June 4th-June 7th
Vienna, Austria
Vienna, Austria
Nick and I decided to stay in an AirBnB instead of a hotel to cut down on the price of our trip. It was a great location for walking everywhere, or there are public transportation stops nearby. Our host was great about telling us where to go, what not to spend money on, and what to eat. The airbnb was a great choice because we got to spread out and have our own space. Plus, we liked buying beer from the convenience stores and drinking it at night. Having a fridge to keep them cold was an added bonus!
We really enjoyed Vienna, and both said we would come back to visit more of Austria outside the city. It has been ranked the best city for two years in a row and overall, we agree. It felt extremely safe and clean, which is great for people travelling alone or in small groups who prefer to walk around the city at all times of the day. The weather was extremely hot our first day there, but thankfully, we had an overcast day the next day. It drizzled a little bit, but it never was a hindrance on our plans.
This was our first trip together abroad (without family like Ireland), so we wanted to make this feel easy without all the stress of getting to each attraction. That being said, we did the Big Bus Tour. I suggest buying your tickets online or checking out the Vienna Pass to see what the better deal is for you. If you wait to buy your tickets, there are vendors all around the city near the bus pick up spots. We essentially used the bus tour as our mode of transportation. If there was something we wanted to visit that wasn't on the tour, we would find the closest stop and walk from there. I highly suggest this because it has just about everywhere you could possibly want to go.
Museum Quarter was also one of my favorites. This is also something I suggest looking at ahead of time; Nick and I didn't and ended up not getting the best deal. We bought a 3 museum pass and really only needed 2. This, however, might have been the highlight of the trip. The Modern Museum had a whole floor of illusions that we quickly ran through (we came 30 minutes before close, yes we were those people). There were also a ton of other floors, but the illusions one and a pattern design floor were the only ones we got to see. The pattern design floor was cool and I suggest it for anyone interested in fashion.
FOOD in Vienna
This was our first trip together abroad (without family like Ireland), so we wanted to make this feel easy without all the stress of getting to each attraction. That being said, we did the Big Bus Tour. I suggest buying your tickets online or checking out the Vienna Pass to see what the better deal is for you. If you wait to buy your tickets, there are vendors all around the city near the bus pick up spots. We essentially used the bus tour as our mode of transportation. If there was something we wanted to visit that wasn't on the tour, we would find the closest stop and walk from there. I highly suggest this because it has just about everywhere you could possibly want to go.
Museum Quarter was also one of my favorites. This is also something I suggest looking at ahead of time; Nick and I didn't and ended up not getting the best deal. We bought a 3 museum pass and really only needed 2. This, however, might have been the highlight of the trip. The Modern Museum had a whole floor of illusions that we quickly ran through (we came 30 minutes before close, yes we were those people). There were also a ton of other floors, but the illusions one and a pattern design floor were the only ones we got to see. The pattern design floor was cool and I suggest it for anyone interested in fashion.
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| Modern art museum, definitely suggest! |
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| We got 3 tickets for about $40. |
FOOD in Vienna
Cafe Wienna
What we got: Schnitzel and potato salad.
Notes: This place was great! Our AirBnB host knows the owner and gave us coupons for 10% off when we visited there. He said that place was the best schnitzel in town, and we didn't disagree. The restaurant is super cute with a huge bookshelf on one of the walls and a fun ceiling.
Café Sacher
What we got: Schnitzel and potato salad.
Notes: This place was great! Our AirBnB host knows the owner and gave us coupons for 10% off when we visited there. He said that place was the best schnitzel in town, and we didn't disagree. The restaurant is super cute with a huge bookshelf on one of the walls and a fun ceiling.
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| Cafe Wienna- Schnitzel + Potato Salad |
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| Bookshelf in the Cafe |
Café Sacher
What we got: Sacher cake, drinks, and apple strudel.
Notes: This place is apparently very famous for its sacher cake. While Nick and I enjoyed the ambiance of the Opera being outside and the atmosphere inside, we both agreed the cake was just good. Definitely worth going for the experience, but don't expect to have the best cake of your life.
Notes: This place is apparently very famous for its sacher cake. While Nick and I enjoyed the ambiance of the Opera being outside and the atmosphere inside, we both agreed the cake was just good. Definitely worth going for the experience, but don't expect to have the best cake of your life.
Gasthaus Poschl
What we got: Smoked trout dip, Schnitzel, Beef Stroganoff
Notes: The trout dip and beef stroganoff were delicious; I would definitely recommend both! The schnitzel was great, too. However, Cafe Wien's was better! The other two were great to try after having schnitzel the night before. The staff was also very friendly, which made the experience even better. This place is very small and we were the only tourists in there for the two hours we ate.
Notes: The trout dip and beef stroganoff were delicious; I would definitely recommend both! The schnitzel was great, too. However, Cafe Wien's was better! The other two were great to try after having schnitzel the night before. The staff was also very friendly, which made the experience even better. This place is very small and we were the only tourists in there for the two hours we ate.
Market Restaurant
What we got: Spareribs a la Hong Kong, Fried Prawn Dumplings, Beef Filet with wok vegetables, and lean pork belly with kimchi and tofu
Notes: You can find this place right by the Naschmarkt. We loved everything we ate here! The spare ribs were definitely the shining star, but seriously everything was to die for. The food had a good spice, and the prices were not bad.
Something I like to note about the eating out culture in Vienna is you always add the tip on to the bill when you hand them the card. Typically this is rounding the bill up. For example if your meal was 18 Euros, then you tell the waiter to round it to 20. Tips are not typically more than 10-12%, and you never leave the money on the table. Also in most of Europe, you just seat yourself. You don't need to be told where to sit unless it's the type of place that requires reservations or you are instructed to wait to be seated at the door.
I suggest making a quick cheat sheet in your phone of tipping and dining etiquette so you can pull it up on your phone when you are unsure of what to do. Nick and I were always cognoscente of trying to be as polite as possible since we were in their country.
What we got: Spareribs a la Hong Kong, Fried Prawn Dumplings, Beef Filet with wok vegetables, and lean pork belly with kimchi and tofu
Notes: You can find this place right by the Naschmarkt. We loved everything we ate here! The spare ribs were definitely the shining star, but seriously everything was to die for. The food had a good spice, and the prices were not bad.
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| One of the best meals of the trip! |
I suggest making a quick cheat sheet in your phone of tipping and dining etiquette so you can pull it up on your phone when you are unsure of what to do. Nick and I were always cognoscente of trying to be as polite as possible since we were in their country.
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