Will be in Venice around the end of September and am wondering if its feasible to take a train and go visit Vienna for 3 days. Is the train journey very long and will I need to change trains anywhere. Am not too young and dont want to hop from one train to another. And finally one last question...any recommendations for a reasonably priced hotel or Pension in Vienna in the centre of town?
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Katie, the journey is just over 8.0 hours. There is a Eurocity train that leaves Venice at 8:46am that has no train changes. It's a direct. The standard fare for 2nd class one-way is 70Euro. You can probably get the same type of train and fare for the reverse journey.
Posted by
Sunnyvale, CA, USA
290 posts
Yes, the train ride is a long one. You are better off taking a the short hopper flight. SkyEurope has some great on-line deals which may cost less than train fare. You can catch the direct U-Bahn (18 mins) or slower Snell trains (24 mins) from the Vienna airport to city center stop Landstrasse. Depending on where you stay, you may need to transfer onto another U-Bahn train for a stop near your hotel. I usually stay at moderately priced Pension Suzanne (U-bahn U1,2,&4: Karlsplatz station) since its within a few blocks of everything to see & buffet breakfast included. Website: http://www.pension-suzanne.at .
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
The EC 30/31 takes only seven hours to travel between Vienna and Venice. Booked well in advance through Austrian Rail, www.oebb.at/en/index.jsp, you can get SparSchiene fares as low as 29€. (See the link on the home page.) There is also a direct night train in each direction. Again, SparSchiene fares are available, but the price varies according to the type of sleeping accommodations chosen. The easiest way to book is to phone the Austrian Rail Call Center.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
I would only rail if you take an overnight. Otherwise you use up an entire day of your trip seeing the inside of a train car.
If overnight train isn't available, take the relatively short hop on a plane.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC
218 posts
Depending on whether or not you are able to sleep on trains -- the overnighter is fairly painless. Also, it gives you the opportunity to go to Salzburg as I think many of the Venice - Vienna trains go through there. If you have three days for Austria, it would be a shame to miss the countryside.
The plane is also an option. There is a shuttle from the Vienna airport to the centre of town which was reasonable.
Enjoy!
Posted by
OP
Mumbai, India
31 posts
Thanks all you wonderful people for your quick replies. As I am looking for train in Sept I have enough time to check out the cheapest fares. The overnight train sounds ideal...also its easier to the train station in Venice than the airport.
Posted by
Pearland, TX, USA
852 posts
http://www.pertschy.com/pension1_e.html
Hi Katie,
... we have taken rooms in Pension Pertschy - which is centrally located in Vienna. We know you would enjoy your stay. Copy and paste the above link into your Internet address box.
... ciao! P
Posted by
St. Petersburg, FL, USA
104 posts
We went to Vienna and then on to Venice last Oct. The train ride took about 7 hours. But it was a wonderful ride! We went past the Dolomites and through the Worthersee area of Austria which was gorgeous. We stayed at the K & T boarding house which is not in the center of Vienna but right across the street from a U-Bahn station, so it was easy to get around to anywhere. They do not include breakfast but there were 4 places right nearby to get a pastry and coffee-even a Starbucks (talk about pricy!!!). Be warned, there is no elevator and they are 3 "double" flights up. Still, the room was large, comfortable and pretty quiet.