My daughter and I will be visiting Vienna, arriving from Prague via train on 8/1. Our hotel reservations are at the K%26amp;K Hotel Maria Theresia. We are in Vienna until 8/4. Any recommendations on the best way to spend our time at this time of year would be greatly appreciated. We have never been to Vienna (or Austria) before.
Should I look into taking any tours or is it easy to get around ourselves with a tour book and map?
Should I purchase any tickets in advance?
When would you advice visiting Schronbrunn Palace? Looks like I should order tickets in advance but I am having trouble understanding the website.
Is the Spanish Riding School open in early August?
Any recommendations near our hotel for a restaurant - good Austrian food, not too expensive? Also want to find a nice restaurant to celebrate my daughter%26#39;s birthday while in Vienna.
Should I consider planning a day trip to Salzburg?
What is the best way to get to the airport to catch an early flight back home to the States on 8/4?
Lots of questions, I know, but any help you can give would be wonderful. We have never traveled to this part of Europe and want to see a lot and have fun.
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Should I look into taking any tours or is it easy to get around ourselves with a tour book and map?
Basically it is easy to navigate as Vienna has a good public transit system and residents will help you whenever necessary.
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Should I purchase any tickets in advance?
Depending on sight - I would normally prebook tickets for concerts but as it is summer most of them are closed until September.
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When would you advice visiting Schronbrunn Palace? Looks like I should order tickets in advance but I am having trouble understanding the website.
Schönbrunn Palace is a very popular sight but I am not sure wether it is recommendable to prebook tickets. If you arrive there in the morning it should not be a problem.
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Is the Spanish Riding School open in early August?
During summer closed!
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Any recommendations near our hotel for a restaurant - good Austrian food, not too expensive? Also want to find a nice restaurant to celebrate my daughter%26#39;s birthday while in Vienna.
How old will she turn?
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Should I consider planning a day trip to Salzburg?
For most visitors it is a must! But in your case it would take precious time from your stay in Vienna, therefore I wouldn%26#39;t do that.
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What is the best way to get to the airport to catch an early flight back home to the States on 8/4?
You could prebook a shuttle service for 29€/car(dedicated service) offered by a few companies like
http://www.airportdrivers.at/
http://www.ck-airportservice.at/
If you are rather the price-conscious traveller you could walk to either subway station [line U3] %26quot;Neubaugasse%26quot; or station %26quot;Volkstheater%26quot; with the same line calling. From there go to %26quot;Wien-Mitte%26quot; [4-5 stops depending on actual embarkation point], where you can transfer to rail line S7 to airport [3.40€/person]. Departures only every 30 minutes at 22 and 52 past the full hour. I suggest to leave the hotel 30 min before airport train line departure at %26quot;Wien-Mitte%26quot;.
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http://fahrplan.oebb.at/bin/query.exe/en
From: Volkstheater U3
To: Flughafen Wien
The system will also offer the express train (CAT) for 9€/person extra.
But I just learned that CAT also offers a reasonable combo ticket for a flat rate of 24€ (Car pick-up and transportation to CAT-Terminal in Wien-Mitte). If you are booked on an airlines that cooperates with CAT (Star Alliance and a few others) you could check your luggage throughout the United States.
http://www.cityairporttrain.com//langen/
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Regarding a good birthday dinner...
We visited Vienna in the summer of 06 and are returning in Sept. During our last visit we celebrated our anniversary at the Sky Bar %26amp; Restaurant. Here is the link I found http://www.skybar.at/index_webpage.html
I see now that it is listed on the Vienna Tourist Information page, but I had just stumbled upon it when I was there. It is on the top floor of a mall complex and the views out on the balcony were amazing. We went on a week night a bit early, about 5 or 6 and were able to get a table outside.
The food was wonderful, although not especially Austrian, just international. I think it would be the perfect place for a birthday dinner.
I was there exploring the city by myself for a week and didn%26#39;t do any organized tour. I found everything with a map and public transportion. The transportation system in Vienna is wonderful. It is so easy to get to everything.
The Spanish Riding School will be closed for performances, but you can still go in and check out the grounds. It is worth a visit.
Have a wonderful trip!
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Many major tourist sites are realatively close together. No need for an organized tour- expensive and it limits your time in any one place.
Good tourist maps available - some probably at your hotel- easy to find your way.
Your hotel is well ocated for chances for good dining
not far away
Zu Den 2 Lieserln
Burgasse 63
vienna style great schnitzel nice surroundings
www.2lieserln.at
Zu -ebener-und erster stock
www.zu-ebener-und-erster-stock.at
with a name that long - food must be good or they could not stay in business.
Siebensternbrau
www.7stern.at
good food fair price
various restaurants and cafes in the Museum Quarier complex
www.mqw.at
including
Glacis Beisl
nice surroundings.
Spanish Riding school and stables ae open afternoons daily during your visit for tours-
www.srs.at
for music
look on this website
www.info.wien.at
under events
just insert your dates of visit
much good music available
Mozart Requiem at the Karlskirche August 2
www.karlskirche.at
Sunday afternoon concert at the Liechtenstein Museum
ww.liechtensteinmuseum.at
combine a concert with a visit to this beautiful palace with one of the best private art collections in the world.
Traditional military band music in uniforms
Saturday at 11:00 in the courtyard of the Hofburg Palace- free
this is the Hoch and Deutschmeister band- excelent music.
many other Church concerts
Music at the Mozart haus too-
While Salzburg is beautiful - with just 3 days to visit I would limit my time to Vienna.
The trip to Salzburg makes a long and full day- perhaps saved for your next visit.
Schönbrunn - opens at 8:30 if you go then not too crowded shortly after especially on a weekend , many ,many bus tours arrive and a very crowded situation-
or go later in the afternoon.
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Note for Schönbrunn-
it is possible to purchase tickets on line ( some say a problem lately ) - this advoids having to wait - just walk in.
Also if you are flying with a Star Alliance partner ( Lufthansa , Austrian and others or several other airlines you can check in, get boarding cards and also chaek luggage at the CAT Station in Vienna Mittee- then a quick 16 minute ride to the airport. some like to do this as it often avoids waiting to check in at the airport lines can often be long.
check with your airline
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Vertical - I tested the online ticket buying facility for Schönbrunn and I could not get the ticket booking page to open instead getting a message saying %26quot;There is a problem with this website%26#39;s security certificate%26quot;. It%26#39;s strange that you had no problem in Austria navigating to this page and yet people overseas are having difficulty. I wonder if Schönbrunn are aware of this!
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Hello Norman:
I had already contacted Schönbrunn regarding this problem- no idea if that will assist- given a stock answer - %26quot;we will look into it.%26quot;
I have gone to the Schönbrunn site 2 times - went to the order ticket section - picked number and type of ticket then saw notice %26quot; Proceed to e- payment-was forwarded to a %26quot; secure website %26quot; - qenta.at to list my credit card , expiration date- obviously did not proceed with final booking but the site opened for me without problem-
It seems if ordered locally - no trouble to proceed - auslander useage is apparently the problem - but I am no computer wise person.
I will advise if I get added info.
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Norman - I return home tonight and found a prompt answer to my inquiry.
A Frau Drucker, IT Administration and Development -Schloss Schönbrunn Kultur und Betriebsges.m.b.H. forwarded this kind answer.
She advises that she has tested the system. All is now in order and working correctly. Several tickets just recently purchased on- line today.
It is very nice to see that Schönbrunn and Frau Drucker responded so quickly and efficiently.
She also offered to assist anyone that has a future problem.
I keep her name and e-mail address in my record.
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Thank you to all for the wonderful information. I appreciate your help in planning our trip. Wish we had more time to spend in Vienna!
I have one question on the express train (CAT) to the airport. I have a 7:00 return flight to the US. What time would I have to catch the train? My airline is listed on the website so I guess I could check in before boarding the train. My daughter is flying a different airline that is not listed. She would check in at the airport - correct? That seems very convenient. I just want to make sure the trains run early enough in the morning for me to catch my flight.
My thanks again for your advice.
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The first train leaves Wien-Mitte at 5:38a arriving 16 minutes later. Mimimum check-in time is 75 minutes before scheduled departure.
I suppose you will take the combo, so the driver will know when to pick you up. I think between 5:00a and 5:15a will be the pick-up time. Driving duration is short as it is quite early and the CAT-Terminal not far away from your location.
If your daughter%26#39;s flight departs later than yours it is gonna be okay.
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