Vienna/Salzburg

Miserably cold in October... No. We love our October Austrian alps trips. Warm to cool, crisp, fall days and chilly nights. Our average daytime temp experiences were days in the high 50's to mid 70's. Even an 80's day once. Best time of the year to visit in my opinion. We can count the days of rain on one hand, after 50 nights in October. The fall foliage can be beautiful.

Paul

October, particularly early in the month, is probably one of the best times of the year to visit central Europe in terms of weather. It's usually very pleasently mild, and statistically the driest season (although that doesn't preclude some rain).

Hi,

The latest in the calendar year I've been in Salzburg and Vienna is mid-Sept. Of course, that is a couple of weeks away from the time you plan on being there, which can make a difference. Expect comfortable weather daytime, comparable to mid-May but with less day light.

No. I once was in Vienna and had a meeting in front of the Cathedral door at 12am on Christmas Eve. To put it short, I was there at 11.55am and thanking God my friend arrived after a couple of minutes, as I do not know if I would have been able to stand still five minutes there. That was miserable cold. Nothing like that in October.

Gosh, "forced to consider visiting" 2 of the many great cities of Europe. We were there in October last year. The weather is similar to autumn in the north east US. I see you are from California so then it would compare to the San Francisco area and to the north.Some days were really warm.A light jacket or sweater was enough for the evenings. There are still tourists around but not crammed in like the summer months.

Thank everyone who responded to my question, however inarticulately I stated it. I WANT to visit these cities. I am FORCED by my office calendar to go later than I have traveled in the past (and that future vacation is NOT yet guaranteed). First vacation in 2 years.
I thought I might fly into Vienna and go to Salzburg (plane or train?) asap. Stay in the Salzburg area for several days then return to Vienna where I would like to stay for 5 - 7 days before flying home.
Anyone have comments or suggestions about places to stay or eat (or avoid) in either locale?

October can be quite lovely here! You may have some fall color in Salzburg as well.

Vienna has pretty steady tourist traffic all year--you will still have plenty of company at the 'big' sights.

One thing that might be going when you are here is the Long Night of the Museums. Tons of museums in Vienna are open all night long, with special programs, special shuttles to get around. You buy a single ticket and can plot out an itinerary ahead of time. The 'big ' museums can be really crowded, but it's a great opportunity to explore some of the smaller museums. There are a few things that are not normally open to the public that are accessible on that night. I usually go to the Schoenborn Center for a free concert and visit some other places. It can be a lot of fun.
http://langenacht.orf.at/allgemeine-infos/

The Viennale--big international film festival--is in October/November but not sure if that is after your travels.

Have fun!

You should consider staying in an apartment in Vienna since you are planning to have so much time there. There are many options for studios, which will probably be cheaper than hotels and more comfortable. Look on booking.com and tripadvisor for some ideas.
Be sure to have one of the quintessential Vienna experiences, having coffee and pastry at a cafe. Demel is good; and lots of others are, too.

Mrs EB, nah, don't change your plans. The only impact you are likely to see is needing to make dinner reservations at popular restaurants or maybe spotting a celeb here and there. Do make hotel reservations early though. Things will book up.

Probably not an issue to get a table for one on a weeknight in most places. But the swanky places that the bloggers rave about will get booked by the Viennale crowd.
If there is somewhere special you have in mind, it would be good to call ahead (or have your hotel call), esp for a Friday or Saturday.
If you have your heart set on dinner at Steirereck, book it now.

I went to one of the swankier restaurants near the Opera in June last year on a Saturday night. All the outdoor seating was full, without a reservation, no chance. I didn't want to sit outside anyway, with all the smokers, and Vienna was having a heat wave, so I really want to be inside (great AC). Most of the tables were empty the entire time I was there.

Smoking inside restaurants is illegal in Austria.

Technically restaurants and cafes can have a smoking section if it is completely separate, but enforcement seems kind of lax. And if you sit outdoors, you are often surrounded by smokers. A lot of places that cater to tourists are fully smoke free, and it's catching on, but slowly. Restaurants and bars will have to be smoke free starting 2018. None too soon!