VIENNA
Survival Guide
Arrival & transport
Wien-Schwechat airport (+43 7007 22233;
www.viennaairport.com) is 18km south-east of the city. The City Airport Train leaves every 30 minutes (16 minutes’ journey time, ¤9/£6). A bus (to Wiener Westbahnhof; ¤6/£4) and S-Bahn suburban train (line 7 to Wien Mitte; ¤3/£2) take 20-30 minutes.
The city’s public transport (www.wienerlinien.at) consists of a U-Bahn metro, S-Bahn suburban trains, trams (top picture) and buses. The Vienna Card (¤18.50/£12.50) is valid for transport and admission to many attractions for 72 hours.
Hotels
The main tourist office (Albertinaplatz 1; +43 1 2111 4222; www.vienna.info) can make hotel bookings for a nominal fee. Among
the upscale options is the Sacher (pictured second top) (Philharmonikerstrasse 4; +43 1 514 560; www.sacher.com; ¤450/£300), where the cafe is home of the famous chocolate cake Sacher torte. The Starlight Suiten (www.starlighthotels.com) has three bright, spacious downtown hotels for around ¤200/£135. The Pensions Pertschy (Habsburgstrasse 5; +43 1 534 49; www.pertschy.com; ¤130/£90) and Christina (Hafnersteiggasse 7; +43 1 533 2961; same website; ¤120/£80) are conveniently located.
Eating & drinking
The classic Viennese eaterie is the beisl, a wood-panelled tavern where locals tuck into hearty boiled beef or pork escalopes. The Gasthaus Wickerl (Porzellangasse 24A; +43 1 317 7489) is a fine example. The Griechenbeisl (Fleischmarkt 11; +43 1 533 1977) dates back to the 1500s. Vienna is also known for its elegant coffeehouses. The Cafe Landtmann (Dr-Karl-Lueger-Ring 4; +43 1 24 100 111) was frequented by Sigmund Freud, the Central (Herrengasse 14; +43 1 533 376 424) by Leon Trotsky, and the Frauenhuber (Himmelpfortgasse 6; +43 1 512 8383) by Mozart.
Daytime entertainment
The main attraction is Schonbrunn (Schonbrunner Schlosstrasse; +43 1 811 13239; www.schoenbrunn.at), the vast, baroque palace where the Habsburgs resided. At their Imperial Palace, the Hofburg (pictured second bottom), you’ll find the Spanish Riding School and the Weitliche und Geistliche Schatzkammer (Schweizerhof; +43 1 525 240; www.khm.at), which houses treasures from the Holy Roman Empire.
After dark
U4 (Schonbrunner Strasse 222; +43 1 815 8307; www.u4club.at) and Flex (Donaukanal; +43 1 533 7525; www.flex.at) are the most established nightclubs.
Newsletter
