Europe (2017): Solo Trip to Vienna, Austria

I can't stay longer in a place. Therefore after spending 3 days 2 nights in Budapest, I decided to proceed to the next country, the next city - Vienna, the capital city of Austria. Austria is not a new country to me as I've been before 9 years ago but at that point of time, I only managed to cover Tyrol, one of the cities located in the west of Austria. So for this time around, I included few cities of Austria in my list that I must visit and shouldn't miss out. 

From Budapest To Vienna

There are numerous way to get into Vienna from Budapest but of course for me, I would prefer the cheapest option, which is my main priority then following according to the time schedule which suit me. I took train from Budapest-Keleti Railway Station to "Wien". Bear in mind the station names of all stops in Vienna begin with its German name "Wien". I bought my train ticket in advance from MAV at www.mavcsoport.hu/en for €13 or HUF4,030 (approx. to RM69) for almost 3 hours train ride.

It's really hard for me to explain everything here, hence I recommend you to read this "The Man in Seat Sixty-One" - the best train travel guide which helps me a lot in planning most of my trips. 

Budapest-Keleti Railway Station, the main international and inter-city railway terminal of Budapest

I found the seats arrangement pretty awkward cause you sit face to face with other passenger. Imagine you accidentally fall asleep and he/she keep looking at you throughout the train ride. 

Here comes the confusing part. I never knew Wien has four train stations and for safety purposes, I booked all my train tickets arrive at and depart from Wien Hauptbahnhof (Vienna Main Station). Only to find out my hostel is closer to the Wien Westbahnhof (Vienna West Station). Silly me! 

Wien Hauptbahnhof (Vienna Main Station) - the most important national and international transportation hub in Austria

Few things you must take note when taking train from Budapest to Vienna/Wien:

1) Reserve your seat number in advance and arrive at the train station earlier. There are plenty of passenger couldn't get any seat throughout the journey cause they arrived late. 

2) Be prepared with your passport as there will be immigration officers checking every passport since the train across from one country to another. 

Where I Stayed In Vienna
Vienna is potentially one of the safest cities in the world for its size. So whichever part of the city you choose to stay, you don't have to worry much. Most of the times I prefer to stay closer to the train or bus stations. Hence, I picked Wombats City Hostel Vienna - The Lounge. Do take note there are three different Wombats Hostel in Vienna itself but I prefer The Lounge for its convenient and strategic location. Beside so close to Wien Westbahnhof (Vienna West Station) which I mention earlier, there is a large shopping mall, plenty of shops and restaurants and more. As for the hostel itself, the lounge and dining area are completely huge and I love their kitchenette. How I wish I could stay longer but I only stayed for a night.

Date Stayed: 12 September 2017 (1 night)
Room Rate: RM116 for a bed in 6 bed female room ensuite with private bathroom. (Booked via Agoda)

What To Do & See In Vienna
Now let's start with the day pass or ticket. In the case you love to visit museums and art galleries, you should consider buying Vienna Card (24 hours - €13.90, 48 hours - €21.90 or 72 hours - €24.90) for unlimited public transportation ride and discounts for the museums and art galleries. I bought this but  however by end of the day, I felt not worth because first, I wasn't into all these historical things and it totally can't apply to all the museums. It's better to opt for other ticket instead; the 24-hour ticket for €7.60, 48 hour ticket for €13.30 and 72 hour ticket for €16.50.


Vienna Card (24 hours - €13.90, 48 hours - €21.90 or 72 hours - €24.90) - It's freaking expensive and I found it's not worth for me.

1) Schonbrunn Palace - former imperial summer residence with ceremonial rooms and stunning gardens. Due to its historical significance, for its unique layout and magnificent furnishings, this palace has been listed in UNESCO World Heritage. To be frank as I don't know much about Austrian history, the only thing I know is this palace is related to Emperor Franz Joseph. What amazed me is there are more than 1,400 rooms in Schonbrunn Palace itself. However, only 45 rooms are open to public for visit.

As for the ticket fee, you can choose the tour based on your preference and there is time limit for each tour. Why did I say earlier that the Vienna Card is not worth because the discount can't apply to few of the tours offer like Imperial Tour and Grand Tour. Another thing you should take note is no photography is allowed inside the palace. 

Getting To Schonbrunn Palace:

Underground: U4 Schonbrunn station

Trams: 10 and 58 Schonbrunn

Bus: 10A Schonbrunn station

2) St. Stephen's Cathedral - most important and symbolic building of Vienna. The 14th century Romanesque and Gothic cathedral is famous for its multi-coloured tiled roof and has played a part in Viennese culture over the centuries, witnessing many important imperial and social events.  

Getting To St. Stephen's Cathedral
Underground: U1, U3 Stephansplatz

3) Graben Shopping Street - exclusive and noble shopping street in the heart of the inner city. Here, you can enjoy shopping like H&M and able to find a lot of different eatable souvenirs from Vienna. There are even plenty of coffee shops and restaurants tucked in between all these shops. 

Getting To Graben Shopping Street
Underground: U1, U3 Stephansplatz

4) Imperial Hofburg - impressive and incredible building at the Heldenplatz public space with long history. It's situated at Vienna's splendor boulevard, the Ringstrasse and is reachable from there through the Burgtor gate. It used to be principal imperial winter residence and today the the official residence and workplace of the President of Austria. 

Getting To Imperial Hofburg
Underground: U3 Herrengasse station

5) Wiener Rathaus - the town hall of Vienna. Built in a Neo-Gothic style, it houses the office of the Mayor of Vienna as well as the chambers of the city council. Among all the buildings I visited, I particular love this especially for its richly adorned facade. And before I arrived at this town hall, there is a spectacular city garden known as Rathauspark which manicured with beautiful flowers, monuments and fountains.  

Getting To Wiener Rathaus
Underground: U2 Rathaus staion

6) Vienna Opera House - Ended my night in Vienna by visiting the worldwide known opera house. In here, the audience can watch daily opera performances, ballet shows and sometimes concert and one time a year an operatta which is the Fledermaus as traditional New Year's Eve performance. As I was arrived late, I unable to join the guided tour which costs approximately €9 for an hour tour. 

Getting To Vienna Opera House
Underground: U1, U2 and U4 Karlsplatz station

I love to do cafe hopping and if possible, I would try to fit in at least one cafe visit into my itinerary. As I unable to visit one of the most popular cafe in Budapest because it was too crowded, I decided to try my luck to visit one in Vienna. After reading few reviews from Tripadvisor, I picked - Cafe Central. If you are searching for authentic Viennese food like Wiener Schnitzel, apple strudel and hot Viennese coffee, perhaps this classic cafe is the right place for you to sit down, relax, unwind and admire the old world charm history.

Go early or else there would be long queue 


Cakes for the sweet tooth like me - Aren't they beautiful? 


And more cakes on the other side. How I wish I can order more but I was all alone. 


I ordered Wiener Melange - Viennese style coffee, extended espresso with fronted milk. 

Of course when comes to the price, expecting a cup of coffee to cost at least €5 as well as for the cake. Oh well at least it worth for the price I paid especially for its cozy ambiance and slow-paced atmosphere. Another thing you should take note when dining-in in Europe is expecting to give tips at least 10% from your total bill. I didn't know this until one of my hostelmates told me about it. No wonder the waiter didn't return my change when my bill is only €9.20 but then I gave him €10.

How Much I Spent in Vienna
Here are the breakdown:

PARTICULARS	AMOUNT
	€	RM
Accommodation Wombats City Hostel Vienna - The Lounge – 1 night Transportation Train from Budapest to Vienna Vienna City Pass Admission Fee Schonbrunn Palace - Grand Tour  Food & Beverages Others  Souvenirs – magnets, postcards, stamps & etc	- - 13.90 17.50 22.30 7.10	116 69 71 90 114 36
	TOTAL:	496

Exchange Rate: €1.00 = RM5.12 as at September 2017

Frankly speaking, Vienna is not my liking and luckily I only stayed for a night. It's indeed one beautiful city to visit especially for those who haven't been Vienna yet but somehow, nothing impressed me here. So what's next after this? Stay tune! 

I crossed the road many times just to take this cute traffic light I spotted in Vienna 🚦💑

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