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Vienna is the capital of Austria, known as the 'city of music due to its musical legacy. It was home to musicians such as Beethoven and Mozart. Did you know that this city is only 3 hours away from Budapest? When we heard this, we decided to look into visiting Vienna during our trip to Budapest. In this post, I will talk about four ways to get to Vienna, What you need to know and give you an itinerary.
If you're looking into a day trip from Budapest to Vienna, there are four options to do so; by train, by bus, by car, or an organized trip.
Taking the train is a great option to get from Budapest to Vienna it should take about 2.5 hours and costs somewhere between 5-22 Euro one way, which is a good bargain. Names of train stations: Budapest: Budapest-Kelenfoeld. Vienna: Wien Hbf There are quite a few options when it comes to taking a train from Budapest to Vienna:
•Hungarian Railways (MÁV): Duration: 2 hours and 26 minutes. Price: 11-15 Euro. Frequency: the train runs hourly.
•RegioJet: Budapest Déli Train Station - Prague Central Train Station WilsonovaIc. You'll get off at Wien Hbf, which is Vienna train station. Duration: 2 hours and 36 minutes. Price: 10-22 Euro. Frequency: 3 times a day.
•Romanian Railways (CFR): Duration: 2 hours and 40 minutes. Price: 5-16 Euro. Frequency: twice a day.
BEST OPTION:
Hungarian Railways (MÁV):
•Budapest-Keletito to Wien Hbf: Earliest train departures at 05:40 arrival at Vienna 08:21.
•Wien Hbf to Budapest:
The last train from Vienna back to Budapest is at 21:40, you arrive in Budapest at 00:19 am. I recommend taking the 18:42 or the 19:42 train from Vienna and arriving in Budapest around 21:20 or 22:20. That way, you have time to make it to the hotel by public transportation in Budapest.
Flexibus is the company that runs direct buses from Budapest Nepliget to Vienna Central Station.
The bus from Budapest to Vienna should take about 2 hours and 50 minutes. It costs somewhere between 14-22 Euro round-trip per person.
The buses have outlets and free Wi-Fi. I wouldn't recommend it since the hours are a little restricting.
The earliest bus is at 7:15 and takes about 2 hours and 55 minutes, meaning you arrive in Vienna at 10:10 and the latest bus is at 17:15, which doesn't give you so much time to spend in the city.
Renting a car: Renting a car is a great way to visit Vienna. Vienna is 243km from Budapest, so the drive will take about 2 hours and 23 minutes. for tips for renting a car click here!
•Parking in Vienna: You can park your car inexpensively at Vienna's Park & Ride Garages for about 3.60 Euros per day. All Park & Ride facilities are directly connected to a subway line, making it easy and convenient to reach the city center.
We don't always take organized trips, but due to lack of time to plan and other elements, we considered we decided to take an organized trip. We booked our trip through Banai Family, a Hungarian-Israeli family who runs tours in Budapest; therefore, the tour is done in Hebrew and costs cheaper. If you'd like to book them, click here!
If you are going through a different company, there are many options and different tours.
Price: 100-180 Euros per person.
What it includes: Minibus, Air-conditioned, lunch, small group, and excellent tour guide.
Time table:
•Schonbrunner Gardens - 30 minutes.
•The Hofburg - 20 minutes.
•Schönbrunn Palace - 60 minutes.
•Historic Center of Vienna - 40 minutes.
•St. Stephen's Cathedral - 20 minutes.
•Schönbrunn - 90 minutes.
We enjoyed our tour. The tour guide was excellent and knowledgeable; we got to see all the beautiful spots in the city and fell in love. This is a perfect option if you're looking to relax and not worry about taking buses and trains and want a great tour guide to give you all the history and information about the city, including the best places to eat!
The only downfall with organized tours, in general, is that you can't choose the itinerary, and we would have loved to have been able to control how much time we gave each spot.
If you've chosen to get to Vienna by train, bus, or car, here's an itinerary I built to help you.
Once you arrive at the train station in Vienna Wien Hbf Take the light rail D towards Absberggasse and get off at Maria-Theresien-Platz. The ride should take 13 minutes (7 stops).
Once you arrive, get ready to walk and explore this beautiful city:
This square is between two excellent museums, Art History and Natural History. The square is beautiful and worth visiting, you can feel Vienna's history here. the Statue of Empress Maria Theresia also features Mozart and Haydn.
➠ Walk 450 m (6 minutes) to....
Sadly, it was under construction during our visit, but we got to see part of it from a distance, and I was impressed by how big it is and the gorgeous sculptures. You can enter the Parliament building, but the main entrance is still under construction (updated Jan 2022).
Entrance Fee: (When it is open) Free.
➠Walk 300 m (4 minutes) to....
One of the most essential and beautiful squares in Vienna. Famous buildings and a small park surround it. It is known to be one of the most beautiful places during Christmas time due to its Christmas markets. We came a little later, but they still had the ice right and the lights set up.
Vienna City Hall is the seat of the local government of Vienna, located on Rathausplatz. We loved the design of the building that was built in a Neo-Gothic style. and I recommend it to anyone visiting Vienna. We would have loved to have taken a tour inside but didn't have time.
Entrance Fee: 6 Euro per adult.
Guided tours: Saturdays and Sundays at 10.30 am. They take one hour and cost 10 Euro.
Opening hours: Daily from 10 am to 6 pm.
➠ Walk 300 m (4 minutes) to....
Admire Burgtheater, Universitätsring from outside. It is the national theater of Austria, and it is a beauty.
➠Walk 300 m (4 minutes) to....
The Volksgarten is a public park that is part of the Hofburg Palace. The park was built over the city fortifications that Napoleon destroyed in 1809. We enjoyed walking around here on our way to Hofburg. The park is spotless, has many benches, peaceful and quiet.
Entrance Fee: Free.
Opening hours: Daily from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm.
The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. It was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterward. It also served as the imperial winter residence, while Schönbrunn Palace was the summer residence. This palace is so impressive; the sculptures that adorn the surrounding area deserve your attention.
Entrance Fee Entrance to the Sisi Museum: 15 Euro for the audio guide.
Opening hours: Daily from 10 am - 5 pm.
Duration: 1.5 -2 hours. For more ticket options, click here!
➠Walk 400 m (5 minutes) to....
We walked on Kohlmarkt - a historic street with upscale retailers
➠Walk 600 m (8 minutes) to....
This is one of the most precious and must-visit cathedrals in Vienna. It is important because it is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Vienna. You will get to experience the 12th-century gothic architecture, the large columns, and the beautiful paintings of the saints. This place has 13 bells and the second largest chimed bell in the world. The cathedral has four towers; the tallest is the south tower, which provides the best view of the entire city. The tower room, from which there is a gigantic view across Vienna, is reached via 343 steps
Entrance Fee: Entrance to the cathedral itself is Free, but if you'd like to climb to the North tower it costs 6 Euro, and if you'd like to climb the South Tower it costs 5.50 Euro. Do know that there are about 343 steps.
Opening hours for Cathedral: Monday-Saturday 06:00 - 22:00, Sunday 07:00-22:00.
Elevators: If you're not interested in climbing up to the towers, you can take an elevator. For both elevators, it'll cost 16 Euro and are both open daily from 9 am to 5:30 pm.
Kärntner Straße is the most famous shopping street in central Vienna. It runs from the Stephansplatz (the square near Stephansdom) to the opera house. Karntner Strasse is lined with dandy shops, baroque cafes, and cute pathways. As you walk through the shops, you'll admire the incredible architecture.
➠Walk 750 m (9 minutes) to....
The Staatsoper is Vienna's State Opera house. Built-in 1869, the Opera house has got a fascinating history. Between1938 to 1945, the Nazi's rule took over the opera house, and in 1945 the opera house was devastated during a bombing. Today, the Vienna State Opera is considered one of the most important opera houses in the world
Opening hours: Daily from 8 am to 6 pm.
Guided tours: The tour is 40 minutes long and costs 12 Euros per adult.
Covid update: For guided tours of the Vienna State Opera, a certificate of being recovered or vaccinated is required from the age of 15 - this must be shown when entering the building.
At the end of the street, just opposite the main entrance of the Opera house, there is an outlet souvenir shop. For example, you can buy two magnets for 4 Euro, and key chains for 5 Euro. (In Stephansdom, it'll cost you around 7 Euro for 1 magnet and 8-10 Euro for a key chain!!)
From the Opera house, take the U4 towards Hütteldorf and get off at Hietzing (the stop for Schönbrunn) it takes around 11 min (7 stops).
Schönbrunn Palace is one of the most visited places in Vienna. Schönbrunn Palace was once the summer residence of Austria’s imperial family. Today Schönbrunn is one of Europe’s finest surviving Baroque complexes. There are two main complexes; Schönbrunn Palace and the park. The palace has daily tours, and the park offers many attractions. Take a stroll through the gardens. There is a Palm House, a Maze, a Gloriette and a famous zoo.
The history of Schönbrunn and the buildings that previously stood on this site dates back to the 14th century. Emperor Matthias discovered a spring that gave the estate the name it still bears today.
Entrance Fee: Sisi tickets: 36 euros. This gives you a budget-friendly package for three imperial attractions in Vienna: Schönbrunn Palace - Grand Tour, Sisi Museum · Imperial Apartments · Silver Collection (Hofburg Vienna), and Vienna Furniture Museum.
Opening hours: daily from 9:30 am to 05:00 pm
Covid: Mask obligated and 2-G rule (Recovered and vaccinated) in the indoor area.
The Sisi Museum, the Imperial Apartments, and the Imperial Silver Collection are open daily, including on public holidays from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Vienna Furniture Museum is closed on Mondays. Opening hours: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
The last admission to the individual attractions is one hour before closing time.
The park at Schönbrunn Palace was opened to the public around 1779. Since then has provided a popular recreational amenity for the Viennese population and been a focus of great cultural and historical interest for international visitors.
Entrance Fee: Free.
Opening hours: January: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
This is the world's oldest zoo and the best zoo in Eruope. There are more than 700 species of animals (including endangered ones), and the star attractions are the giant pandas.
Entrance Fee: 24 Euro per adult.
Opening hours: January: 9 am-4.30 pm
February: 9am-5pm.
March: 9am-5.30pm.
April-September: 9am-6.30pm.
October (until the end of daylight saving time): 9 am-5.30 pm.
November-December: 9am-4.30pm.