# Vienna

Austria's capital and former Habsburg court: palaces, museums with Bruegel and Klimt, 1880s cafés and opera almost every night, all reachable by metro.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/austria/vienna · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How to get there from Spain

There are direct flights to Vienna-Schwechat (VIE) from Madrid, Barcelona and other cities. The airport is about 20 km from the centre. Until the end of October 2027 the central stretch of the S-Bahn is closed for works, so the simplest option is the CAT, which in the meantime runs as a non-stop coach: 21 minutes to Wien Mitte, every 12 or 15 minutes, and then the metro. If you arrive by train from Salzburg or Munich, you get off at the central station, with the U1 metro going straight to the cathedral.

## How to organise your days

Vienna divides up well. On the first day, the centre on foot: St Stephen's Cathedral, the Hofburg with the Sisi Museum and, in the evening, the Opera. On the second, Schönbrunn in the morning, before it fills up at midday, and the Naschmarkt on the way back, on the same U4 line. On the third, the museums: the Kunsthistorisches, with its Velázquezes and Bruegels, and the Belvedere, with Klimt. Leave an afternoon for the Prater Ferris wheel and a long coffee.

With four nights, add a train excursion to the Wachau, the Danube valley between Melk and Krems.

## What to book ahead

Timed tickets for Schönbrunn and the Hofburg sell out in season and are sold only in the official shop; the palaces warn about fake websites. For dinner at the well-known places in the centre, book a table. The opera, on the other hand, is decided on the day with standing-room places.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Danube, Walkable Cities, Historic bookshops and libraries of Europe, Christmas markets of Europe, Classical music and opera in Europe, Classic film locations
- Cerca: Mödling and Burg Liechtenstein (a 15.2 km), Baden bei Wien (a 24.7 km), Tulln an der Donau (a 27.4 km), Carnuntum (a 38.0 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Schönbrunn Palace and its gardens** (3 h · All ages · Desde 30 € adult, State Apartments tour): What it is
Schönbrunn was the Habsburgs' summer residence, in the 13th district, a quarter of an hour from the centre by metro (U4, Schönbrunn stop). Inside you see the rooms of the piano nobile: the private apartments of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth (Sisi), the state rooms and Maria Theresa's Rococo cabinets. Outside, an enormous Baroque park that climbs to the Gloriette.
Which ticket to choose

Palace Ticket: the whole piano nobile, about 75 minutes with an audioguide. €42 adults, €30 ages 6 to 18, €31.50 students aged 19 to 25.
State Apartments: a selection of rooms, about 40 minutes. €30 adults, €20 ages 6 to 18.
Sisi Pass: Schönbrunn, the Sisi Museum and the Hofburg Imperial Apartments and the Furniture Museum, €60 adults and €38 children.

Prices change by season. There are no guided tours with these tickets: you get an audioguide or leaflet. They are bought with an entry time, and the palace asks you to book online on its official website (imperialtickets.com) because the day's passes sell out.
Opening hours
The palace is open every day from 8:30 to 17:00 and the gardens from 6:30 to 17:30.
- **St Stephen's Cathedral and its south tower** (1 h 30 · All ages; for the tower, good legs · Desde 29 € full All-Inclusive ticket): What it is
The Stephansdom is Vienna's cathedral and the exact centre of the city: the Graben and the Kärntner Straße leave from the square. Its south tower is 136.44 m tall and is climbed on foot, up 343 steps, to the watchman's room, with a view over the rooftops. Beneath the church are the catacombs, which can only be seen with a guide.
Hours and tickets
The church is open Monday to Saturday from 6:00 to 22:00 and Sundays and public holidays from 7:00 to 22:00, but tourist visits are Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 11:30 and from 13:00 to 16:30, and Sundays and public holidays from 13:00 to 16:30. Outside those hours there is Mass.
The All-Inclusive ticket, €29, is valid for a year and brings together the nave with an audioguide, the south tower, the north tower with the Pummerin bell, the catacombs with a guided tour, the Dom Museum Wien and the Teutonic Order's treasury.
Getting there
Metro U1 and U3, Stephansplatz stop. From the central station, U1 direct.
- **Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Habsburgs' Bruegels and Velázquezes** (3 h · Adults and teenagers interested in painting · Desde 22 € adult, online): What it is
The museum that the Habsburgs built on the Ringstraße for their collections, opposite the Natural History Museum, on Maria-Theresien-Platz. It has the world's largest room of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, portraits of the Spanish royal family painted by Velázquez, Titian, Raphael, Dürer and Rubens, as well as Egyptian and Greek antiquities and the Kunstkammer. The dome, with the café beneath it, is worth the visit even if you are not interested in painting.
Hours and tickets
Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00 and on Thursdays until 21:00. Admission costs €22 online and €24 at the ticket office; the concession, €19 and €20; with the Vienna City Card, €23. Under-19s get in free. The café-restaurant beneath the dome is open from 10:00 to 17:30, and on Thursdays until 20:30.
Getting there
Metro U2 and U3, Volkstheater stop, or U2 Museumsquartier; it is opposite the Hofburg, on the other side of the Ring.
- **Belvedere, Klimt's The Kiss in a Baroque palace** (2 h 30 · Adults and teenagers · Desde 23 € adult, Upper Belvedere): What it is
Two palaces that Prince Eugene of Savoy had built in the 18th century, joined by a sloping garden. The Upper Belvedere holds the largest collection of Gustav Klimt, with The Kiss, and works by Schiele and Kokoschka. The Lower Belvedere hosts temporary exhibitions, and Belvedere 21, next to the central station, contemporary art.
Hours and tickets

Upper Belvedere (Prinz-Eugen-Straße 27): every day from 9:00 to 18:00. €23; over-65s and students under 26, €19; with the Vienna City Card, €21.50.
Lower Belvedere (Rennweg 6): every day from 10:00 to 18:00. €20.
Belvedere 21 (Arsenalstraße 1): Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 18:00, Thursdays until 21:00. €12.
Upper and Lower on the same day, €32; all three, €34.

Under-19s get in free. The online ticket carries a time for the Upper Belvedere and lets you go straight in.
- **Hofburg, Sisi Museum and the Imperial Apartments** (1 h 30 · All ages): What it is
The Hofburg was the Habsburgs' winter palace, right in the centre. The visit takes in the Sisi Museum, dedicated to Empress Elisabeth, the Imperial Apartments where she and Franz Joseph lived, and the court's silver and tableware collection. You enter by the Michaelerkuppel, the dome on St Michael's Square.
News for November 2026
The Sisi Museum closed for renovation and reopens on 19 November 2026 with more rooms. Until the 18th, only the apartments can be seen, with hours from 10:00 to 16:30 and a reduced admission of €15 (€9 from age 6); the guided tour costs €33. The prices for the new phase are published on the museum's website.
The Sisi Pass, €60 adults and €38 children from the new season on 19 November, combines this visit with Schönbrunn and the Furniture Museum.
Before you go
Tickets carry a fixed time and are sold only online at imperialtickets.com, the official shop; the museum warns of fake websites. You cannot enter with suitcases, large bags or scooters, and there is no left luggage.
- **The Prater Giant Ferris Wheel** (45 min · All ages): What it is
The Wiener Riesenrad has turned since 1897 at the entrance to the Prater, the great park in the 2nd district. Its wooden cabins, like railway carriages, rise to almost 65 metres above the rooftops. A ride lasts between 12 and 15 minutes and each cabin holds up to 15 people. Below, the Prater funfair (Wurstelprater) and, behind it, the Hauptallee avenue for walking or cycling.
Hours and tickets
Open all year; on 12 November 2026, for example, from 10:00 to 19:45. Check the day's hours on its website, where tickets are bought. The children's rate is for children aged 3 to 14. Free with the Vienna Pass and the Lower Austria Card.
Getting there
Metro U1 or U2, S-Bahn or tram O and 5 to Praterstern, and a five-minute walk.
- **Naschmarkt and its Saturday flea market** (1 h 30 · All ages): What it is
More than a kilometre of stalls between the Linke and the Rechte Wienzeile, from Karlsplatz to Kettenbrückengasse: fruit, spices, cheeses, pickles, fish and many bars where you can sit down to eat. On Saturdays, at the end of the market, the antiques and second-hand flea market is set up, with about 400 stalls.
Opening hours
The stalls are open Monday to Friday from 6:00 to 19:30 and Saturdays from 6:00 to 18:00; closed on Sundays. The bars and restaurants in the market may stay open until 23:00. The flea market, on Saturdays from 6:30 to 15:00 at most; some stalls pack up earlier.
Getting there
Metro U4, Kettenbrückengasse stop, or U1, U2 and U4 at Karlsplatz.
- **Vienna State Opera with standing-room tickets** (3 h · Adults and teenagers): What it is
The Staatsoper, on the Ringstraße, programmes opera or ballet almost every night of the season. It has about 1,700 seats and 435 standing places, and every place, standing ones too, has its own subtitle screen in up to eight languages; English, German and the original language are always there.
How to get a place

Standing: sold only on the day of the performance, from 10:00, online and at the ticket office. They cost a few euros; the exact price depends on the area and the performance.
Seated: sales open for the current month and the next two, online, by telephone (+43 1 5131513, from 10:00 to 19:00) or at the ticket office.
Discounts: under-16s have €20 tickets for most performances, alongside a full-price ticket; under-27s with the U27 membership, €25.
- **Danube Canal cruise from Schwedenplatz** (1 h 15 · All ages · Desde 35 € person): What it is
A boat trip on the Danube Canal, the arm that skirts the old town. It leaves from Schwedenplatz, goes upstream past the Ringturm, the Rossau barracks and Spittelau, turns at the Nussdorf lock and returns. It takes about 75 minutes without getting off.
Hours and price
DDSG Blue Danube schedules daily departures at 11:00, 13:00, 14:30 and 16:00, with an extra one at 17:30 on the busiest dates; there are no boats on 24 December. The ticket costs from €35. The landing stage ticket office (Franz-Josefs-Kai 2, landing stages 1 to 4) is open from 10:00 to 16:00, and the company's telephone number is +43 1 588 80-0.
Low water
When the Danube is low, the City Cruise is suspended. In mid-November 2026 it was not sailing until further notice: check the low-water notice on the DDSG website before going.
- **Therme Wien, Vienna's thermal baths in Oberlaa** (3 h · All ages; under-14s, accompanied · 3 h from €31 · day from €40 · sauna +€15): What it is
Therme Wien is the thermal spa of the city of Vienna itself, in Oberlaa, in the 10th district. It has indoor and outdoor thermal-water pools, a sauna area, an area for small children and another play area for children, massages and relaxation rooms. For a passing traveller it is the winter-afternoon or rainy-day plan: you arrive by metro, bathe for three hours and go back to dine in the centre.
Prices

Up to 3 hours: €31 with a locker, €35 with a cabin.
Full day (from 6 hours): €40 with a locker, €44 with a cabin.
Children accompanying an adult: ages 3 to 7, €20 for three hours or €23.60 for the day; ages 8 to 13, €21.50 or €25.10.
Evening: After-Work from 18:00, €35.50.
Saunas: €15 extra.

Buy your ticket in the shop on its website or at the ticket office. For the Familien-Nest, a relaxation room for families, and for massages, you need to book.
Hours and rules

Open every day from 9:00 to 22:00; on 24 and 31 December, special hours.
Under-14s, only with a person aged 14 or over who takes charge of them.
Swimwear is compulsory throughout the complex except in the sauna area: close-fitting and of a fabric that does not absorb water. The swimming burkini is admitted.
You may not bring in outside food or drink, use soap in the pools or reserve loungers.

Getting there
By metro, the U1 to Oberlaa, the last stop: about 15 minutes from Stephansplatz, with step-free access. By car, the car park has 600 spaces: €6.50 for up to 3 and a half hours and €9 for the day. Favoriten is a blue zone from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 22:00, so do not park on the street.
- **Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz and the Schönbrunn Market** (3 h · All ages · No market entry fee announced; skating is paid): Vienna is the European capital of Advent with the most variety: more than a dozen markets spread across squares and palaces. For a first visit two are enough, the one at the City Hall and the one at Schönbrunn, and you can see both in the same day by metro.
Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz
This is the city's biggest Christmas market, in front of the City Hall. In 2026 it opens on Friday 13 November and closes on Saturday 26 December. Opening hours are 10:00 to 22:00 every day, except 24 December, when it closes at 18:30. The official website announces the arrival of the Christkind as one of the market's events, along with a carousel and, beside the stalls, the Eistraum, the skating rink with the Burgtheater and the illuminated City Hall as a backdrop.
The Eistraum runs longer than the market: it opens on the same 13 November and carries on until 6 January 2027, with the same hours and closed on 31 December. Skating tickets are bought in the website's online shop.
Schönbrunn Palace market
In the Ehrenhof, the palace's main courtyard, a second market is set up with free entry. According to the Viennese press, in 2026 it opens on 6 November and closes on 6 January 2027. Its hours are 10:00 to 21:00 until 23 December, 10:00 to 16:00 on the 24th and 10:00 to 19:00 from the 25th. It pairs well with the palace visit if you do the palace by day and the market in the afternoon.
Other markets
There are more at the Freyung, in Spittelberg, at Karlsplatz and in front of the Museum of Art History, each with its own calendar. If one in particular interests you, check its website before you go: here we only give dates for the two above.
Getting there and when to go
You get off the metro for Rathausplatz (line U2, Rathaus station) and for Schönbrunn on the U4. To avoid the crowds, go on a weekday morning or early in the afternoon; at weekends and at nightfall, with the lights on, the market fills up. From the centre, St Stephen's Cathedral and the cafés are a short walk away.
- **Free Walking Tour of the Palace and Centre of Vienna, with Prime Tours Vienna** (2 h · All ages · Free; voluntary tip at the end): What it is
A two-hour route through the old town, advertised by SANDEMANs NEW Europe but operated by its partner Prime Tours Vienna. You don't pay at the start and the tip is voluntary. It leaves from Helmut-Zilk-Platz (arrive ten minutes early; the guides carry yellow umbrellas) and ends near St Stephen's Cathedral.
What it covers
According to the SANDEMANs page: the palace gardens next to the Hofburg, Heldenplatz, courtyards and squares of the palace district, the Graben, St Stephen's with its tiled roof, the house where Mozart lived and the State Opera. Afterwards you can go into the Hofburg or St Stephen's.
How to book
You book through the link on the SANDEMANs page, which leads to FareHarbor. It runs in English and Spanish; the website does not give departure times: check availability when booking.
- **Musikverein Vienna: Concerts in the Golden Hall and Guided Tour** (2 h · Adults and teenagers interested in music): The Musikverein is the home of the Vienna Philharmonic, and its great hall, the one with the gilding and the caryatids, is one you recognise the moment the New Year's Concert starts playing on television. It is on Musikvereinsplatz, next to Karlsplatz, a short walk from the State Opera.
How to buy tickets
The official website sells tickets online by card or by several Austrian bank transfers, by phone (+43 1 505 8190), by email (tickets@musikverein.at) and at the box office. Purchased tickets cannot be cancelled; they are collected at the box office with the card used or with the booking confirmation, or printed at home.
The box office is open from September to June Monday to Friday 9:00 to 19:00 and on Saturdays 9:00 to 13:00; in July and August, Monday to Friday 9:00 to 12:00. On performance days it also opens an hour before the concert.
Standing places and advance sales
The hall has standing places, and the website applies the same advance-sale dates to them as to everything else: members buy two months before the concert and the general public one week later. The official page does not publish the price of standing places, so check it when you buy.
What to wear and what to leave outside
The Musikverein asks for "festive attire appropriate to the occasion" and discourages sportswear. Coats, bags, backpacks, umbrellas and folding chairs are not allowed into the hall, nor into the standing area, and the cloakroom may charge for leaving garments and large bags. Suitcases are not stored.
Guided tour
There are public tours in English and German, with tickets from €6 in the online shop. They do not run on Sundays or public holidays and may be postponed or cancelled because of rehearsals or works. Groups of more than eight people request a slot via a form, and tours in other languages are only for groups.
- **Prunksaal: the State Hall of the Austrian National Library** (45 min · All ages · Adult €12 · reduced €10 · Vienna City Card €10.50 · under-19s free): What it is
The Prunksaal, the State Hall, is the great Baroque hall of the former Court Library, on Josefsplatz, within the Hofburg complex. It dates from the 18th century, is almost 80 metres long and 20 high, and is crowned by a frescoed dome. It holds around 200,000 historic books. It was restored from July to December 2022, so the roughly 300-year-old interior looks like new again. You walk around inside, strolling between the shelves.
Tickets and prices
Tickets are bought in the National Library's ticket shop. Adults pay €12 and the reduced rate is €10 (students up to age 26, people with disabilities and other groups). With the Vienna City Card or a senior card, €10.50. Under-19s go in free. The website does not mention timed slots: with the ticket on your phone, you go in during opening hours.
Opening hours
From October to May it is closed on Mondays: it opens Tuesday and Wednesday 9:00 to 18:00, Thursday 9:00 to 21:00 and Friday to Sunday 9:00 to 18:00. From June to September it opens every day, with Thursday until 21:00. In December 2026 it also opens on Mondays (9:00 to 18:00); on 24 December, 9:00 to 15:00. Some one-off closures have been announced: on Wednesday 18 November it opens at 12:00, on Thursday 19th it closes at 14:00, on Wednesday 25th it closes at 17:00 and on Thursday 3 December it closes at 13:00.
Guided tours and audio guide
There are regular guided tours in English: you buy them in the ticket shop with the website set to English. The audio guide is available in Spanish, English, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Ukrainian. There is also a virtual tour on the website.
Photos and rules
The rules allow photographing and filming objects without artificial light or a tripod for private use. Backpacks and bags larger than 30 x 40 cm go in the cloakroom. Animals may not enter, except assistance dogs.
Accessibility and getting there
The hall has step-free access. It is at Josefsplatz 1, a step from the Hofburg courtyards: combine it with the Hofburg and the Sisi Museum and with St Stephen's Cathedral, ten minutes' walk away.

## Dónde comer
- **Café Sperl** (Café, Vienna (Mariahilf), €€). Qué pedir: a coffee with a slice of Sperl cake, made with milk chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon and almond.
- **Figlmüller Wollzeile** (Restaurant, Vienna (Innere Stadt), €€). Qué pedir: the house schnitzel with potato salad and a wine from their own winery.
- **Steirereck im Stadtpark** (Restaurant, Vienna (Landstraße), €€€€). Qué pedir: weekday lunch, which lets you get to know the house more calmly than dinner.
- **Bitzinger, the Albertina sausage stand** (Takeaway, Vienna (Innere Stadt), €). Qué pedir: a Käsekrainer, the cheese-filled sausage, sliced and with mustard.

## Car-free: Vienna without a car
All of Vienna can be covered by metro, tram and on foot, and having a car is a nuisance: the centre has expensive, limited parking. With the Vienna City Card or a multi-day pass, transport stops being an expense to think about.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–180 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Sacher Wien** (Hotel): A hotel of 1876 opposite the Opera
The Sacher was founded in 1876 by Eduard Sacher, son of the creator of the Sacher cake. Under Anna Sacher it became a meeting point for Vienna's nobility, artists and business, and since 1934 it has been run by the Gürtler family. It is on the Philharmoniker Straße, behind the State Opera and next to the Albertina: the whole centre can be explored on foot from the door.
The rooms
There are 152 rooms and suites, all different, decorated by the co-owner Alexandra Winkler with the French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, with marble bathrooms. The Deluxe rooms are 27 to 39 m²; the junior suites, 40 to 55; the signature suites, 50 to 65, some with a terrace. Some categories have views of the buildings in the centre. There are family suites of more than 140 m² and presidential suites of 180. All have a free non-alcoholic minibar, a coffee machine and a safe. There is one junior suite adapted for reduced mobility: say so when booking.
Eating, spa and services
Inside are the Café Sacher, with the original cake, the Rote Bar and Grüne Bar restaurants, the Blaue Bar and the Salon Sacher, where afternoon tea is served. The Sacher Boutique Spa is booked separately; the gym is open 24 hours and there is no pool. The concierge is available day and night.
Getting there
From the airport, about 30 minutes by car; from the central station, about 15. The hotel arranges paid transfers. If you arrive by car, the valet costs €45 a night. Metro U1, U2 and U4 at Karlsplatz/Oper, two minutes away.
- **Boutique Hotel Altstadt Vienna** (Small hotel, desde 234 € / night): A grand house with art
The Altstadt Vienna occupies a patrician house in Spittelberg, the district of little streets in the 7th district, between the MuseumsQuartier and the shops and bars of the Neubaugasse. It was opened 35 years ago by Otto Ernst Wiesenthal, whose collection of contemporary art, with works by Warhol, Brigitte Kowanz, Prachensky, Attersee or Helnwein, his own or lent by museums, hangs throughout the hotel.
The rooms
There are 62 rooms and suites, all different, each interpreted by an architect or designer: Matteo Thun, Polka, Dietrich Untertrifaller and others. There is a 16 m² single inspired by the Orient Express, with a bunk, from €174 with breakfast; regular doubles, of 20 m², from €234; mediums, of 25 m², from €244; and suites such as the Freud, which recreates the psychoanalyst's consulting room. Prices vary by date.
Breakfast is served with produce from suppliers that the hotel presents on its website; for non-guests it costs €45. The lounges also serve as a sitting room, for afternoon tea and a last drink.
Getting there and parking
From the airport, the hotel indicates about 45 minutes by public transport to the U3 metro, Volkstheater stop, Burggasse exit, and a few minutes' walk. Check first how the airport train is running, because the central stretch of the S-Bahn is closed for works until the end of October 2027. By car, you can stop in the loading zone at the door to drop off luggage; the hotel recommends the public MuseumsQuartier car park, seven minutes away, with a reduced rate of €25 a night with the card given at reception.
- **Wombat's City Hostel Vienna – The Naschmarkt** (Hostel): Where it is
On the Rechte Wienzeile, next to the Naschmarkt and two minutes from the Kettenbrückengasse stop of the U4 metro, which goes direct to Schönbrunn and to Schwedenplatz, beside the canal. The Opera and Karlsplatz are a walk away. Vienna is the home city of the Wombat's chain.
The rooms
There are mixed, quiet, social and women-only dorms, and private rooms. All have a shower and toilet in the room and lockers with a socket; the bunks measure 90 × 200 cm and each bed has a socket and a phone holder. Bed linen is included, but sleeping bags are not allowed, and towels are booked separately. In the quiet dorms they give you earplugs.
Eating and hanging out
Breakfast is not included: it is paid for separately, with vegan options and unlimited coffee, and is free for under-6s. There is an equipped kitchen for guests, the WomCAFÉ and the WomBAR, where they organise concerts and parties. Reception is open 24 hours.
- **Hostel Ruthensteiner** (Hostel): A hostel of the old school
The Ruthensteiner was opened in 1968 by two travellers and is still an independent hostel, the kind with a homely atmosphere: an inner garden with plants, instruments to play, a clothes swap and organic breakfast with vegan and gluten-free options. It is in the 15th district, a few minutes' walk from Westbahnhof station.
The rooms
There are dorms, where each bed has a reading light, a socket and a locker; private rooms, with towels, soap and shampoo included; and bright studios for two or three people, with a kitchen and access to the patio. Fast wifi in all of them. There is also a guest kitchen, a washing machine, dryer and iron, and bike hire. The maximum stay is usually seven nights.
Getting there
From Westbahnhof (metro U3 and U6, suburban trains and Westbahn) follow the signs to the Äußere Mariahilfer Straße, turn right, take the second on the left, Haidmannsgasse, and then right: Robert-Hamerlinggasse 24.
### Servicios
- **CAT, from the airport to Wien Mitte**: Non-stop in about 21 minutes · Until October 2027, by coach every 12 or 15 minutes · From €7 with discount · Under-15s free
- **Central station (Wien Hauptbahnhof)**: The long-distance train station · U1 metro direct to Stephansplatz · Next to Belvedere 21
- **Vienna City Card**: Unlimited public transport and discounts · 24 h €19, 48 h €31, 72 h €37, 7 days €39 · Version with airport transfer

## Luxury: Luxury Vienna
Vienna does classic luxury well: century-old hotels opposite the Opera, long dinners and opera nights with good seats. Book ahead whatever has limited places: the table, the performance and timed tickets to the palaces.
Presupuesto orientativo: From €450 por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in style
- **Hotel Sacher Wien** (Hotel): A hotel of 1876 opposite the Opera
The Sacher was founded in 1876 by Eduard Sacher, son of the creator of the Sacher cake. Under Anna Sacher it became a meeting point for Vienna's nobility, artists and business, and since 1934 it has been run by the Gürtler family. It is on the Philharmoniker Straße, behind the State Opera and next to the Albertina: the whole centre can be explored on foot from the door.
The rooms
There are 152 rooms and suites, all different, decorated by the co-owner Alexandra Winkler with the French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, with marble bathrooms. The Deluxe rooms are 27 to 39 m²; the junior suites, 40 to 55; the signature suites, 50 to 65, some with a terrace. Some categories have views of the buildings in the centre. There are family suites of more than 140 m² and presidential suites of 180. All have a free non-alcoholic minibar, a coffee machine and a safe. There is one junior suite adapted for reduced mobility: say so when booking.
Eating, spa and services
Inside are the Café Sacher, with the original cake, the Rote Bar and Grüne Bar restaurants, the Blaue Bar and the Salon Sacher, where afternoon tea is served. The Sacher Boutique Spa is booked separately; the gym is open 24 hours and there is no pool. The concierge is available day and night.
Getting there
From the airport, about 30 minutes by car; from the central station, about 15. The hotel arranges paid transfers. If you arrive by car, the valet costs €45 a night. Metro U1, U2 and U4 at Karlsplatz/Oper, two minutes away.
- **Boutique Hotel Altstadt Vienna** (Small hotel, desde 234 € / night): A grand house with art
The Altstadt Vienna occupies a patrician house in Spittelberg, the district of little streets in the 7th district, between the MuseumsQuartier and the shops and bars of the Neubaugasse. It was opened 35 years ago by Otto Ernst Wiesenthal, whose collection of contemporary art, with works by Warhol, Brigitte Kowanz, Prachensky, Attersee or Helnwein, his own or lent by museums, hangs throughout the hotel.
The rooms
There are 62 rooms and suites, all different, each interpreted by an architect or designer: Matteo Thun, Polka, Dietrich Untertrifaller and others. There is a 16 m² single inspired by the Orient Express, with a bunk, from €174 with breakfast; regular doubles, of 20 m², from €234; mediums, of 25 m², from €244; and suites such as the Freud, which recreates the psychoanalyst's consulting room. Prices vary by date.
Breakfast is served with produce from suppliers that the hotel presents on its website; for non-guests it costs €45. The lounges also serve as a sitting room, for afternoon tea and a last drink.
Getting there and parking
From the airport, the hotel indicates about 45 minutes by public transport to the U3 metro, Volkstheater stop, Burggasse exit, and a few minutes' walk. Check first how the airport train is running, because the central stretch of the S-Bahn is closed for works until the end of October 2027. By car, you can stop in the loading zone at the door to drop off luggage; the hotel recommends the public MuseumsQuartier car park, seven minutes away, with a reduced rate of €25 a night with the card given at reception.

## Backpacking: Vienna on a backpack budget
Vienna is not cheap, but it has central hostels, street food at any hour and plenty that is free or nearly so: under-19s do not pay at the big museums and the opera sells standing places on the day.
Presupuesto orientativo: 50–90 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're backpacking
- **Wombat's City Hostel Vienna – The Naschmarkt** (Hostel): Where it is
On the Rechte Wienzeile, next to the Naschmarkt and two minutes from the Kettenbrückengasse stop of the U4 metro, which goes direct to Schönbrunn and to Schwedenplatz, beside the canal. The Opera and Karlsplatz are a walk away. Vienna is the home city of the Wombat's chain.
The rooms
There are mixed, quiet, social and women-only dorms, and private rooms. All have a shower and toilet in the room and lockers with a socket; the bunks measure 90 × 200 cm and each bed has a socket and a phone holder. Bed linen is included, but sleeping bags are not allowed, and towels are booked separately. In the quiet dorms they give you earplugs.
Eating and hanging out
Breakfast is not included: it is paid for separately, with vegan options and unlimited coffee, and is free for under-6s. There is an equipped kitchen for guests, the WomCAFÉ and the WomBAR, where they organise concerts and parties. Reception is open 24 hours.
- **Hostel Ruthensteiner** (Hostel): A hostel of the old school
The Ruthensteiner was opened in 1968 by two travellers and is still an independent hostel, the kind with a homely atmosphere: an inner garden with plants, instruments to play, a clothes swap and organic breakfast with vegan and gluten-free options. It is in the 15th district, a few minutes' walk from Westbahnhof station.
The rooms
There are dorms, where each bed has a reading light, a socket and a locker; private rooms, with towels, soap and shampoo included; and bright studios for two or three people, with a kitchen and access to the patio. Fast wifi in all of them. There is also a guest kitchen, a washing machine, dryer and iron, and bike hire. The maximum stay is usually seven nights.
Getting there
From Westbahnhof (metro U3 and U6, suburban trains and Westbahn) follow the signs to the Äußere Mariahilfer Straße, turn right, take the second on the left, Haidmannsgasse, and then right: Robert-Hamerlinggasse 24.
### Servicios
- **Vienna City Card**: Unlimited public transport and discounts · 24 h €19, 48 h €31, 72 h €37, 7 days €39 · Version with airport transfer

## By plane: Direct flight to Vienna and from the airport to the centre without a car
Vienna has its own airport, Vienna-Schwechat (VIE), with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities. It is about 20 km from the centre: the CAT drops you at Wien Mitte in about 21 minutes and from there the metro reaches everywhere. You do not need a car at any point of the trip.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Hotel Sacher Wien** (Hotel): A hotel of 1876 opposite the Opera
The Sacher was founded in 1876 by Eduard Sacher, son of the creator of the Sacher cake. Under Anna Sacher it became a meeting point for Vienna's nobility, artists and business, and since 1934 it has been run by the Gürtler family. It is on the Philharmoniker Straße, behind the State Opera and next to the Albertina: the whole centre can be explored on foot from the door.
The rooms
There are 152 rooms and suites, all different, decorated by the co-owner Alexandra Winkler with the French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, with marble bathrooms. The Deluxe rooms are 27 to 39 m²; the junior suites, 40 to 55; the signature suites, 50 to 65, some with a terrace. Some categories have views of the buildings in the centre. There are family suites of more than 140 m² and presidential suites of 180. All have a free non-alcoholic minibar, a coffee machine and a safe. There is one junior suite adapted for reduced mobility: say so when booking.
Eating, spa and services
Inside are the Café Sacher, with the original cake, the Rote Bar and Grüne Bar restaurants, the Blaue Bar and the Salon Sacher, where afternoon tea is served. The Sacher Boutique Spa is booked separately; the gym is open 24 hours and there is no pool. The concierge is available day and night.
Getting there
From the airport, about 30 minutes by car; from the central station, about 15. The hotel arranges paid transfers. If you arrive by car, the valet costs €45 a night. Metro U1, U2 and U4 at Karlsplatz/Oper, two minutes away.
- **Boutique Hotel Altstadt Vienna** (Small hotel, desde 234 € / night): A grand house with art
The Altstadt Vienna occupies a patrician house in Spittelberg, the district of little streets in the 7th district, between the MuseumsQuartier and the shops and bars of the Neubaugasse. It was opened 35 years ago by Otto Ernst Wiesenthal, whose collection of contemporary art, with works by Warhol, Brigitte Kowanz, Prachensky, Attersee or Helnwein, his own or lent by museums, hangs throughout the hotel.
The rooms
There are 62 rooms and suites, all different, each interpreted by an architect or designer: Matteo Thun, Polka, Dietrich Untertrifaller and others. There is a 16 m² single inspired by the Orient Express, with a bunk, from €174 with breakfast; regular doubles, of 20 m², from €234; mediums, of 25 m², from €244; and suites such as the Freud, which recreates the psychoanalyst's consulting room. Prices vary by date.
Breakfast is served with produce from suppliers that the hotel presents on its website; for non-guests it costs €45. The lounges also serve as a sitting room, for afternoon tea and a last drink.
Getting there and parking
From the airport, the hotel indicates about 45 minutes by public transport to the U3 metro, Volkstheater stop, Burggasse exit, and a few minutes' walk. Check first how the airport train is running, because the central stretch of the S-Bahn is closed for works until the end of October 2027. By car, you can stop in the loading zone at the door to drop off luggage; the hotel recommends the public MuseumsQuartier car park, seven minutes away, with a reduced rate of €25 a night with the card given at reception.
- **Wombat's City Hostel Vienna – The Naschmarkt** (Hostel): Where it is
On the Rechte Wienzeile, next to the Naschmarkt and two minutes from the Kettenbrückengasse stop of the U4 metro, which goes direct to Schönbrunn and to Schwedenplatz, beside the canal. The Opera and Karlsplatz are a walk away. Vienna is the home city of the Wombat's chain.
The rooms
There are mixed, quiet, social and women-only dorms, and private rooms. All have a shower and toilet in the room and lockers with a socket; the bunks measure 90 × 200 cm and each bed has a socket and a phone holder. Bed linen is included, but sleeping bags are not allowed, and towels are booked separately. In the quiet dorms they give you earplugs.
Eating and hanging out
Breakfast is not included: it is paid for separately, with vegan options and unlimited coffee, and is free for under-6s. There is an equipped kitchen for guests, the WomCAFÉ and the WomBAR, where they organise concerts and parties. Reception is open 24 hours.
- **Hostel Ruthensteiner** (Hostel): A hostel of the old school
The Ruthensteiner was opened in 1968 by two travellers and is still an independent hostel, the kind with a homely atmosphere: an inner garden with plants, instruments to play, a clothes swap and organic breakfast with vegan and gluten-free options. It is in the 15th district, a few minutes' walk from Westbahnhof station.
The rooms
There are dorms, where each bed has a reading light, a socket and a locker; private rooms, with towels, soap and shampoo included; and bright studios for two or three people, with a kitchen and access to the patio. Fast wifi in all of them. There is also a guest kitchen, a washing machine, dryer and iron, and bike hire. The maximum stay is usually seven nights.
Getting there
From Westbahnhof (metro U3 and U6, suburban trains and Westbahn) follow the signs to the Äußere Mariahilfer Straße, turn right, take the second on the left, Haidmannsgasse, and then right: Robert-Hamerlinggasse 24.
### Servicios
- **CAT, from the airport to Wien Mitte**: Non-stop in about 21 minutes · Until October 2027, by coach every 12 or 15 minutes · From €7 with discount · Under-15s free
- **Central station (Wien Hauptbahnhof)**: The long-distance train station · U1 metro direct to Stephansplatz · Next to Belvedere 21
- **Vienna City Card**: Unlimited public transport and discounts · 24 h €19, 48 h €31, 72 h €37, 7 days €39 · Version with airport transfer

## As a family: Palaces, a Ferris wheel and museums free for children

Vienna works well for families: the metro reaches everything, the big museums do not charge under-19s and there are outdoor plans between visits.

### What works best
Schönbrunn: the short 40-minute tour and then the park up to the Gloriette

The Prater Ferris wheel, a 12 to 15-minute ride, with a children's rate for ages 3 to 14

The Kunsthistorisches, free for under-19s, with the café under the dome

The Danube Canal cruise, 75 minutes without getting off, when there is water

### Where to sleep
Hotel Sacher, with family suites and children free on an extra bed in a junior suite or above

Wombat's, with private rooms with bathroom and free breakfast for under-6s

### Where to eat
Café Sperl, with a children's corner next to the billiard tables

Figlmüller, with a schnitzel big enough to share

A sausage at Bitzinger, at any hour

### Bear in mind
At the Hofburg you cannot enter with scooters or large bags, and there is no left luggage

Under-16s have €20 tickets for most Opera performances

### Qué hacer as a family
- Schönbrunn Palace and its gardens
- St Stephen's Cathedral and its south tower
- Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Habsburgs' Bruegels and Velázquezes
- Hofburg, Sisi Museum and the Imperial Apartments
- The Prater Giant Ferris Wheel
- Naschmarkt and its Saturday flea market
- Danube Canal cruise from Schwedenplatz
- Therme Wien, Vienna's thermal baths in Oberlaa
- Free Walking Tour of the Palace and Centre of Vienna, with Prime Tours Vienna

## With teenagers: Towers, Klimt and standing-room opera

Vienna gives a teenager concrete challenges: climbing a Gothic tower on foot, seeing Klimt's The Kiss without paying admission and having an opera night for little money.

### What works best
The 343 steps of St Stephen's south tower

The Belvedere and the Kunsthistorisches, free for under-19s

An Opera performance with a standing ticket, on sale on the day

The Prater Ferris wheel at sunset

### Where to sleep
A hostel like Wombat's if they travel with older siblings or in a group

Altstadt Vienna, so that the Neubau district is at the door

### Where to eat
The Naschmarkt, for grazing from stall to stall

A Würstelstand on the way out of the opera

### Bear in mind
Standing tickets for the Opera sell out in minutes for well-known performances

At Wombat's the minimum age depends on the season: check it

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- St Stephen's Cathedral and its south tower
- Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Habsburgs' Bruegels and Velázquezes
- Belvedere, Klimt's The Kiss in a Baroque palace
- The Prater Giant Ferris Wheel
- Vienna State Opera with standing-room tickets
- Therme Wien, Vienna's thermal baths in Oberlaa
- Free Walking Tour of the Palace and Centre of Vienna, with Prime Tours Vienna

## With young children: Vienna with small children

With children under six, Vienna is done on foot and by metro, alternating a short visit with a spell in a park or a boat trip.

### What works best
The gardens of Schönbrunn, open from 6:30

The Prater Ferris wheel, in closed cabins holding up to 15 people

The Danube Canal cruise, seated and with no stops

### Where to sleep
Hotel Sacher, with family suites

Wombat's, where under-6s have breakfast free

### Where to eat
Café Sperl, with a children's corner

The Naschmarkt, with fruit and something quick

### Bear in mind
The cathedral's south tower is 343 steps with no lift

On the Ferris wheel you cannot eat or drink inside

### Qué hacer with young children
- Schönbrunn Palace and its gardens
- The Prater Giant Ferris Wheel
- Danube Canal cruise from Schwedenplatz
- Therme Wien, Vienna's thermal baths in Oberlaa

## With friends: Vienna with Friends: Standing Opera, Thermal Baths and Sausages at Dawn

Vienna looks like a city of museums, but with friends you enjoy it differently: opera at cinema-ticket prices, a market of bars and stalls, and sausages at four in the morning. What is expensive is the lingering café and the audio-guide visits; what is cheap is whatever you do standing up.

### What works best
State Opera standing tickets: 435 places sold on the day from 10:00, each with a subtitle screen.

Free tour of the centre: two hours on foot, tip-based, in Spanish or English.

Therme Wien: thermal baths at the end of the U1, from €31 for three hours, 9:00 to 22:00; the sauna costs €15 extra.

Naschmarkt: Vienna's biggest market, Monday to Saturday, with a second-hand flea market on Saturday mornings.

Prater giant Ferris wheel: the one from 1897, about 65 m high, with a 12 to 15 minute turn.

Danube Canal cruise: 75 minutes from Schwedenplatz, from €35.

### Where to sleep
Wombat's City Hostel Vienna, The Naschmarkt: next to the market and the U4 metro, with a bar, a guest kitchen and 24-hour reception.

Hostel Ruthensteiner: independent hostel since 1968 next to Westbahnhof, with a garden and organic breakfast.

### Where to eat
Bitzinger: sausage stand next to the Albertina, open from 8:00 to 4:00 every day; Käsekrainer with mustard.

Figlmüller Wollzeile: the Viennese schnitzel, as big as the plate, with wine from its own cellar.

Café Sperl: a café from 1880 with marble tables and three billiard tables, for a long afternoon.

### Keep in mind
Standing places are sold on the day from 10:00: decide the night before who will go and get them.

Therme Wien is far from the centre: allow for the journey on the U1.

The Ferris wheel gives a single turn of 12 to 15 minutes: leave it for the end of the day.

### Qué hacer with friends
- The Prater Giant Ferris Wheel
- Naschmarkt and its Saturday flea market
- Vienna State Opera with standing-room tickets
- Danube Canal cruise from Schwedenplatz
- Therme Wien, Vienna's thermal baths in Oberlaa
- Free Walking Tour of the Palace and Centre of Vienna, with Prime Tours Vienna

## Consejos

### Get the Vienna City Card if you will be moving around a lot
Unlimited transport from €19 for 24 hours and discounts at the Belvedere and the Kunsthistorisches.

### Make the most of free entry for under-19s
They get in free at the Kunsthistorisches and the Belvedere.

### Get to Schönbrunn early
The palace opens at 8:30; first thing there are fewer groups.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How many days do I need for Vienna?
Three days for the essentials: the centre, Schönbrunn and the museums. With four, add an excursion to the Wachau.

### How do I get from the airport to the centre?
On the CAT, which until October 2027 runs as a non-stop coach to Wien Mitte in about 21 minutes. Under-15s travel free.

### Is the Vienna City Card worth it?
If you will use public transport for several days, yes: €31 for 48 hours or €37 for 72 hours, with museum discounts.

### Can you see opera without spending much?
Yes, with standing-room places, which go on sale on the day from 10:00, each with a subtitle screen.

### Which palace should I see if I only have time for one?
Schönbrunn, for the palace and the park. If you are interested in Sisi, the Hofburg is in the centre and takes an hour and a half.

### Are there Spanish paintings?
Yes. The Kunsthistorisches has portraits of the family of Philip IV painted by Velázquez.