Vienna travel tips for first-time visitors - 20+ Must-Knows Before Visiting Vienna + What Not to Do!

If you're visiting Vienna for the first time, be sure to watch this video because in it I'm going to be sharing all the most important must-knows and tips that you need to know before your very first trip. In case you're new here, hi, I'm Christina from HappyToWander.com and this channel is all about practical travel tips from someone who's been there, done that. So be sure to like and subscribe if that sounds like your kind of thing. Now let's start with some Vienna travel planning tips. First, do remember that the German name for Vienna is Wien, spelled W-I-E-N. So anytime you see Wien, then that actually means Vienna. Oftentimes you'll encounter this with public transport stations or maybe on trains. You'll see that the German name of Vienna is of course used rather than the English one. Some search engines when you're looking up train timetables and things like that will also not accept Vienna, so do keep in mind that when you're searching, try to use Wien whenever possible. And you're not mishearing me, I am saying Wien with a W sound rather than a W sound because that's the way it's pronounced. Now in terms of where to stay, you do have tons of options because Vienna is a fairly spread out city. To give you a quick overview of geography, Vienna is actually split into 23 municipal districts that are numbered, known as Bezirke, or Bezirke if we're just talking about one. With the layout of these districts, that essentially means that there's an inner ring in the middle that represents the main city center of Vienna. So the Innenstadt or city center where a lot of the main tourist sites are, that is going to be district number one. A fun trick for finding out which district you're in is actually looking at the postal code because usually in the middle of the postal code is where you'll find the number of the district. Now all these different districts kind of have their own personality and pros and cons as well as different neighborhoods within them, so which one is best really does depend on kind of your own priorities. Staying in the first district is going to put you within walking distance to most of the main sites in the city. This is also where you're going to find some of the most luxurious hotels in the city and even in Austria as a whole. But of course with that comes a massive price tag as well, so what I would personally recommend is going on a few local blogs to kind of discover the different things to do in all the different neighborhoods and districts and kind of choosing based on your own personal preferences what makes sense. I will say so long as you pick somewhere that is conveniently linked to the city center by public transport, you're never too far away from the sites because the public transport system in Vienna is really really good. On my most recent trip I actually stayed in the 13th district which is kind of by Schönbrunn Palace. Of course that is a little bit farther out but it was very easy to get into the city center with the U-Bahn and I got to walk to the palace every day. Now last thing before we move on, do try to learn a little bit of the history of Vienna before you go. Vienna, like a lot of European capitals, is so rich in history and I think they really in the tourism world lean a lot on their imperial history in particular, so if you can learn a bit more about the Habsburg dynasty and empire, in particular anything about Empress Sisi, that's really going to make the entire city come alive for you in a very interesting way. If you're looking for a recommendation, there have been tons of movies and tv shows made about Empress Elizabeth or Sisi as we call her over the years. I can definitely recommend the Kaiserin on Netflix even though it's not the most historically accurate, it's really really good. It's called The Empress in English and yeah if you watch that that'll really help contextualize a lot of the more historic sites that you're going to be seeing throughout your trip. And I know that is a super nerdy tip, but it's always a good idea to learn about the history of a place before you go, so if you agree with me on that, be sure to leave a comment with the word history so I know we're on the same page. Now let's talk about transport and getting around Vienna. First in terms of arriving in the city, there's a few ways to get to the city center from the airport. The most convenient public transport option is the CAT train, which is also known as the airport express train. This costs 14.91 way and 24.90 round trip, which in my opinion is quite expensive, but it does get you from the airport to the Vienna city center train station or the Wien Mitte station in 16 minutes. A much more affordable alternative is taking the S7 train. This is a bit slower because it takes 25 minutes and it does make a few extra stops, but it's also much more affordable at only 4.51 way. Another option of course is just getting a taxi from the airport. This is super easy to do through the taxi 4100 counter, which you can find as soon as you exit the airport. They also have an app and they charge a fixed rate of 42 euro per car up to four people, taking you from the airport to the center of the city. Cost-wise this would probably make sense for a larger group or if you're traveling with a lot of luggage. Though do be mindful of the fact that with traffic this might actually not be quicker than taking the train. Now in terms of planning your journeys, I do find that Google Maps is pretty accurate in Vienna, although there is a special Vienna mobile app that you can download that will give you access to timetables through the official transport provider of the city. To do this research on the go though, I do highly recommend you have mobile data access throughout your trip. So on that note, this week's video is brought to you by Airlo, my go-to eSIM provider that offers options for 200 plus countries and regions around the world, including of course Europe. On my recent trip to Vienna, I was constantly using mobile data to research things on the fly like restaurant reviews, transport routes, timetables, etc. And if you are still paying for roaming, I have to say there are much better options out there, namely eSIMs. In case you haven't heard of them before, eSIM stands for embedded SIM, which means it's pre-installed on your device and works 100% digitally to connect you with local telecom networks without needing to switch your SIM cards in and out like with the physical ones. Best of all, this also means you have data access as soon as you arrive because you can set everything up before you depart rather than bearing the stress of trying to find a physical SIM upon arrival. All you need to do is download the Airlo app, purchase your eSIM of choice, then set it up before your trip for data access as soon as you land. So if you're ready to try Airlo out, you can scan this QR code here to download the app and be sure to use the code HAPPY3 to save on your first purchase. You can also check out my full Airlo guide for step-by-step instructions on how to set it all up. So thanks again to Airlo for sponsoring this week's video. Now let's talk about public transport tickets. Luckily, Vienna's trams, buses, U-Bahn and S-Bahn all use the same ticket system, which means that you can use all these different modes of transport to complete your journey. Even regional trains so long as you're within the parameters of the zone that you paid for. Luckily, Vienna's travel zones are very easy to understand with pretty much the entire city considered one zone known as the core zone. Most visitors will probably not travel outside of the core zone apart from going to the airport, so usually getting a ticket for this zone is going to cover you for all the journeys you're going to be making throughout your trip. Now in terms of how the system works, Vienna's public transport functions primarily based on an honor-slash-trust system, meaning there aren't fare gates that you need to scan your ticket at. Rather, you just buy the ticket, validate it correctly and if someone asks to see it, like an inspector on the train for instance, then you need to produce the ticket at that time. Take note though, this does not mean that public transport in Vienna is free. Some people might see, oh there's no gates, I'm not going to pay. Well, unfortunately the fines are very steep and they do check fairly often, so you do want to make sure you are still purchasing and validating the correct ticket because an unvalidated ticket means you're still going to get fined. So always make sure you have your ticket on you and make sure you validate them at these machines. All that said, if you plan on being in town for a few days or a week or even more than that, then it usually is worthwhile to get a transport pass of some kind because then you get unlimited travel within that time period and you don't need to worry about validating it every single time. This usually works out to be the cheaper option as well if you plan to use public transport more than three times in 24 hours, which most of the time you're going to be doing. The options can be a bit confusing, so let me walk you through them. The cheapest pass you can get that includes just public transport can be purchased through Wiener Linien, which is the company that runs most of the public transport in Vienna. They offer passes for 24, 48, 72 hours and also one week, as well as monthly passes if you're going to be there for a really long time. This is the option I personally went for because I was going to buy my own attractions pass separately. There are two other options that also combine public transport with discounts on local attractions and restaurants as well. These two options are firstly the Vienna Welcome Card, which is the slightly cheaper option, although it includes fewer attractions, and the official Vienna City Card, which is owned by the city and includes transport as well as discounts to over 200 different attractions and restaurants. Ultimately, the only way to know is by crunching the numbers and choosing the exact attractions that you're interested in and kind of comparing that way. I do have a free spreadsheet that can help with that, so be sure to check out the link for that in the description. All that said, public transport is excellent in Vienna, so there isn't really a need for those hop-on hop-off buses unless you do just want a very simple and convenient solution to seeing a lot in one go. Now, if you're not flying into Vienna and maybe you're taking the train, do take note that there's a few large train stations in the city. The main one is the Wien Hauptbahnhof station, which is really new actually. It opened in 2015 to replace a few older stations, but confusingly, it's actually not really located in the city center with all the tourist sites. If you're looking for the station that's closest to the city center with the main attractions, what you're looking for is actually the Wien Mitte station, or the Vienna city center station in English. There's also Wien Meidling, which is in the southwest, and Wien Westbahnhof in the west. So generally, keep them in mind and make sure you know that there are different stations so you don't get confused and get off at the wrong one. Next, let's talk attractions. Vienna is an incredible city with so many amazing sites that you honestly couldn't even cover them all in a lifetime, let alone three or four days, which is how much time most first time visitors are working with. But unfortunately, many of these sites come with eye-watering price tags to match. That said, there are a few ways to do Vienna more affordably, which I'll talk about now. The first is, of course, prioritizing free attractions in the city. Not only is admiring the architecture and palaces from outside completely free in Vienna, there are a number of free attractions that you can take advantage of as well if you're traveling on a budget. Some free sites include the permanent collection of the Wien Museum by Karlsplatz, as well as their contemporary art space known as Wien Museum Musa, all the district museums in the city, some churches like Peterskirche and Minoritenkirche, city hall tours, which they actually offer for free on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, as well as all their lovely parks and green spaces. There are also some days that certain museums will be free, typically the first Sunday of the month, so be sure to look into those. I should say though, if you're into art and you're into history, it really is worth paying that little bit extra to be able to appreciate these attractions from the inside, because in Vienna, you are truly spoiled for choice. Unfortunately though, when you do pay for the attractions one by one, the costs can add up really quickly. If you stick to a handful of must-sees and kind of prioritize based on budget, then this is usually fine. But if you plan to see as many sites as possible, then it can be worth looking into a sightseeing pass, like the Vienna Pass, where essentially you pay a set price and you get entry to all the attractions on a certain list for the time period that you pay for. The price of the Vienna Pass is still quite steep, but if you're going to see a lot of things, it can be worth it. For instance, in my case, I wanted to see as many attractions as possible in the name of research to tell you what's worth it, so I paid for a Vienna Pass and definitely got my money's worth. But again, crunch the numbers and my spreadsheet can help with that. Now if you're trying to decide what attractions to see in Vienna, I know for sure you're overwhelmed, because I was. There are so many different options and it's really tough to know where to start. So I'm going to present to you my personal very biased list of places that I would prioritize if I were a first-time visitor, with the caveat that of course you should choose based on your own personal interests. But for a first-time visitor, the variety that I would go for is at least one palace, at least one art attraction, at least one historic attraction, and if you have time, a quickie smaller attraction based on something that you're uniquely interested in. Right off the bat, if you're short on funds or you're short on time, I personally think the best value attraction in Vienna is the Albertina. Not only is this museum housed in a stunning Habsburg residential palace, it is also home to an incredible collection that has some of the most famous names in art history. Not only that though, there are staterooms included in your visit as well, so you get a bit of the art, you get a bit of the residential palace vibe, and the itself is just so beautiful with a stunning terrace as well. So it's a great all-in-one stop if you want a bit of everything. If you have time to explore a few things though in terms of palaces, the most famous ones are of course the Hofburg, which is the sprawling complex right in the middle of the city, Schönbrunn Palace, which is southwest of the center, and Belvedere, which is slightly southeast. Again, all of these are 100% worth visiting from the outside because they're just so grand and amazing, and the gardens and parks surrounding them are also very nice. I would say that the Hofburg is mainly known for its attractions that it houses, so the different museums like the Sisi museum or the Spanish writing school. If you want a more palacey experience like with staterooms, if you want to see how the royals used to live, probably the best choice would be Schönbrunn, and they have tons of interesting museums and sites there as well with a sprawling grounds that honestly you could spend a whole day at. Belvedere is also really beautiful, but these days it's more of an art gallery complex more than it is a residential palace complex to admire, so again kind of consider what your main priority is. Do note that all these palaces, no matter which one you choose, are going to be tremendously crowded, so I would recommend doing your palace first thing in the morning because as soon as the day trip crowds arrive, it is chaos. Or you could possibly risk it by going just before closing as well. Now on to art attractions. My personal pick would be the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Inside you'll find the largest art museum in the country, filled with artworks that were once part of the Habsburgs private collection, all housed in a jaw-dropping renaissance revival style building. This museum is honestly worth seeing just for the architecture alone, and there's also a really beautiful cafe right in the middle. But hey, Vienna is honestly a cultural powerhouse, so if you're not interested in historic paintings, maybe you're more into contemporary art, modern art, etc., there is probably going to be an option for you as well, so do look into all the different types of galleries if you are an art nerd. Now history-wise, again, you're really spoiled for choice, but I do have two personal recommendations that I think are a bit more under the radar depending on the type of history that you're interested in. So the first one is if you're interested in the Habsburg history of Vienna, which I think is really important to kind of understand all the different palaces and things that you see, one very underrated and relatively new attraction is at the new Hofburg Palace, and it's known as the House of Habsburg Audio Tour. So it's basically a self-guided audio tour that takes you through different rooms to see historical artifacts, and it really walks you through the history of the Habsburg Empire, which I personally think is so interesting and really worth trying to understand because it just brings all those amazing buildings to life. And if you want a broader overview of modern Austrian history, then the House of Austrian History is actually super well done. It's also housed in the same complex, so you can do both. And in terms of niche interest, there are so many small museums in Vienna, it's ridiculous. I personally, as a travel blogger, obviously went to a museum dedicated to globes, but I also went to the Punksal, which is the State Hall of the National Austrian Library, and if you're into libraries, that is 100% a place to go. Vienna also has museums for every topic, from clocks to coffee to crime, so really take your pick. Another great perk of the Vienna Pass is it actually allows you to skip the line at a lot of top attractions. So if you see in these videos that there's nobody in my clips, that's probably why. Another thing I'll say in regards to attractions is that if you're going to any really popular ones, like the Sisi Museum, for instance, anything that is tied to an audio guide, a really easy way to make sure you have the space to yourself is to go for the very first time slot of the day, but then skipping the first bit of the audio guide. Because most of the time people are listening to the audio guides in full, they're kind of tied to the timing of the guide. So if you walk in, you skip the first room, then everyone's going to be one audio guide chapter behind you, and you're going to really be able to appreciate the rooms completely empty all to yourself, which I think is so worth it. And nothing's going to stop you from going back to see the rooms that you missed. So that's a little trick for you. Another very popular thing to do in Vienna is a classical music concert. After all, in 18th and 19th century, some of the greatest composers of all time actually called Vienna home, including big names like Mozart, Beethoven, the Strausses, and many, many more. But do be aware that not all concerts are made equal, and I would highly recommend vetting reviews and looking at different concert experiences online first, rather than spontaneously buying tickets off of a street seller. Because a lot of the time, these productions that they're selling are really made for tourists and aren't really of the best quality. So be sure to do some research in advance to maximize value for money. Next, let's chat food and drink. When in Vienna, you of course do want to try some classic Viennese cuisine. So here are some things to make sure you try. First off, there's Wiener Schnitzel, which is of course deep fried pork cutlets. Tafelspitz is another one, which is a boiled beef in broth. And sweet dishes like Kaiserschmarrn, which is a scrambled-slash-shredded pancake. Appelstrudel, which is an apple strudel usually served warm in a vanilla sauce. Or Palatschinken, which is a thick crepe-like treat usually filled with apricot jam. Besides just these dishes though, Vienna is very well known for its cake and coffee culture. The most famous one by far is the Sachertorte. And honestly, I want to hire whoever was on the marketing team for this cake. Because everyone who comes to Vienna seems to be obsessed with trying this cake. And in my personal experience, it's really not that good. Honestly, I find it really dry and boring. And there's many better options out there, in my opinion. So be sure to expand beyond just the most famous cakes you've heard of. And go based on what you typically like. For me, I love fluffy cakes. So a few recommendations I have include the Wiener Nusstorte, which is like a walnut cake. And the Esterhazy Torte, which is like a vanilla and almond cake. Really, really good. Now when it comes to coffee culture in Vienna, do know that they take their coffee so seriously. And they do kind of have their own language in regards to coffee culture as well. So before you just blindly order a latte or cappuccino, do consider ordering one of these more typical drinks instead. There's the Kleine Schwarze, which is basically a single espresso. Or the Große Schwarze, which is a double espresso. The Kleine or Große Braune, which is a shot of espresso with some milk on the side. There's also the Melange, which is very close to a cappuccino, but a little bit less milky. The Einspänner, which is espresso with whipped cream. And the Cappuccino, which is a double espresso with whipped cream. Now when it comes to choosing restaurants, do be so careful because a lot of the time the restaurants that are close to touristy areas, like in most places, these will be charging an inflated price and will be geared towards tourists. So a lot of the time the quality won't quite be there. Some red flags to look out for include any places that have all their menus in English and a bunch of other languages, as well as any places that have giant pictures. So if you can, do try to walk a few blocks away from the main tourist strips and usually you'll be able to find better quality food. And of course, always be reading reviews. Another thing is, I would really be wary of places that have been super hyped up on social media. Not because they're not good necessarily, but because they will be super super busy and you'll spend a lot of time waiting in line. Off the top of my head, some examples would be Figlmühle, which is famous for its schnitzel, and Demel, which has become very known for their Kaiserschmarrn, as well as the Café Sascha, of course. Again, I'm not saying these places aren't good, but the prices will definitely be inflated and you'll spend a lot of time waiting in line. So whenever possible, do try to make a booking in advance and do keep your expectations somewhat lower in the sense that the price tag will be high, the service will probably be poor, and you will be surrounded by your fellow tourists. Of course, these famous places are famous for a reason, usually because they're aesthetically very beautiful. So just weigh those pros and cons. All that said, dining out in Vienna can be very expensive. So here are some tips for saving money. First is to take advantage of the street food scene. Wurstlstände, for instance, are super popular and these are basically sausage stalls that you'll find all over the city. And these are great places for getting a quick bite to go. One of the most typical must-tries from these stalls is the Käsekleine, which is a cheese-filled sausage and oftentimes it's served in a baguette with a ton of mustard. And it sounds really simple, but it is absolutely delicious and one of the most popular places to get one is right by the Alpertina, which I mentioned earlier. And fun fact, if you grab a Käsekleine or a sausage, whatever you get from the stall, you can actually bring it up to the Alpertina terrace and enjoy your hot dog with some of the best views of Vienna. Another place that tourists often go to for street food is the Naschmarkt. And honestly, I haven't been there because based on what I've heard from many locals, it's pretty much a tourist trap these days. So do keep that in mind. It could be interesting to visit. I don't personally know, but if you've been, let me know your thoughts in the comments. Another fun experience to try, especially in the summer, is visiting something known as a Heurige. These are a type of wine tavern that are super popular in Austria, where local wineries will serve their wines that they produce on site, usually with some simple foods like cheese and meat platters. These can end up being really affordable and they're just generally a really nice experience. I visited a bunch of them when I was in South Styria and I know that Vienna actually has quite a few in the 19th district and kind of in the outskirts of the city and they are accessible by public transport. So definitely look into that if you're into wine and you're looking for something a little bit off the tourist path. If you're up for an adventure, I have heard the 19th also has different wine trails that you can hike that takes you between different wineries. So definitely something to put on the list. And of course, don't force yourself to eat Austrian cuisine the entire time. Vienna is a very multicultural city, so there's a lot of different options if you're looking to diversify a little bit. And often these options can be more affordable as well in the touristy Austrian restaurant. All right, finally, let's tackle some miscellaneous tips for once you arrive in Vienna. First up, definitely wake up early or stay out late to appreciate Vienna without the crowds. I will say Vienna is a massively popular destination among the tour bus crowd and the river cruise crowd. So a lot of the time in the afternoon, the city's main sites are absolutely packed and it's really tough to appreciate all these beautiful palaces when there's like hordes of crowds kind of all gathered in the same sites. I know that you're also a tourist and tourist crowds are inevitable, but if you just plan smartly and go out early in the morning and later in the evening, most of the time you're going to dodge the majority of these crowds, which can do wonders for making you appreciate the magic of Vienna. Next, do make sure you have some cash with you, especially coins. There were quite a few instances when I needed coins when I was in Vienna to use public toilets, for instance, to use the lockers at the train station. So do make sure you have some cash on you because while many more modern businesses do accept card these days, there are still some instances when you'll need cash, especially coins. That said, if you need a coin for a museum locker, which is a very common instance, a lot of the time in a pinch, you can actually ask the front desk at the museum for a little plastic coin that they'll give you for those who don't carry coins with them. So that's worth considering, but that's not going to help you if you actually need to pay for something. So do consider having a few coins on hand at all times. Speaking of the train station, this is quite niche and random, but if you find yourself needing to store your bags anywhere, the lockers at train stations in Vienna were outrageously cheap. I'm talking only 250 for a 24-hour duration in a medium-sized locker, which actually can hold two carry-on suitcases. So if you're looking for a very, very cheap way to store your bags, that's a great option. Now, in terms of etiquette, do be aware that the norm in Vienna is to keep your voice down. So don't speak too loudly on public transport or in public spaces. They tend to not like that very much. And of course, in many of the touristy areas and attractions, people working there will speak English. So you can get by fine with English in most instances, but I do think it's always polite to learn a few words in the local language, which is, of course, German. So to say hello, it's very simple. It's Hallo! Or you can say Grüß Gott. And to say thank you, it's Danke. Or Dankeschön if you want to be fancy. Another random thing, do be so careful with bike lanes. I found in Vienna, the distinction between sidewalk and bike lanes is not very clear. So very often you will see tourists accidentally walking in the bike lanes and really pissing off a lot of cyclists. So keep an eye out for signs and markings on the pavement. Another important tip throughout the day is to just make sure you pack light. So a lot of museums, if they see you with a big bag or a heavy coat, they will ask you to put your stuff in a locker. So if you don't want to risk keeping any valuables in a locker, make sure to bring just a small day bag. In regards to Sundays, do know that Sundays are a day of rest in Vienna. So do not count on doing any shopping on Sundays, even with supermarkets. And very cute, do pay attention to the traffic lights. Vienna was actually one of the first cities in the world to implement these cutesy couple traffic lights that represent diverse couples. They were originally installed for Eurovision back in the day, but they kept them because people thought they were so nice. So be sure to keep an eye out for those. And all this said, do remember that Vienna is an incredible city and a massive city that you really couldn't cover well in a lifetime, let alone in a few days. So do keep in mind that there's so much to see beyond just the typical tourist sites. Be sure to do plenty of research to look into all these other things that you can do. There's loads of modern architecture, for instance, lots of nice rooftop bars, lots of things that are worth checking out. And this video is already way too long, so I'm not going to bore you with the details, but make sure you do plenty of research. All right, thanks so much for watching. Be sure to like and subscribe for more travel videos just like this one, and I'll see you next time. Bye!