Is Vienna Worth Visiting? OMG Yes – It’s Stunning

Have you been thinking about whether to go to Vienna or not?

Let me save you the trouble: yes, you should!

Read on for what I loved about Vienna and why it should be on your travel list 👇

Is Vienna Worth Visiting?

Vienna is a city I wanted to visit for many years. As a Tour Manager, I always hoped to do a tour that included Prague, Vienna, and Budapest, but I never got that chance.

A friend of mine visited Vienna several times and said it was lovely, but that was all I knew. When planning a short break, I realized that Vienna was close to Bratislava and had flights to Edinburgh, so I added it to my trip.

Vienna is the capital city of Austria with a population of just over 2 million people.

Is Vienna Worth Visiting?

Getting to Vienna

Vienna is well connected to the UK by flights.

There are direct flights to Vienna from;

• Edinburgh
• Manchester
• London
• Leeds
• Nottingham
• Glasgow
• Newcastle
• Belfast
• Bristol

It also has great train and bus connections to the rest of Europe. You can take an OBB (Austrian national railway company) train to:

• Warsaw
• Croatia

They run over 520,000 trains a year, and they are lovely trains. Vienna is located on the Danube River, making it a popular stop for river cruises. Cruising on the Danube is the most popular river cruise, thanks to the wonderful cities along the way.

I traveled to Vienna from Bratislava. I could have gone by boat or train, but I chose Flixbus. The boat was quite expensive (46 Euros for a 1.5-hour trip), and the train required me to print out a ticket.

The Flixbus service took just over an hour from Bratislava Most SNP bus station to Vienna Edberg, where I could join the U3 Ubahn into the city center.

You can check flights to Vienna right here 👇

You can check bus and train options to Vienna here 👇

Is Vienna Worth Visiting?

When to Visit Vienna

Vienna has a low season from January to May. I visited in March and found plenty of affordable accommodation. Some services, like Danube cruises, were not running.

The weather during my visit was warm with sunny days and temperatures around 18C. Many people enjoyed the parks in the pleasant sunshine.

July is one of the peak times to visit Vienna. It can be quite hot then, around 26C, and it usually has about two weeks of rain that month.

Is Vienna Worth Visiting?

Getting Around Vienna

Getting around Vienna is easy and affordable. I bought a 24-hour unlimited travel ticket for 8 Euros. This ticket covered all transport in the city center.

It’s easy to buy a ticket, and you can switch the instructions to English and pay with contactless. I mainly used the U-Bahn, which connects all the places I wanted to visit.

Vienna is also enjoyable to walk around. The pavements are clean and wide, with separate lanes for bikes and scooters. There are many beautiful buildings and parks, so there is always something to enjoy. You can also find many cafes for a nice stop along the way.

I used the hop-on and hop-off sightseeing bus to explore Vienna. It was a great way to learn some history while enjoying a great view of the city from the top deck. I also took a few rides on the Bolt taxi service because my feet were sore from too much walking in the wrong shoes!

Is Vienna Worth Visiting Video

Is Vienna Worth Visiting?

Is Vienna Safe?

I felt very safe at all times in Vienna. The streets were well-lit, although I wasn’t out particularly late. I didn’t feel uncomfortable in any area I visited, including a non-tourist area where I stayed!

I also felt comfortable and safe using the transport which included buses, Metro and Bolt taxis.

You can read more detail in my ‘Is Vienna Safe?’ post

Is Vienna Worth Visiting?

Is Vienna Expensive?

Vienna wasn’t cheap, but it was good value. I ate at cafes instead of restaurants, and the food was high quality. For example, a Mediterranean breakfast cost 15 Euros, and I couldn’t finish it!

The hop-on hop-off bus ticket was 41 Euros for a 24-hour pass, but it only ran from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

You can read more in my ‘Is Vienna Expensive?’ post

Is Vienna Worth Visiting?

Staying in Vienna

I stayed near the Danube River, in a less touristy part of the city, which I liked. It was well connected by public transport and less than 10 minutes on the U-Bahn to the city center.

I prefer an apartment when traveling, so I stayed at the Best Western Celebrity City Suites. My accommodation was a large studio flat with a separate bathroom and toilet. It was clean, comfortable, and quiet. Two nights’ accommodation cost 145 Euros.

Is Vienna Worth Visiting?

Things to Do in Vienna

There is so much to see and do in Vienna! In the day and a half I was there, I did a couple of things.

The hop-on hop-off bus was my main activity. Since I spent 41 Euros on it, I did both the Red and Blue routes to cover as much ground as possible. I spent about 3 hours on the buses.

One stop on the Blue route was Hundertwasser Village. I loved this quirky place with apartments above and shops inside. The caf I visited had a little river running through the counter, along with gift shops and an art gallery.

I also visited the huge Westfield shopping centre. I didnt plan to go there, but I needed new shoes. It was enormous! One whole block was a food mall with an IMAX cinema, while the other three blocks were filled with shops. It was a bit overwhelming for me, but if you love shopping, it’s great! It’s also an excellent spot for a rainy day since it’s all indoors and easy to reach on U-Bahn 1.

There are many museums and palaces to visit in Vienna, along with various parks, including Prater Park. Prater is a leisure park filled with rides and entertainment, including a steam engine and the oldest Ferris wheel in the world.

You can find lots of activities in Vienna on Get Your Guide 👇

Is Vienna Worth a Visit?

Vienna Surprises

I had a couple of surprises during my visit. Firstly, there was a lot of graffiti, even on some older buildings. Much of it was around the Danube canal area, where graffiti is legal. This was a stark contrast to the Museum quarter.

My full day in Vienna was a Sunday, so all the shops were closed, which wasnt a big deal. However, all the supermarkets were shut too, leaving only small convenience stores open.

The other surprise was seeing shops growing cannabis plants on one of the main streets. There was a bit of cannibis being smoked by people as well. Smoking cannibis is illegal in Austria but it has been decriminalised for personal use.

Is Vienna Worth Visiting? – Conclusion

• Absolutely! Vienna is safe and friendly. I speak enough German to get by, but most places spoke English.
• I found Vienna to be friendly and safe while traveling alone. This included riding the U-Bahn and walking back to my accommodation at night.
• The food in Vienna is great, and I would go back just for that!

More Resources

If you found this article about ‘Is Vienna Worth Visiting?’ useful you might also like;

• Wondering if Vienna is worth visiting – check out my guide
• Check out when the best time to visit Vienna is
• If you’re wondering about safety, check out my guide to Vienna safety
• Confused about getting there? Read How To Get To Vienna
• Wondering about costs? See Is Vienna Expensive?
• Visiting the airport? Check out my Vienna Airport Lounge Review
• Wondering where to stay? Check out my handpicked hotel selection
• Thinking of an apartment? Check out my detailed apartment review including video tour

Find more inspiration on my Austria page

Further Information