# Three nights in Vienna by plane from Spain: palaces, museums, cafés, standing-room opera and thermal baths

Direct flight to Vienna, CAT to the centre and three days on foot and by metro: cathedral and Hofburg, Schönbrunn and Naschmarkt, Bruegel and Klimt, standing-room opera and the Prater big wheel.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/austria/vienna/itineraries/three-nights-with-opera-and-thermal-baths · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Dónde: Vienna

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?

AccommodationAreaWho it is for

Boutique Hotel Altstadt ViennaSpittelberg, 7th districtDesigner rooms a walk from the museums

Wombat's City Hostel NaschmarktNext to the Naschmarkt and the U4For spending little, with private rooms with bathroom

Hotel Sacher WienOpposite the OperaThe 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.

## El plan

### Thursday · 19:00 · Arrival 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 · 09:00 · St 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.

### Friday · 11:15 · Hofburg and Sisi Museum
Ten minutes on foot. Timed entry, only at the official shop; leave the large rucksack at the hotel.

### Friday · 14:30 · Kunsthistorisches Museum
Bruegel, Velázquez and the Egyptian room. €22 online; free for under-19s.

### Friday · 18:30 · Standing-room opera
Three hours of opera for a few euros. On the way out, a sausage at the Bitzinger stand at the Albertina.

### Saturday · 08:30 · Schönbrunn
Metro U4. The palace opens at 8:30; afterwards go up to the Gloriette through the park.

### Saturday · 12:30 · Naschmarkt
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.

### Saturday · 15:30 · Café Sperl
Five minutes away: a coffee with the Sperl cake among billiard tables and Thonet chairs.

### Saturday · 17:00 · Prater big wheel
Metro to Praterstern and a ride on the big wheel with the city lit up.

### Sunday · 09:00 · Upper Belvedere
Klimt's Kiss first thing, with no crowd in front. €23.

### Sunday · 13:00 · Therme Wien
U1 metro to the end, Oberlaa. Three hours of pools and saunas from €31, open every day from 9:00 to 22:00.

### Sunday · 17:30 · Return
U1 back to the centre, your suitcase and the CAT from Wien Mitte to the airport.

## Un consejo más

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.

## Cuándo no ir

Don't buy palace tickets on websites other than the official ones: they sell at a higher price and sometimes fake tickets.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.

## Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Sacher Wien**: 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**, 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**: 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**: 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.

## Dónde dormir in style
- **Hotel Sacher Wien**: 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**, 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.

## Dónde dormir if you're backpacking
- **Wombat's City Hostel Vienna – The Naschmarkt**: 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**: 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.

## Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Hotel Sacher Wien**: 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**, 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**: 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**: 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.