traveling around vienna

10 days is not that much also considering jet lag. I would recommend Prague and Budapest which leaves you about 3 days for each city. You also have to consider transport between cities (about 4-5 hours by train). You can take hydrofoil from Budapest back to Vienna maybe stopping for several hours in Bratislava. Or other option could be all stay in Austria: Vienna, Melk, Zell am See, Hallstadt, Salzburg.

In deciding which city to visit, you should read as much about each one to know what there is to see in each one. You can easily do it by reading guidebooks, or you can search the web for info.

I like to search the web because can do it in my pajamas. I google the city by name plus "sights" or "attractions."

You can make a list of places you are interested in for each town. There are far too many points of interest to select from. Read about them and then make your list of towns you "must see".

I always make an itinerary and list the town by date and things I will do each day so I can better estimate my time and expenses.

Hi, Emily. I'd really recommend heading to Salzburg, and then either over to Munich or down to Venice or Slovenia if you have children traveling.

I've done Vienna--Munich, Vienna-Venice, Vienna-Switzerland(and Milan), and Vienna-Budapest. Train can be quite inexpensive, as can car. How old are the kids? I find going east or south to be really kid friendly, as there are the salt mines, summer luge tracks, massive caves in Slovenia, Hellbrun in Salzburg. If you want to private message me with a little more about your group, I'd be happy to share my experiences. :) Chris

budapest and salzburg

Emily,

I have been to all the listed cities, so I will give you my two-cents worth. Prague is beautiful, but VERY crowded. It is easy to get around and people are very friendly. I actually like it better than Paris and we are taking our kids there in May. Budapest is nice right in the tourist area, but not nearly on the level with Prague. Salzburg is pretty and the drive from Vienna through the Wachau and then lakes and mountains is gorgeous! Munich is so-so. I have not been to Berlin, but if you go through Prague, you would also get to see Dresden, which is supposed to be beautiful (we are also going this route in May). Hope this helps!

Since this is your first trip to Europe, it might be easier for you to see more of Austria. Salzburg will definitely be enjoyable as will Hallstadt. Melk can be done as a day trip from Vienna as can Budapest.

Your trip sounds very exciting. I think Prague is a must-see. While many of the complaints against it are valid (touristy, crowded, almost like a Disneyland), we found it to be fabulous and inspiring. You can see a lot without even trying - just by wandering around towards the Castle,the Bridge and the old square you will have plenty of photo ops. If you are interested, there is plenty of history permeating the walls. Even though the Czech people are not particularly friendly, we did not have any trouble getting around.

I can't comment on Budapest except to say that I want to visit. I can, however, advise you to consider visiting Krakow. It's about 8 hours to Krakow from Vienna and then 8 hours on to Prague. It's a great counterpart to the Prague experience - it's low key, small, and magical in its own way (medieval architecture, a castle overlooking a river, etc.) - and the main tourist areas are even UNESCO world heritage sites. You only need two days here to be satisfied, and it's easy to get around in a group of five since the streets are wide and the square is so big. As a history buff, I also think it's fitting to visit a city occupied by the Austrians for a large part of history. Just something to consider!

Emily,

Prague is fantastic, we are going back for a second round May 2010. Salzburg is very scenic/pretty and if you can get to Hallstatt that is extremely idyllic. I would pass on Munich with the short time you have. The trip from Vienna to Melk is tranquil along the river, the Melk Abby is very impossing. I wish I was your Vienna study kid, I would be a travelling and probably study when there was time.

I would drive from Vienna to Melk to Hallstatt to Salzburg and then back to Linz (maybe go to Mathaussen concentration camp). Dump the car in Linz, train to Prague then to Vienna and catch the plane home. Prague has excellent public transportation so car is not required. You need at least two full days in Prague.

Good luck,
Casey

Why are you trying to collect cities? The Europe takes place in the countryside, in small towns and villages. From Vienna go down to Lake Wörthersee in Carinthia. Explore the Alps and other lakes from there, spend time at the beaches and enjoy the great food. Then drive to Salzburg via Heiligenblut and Großglockner Alpine road - breathtaking! Around Salzburg make sure you visit Hallstatt and their lake district. Also from Salzburg visit Berchtesgaden and St. Bartholomew on Lake Königsee (Bavaria, Germany, just across the border from Salzburg).

Last year we did a loop flying into Zurich and out of Stuttgart. It would be easy to use our loop with Vienna as the start and end. We loved the drive through the mountains to Zell am See. We were staying in Maria Alm which was very close. We do not like staying in cities, but staying in small towns and going into the city. I have been to Salzburg 3 times, but never stayed there. In Vienna we stayed in The Accor chain, Ibis Hotel. We took the metro everywhere we went. That way you could rent the car on the last day and turn it in when you get back. It is cheaper to not rent at an airport.

Zell am See. Ride the ski lift up to top of mountain for lunch. Paragliders are all over the mountain and kids and big kids love watching them. It was wonderful. You could make Salzburg on the loop back. I loved "The Sound of Music" tour on the big bus. Much better for me than the one on the small van.

Garmisch is out of Munich. Great hikes down the mountain. I walk! LOL
Harburg, Germany We stay at a real castle. Not expensive and very impressive. It is on the net under Castle Harburg.
Switzerland is my favorite, the Interlaken area we will always go back too. Since it is the fartherest away you might do that another trip. Pull up webcams for that area and see the beautiful sights. Remember the time difference!

I got a big map from AAA and marked the spots I was interested in with a marker and routed out the best way to go.