Hotel Sacher Wien
Why we like it: A five-star hotel of 1876 opposite the Opera, home of the original Sacher cake, with 152 rooms and suites, a spa and 24-hour concierge.
Duration3 nights, Thursday to Sunday
How to get therePlane to Vienna (VIE) and CAT to the centre
Getting aroundOn foot, metro and tram
Best timeApril – June, September – October and December
BudgetFrom about €550 pp excluding flights
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for flying on Thursday afternoon and returning on Sunday night, with the whole of Friday and Saturday. Saturday is the Naschmarkt day, which is closed on Sunday. You don't need a car at any point.
Thursday
- 119:00Arrival and first night
You land at Schwechat, take the CAT to Wien Mitte and drop your suitcase. Dinner at Figlmüller Wollzeile, next to the cathedral, with the kitchen until 21:30; book.
Friday
- 109:00St Stephen's Cathedral
Go in before 11:30, when it closes to visitors for Mass. With the €29 full ticket you climb the south tower and go down to the catacombs. At 10:00, buy your standing place for tonight's opera from your phone.
- 211:15Hofburg and Sisi Museum
Ten minutes on foot. Timed entry, only at the official shop; leave the large rucksack at the hotel.
- 314:30Kunsthistorisches Museum
Bruegel, Velázquez and the Egyptian room. €22 online; free for under-19s.
- 418:30Standing-room opera
Three hours of opera for a few euros. On the way out, a sausage at the Bitzinger stand at the Albertina.
Saturday
- 108:30Schönbrunn
Metro U4. The palace opens at 8:30; afterwards go up to the Gloriette through the park.
- 212:30Naschmarkt
Back on the same U4, get off at Kettenbrückengasse. On Saturday morning there is also a flea market at the end of the market. Eat at one of the bars at the stalls.
- 315:30Café Sperl
Five minutes away: a coffee with the Sperl cake among billiard tables and Thonet chairs.
- 417:00Prater big wheel
Metro to Praterstern and a ride on the big wheel with the city lit up.
Sunday
- 109:00Upper Belvedere
Klimt's Kiss first thing, with no crowd in front. €23.
- 213:00Therme Wien
U1 metro to the end, Oberlaa. Three hours of pools and saunas from €31, open every day from 9:00 to 22:00.
- 317:30Return
U1 back to the centre, your suitcase and the CAT from Wien Mitte to the airport.
Vienna is one of the European capitals best seen in three nights from Spain: there are direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona, the airport is twenty minutes from the centre and everything that matters is on the metro. In three days you see the cathedral and the winter palace, Schönbrunn, the two great painting museums, the market, the opera from a standing place and the city from the big wheel, and you have an afternoon left for the thermal baths.
How do you get there from Spain?
By plane to Vienna-Schwechat (VIE). There are direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona, and also from other cities; see the "By plane" panel on the Vienna listing. From the airport to the centre, the CAT: until the end of October 2027, while the central S-Bahn section is closed for works, it runs by coach non-stop to Wien Mitte in about 21 minutes, every 12 or 15 minutes. From Wien Mitte, the U3 or U4 metro takes you to the hotel.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Boutique Hotel Altstadt Vienna | Spittelberg, 7th district | Designer rooms a walk from the museums |
| Wombat's City Hostel Naschmarkt | Next to the Naschmarkt and the U4 | For spending little, with private rooms with bathroom |
| Hotel Sacher Wien | Opposite the Opera | The grand hotel from 1876, for a treat |
And if you have one more day?
Take the train out to the Wachau, the Danube valley between Melk and Krems, or to Baden on the Badner Bahn, which leaves in front of the Opera. And if you prefer another city, Salzburg is about two and a half hours by train.
With children
Vienna is comfortable with children: under-19s do not pay at the Kunsthistorisches or the Belvedere, under-15s travel free on the CAT and Therme Wien has a children's area. Replace the opera with the big wheel on the first night if they are small.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Vienna, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Vienna
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
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.
90–180 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepAltstadt Vienna, in Spittelberg, on…
- Getting aroundVienna City Card: €19 24…
- Where to eatA sausage stand like Bitzinger…
- ServicesTourist Info on the Albertinaplatz
Where to sleep
- Altstadt Vienna, in Spittelberg, on foot from the museums and the U2 and U3 metro
- Wombat's, next to the U4, direct to Schönbrunn
- Hostel Ruthensteiner, next to Westbahnhof (U3 and U6)
Getting around
- Vienna City Card: €19 24 h, €31 48 h, €37 72 h
- U4 to Schönbrunn, U1 to the cathedral and the central station, U1 and U2 to the Prater
- CAT from the airport to Wien Mitte
Where to eat
- A sausage stand like Bitzinger, for a quick bite
- A classic café like the Sperl, for the afternoon
- The Naschmarkt, Monday to Saturday
Services
- Tourist Info on the Albertinaplatz
- The central station for train excursions
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.
From €450per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Sacher, five stars since…
- Getting aroundOn foot through the centre…
- Where to eatSteirereck, in the Stadtpark, Monday…
- ServicesState Opera: seats on sale…
Where to sleep
- Hotel Sacher, five stars since 1876, opposite the Opera, with a spa and 24-hour concierge
- Altstadt Vienna, a design hotel with an art collection in Spittelberg
Getting around
- On foot through the centre and by taxi or the hotel's private transfer to the airport
- Valet parking at the Sacher, €45 a night
Where to eat
- Steirereck, in the Stadtpark, Monday to Friday
- Afternoon tea in the Salon Sacher
- Figlmüller for the schnitzel, for an informal meal
Services
- State Opera: seats on sale for the current month and the next two
- Sisi Pass for Schönbrunn and the Hofburg with a booked time
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.
50–90 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepWombat's The Naschmarkt, with a…
- Getting aroundA transport pass or a…
- Where to eatSausages at a Würstelstand, from…
- ServicesOpera standing places, on sale…
Where to sleep
- Wombat's The Naschmarkt, with a kitchen, bar and 24-hour reception
- Hostel Ruthensteiner, since 1968, with a garden, a kitchen and bikes for hire
Getting around
- A transport pass or a 48- or 72-hour Vienna City Card
- On foot along the Ring and the centre
Where to eat
- Sausages at a Würstelstand, from 8:00 to 4:00 at the Albertina one
- Shop at the Naschmarkt and cook at the hostel
Services
- Opera standing places, on sale on the day from 10:00
- Tourist Info on the Albertinaplatz
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.
- Getting thereVienna-Schwechat (VIE), the city's airport
- Getting aroundMetro, tram and bus, with…
- Where to sleepHotel Sacher, opposite the Opera…
- ServicesCAT, airport–Wien Mitte
Getting there
- Vienna-Schwechat (VIE), the city's airport
- CAT: until October 2027 it runs as a non-stop coach to Wien Mitte, every 12 or 15 minutes
- S7: the suburban train is still running, but the central stretch of the S-Bahn is closed for works until the end of October 2027; check on ÖBB where it terminates before using it
Getting around
- Metro, tram and bus, with the Vienna City Card or a Wiener Linien pass
- On foot in the centre: from the Opera to the cathedral is ten minutes
- With the Vienna City Card with transfer, the trip to the airport is included
Where to sleep
- Hotel Sacher, opposite the Opera, if the trip is special
- Altstadt Vienna, in Spittelberg, next to the museums
- Wombat's, next to the Naschmarkt and the U4 metro
Services
- CAT, airport–Wien Mitte
- Tourist Info in the arrivals hall, from 9:00 to 18:00
- Central station, for continuing by train to Salzburg or the Wachau
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carin styleif you're backpackingif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Boutique Hotel Altstadt Vienna
Why we like it: A 62-room hotel in a grand house in Spittelberg, with each room designed by a different architect or artist and a collection of contemporary art.
From €234
View details
Wombat's City Hostel Vienna – The Naschmarkt
Why we like it: A hostel next to the Naschmarkt and the U4 metro, with dorms and private rooms with bathroom, a guest kitchen, a bar and 24-hour reception.
Hostel Ruthensteiner
Why we like it: An independent hostel since 1968 beside Westbahnhof station, with a garden, dorms, private rooms, studios, a kitchen and organic breakfast.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Vienna
Café Sperl
What to order: a coffee with a slice of Sperl cake, made with milk chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon and almond.
Figlmüller Wollzeile
What to order: the house schnitzel with potato salad and a wine from their own winery.
Steirereck im Stadtpark
What to order: weekday lunch, which lets you get to know the house more calmly than dinner.
Takeaway and markets
Bitzinger, the Albertina sausage stand, Vienna (Innere Stadt)
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
If you are going to use the metro a lot, the 72-hour Vienna City Card costs €37 and includes discounts at the Belvedere and the Kunsthistorisches.
We'd skip it
Don't buy palace tickets on websites other than the official ones: they sell at a higher price and sometimes fake tickets.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the getaway cost?
Without flights, with a mid-range hotel, admissions, transport and meals, from about €550 per person for the three nights.
Do I need a car?
No. The centre is done on foot and the rest by metro and tram.
What is the best time of year?
Spring, September and October for walking, and December for the Christmas markets. In February it is dry cold and there are fewer people.
Can it be done in two nights?
Yes, dropping the baths and the Belvedere, although Friday and Saturday get very full.