Explore Vienna
Plan Your Vienna Holiday: Best of Vienna
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Essential Vienna
Vienna’s coffee shop culture
- Cafe Sperl1,388Whatever you do, do not simply order “a coffee” in a Viennese coffee shop. The Viennese melange is the ideal mix—an espresso shot topped with warm milk and a small amount of foam. Order yours at the richly decorated Cafe Sperl. Chandeliers twinkle overhead, red velvet settees invite you to stay awhile, and if you are lucky, a musician might just appear to perform on the grand piano.
- Café Jelinek216The rustic Cafe Jelenik is home to students and couches that can comfortably swallow you whole. Leaning more toward the bohemian than the imperial side of Vienna, Jelenik reliably serves traditional Sacher Torte cakes, gulasch soups, and apfelstrudel alongside many coffee varieties. You won’t find waiters in bow ties here, but you will find a cosy spot to get lost in a book or newspaper for hours on end, without interruption.
- Kleines Cafe324This picture-perfect cafe can be found on a cobblestoned courtyard in Vienna’s historic city centre. With tiny wooden tables and mismatched chairs, it lives up to its name (“kleines” means “small”), though it feels larger than life, thanks to cleverly positioned mirrors.
- Cafe Dommayer425Hidden away in a leafy green corner near Schonbrunn Palace, Cafe Dommayer has a coffee menu with endless pages (try the Maria Theresia kaffee with orange liqueur-infused espresso); waiters stand at the ready to bring you plates of pastries and cakes heaving with whipped cream. Grab a marble interior table lit by a chandelier and enjoy the real treat: watching the aristocratic locals, bedecked in furs and pearls, sip their coffee in companionable silence.
- Balthasar Kaffee Bar193If all these traditional coffee houses overwhelm with their gruff waiters and opulence, allow me to introduce a more modern alternative, if you just want a really good flat white or filter coffee. Balthasar Kaffee Bar takes its beans and brewing seriously and will give you a caffeine jolt with a smile—ushering in the next generation of Viennese coffee traditions.
Explore Vienna by interest
Vienna on a dime
If you’re feeling fancy-ish
For the history buff
Vienna, after dark
Get your caffeine fix
The city’s a stage
On the Danube
Chill out in nature
Where to waltz
If you’ve got a sweet tooth
Travelers' pro tips for experiencing Vienna
In the words of those who've been there before ...
What is the best way to get there?
Flying:
Vienna International Airport (VIE) is a major hub with 77 airlines flying to more than 200 destinations in 68 countries.
For info, see here.
Train:
Wien Hauptbahnhof is Vienna’s main train station, with regional and international connections, while Wien Westbahnhof station connects Vienna and Salzburg.
For more info, visit here.
Bus
Flixbus and Eurolines offer bus service to Vienna from dozens of European cities.
For rates, fares and schedules, visit here.
Do I need a visa?
Since Austria is one of the 26 Schengen Area countries, tourists from those countries do not need a visa for visits less than 90 days, but passports must be valid for at least six months after departure dates. The same goes for Americans. For more info, see here.
When is the best time to visit?
Winter: Winter is a magical time to visit Vienna, with its UNESCO-listed palaces lit up with festive illuminations, atmospheric Christmas markets and the New Year’s Eve Imperial Ball marking the start of the ball season. You can expect average daily temperatures in Vienna this time of year to be highs of 39 Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) and lows around 32 Fahrenheit (0 Celsius).
Public transportation card
Be sure to nab a Vienna City Card, which includes free public transportation and discounts on lots of attractions.
For more info, visit here.
Trains
The U-Bahn subway has five lines serving 109 stations across the city.
For more info, visit here.
Trams
Another great way to get around Vienna is by taking one of its 29 tram lines.
For schedules, routes, and fares, visit here.
Buses
There are 127 bus lines in the city’s network.
For schedules, routes and fares, visit here.
Bikes
Citybike Wien is the city’s public bike-share with 1,500 bikes available at 121 docking stations.
For rates and locations, visit here.
Ridesharing
Uber is available in Vienna via its app on your smartphone.
Taxis
Taxis are widely available in Vienna and fairly inexpensive. You can find them at taxi stands across the city and at train stations.
For a map of taxi stands in Vienna, visit here.