Thank you all in advance!
Have a 5 day stay in Vienna coming up in September.
I recently was in Barcelona where I walked everywhere.
I never took a bus or train. Can I do the same more or
less in Vienna? I live in NYC and am used to walking uphill, downhill,
and many blocks/miles a day. Lastly, for a September trip, is it 100% necessary
to book "skip the line" tickets and make early reservations?
If you are within the area defined by the Ringstrasse , and the immediate area that surrounds it , it is all walkable . If you want to venture further out , and a number of sites are beyond that area , the U Bahn ( Subway to those of us from NY ) and trams are necessary . Vienna has one of the best mass transit systems anywhere , and if you are accustomed to the MTA here , you can't imagine what a Subway system could be like until you use the Vienna trains . Using the trains to get to places like Schönbrunn and The Belvedere , will save you valuable time . What you want to see , and the amount in Vienna is endless , will dictate your plans The one place you may want advance tickets is Schönbrunn Palace Depending on your familiarity with the historical background of Vienna and its culture , this 90 minute video will add to your experience immeasurably . https://youtu.be/AFZBOTgL_Hk
Vienna is compact and not nearly as sprawling as Barcelona. While it ultimately depends on the location of your hotel, the majority of the sites are within the Ring or along the Ring. I can walk straight across this area in about 15 minutes. It is also flat.
There are some sites that are not within this area, such as the Belvedere (not that far anyway from the Ring) and Schonbrunn (definitely not within walking distance). There is also the Hundertwasserhaus, the Sigmund Freud Museum, and the hillside wineries that are farther afield.
As noted above, the public transportation systems in Vienna are easy, clean, fast and very safe. You can easily take a tram up to the Belvedere, Hundertwasserhaus and the Sigmund Freud Museum. For Schonbrunn you take the subway (U4) line direct.
The only places I've ever seen a line is Schonbrunn. I understand, however, that Belvedere is now requiring a timed entry slot, although that line is never long anyway.
Danke Emily!!! Great info. Tschuss 😄
We spent a week in Vienna in September 2017 in a small apartment near Arenberg Park and the grim Flakturm VIII. Look on a map and you will see this is well outside the “ring”.
https://www.viennadirect.com/sights/mak.php
We happily walked everywhere from there, from Prater on the east to the Altstadt, opera house, etc. more to the west. We found Vienna a pleasant city for walking, and enjoyed meeting joggers, people walking dogs, moms with strollers, etc. along the way. The only times we used public transport were to get from and back to the airport, and one day riding the tram to reach the vineyards for a Heuriger hike.
Many thanks Lola! Appreciate all the great info 😄
This itinerary is for tough tourists. I never have met anybody who was able to do this in three days as suggested. Maybe you can do in five days.
https://www.wien.info/en/recommendations/vienna-in-three-days
Thank you!
