with the excellent public transport system, eberywhere available, easy to use, safe in the night. Consequently, there is no necessity to stay in the very center (1st city borough).

Not too worried about budget but dates would be Nov 27 to Dec 5 .
Ideally hotel to be located in District One and walkable to major
Christmas markets , restaurants and museum . I will not have a car.

As shared above, a car would be a hindrance and completely unnecessary. I am in my 20th year of living in Vienna and have never owned a car. The city is compact and walkable; the public transportation is cheap, efficient and clean (everyone uses it). There is no reason to have walkability in your criteria.

When you say that you are not worried about budget, would $800-1,000 per night be acceptable? Or are you more in the $300 per night range? I ask because the first district hotels that are available are in that higher range.

That said, the best Christmas markets are not even in the first district. I am talking about Karlsplatz, Spittelberg and Altes AKH, for example.

So assuming that you are thinking $300 per night is reasonable, I would suggest the following hotels which are currently available on booking.com (no affiliation, it is just my go to tool):

1. Holiday Inn Vienna City by IHG - great neighborhood with good restaurants nearby.
2. Hotel Indigo Vienna - modern and right across from a subway stop; same great neighborhood as above.

If you are thinking $300-$500 per night, here is what I would go for:

1. Hotel Motto - on the major shopping street and trendy
2. Hotel Beethoven Wien - Across from the Naschmarkt and great location
3. Hotel Gilbert - For Christmas Markets, this hotel is ideal. New and trendy.

If you are flush with cash, then pick these:

1. Small Luxury Hotel Altstadt Vienna
2. Rosewood
3. Hotel Imperial
4. Park Hyatt

If you really want to stick with the first district, I see that Aviano, Pension Susanne and Capricorno all have rooms available at a decent price.

I hope this helps.

Thanks Emily. I was only selecting the 1st District thinking it would be the best spot of old town and walking distance to the major sites. Obviously we want to see the Christmas markets as well as, museums, Operas and churches. Yes , $300 to $350 is within range. We would like to close to restaurants and shopping (yes, lol asking for a lot ) but curious do you still recommend the spots you mentioned. Our intent is not to have a car and use public transportation: taxi; and subway. Being our first time in Vienna, we want it to be perfect so with your experience, please advise. Thank you so much

I recently visited my son while he was in Vienna on business. He stayed at Small Luxury Hotel Das Tyrol. I looke around a bit and was sort of impressed. And its very near Emily's choices of Hotel Beethoven Wien and the Hotel Gilbert. From Emily's list one of those would be my choice if I were staying to entertain someone who had never been to Vienna before. Emily always choses well.

Based on your last response, I suggest Pension Susanne in the First District. I think that is what you are looking for.

Thanks Emily - very detailed and thank you for the recommendation

One last question , we are very interested in the Christmas markets , so would 1 week in Vienna be too much (although we intend to spend time in museums, churches, operas and visiting the famous landmarks ) would going to other cities to experience Christmas markets ( ie.Salzburg) be worth it . We have no car

With a week I would definitely add another place - maybe a day trip to Bratislava or an overnight in Salzburg. Salzburg has probably the best Christmas market I’ve ever been to - Schloss Hellbrunn.

Thank you Emily !!! You have been very insightful and appreciate your time with all the responses