i am planing a trip to Vienna and Budapest during 25 th to 30th june 08. I am concerned about the possible chances of violence between the fans during the matches. Is it a good time for a non soccer fan tourist to go to Vienna?
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Well, as we cannot predict the future you should suppose that everything will be fine. Police is prepared and England doesn%26#39;t take part [please forgive me! :-)]. If you avoid the %26quot;hot spots%26quot; after the encounters you won%26#39;t face any problems.
But before you become frustrated because of the soccer-focused city, you should eventually contemplate a postponement of your trip.
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Mikey - not sure if you should be forgiven!!!
Seriously, though, despite what some may believe UK fans are NOT the only ones who can get boisterous and occasioanaly violent when drunk. So be aware if you%26#39;re in the vicinity of the fan zone where alcohol will be widely available, though my cousin tells me at a somewhat inflated price. Vienna is generally one of Europe%26#39;s quieter and safer cities so if you keep away from the football crowds (maybe not easy) you should be absolutely fine. Not sure which bright spark in the city administration thought the Ringstrasse, with its wealth of architectural treasures, should be the fan zone - wouldn%26#39;t a quiet corner of the Prater or the Donauinsel been a better location for the big screens, food and drink outlets and attendant crowds?
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Indeed there is a fan zone in the prater, right in front of the ferris wheel. I feel very sorry for the trees to be used as urinal.
By the way, it is the first day and rain might be expected here in Vienna.
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We are in Wien as I write this, staying at the excellent Pension Pertschy which is just off the Graben in Stephansdom. In theory, this is not near the %26quot;fan zone%26quot;. However; most of the outdoor cafes on the Graben have been filled with Croatian fans day and night, and into the next day. They were singing, hooting-and-hollering-and-horn-blowing until almost dawn. We had to traverse the Graben coming to and fro from a Haydn concert at the Musikverein. It was just a tad scary, but there were plenty of police standing by. However; the last two nights were PREgame celebrations. Tonight, should Croatia lose, it might be a different story. Big difference between huge crowds of happy fans, and a mob of disappointed losers. If your later June dates involve final matches I might think about rescheduling your trip. We were locked into these dates, and prepared for disruptions. It is our third trip to Wien also, which makes a big difference. I would absolutely not have wanted my first trip to this beautiful, sophisticated, and mannerly city to be during Euro 2008.
If I lived here I probably would have done my best to be gone for all of June. :)
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It%26#39;s a very difficult decision if already in Austria
and trying to dodge the fans.
We booked a trip long ago to tour a few parts of Austria. We arrive in Salzburg 20th June when a match is on in Vienna.
We will arrive in Vienna on Sunday 22nd when the 1/4 final match is played but our plan is to not arrive until the match is on, and then the next 3 days there is no football so??? we just hope the fans won%26#39;t be there all week.
I%26#39;m sure Salzburg will be fine, if Vienna is mobbed out by fans we will leave earlier or just make day trips out of the city. Then we have a week well away from the cities so at least we can look forward to that.
At the end of the day, we won%26#39;t know until we arrive s0 we%26#39;ll have to wing it. I won%26#39;t be put off to the point of altering our plans, just hope it%26#39;s not a wrong call.
Stoofer
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If this helps, here is another live report from Match Day One. Croatia just won. During the actual match the Graben and Ring were quiet, so we snuck out for dinner then. We can already hear the mob arriving back to the Graben- it is an impressive amount of noise. Before it was just singing, whistles, and shouting. Now it is Big Bangs, hopefully firecrackers rather than firepower. We don%26#39;t intend to leave the sanctuary of our room to find out.:)
I actually feel terrible for the people who live here. We did a day trip to the Stift K. (thank you for that tip Vertical) When we returned we were shocked by the mess along the Graben. Not only was there trash everywhere, but lots of broken glass. A couple sitting next to us at dinner told us fans were throwing bottles during the afternoon. The train cars were littered with empty beer bottles ,and so much trash and broken glass had been deposited on the train escalators that they were jammed and no longer working.
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Thanks,
We%26#39;ll definitely time arrival for just before the kick-off. We have booked a restaurant, then to hotel bed.
Just fingers crossed for what happens the next three days with no football, I guess we can expect some mess. We too are staying on Graben.
Please let us know how it settles down the daytime after match.
Thanks
Stoofer
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this time it would be the best to have a hotel outside of the ring.
I live in the 04th district (approx 7 minutes by bus to the Opera house) and hardly any noise of football fans here.
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