Precisely because the mountains are so close, your choice of area matters more here than in most cities. Do you want to stay in the middle of the cobbled streets, close to the train and the ski buses, or up in a village with a view over it all? Here are my six suggestions, with three hotels in each area.

Where to Stay in Innsbruck: The Best Areas

• Altstadt - best area for first-time visitors
• Innenstadt & Hauptbahnhof - best area for shopping and for a ski holiday by bus and train
• Wilten & Bergisel - best area for families and quiet streets
• Hötting & Hungerburg - best area for hikers and views
• Igls & Patscherkofel - best area for a village feel and skiing close to the city
• Seefeld in Tirol - best area for wellness, cross-country skiing and peace and quiet

Below, I go through the six areas one at a time. You get a map, the key practical information, my honest take on the pros and cons, and three hotels in each area, always with the most expensive first and the cheapest last.

1. Altstadt - best area for first-time visitors

• Distance to the centre: You’re staying in the centre itself. From the Goldenes Dachl it’s less than a five-minute walk to the Hofburg, the Hofkirche, the cathedral and Maria-Theresien-Straße.
• Transport: You can do everything in the Old Town on foot. The Hungerburgbahn leaves from the station at Congress a few minutes’ walk away, and trams and buses stop at Marktplatz and Museumstraße.
• Time from Innsbruck Airport: Around 25 minutes. Bus F runs to the centre and the Hauptbahnhof in about 20 minutes, and from there you walk the last five to ten minutes.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below were priced at roughly £140 to £415 per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• Safety: Very safe, even late in the evening. The only thing to watch out for is pickpockets in the crowds in front of the Goldenes Dachl in the middle of the day.

Altstadt is the small medieval core between the River Inn and Maria-Theresien-Straße. The main street, Herzog-Friedrich-Straße, ends at the Goldenes Dachl, the oriel window with 2,657 gilded copper tiles that Emperor Maximilian I had built around 1500. A few steps away are the Stadtturm, St James’s Cathedral (Dom St. Jakob), the Hofburg and the Hofkirche, where Maximilian’s empty tomb is surrounded by 28 larger-than-life bronze figures, known as the Schwarze Mander. If you want the history told properly, this one-hour guided walking tour is an inexpensive way to start your stay.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Innsbruck and you have two to four days. You can walk everywhere, the Hungerburgbahn up towards the Nordkette is just round the corner, and in December the Christkindlmarkt sets up its stalls right in front of the Goldenes Dachl. If you’re planning to see lots of sights, the Innsbruck Card can be worth it: according to Innsbruck Tourismus, the card costs €69 (around £58) for 24 hours, €79 (around £66) for 48 hours and €89 (around £75) for 72 hours, and it includes the Nordkettenbahnen, the Patscherkofelbahn, Swarovski Kristallwelten with the shuttle bus, the Hofburg, the Hofkirche, Bergisel and all public transport in the city, among other things.

See hotels in Altstadt here.

The downsides are easy to spot. Altstadt is the most expensive area in the city, and in the middle of the day the narrow streets are packed with day-trippers and coach parties. If you’re coming by car, expect to pay around €15 to €17 (around £13 to £14) a day for a multi-storey car park, and dragging suitcases over cobblestones is no fun. On the other hand, it gets lovely and quiet once the coaches have left in the evening.

Hotels in Altstadt

Hotel Das Innsbruck - pool and spa with mountain views by the Innbrücke

Hotel Das Innsbruck is at Innrain 3, right by the bridge over the Inn on the edge of the Old Town, and is the most expensive of my suggestions in Innsbruck. It’s a four-star hotel with an indoor pool and a top-floor spa area looking out towards the Nordkette, and it scores 9.1 from more than 5,000 guests. The hotel has no parking of its own at the door, so you’re directed to a multi-storey car park at around €16 (around £13) per night.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Location, breakfast, swimming pool, cleanliness.”

See photos and book Hotel Das Innsbruck here.

Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz - 600-year-old house where Mozart once stayed

Weisses Kreuz is at Herzog-Friedrich-Straße 31, a minute’s walk from the Goldenes Dachl, and has been welcoming guests for over 600 years. Mozart stayed here aged 12, and today it’s a four-star hotel with air conditioning, soundproofed rooms and a small bar. Guests rate it 9.2, but the hotel has no parking of its own, so you’ll need to plan on a multi-storey car park at around €15 (around £13) per night.

From one review: “The hotel’s location couldn’t be more central. It was fantastic how close we were to everything in the Old Town.”

See photos and book Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz here.

H5 Grauer Bär Studios & More - studios with kitchenettes in Hofgasse

H5 Grauer Bär Studios is at Hofgasse 5, literally round the corner from the Goldenes Dachl, and is the cheapest of my suggestions in the Old Town. You get a modern studio with a kitchenette, and breakfast is available at extra cost. It scores 9.1 from over 2,000 guests, but some mention street noise, and parking in a multi-storey car park costs around €17 (around £14) a day.

One guest highlights: “Wonderful apartment in a fantastic location.”

See photos and book H5 Grauer Bär Studios & More here.

2. Innenstadt & Hauptbahnhof - best area for shopping and a car-free ski holiday

• Distance to the centre: You’re right in the centre. From Hauptbahnhof it’s around a ten-minute walk to the Goldenes Dachl, and Maria-Theresien-Straße runs straight into the Old Town.
• Transport: Hauptbahnhof brings together trains, trams, city buses, ski buses and the shuttle bus to Swarovski Kristallwelten. A single IVB ticket costs €3.30 (around £2.75), and a 24-hour ticket costs €7.30 (around £6).
• Time from Innsbruck Airport: Around 20 minutes on bus F, which runs directly to Hauptbahnhof via the centre.
• Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £145 to £195 per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• Safety: Safe. The square in front of the station can feel a bit scruffy late in the evening, but I wouldn’t give it a second thought.

Innenstadt is the part of the centre that lies south and east of the Old Town. Its backbone is Maria-Theresien-Straße, the wide pedestrian street that runs from the Annasäule down to the Triumphpforte, the triumphal arch Empress Maria Theresa had built in 1765. This is where you’ll find the Kaufhaus Tyrol and Rathausgalerien shopping centres and most of the city’s chain hotels, and five minutes to the east you’re at Hauptbahnhof, where the Railjet trains from Munich, Salzburg and Vienna pull in. You can find bus and tram fares at IVB.

If you’re going on a ski holiday without a car, this is where I’d stay. According to Stubaier Gletscher, the Ski plus City Pass is valid in 12 ski areas with over 100 lifts, including the Stubai Glacier, Axamer Lizum, Nordkette, Patscherkofel and Kühtai, plus more than 20 sights in the city and the free ski bus. When I checked, a two-day pass cost around €162 (around £135) and a six-day pass around €386 (around £325). The ski buses to Axamer Lizum and Stubai leave from Hauptbahnhof. If you’d rather head to Wattens to see Swarovski Kristallwelten, the shuttle bus also departs from here. According to Swarovski Kristallwelten, admission costs €25 (around £21) online and €27 (around £23) at the ticket desk, and you can book a ticket with the bus included here.

See hotels in Innenstadt and near Hauptbahnhof here.

Remember too that most hotels in the region hand out the free Welcome Card when you stay at least two nights. According to innsbruck.info, the card gives you free public transport throughout the Innsbruck region, including regional trains, though not the Hungerburgbahn. The downside is that the area lacks charm compared with the Old Town, and the streets around Südtiroler Platz and Salurner Straße carry heavy traffic. From Innsbruck Airport, bus F takes around 20 minutes to Hauptbahnhof according to Innsbruck Airport, and a standard IVB ticket is valid. If you fly into Munich instead of Innsbruck, my guide to getting from Munich Airport to the city centre will help you with the first leg, and from München Hauptbahnhof the Railjet takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes to Innsbruck. By car it’s around two hours.

Hotels in Innenstadt and near Hauptbahnhof

ADLERS Hotel Innsbruck - panoramic bar on the 12th floor right by the station

ADLERS is at Brunecker Straße 1, around 50 metres from Hauptbahnhof, and is the most expensive of my three suggestions here. The hotel is a tower block with a restaurant and bar on the 12th floor, where you get Innsbruck’s best view over the city and mountains with your breakfast, and there’s a sauna and spa area. Its score of 8.3 is the lowest among my picks in the city, and several guests mention that the car park, at €18 (around £15) a day, is awkward to drive to.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The view from the room is really good, and the bathroom’s condition and size are good.”

See photos and book ADLERS Hotel Innsbruck here.

STAGE 12 Hotel by Penz - design hotel right on Maria-Theresien-Straße

STAGE 12 is at Maria-Theresien-Straße 12, so you step straight out onto the pedestrian street. The hotel has a modern interior with a sauna, steam room, gym and roof terrace, and it scores 8.6 from almost 3,700 guests. The downside is the cost of parking, which is €18 (around £15) per day and not included.

From one review: “The location is fantastic, the room is really good and clean, plenty of space and a good bed.”

See photos and book STAGE 12 Hotel by Penz here.

Motel One Innsbruck - budget chain with a roof terrace by Hauptbahnhof

Motel One is at Südbahnstraße 1 on the south side of the station and is the cheapest of my suggestions in Innenstadt. You’ll know the concept: small, smart rooms with air conditioning, a good bar and a terrace, and here it scores 8.6 from over 10,000 guests. There’s no free parking, and the car park costs around €20 (around £17) a day.

One guest highlights: “Everything was perfect! The hotel is easy to reach, and the car park is spacious and super easy to get into.”

See photos and book Motel One Innsbruck here.

3. Wilten & Bergisel - best area for families and quiet streets

• Distance to the centre: Around 1 to 1.5 km. From Wilten Basilica it’s a 15 to 20-minute walk to the Goldenes Dachl, or you can take the tram from Leopoldstraße.
• Transport: Tram 1 runs along Leopoldstraße between Bergisel and the centre, and tram 6 to Igls starts at Bergisel. The Hauptbahnhof is a ten-minute walk away.
• Time from Innsbruck Airport: Around 30 minutes. Bus F to the Hauptbahnhof takes about 20 minutes, followed by a ten-minute walk or a few stops on the tram.
• Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost around £165 to £185 per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• Safety: A quiet residential area with no problems. The only downsides are the traffic on Leopoldstraße and Brennerstraße.

Wilten begins where Maria-Theresien-Straße ends at the Triumphpforte and stretches south to the foot of Bergisel. The district is home to two of the city’s most beautiful churches: Stift Wilten, the abbey with its baroque abbey church, and Wilten Basilica, a rococo masterpiece from the 1750s with an interior that leaves most visitors open-mouthed. In between lie quiet residential streets, small bakeries and cafés along Leopoldstraße, where the people of Innsbruck themselves live.

Bergisel is the reason many people choose this area. The ski jump with Zaha Hadid’s tower hosted the Winter Olympics in both 1964 and 1976, and every year around New Year the stadium fills up for the Four Hills Tournament. The rest of the year you can take the lift up to the panoramic terrace and the Bergisel SKY restaurant, and according to Bergisel, admission costs 12 euros (around £10) for adults and 6.50 euros (around £5.50) for children. Right next door is the Tirol Panorama museum with its enormous panoramic painting of the 1809 Battle of Bergisel. With children, this is also where I would stay, because tram 6 up to Igls and the bobsleigh track starts at Bergisel, and the walk along the River Sill through the Sillschlucht gorge is an easy family hike.

See hotels in Wilten and near Bergisel here.

The downsides are manageable. You’ll need to walk for a quarter of an hour or take the tram to reach the Old Town, and there are few hotels, so prices aren’t any lower than in the centre at weekends. If you choose a hotel facing Leopoldstraße or Brennerstraße, ask for a room overlooking the courtyard, as cars and trams run until late in the evening.

Hotels in Wilten and near Bergisel

AC Hotel by Marriott Innsbruck - four-star chain hotel with a spa by the Triumphpforte

AC Hotel is at Salurner Straße 15, right by the Triumphpforte where Innenstadt turns into Wilten, and it’s my most expensive suggestion in the area. The hotel has a restaurant, sauna, steam room, gym and soundproofed rooms, and it scores 8.9 from almost 3,700 guests. The biggest complaint is parking, which is in a public car park at around 22 euros (around £18) per day.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic location, lovely staff, quiet room, comfortable bed, excellent breakfast.”

See photos and book AC Hotel by Marriott Innsbruck here.

Nala Individuellhotel - individually designed rooms and a garden on Müllerstraße

Nala is at Müllerstraße 15, a quiet side street in Wilten, and it’s the most personal hotel in the city: every room is decorated differently, there’s a garden with sun loungers and an outdoor fireplace, and breakfast can be brought up to your room. A score of 9.2 from more than 2,700 guests speaks for itself, and parking costs just around 9.50 euros (around £8) per night. One guest mentions that the collection of the tourist tax was confusing.

From a review: “The place was in a good area, the room was clean and had all the facilities.”

See photos and book Nala Individuellhotel here.

Urban Inn - Wilten 24/7 - aparthotel with 24-hour self check-in

Urban Inn is at Mentlgasse 4 in the heart of Wilten and is the simplest of my three suggestions: an aparthotel with 24-hour self check-in, so you can arrive whenever suits you. The units are small but well designed, including family rooms, and guests give it 8.7. There’s no on-site parking, so you’ll need to use a car park at around 20 euros (around £17) per day, and on the June weekend I searched, it actually wasn’t any cheaper than the other two.

One guest highlights: “The room was charming, the location is perfect.”

See photos and book Urban Inn Wilten here.

4. Hötting & Hungerburg - best area for hikers and views

• Distance to the centre: From the colourful houses at Mariahilf, it’s a five to ten-minute walk across the Innbrücke to the Goldenes Dachl. From Hungerburg, the funicular takes around eight minutes down to Congress.
• Transport: The Hungerburgbahn runs from Congress via Löwenhaus and Alpenzoo to Hungerburg. Down by the river, the city buses stop on Innstraße, and you walk the rest.
• Time from Innsbruck Airport: Around 30 minutes to Mariahilf by bus F plus a short walk, and around 45 minutes all the way up to Hungerburg.
• Price level: €€. The three hotels below cost around £130 to £160 per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• Safety: Very safe. It’s the dark, steep roads, not people, you need to watch out for if you’re walking home in the evening.

Hötting is the large district on the north side of the Inn, and it covers both the brightly coloured houses along the riverbank in Mariahilf and St. Nikolaus, which are the classic postcard view of Innsbruck, and the green plateau of Hungerburg around 300 metres higher up. The two are linked by the Hungerburgbahn, which since 2007 has run from Congress by the Hofburg via the Löwenhaus and Alpenzoo stops to Hungerburg in around eight minutes. The stations were designed by Zaha Hadid, and from the terrace at Hungerburg you have the whole city at your feet.

From here, the cable cars continue to Seegrube at 1,905 metres and on to Hafelekar at 2,256 metres, the so-called Top of Innsbruck. According to Nordkettenbahnen, an adult return ticket from the city to Hungerburg costs 14 euros (around £12), to Seegrube 42 euros (around £35) and all the way to the top 56 euros (around £45). In summer it’s the starting point for hikes such as the Goetheweg along the ridge, and in winter the Nordkette is a small but notoriously steep ski area. On the way up you’ll pass the Alpenzoo, with bears, wolves and ibex on the mountainside. Bear in mind that there are hardly any hotels up on Hungerburg itself, only holiday apartments, so my suggestions are down by the river in Mariahilf and St. Nikolaus, where views over the water and the Old Town are included in the price.

See hotels in Hötting and near Hungerburg here.

The downsides: everything above Innstraße is on a slope, and you’ll feel it with suitcases. The Hungerburgbahn doesn’t run all night, so check the last departure if you’re staying up there, and remember that this particular line isn’t included in the hotels’ Welcome Card, only in the Innsbruck Card. On the other hand, this is where you get the most view for your money in all of Innsbruck.

Hotels in Hötting and near Hungerburg

Hotel Mondschein - views over the Inn and the Old Town from Mariahilf

Hotel Mondschein is at Mariahilfstraße 6, right on the river, so the best rooms look across to the Old Town and up towards the mountains. It’s a four-star hotel with air conditioning, soundproofed rooms and a bar, and it scores 9.1 from almost 2,000 guests. The garage costs 15 euros (around £13) per night, and several guests say it’s tight for large cars.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Excellent location and a lovely view over the river, the Old Town and the mountains.”

See photos and book Hotel Mondschein here.

Hotel Engl - simple three-star hotel with free parking on Innstraße

Hotel Engl is at Innstraße 22 in St. Nikolaus, a few hundred metres from the Innbrücke, and it’s a good choice if you’re arriving by car, as parking is free, although spaces can’t be reserved. The rooms are simple, there’s a lift and a small bar, and it scores 8.3 from over 2,300 guests. Some complain about slow Wi-Fi, so it’s not the place if you need to work.

From one review: “The location and the safe, free parking.”

See photos and book Hotel Engl here.

Quartier 99 - top-rated apartments close to the Alpenzoo bus

Quartier 99 is at Innstraße 99, a little further along the riverbank, and it’s the cheapest of my suggestions here. It’s an aparthotel with a garden and terrace, where you get a small apartment instead of a hotel room, and it scores an impressive 9.2. There’s no 24-hour reception, and a few guests mention that the curtains don’t give enough privacy.

One guest highlights: “The location was excellent, the apartment was spotlessly clean.”

See photos and book Quartier 99 here.

5. Igls & Patscherkofel - best area for village charm and skiing close to the city

• Distance to the centre: About 5 km. Igls sits on the terrace south of the city at around 900 metres, and the trip down to the Old Town takes 25 to 30 minutes by tram or bus.
• Transport: Tram 6 from Bergisel and bus J from the centre both run to Igls, and both are included in the Innsbruck Card and the Welcome Card. The Patscherkofelbahn is on the edge of the village.
• Time from Innsbruck Airport: About 1 hour on bus F to the Hauptbahnhof, then onwards by tram or bus. By taxi or hire car it takes around 20 to 25 minutes.
• Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost around £110 to £190 a night when I searched for a February weekend during the ski season.
• Safety: A sleepy village where the biggest problem is catching the last tram home from the city.

Igls is a village with a church, traditional inns and large hotels with gardens, and it sits so high above the valley that you look down on Innsbruck and straight across at the Nordkette. The bobsleigh and luge track for both Olympic Games was built here, and Patscherkofel is the mountain where Franz Klammer won Olympic gold in the downhill in 1976. The Patscherkofelbahn runs from the edge of the village up to 2,000 metres, and according to Patscherkofelbahn a summer return ticket costs 33 euros (around £28) for adults and 18 euros (around £15) for children. From the top station there’s an easy walk to the Patscherkofel summit at about 2,250 metres, with long views into the Stubai Alps.

In winter, Igls is the easiest skiing option close to the city: several hotels are within walking distance of the lift, the ski area is small and family-friendly, and it’s included in the Ski plus City Pass. At the Olympia Bobbahn you can ride as a passenger in a guest bob down the ice channel in winter, and in summer there’s golf and swimming at Lanser See just a few minutes away. I’d choose Igls if you’re travelling with children, want wellness facilities and quiet evenings, and don’t mind taking the tram when you head into the city for dinner.

See hotels in Igls here.

The downsides are the same as the upsides. The village is quiet in the evening, the choice of restaurants is limited, and you’ll need to plan around the timetable. Patscherkofel isn’t a big ski area either, so if you want to clock up lots of piste kilometres, use Igls as your base and take the ski bus to Axamer Lizum or Stubai on the other days.

Hotels in Igls

Sporthotel Igls - large four-star hotel with indoor pool and spa

Sporthotel Igls is at Hilberstraße 17 in the middle of the village, 30 metres from the tram stop and about a kilometre from the Patscherkofelbahn. It’s the priciest of my picks in Igls and has an indoor pool, a large spa area, a restaurant, a bar and family rooms, and guests rate it 8.3. Some mention that the bathrooms need renovating, but parking costs only about 5 euros (around £4) a day.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic breakfast.”

See photos and book Sporthotel Igls here.

Hotel Batzenhäusl - Tyrolean inn with sauna and free parking

Batzenhäusl is at Lanser Straße 12 at the eastern end of Igls, on the way towards Lanser See. It’s a four-star hotel with a restaurant, sauna, hot tub and steam room, and parking is free. It scores 8.3, and the usual complaint is that the rooms are old-fashioned, with dated furniture.

From one review: “Really good breakfast and free parking.”

See photos and book Hotel Batzenhäusl here.

Hotel Sonnenhof - bed & breakfast with garden and free parking

Hotel Sonnenhof is at Fernkreuzweg 16 in the quiet western part of Igls and is the cheapest of my picks here. It’s a three-star bed & breakfast with a garden, sun terrace, ski room and free parking, and it scores 8.8. Dinner isn’t served, so in the evening you’ll need to walk down into the village or take the tram into the city.

One guest highlights: “Beautiful location and clean room.”

See photos and book Hotel Sonnenhof here.

6. Seefeld in Tirol - best area for wellness, cross-country skiing and peace and quiet

• Distance to the centre: Around 20 km north-west of Innsbruck on a plateau 1,200 metres up. Allow 35 to 40 minutes by train each way.
• Transport: S-Bahn and regional trains run once or twice an hour between Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof and Seefeld on the old Mittenwald Railway, with views down into the valley.
• Time from Innsbruck Airport: Around 1 hour and 15 minutes by bus F and train. By car, it’s 35 to 40 minutes up the winding road.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £170 to £660 a night when I searched for a weekend in February during the ski season.
• Safety: A well-kept resort town with no problems. The only risk is slipping on the ice on your way back from the casino.

Seefeld isn’t Innsbruck, but it’s where I’d choose to stay if your holiday is more about mountains, snow and wellness than city life. The village sits on a sunny high plateau about 1,200 metres up, with the Karwendel and Wetterstein ranges on either side. The centre is car-free, and the little Seekirchl chapel and the Wildsee lake are the classic photo motifs. The Nordic Olympic events were held here in 1964 and 1976, and in 2019 Seefeld hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships.

That says something about what the place has to offer. According to Tirol Werbung, the region has 245 kilometres of cross-country trails for both classic and skating, and for downhill skiing there are two smaller areas, Rosshütte and Gschwandtkopf, which are fine for beginners and children. In summer, you can hike a network of trails straight from your door, and the hotels are generally larger and more luxurious than in the city, with pools, sauna areas and half board. If you want to combine Seefeld with trips to Stubai, the Zugspitze or further south, it’s worth picking up a car at the airport via car hire on Booking.com, as the trains don’t go everywhere up here.

See hotels in Seefeld here.

The downside is the distance. If you want to see Innsbruck’s sights and eat in the city in the evening, 40 minutes each way soon becomes tiring, and the last train home puts a limit on your evening. Seefeld isn’t cheap either, especially in February and around Christmas, when the good wellness hotels cost twice as much as a city hotel. And if you’re a skier who wants speed, Seefeld’s slopes are too small.

Hotels in Seefeld

Alpin Resort Sacher - five-star resort with a 4,700-square-metre spa

Alpin Resort Sacher is at Geigenbühelstraße 185, about a seven-minute walk from the centre of Seefeld, and it’s the most expensive hotel in this entire guide. You get a five-star resort with a 4,700-square-metre spa, indoor and outdoor pools, a ski room, a shuttle bus and evening entertainment, and guests rate it 9.0. The price is the only real drawback, and on top of that parking costs 15 euros (around £13) a day.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The beauty of the place is exceptional, every detail has been thought through to perfection.”

See photos and book Alpin Resort Sacher here.

Das Hotel Eden - four-star active hotel with indoor and outdoor pools near the station

Das Hotel Eden is at Münchner Straße 136, about 350 metres from Seefeld station and close to the car-free centre. The hotel has a heated outdoor pool, an indoor pool, a spa with beauty treatments, a restaurant, ski hire and free parking, and it scores 8.8 from 1,300 guests. A few guests mention that the rooms could get chilly in the evening.

From one review: “Both the breakfast and the dinner were excellent.”

See photos and book Das Hotel Eden here.

Hotel Egerthof B&B - family-run bed & breakfast with a sauna 200 metres from the centre

Hotel Egerthof is at Reitherspitzstraße 294, about 200 metres from the centre, and it’s the cheapest of my suggestions in Seefeld. It’s a three-star bed & breakfast with a sauna, steam bath, garden, ski room and free parking, and it scores 8.8 from over 1,100 guests. The rooms have neither a fridge nor a kettle, and only breakfast is served.

One guest highlights: “Extremely friendly hosts! Thank you so much for your hospitality.”

See photos and book Hotel Egerthof B&B here.

Where not to stay in Innsbruck?

Innsbruck has no unsafe neighbourhoods, so it’s all about noise and distance. Avoid hotels facing the Inntal-autobahn A12, which runs along the entire eastern and northern edge of the city: this applies especially to the Rossau industrial area and the hotels around the DEZ shopping centre in Amras by the motorway junction, where you get both traffic noise and a long bus ride into the centre. Kranebitten and Höttinger Au out by the airport only make sense if you have an early flight, as there are no restaurants or atmosphere, and the planes fly low over the rooftops. Also watch out for hotels in Hall in Tirol or Völs that are marketed as Innsbruck but require a train or bus every day. And don’t choose Seefeld if it’s mainly the city, the evenings in the Old Town and the Christmas market you’re coming for.

If it’s your first trip to Innsbruck and it’s all about the city, I’d stay in the Altstadt or just across the river in Mariahilf, where you get the view thrown in. If you’re coming to ski without a car, Innenstadt by the Hauptbahnhof is the most practical, with the ski buses right outside the door, while Igls is the choice for families who want to be able to walk to the lift. If you’re travelling on, Salzburg and Munich are less than two hours away by train, and if you drive south over the Brenner Pass, you’ll be in the Dolomites in a couple of hours. You’ll find my guides on where to stay in all three places in the links.

The post Where to Stay in Innsbruck? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Precisely because the city is so compact, your address makes a big difference. Do you want to wake up in the middle of the Old Town, stay by the Mirabell Gardens, be close to the train or have a lake outside your window? Here are five good areas and hotels in several price ranges.

The Best Areas in Salzburg

• Old Town - best area for first-time visitors
• Mirabell & Linzer Gasse - best area for couples and walks on both sides of the river
• Hauptbahnhof & Elisabeth-Vorstadt - best area for train travellers and a smaller budget
• Nonntal & Leopoldskron - best area for families and a quieter stay
• St. Gilgen on Lake Wolfgang (Wolfgangsee) - best area for nature and lake views

Below, I’ll take you through the areas one by one, with a map, the key practical facts and three hotels in each, sorted from the most expensive to the cheapest.

1. Old Town - best area for first-time visitors

• Distance from the centre: You’ll be staying right in the centre. Residenzplatz, Salzburg Cathedral and Getreidegasse are all within a few hundred metres of each other.
• Transport: Much of the Old Town is pedestrianised, so you’ll walk to most places and rarely need a bus or taxi.
• Time from Salzburg Airport: Trolleybus 10 runs to the Old Town in around 15 minutes and line 2 in around 23 minutes. The airport is about 4 km from the centre.
• Price range: €€€ to €€€€. The Old Town is usually the most expensive place to stay, especially during Advent.
• Safety: Generally safe. Getreidegasse can get very crowded in the middle of the day, so keep a close eye on bags and pockets.

The Old Town is my top pick if it’s your first visit to Salzburg. The famous squares, churches and streets are so close together that you can walk from the cathedral to Getreidegasse in a few minutes and forget about transport altogether. The whole historic centre is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and it shows in the baroque façades and the small courtyards between the buildings.

Getreidegasse is the area’s best-known street, with wrought-iron signs hanging above the shops. At number 9, you’ll find Mozart’s Birthplace, which is now a museum displaying, among other things, his childhood violin. The street is at its most charming early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when many of the day visitors have moved on.

See hotels in the Old Town here.

From the southern part of the Old Town, it’s a short way up to Hohensalzburg Fortress, which the tourist office calls the largest fully preserved castle in Central Europe. You can take the funicular or walk up the path. The funicular can be closed for maintenance at times, so check the website before you head there.

The Old Town lies on the left bank of the Salzach, and from the quay along the river you can look across to Mirabell and the Kapuzinerberg. In the evening, many of the narrow streets go quiet when the shops close, but the restaurants around the squares keep the area lively. This is where you get the most Salzburg out of every walk.

The downsides of staying here are the price and the space. Many rooms are in older buildings, and several hotels are on pedestrianised streets where car access is limited. If you’re coming by car, expect to use a multi-storey car park some distance away. I’d choose the Old Town for two or three nights when you want to spend your time on the city and not on transport.

Places to Stay in the Old Town

Boutiquehotel am Dom - small boutique hotel a few steps from the cathedral

Boutiquehotel am Dom is on Goldgasse, around 100 metres from Residenzplatz, and it’s my most expensive suggestion in the Old Town. The hotel is in a historic building, the rooms have air conditioning, and there’s a breakfast buffet every morning.

I’d choose it for a couple who want the best-known squares right outside the door. The downside is that the hotel is on a pedestrianised street, so a car and luggage take a bit of planning, and some guests mention noise from the street.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful location, quiet and comfortable room, fantastic staff and a good breakfast.”

See photos and book Boutiquehotel am Dom here.

Hotel Elefant - historic hotel on a side street in the middle of the Old Town

Hotel Elefant is on Sigmund-Haffner-Gasse, around 200 metres from Residenzplatz, in a building with roots going back to the 13th century. There’s a 24-hour reception, a bar and a lift, and the rooms range from economy double rooms to executive rooms.

It’s my mid-range pick if you want to stay right in the centre without paying for a boutique hotel. Some guests mention noise from the neighbouring rooms and miss having coffee and tea in the room, so it’s a hotel for sleeping well and spending the day out.

One guest praises the staff on Booking.com: “Excellent and friendly staff who were very helpful with directions and local maps.”

See photos and book Hotel Elefant here.

Altstadthotel Weisse Taube - historic hotel in the quiet end of the Old Town

Altstadthotel Weisse Taube is on Kaigasse in the quieter eastern part of the Old Town, around 200 metres from Residenzplatz. The building dates back to the 14th century, and there’s a lift, a breakfast buffet and rooms for two, three and four people.

It isn’t a cheap hotel, but it’s usually the cheapest of the three here. The downside is that several rooms are small, and some guests mention noise from outside and from other guests. For a family, the larger rooms can be a good way to stay in the Old Town without booking two rooms.

Here’s what one guest says on Booking.com: “Good location, excellent rooms and friendly staff.”

See photos and book Altstadthotel Weisse Taube here.

2. Mirabell & Linzer Gasse - best area for couples and walks on both sides of the river

• Distance from the centre: Around 500-600 metres from Makartplatz and Linzer Gasse across the river to Residenzplatz.
• Transport: You can walk across the bridges to the Old Town in a few minutes. From Makartplatz, it’s a little over a kilometre to the Hauptbahnhof.
• Time from Salzburg Airport: The tourist office gives around 15 minutes to the centre by taxi or bus. Allow a little longer if you have to walk the last stretch.
• Price range: €€ to €€€€. From classic luxury hotels by the river to simpler city hotels close to Mirabell.
• Safety: Safe and busy. There’s more traffic around Makartplatz and the bridges than in the Old Town, so use the pedestrian crossings.

The other side of the Salzach is my suggestion if you want to stay centrally but with a bit more breathing space than in the Old Town. The area stretches from Makartplatz and the river up towards Mirabell and out along Linzer Gasse, and from here you can walk across the bridges to the Old Town in a couple of minutes. The view back towards the cathedral and the fortress is a bonus on your evening walk.

The Mirabell Gardens are the area’s big draw. The baroque gardens are free to visit and open daily from early morning until dusk, and from the paths you have the fortress in the background. The Marble Hall in Schloss Mirabell is also used for concerts, so check the programme before you travel.

See hotels near Mirabell here.

Linzer Gasse is a pleasant shopping street with smaller shops and places to eat, and it leads up towards the Kapuzinerberg. The street often feels less busy than Getreidegasse, even though it’s close to the sights. The hotels are in both older town houses and newer buildings.

From Makartplatz, you can walk across the Makartsteg footbridge straight into the Old Town, and the Staatsbrücke is just a few steps away. The area is also a good choice if you arrive by train, because the walk from the station is shorter than to the Old Town. So you get a central address with slightly easier logistics.

I’d especially choose the area for a couple or a long weekend when you want the Old Town close by as well as a more everyday feel around your hotel. The downside is that the hotels by the river and Makartplatz are on busy roads, so ask for a room facing the courtyard if you’re a light sleeper.

Places to Stay near Mirabell & Linzer Gasse

Hotel Sacher Salzburg - classic luxury by the river

Hotel Sacher Salzburg is on Schwarzstraße by the Salzach, around 100 metres from Makartplatz and a short walk across the river from the Old Town. There are restaurants, a bar, Café Sacher with the original Sachertorte and a spa, and several rooms and suites have river views.

It’s my suggestion for a special occasion, when the hotel should be part of the experience. The prices are high, including for the little extras, and some guests mention that the rooms vary in size. So read the description of the specific room type before you book.

One delighted guest writes on Booking.com: “Simply perfect, I can’t ask for more in my whole life.”

See photos and book Hotel Sacher Salzburg here.

Boutiquehotel Amadeus - boutique hotel on Linzer Gasse

Boutiquehotel Amadeus is on Linzer Gasse, around 650 metres from Residenzplatz on the other side of the river. There’s a lift, a sun terrace, a 24-hour honesty bar where you note down what you take, and coffee, tea and cake during the day. The rooms range from single rooms to junior suites and a family apartment with two bedrooms.

I’d choose it for a couple or a small family who want to stay on a lively street with a short walk to both sides of the city. The breakfast is simple, and there’s no air conditioning in the rooms, which some guests mention.

One guest describes their stay like this on Booking.com: “The place was perfect for our stay, with spacious rooms and comfortable beds.”

See photos and book Boutiquehotel Amadeus here.

Hotel andrä - modern and cheaper base near Mirabell

Hotel andrä is on Hubert-Sattler-Gasse, around 150 metres from Schloss Mirabell and about 750 metres from the Hauptbahnhof. The rooms range from the small Cozy rooms to larger Deluxe and Signature rooms, and some have views over the city or towards the fortress. There’s a continental breakfast buffet with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

It’s my cheapest suggestion in the area and a good choice if you want a modern base between the station and the Old Town. There’s no traditional reception, and check-in and check-out are contactless, so don’t expect the same service as at a classic hotel.

One guest praises the decor on Booking.com: “The rooms were beautiful and wonderfully decorated.”

See photos and book Hotel andrä here.

3. Hauptbahnhof & Elisabeth-Vorstadt - best area for train travellers and a smaller budget

• Distance from the centre: Around 1.6 km as the crow flies from the station to Residenzplatz and just under 1 km to the Mirabell Gardens.
• Transport: Trains, regional buses and trolleybuses all meet at the station. Among others, bus 150 leaves from here towards St. Gilgen and Wolfgangsee.
• Time from Salzburg Airport: Around 15 minutes by taxi or bus, according to Salzburg’s tourist office.
• Price range: € to €€€. This is usually where you’ll find the cheapest hotel rooms close to the centre.
• Safety: The station area is busy from morning to evening. It’s generally safe, but keep an eye on your belongings and stick to the well-lit main streets at night.

The area around Salzburg Hauptbahnhof is my practical choice if you’re coming by train or want to keep the budget down. Elisabeth-Vorstadt isn’t the most charming part of Salzburg, but you’re close to the platforms, and Rainerstraße leads you straight down towards Mirabell and on across the river to the Old Town.

It’s a particular advantage if Salzburg is part of a longer trip. The city works well on a route that also takes in Munich or Vienna, and it’s nice to be able to wheel your suitcase from the train to the hotel. If you’re also spending the night in Bavaria, you’ll find my suggestions in the guide to where to stay in Munich.

See hotels near the Hauptbahnhof here.

If you land at Salzburg Airport, the city’s tourist office gives around 15 minutes to both the centre and the main station by taxi or bus. If you fly into Munich instead, you can read how to get from Munich Airport to the city centre and take the train on from there.

Rainerstraße and the streets around it have more newer hotels with lifts and more uniform rooms than the historic buildings in the centre. That’s an advantage with heavy luggage, a pushchair or limited mobility. On the other hand, expect a walk of around 20-25 minutes every time you want to go to the Old Town, or take the trolleybus.

The downside is the atmosphere in the evening. The streets right by the station are dominated by traffic and larger hotels, and it’s a fair walk to the charming streets. So I’d choose a hotel in the southern part of the area towards Mirabell if you want to go into town several times a day, and stay right by the station if you have an early departure.

Places to Stay near the Hauptbahnhof

Hotel Imlauer & Bräu - traditional hotel with a restaurant and beer garden

Hotel Imlauer & Bräu is on Rainerstraße, around 550 metres from the Hauptbahnhof and 350 metres from Mirabell. The hotel has a traditional restaurant serving Austrian dishes, a beer garden in season and a 24-hour reception. The rooms range from small double rooms to premium suites and several types of family rooms.

Imlauer & Bräu is at the pricier end of the area and a good compromise if you want to be able to walk to both the train and the Old Town. Some guests find that a few rooms are cramped and more worn than in the photos, so it’s worth choosing one of the larger categories.

One satisfied guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly, and the hotel was extremely clean and comfortable.”

See photos and book Hotel Imlauer & Bräu here.

Cocoon Salzburg Hauptbahnhof - modern hotel right by the station

Cocoon Salzburg Hauptbahnhof is on Rainerstraße, only around 175 metres from the station. There’s a bar, outdoor seating, bike parking and bike hire, and the rooms range from compact Urban Cocoon rooms to larger Roomy rooms and triple rooms.

I’d choose it for a short trip by train, when a good bed and a quick arrival matter most. The smallest rooms are small with limited space for luggage, and some guests mention noise from the street.

One guest singles out the staff on Booking.com: “Everyone on the staff was sweet, friendly and helpful and always with a smile.”

See photos and book Cocoon Salzburg Hauptbahnhof here.

a&o Salzburg Hauptbahnhof - cheap mix of hotel and hostel by the station

a&o Salzburg Hauptbahnhof is on Fanny-von-Lehnert-Straße, around 250 metres from the station. It’s a mix of hotel and hostel with private double and family rooms as well as dorms, and there’s a 24-hour reception, a bar, a guest kitchen and billiards.

It’s my budget pick when price matters most. Book a private room if you want peace and quiet, as guests mainly mention noise in the dorms. The guest kitchen is simply equipped, so don’t count on cooking bigger meals here.

One guest writes briefly on Booking.com: “The room was exactly as described.”

See photos and book a&o Salzburg Hauptbahnhof here.

4. Nonntal & Leopoldskron - best area for families and a quieter stay

• Distance from the centre: Around 800 metres from Nonntal to Residenzplatz. Schloss Leopoldskron is about 1.2 km from Residenzplatz.
• Transport: You can walk into the Old Town along the foot of the fortress hill. It’s a long walk to the Hauptbahnhof, so take a bus or taxi for that.
• Time from Salzburg Airport: The airport is just under 4 km from here as the crow flies. Allow roughly 15-25 minutes by taxi depending on the traffic.
• Price range: €€ to €€€€. Mid-range hotels in Nonntal and a historic palace by the Leopoldskroner Weiher lake.
• Safety: A quiet residential area. The paths by the lake and in the green spaces are dark in the evening, so stick to the lit roads.

Nonntal is my suggestion for families and for anyone who wants a quiet stay without losing walking distance to the Old Town. The neighbourhood is on the south side of the fortress hill, and from here you can walk to the cathedral in about a quarter of an hour. It’s more of a residential area than a tourist area, and that means quieter evenings.

Right above the neighbourhood is the Stift Nonnberg convent, and further up the path you reach the fortress. With children, Hellbrunn is an obvious day out a good 3 km south of Nonntal. The pleasure palace was built in the early 17th century, and its trick fountains surprise visitors with water from jets and spouts. The palace and the trick fountains open seasonally from spring to autumn, so check the times before you head out there.

See hotels in Nonntal here.

Leopoldskron is a little further west by the Leopoldskroner Weiher lake, where the historic Schloss Leopoldskron is reflected in the water. It’s even quieter here than in Nonntal, but the distance to the Old Town becomes a proper walk of more than a kilometre.

The neighbourhood is also a good choice if you’re coming by car. Two of my three hotel suggestions have free parking, and you avoid driving in towards the pedestrianised streets of the Old Town. On the other hand, there are fewer restaurants than in the centre, so most evenings you’ll probably end up walking into the Old Town to eat.

I’d choose the area for a family or a couple staying for several days who want walks and green surroundings as part of the holiday. For a single night, I’d stay more centrally. The Booking.com link searches for Nonntal, so check the address on the map if you want to stay close to the Old Town.

Places to Stay in Nonntal & Leopoldskron

Schloss Leopoldskron - historic palace by the lake

Schloss Leopoldskron is by the Leopoldskroner Weiher, around 1.2 km from Residenzplatz. The hotel consists of the palace itself, where the suites are, and the Meierhof building, where most of the standard rooms are. The breakfast buffet is served in the palace, and there’s free private parking and a gym.

It’s my luxury pick if you want to stay in historic surroundings with the lake right outside. However, guests describe some of the rooms in the Meierhof as simpler and more worn than the palace, and there’s no air conditioning, so choose your room type carefully.

On Booking.com, one guest writes: “The hotel exceeded our expectations.”

See photos and book Schloss Leopoldskron here.

JUFA Hotel Salzburg City - family-friendly hotel below the fortress

JUFA Hotel Salzburg City is on Josef-Preis-Allee in Nonntal, around 650 metres from the fortress and just under 900 metres from Residenzplatz. There are family rooms, a playground, a playroom, a games room and a restaurant with children’s menus, and some rooms have views of the fortress.

It’s my mid-range pick and the most obvious hotel in this guide for a family with children. Parking costs extra, and some guests feel that the rooms are small and that the breakfast is expensive for what’s on offer.

One guest notes on Booking.com: “Everything about the hotel was excellent.”

See photos and book JUFA Hotel Salzburg City here.

Hotel Via Roma - smaller hotel with free parking

Hotel Via Roma is on Nonntaler Hauptstraße, around 300 metres from the centre of Nonntal and a little over 1 km from Residenzplatz. There’s a garden, a bar, breakfast and rooms ranging from standard rooms to studios and a one-bedroom apartment.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions in the area, and the free parking makes it an obvious choice if you’re coming by car. However, the spaces are limited and can’t be reserved, and some guests find the rooms a little old-fashioned.

One guest says on Booking.com: “A good hotel with very friendly staff.”

See photos and book Hotel Via Roma here.

5. St. Gilgen on Wolfgangsee - best area for nature and lake views

• Distance from the centre: Just under 25 km east of Salzburg’s centre as the crow flies.
• Transport: Bus 150 from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof stops in St. Gilgen. Allow roughly an hour’s journey, and check the current timetable.
• Time from Salzburg Airport: There’s no direct bus. Allow roughly 40-50 minutes by car or taxi and longer by public transport via the Hauptbahnhof.
• Price range: €€ to €€€. Smaller hotels and guesthouses, several of them with free parking.
• Safety: A quiet and safe holiday resort. In winter, roads and paths can be slippery, so bring proper footwear.

St. Gilgen is my suggestion if you’d rather wake up by a lake than in a city. The small town is at the western end of Wolfgangsee in the Salzkammergut, and you can use it as a base for both day trips into Salzburg and walks by the water. It takes a little more planning, but you get a completely different kind of peace in the evening.

According to the Wolfgangsee tourist office, bus 150 from Salzburg stops at all the relevant stops in St. Gilgen, so you can easily manage without a car. With a car, though, it’s easier to combine the town with several lakes in the area, and several of the hotels have free parking.

See hotels in St. Gilgen here.

In the middle of town is the valley station of the Zwölferhorn cable car, and the gondolas take you up in 11 minutes with views over the lakes and mountains. The cable car takes a break during parts of the year, so check the operating times before you plan your day.

The town is small, and the hotels are close to each other around the centre and the lakeshore. In summer, the lake is the big draw, while winter is quieter and some places close for periods. So check that the hotel and the activities you want to do are open on your dates.

The downside is the distance. If you want to see a lot of Salzburg, or if it’s your first trip, I’d stay in the city and visit Wolfgangsee on a day trip. St. Gilgen is best suited to a longer holiday where the lake and the mountains are just as important as the cathedral and Mozart.

Places to Stay in St. Gilgen

Seehotel Billroth - hotel right on the lakeshore

Seehotel Billroth is on the shore of Wolfgangsee, around 700 metres from the centre of St. Gilgen. The hotel has a private beach area, a garden, a tennis court and free parking, and several room types have lake views, including double rooms and suites.

The hotel is the most expensive of my three suggestions by the lake and a good choice if the view is the whole point. Some guests feel the hotel needs updating and that the breakfast is simple, so it’s mainly the location you’re paying for.

The view features heavily in the reviews, and one guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely big room with a view of the calm lake.”

See photos and book Seehotel Billroth here.

Hotel Radetzky - central hotel a few minutes from the lake

Hotel Radetzky is on Streicherplatz in the middle of St. Gilgen, only a couple of minutes’ walk from the lake. There’s a restaurant, a bar and breakfast, and you can choose between double rooms, studios and apartments, some of which have lake views.

Radetzky suits you if you’d rather stay in the middle of town than right down by the water. There’s no lift, and some guests mention the church bells, so bear that in mind if you’re a light sleeper or have heavy luggage.

Another guest sums it up like this on Booking.com: “Good hotel, lovely staff, very clean, large and clean room, central location.”

See photos and book Hotel Radetzky here.

Haus Mayerhofer - guesthouse with a breakfast buffet and free parking

Haus Mayerhofer is a small guesthouse on Salzburgerstraße, around 100 metres from the centre and about five minutes’ walk from the lake. A breakfast buffet is served, parking is free, and most rooms have a balcony. You can also choose an apartment with one or two bedrooms.

It’s my budget pick by Wolfgangsee and a good place for a couple or a family who want a simple and personal stay. There are only a few parking spaces, and some guests mention unstable Wi-Fi in a few rooms.

One guest highlights this on Booking.com: “Lovely staff, and the room was very clean.”

See photos and book Haus Mayerhofer here.

Where should you avoid staying in Salzburg?

For a first trip, I wouldn’t stay on the outskirts of Salzburg just to save a little on the hotel. Addresses by the motorway or in the business parks mean longer bus journeys, and you lose the advantage of Salzburg being a city you can walk around. The same goes for hotels across the border in Germany, which can look close on the map.

I also wouldn’t choose St. Gilgen if you only have a weekend, because the journey there and back takes time. And in the Old Town, I wouldn’t book on location alone. Read about the room size, street noise and car access before you decide.

The Old Town is the obvious choice for a first visit, when you want the cathedral, Getreidegasse and the fortress right outside the door. Mirabell and Linzer Gasse are the quieter alternative on the other side of the river, and here you’ll find both classic luxury and simpler hotels.

If you’re coming by train or are on a tight budget, the area around the Hauptbahnhof is the most practical. Nonntal suits families and several quiet days, while St. Gilgen is for you if you’d rather have a lake view than city life.

If you’re building Salzburg into a longer trip through Austria, you can also use my guides to the best areas to stay in Vienna and the best things to do in Vienna. The train connects the two cities, so they fit well together on the same trip.

The post Where to Stay in Salzburg? The 5 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Here are my picks for the 20 best things to see and do in Vienna, with prices, opening times and advice on what to book ahead. Prices are in euros. Several major museums now use timed entry tickets, and a couple of well-known places are closed or being renovated. I’ve included those details under the relevant sights.

1. Schönbrunn Palace

The Habsburgs’ summer palace is one of Vienna’s biggest attractions and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. It has 1,441 rooms, of which you can visit 45, including the Hall of Mirrors, where Mozart performed at the age of six, and the Great Gallery.

You have a choice of two tickets. The State Apartments ticket costs €30 and takes around 40 minutes, while the €42 Palace Ticket covers all the rooms on the main floor and takes about 75 minutes. Both include an audio guide and are valid for a fixed entry time that you must stick to. The palace opens daily at 8.30am and closes between 5pm and 6pm, depending on the season. Check the current opening times on the palace website.

The park is free and opens at 6.30am. Walk up the hill to the Gloriette for views over the palace and city. The grounds also contain Tiergarten Schönbrunn, the world’s oldest zoo still in operation, where admission costs €29. Take the U4 to Schönbrunn. Only buy tickets from the official ticket shop or established sellers: the palace itself warns visitors about fake ticket websites.

Book a guided tour of Schönbrunn Palace and its gardens with skip-the-line access.

2. St Stephen’s Cathedral

The cathedral in the heart of the city is Vienna’s best-known landmark. Its Gothic south tower, completed in 1433, stands 136 metres high, and the roof’s colourful tiles are visible from much of the centre. You can enter the rear part of the church for free, but the other sections charge admission.

Each section costs €8: the main church interior, the catacombs, the south tower and the north tower. The south tower has 343 steps and no lift. In the north tower, a lift takes you up to the Pummerin bell, which weighs more than 21 tonnes and is Austria’s largest. The catacombs can only be visited on a guided tour. To see everything, the combined ticket costs €29 and includes Dom Museum Wien.

Tourists can visit the church from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 11.30am and 1pm to 4.30pm. On Sundays, visits only start at 1pm because of church services. The U1 and U3 stop at Stephansplatz, right outside.

Buy the combined ticket for St Stephen’s Cathedral and Dom Museum Wien here.

3. Hofburg and the Sisi Museum

The Hofburg was the Habsburgs’ winter residence and seat of government for more than 600 years, and the complex occupies an entire neighbourhood. Its most popular section is the Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments, where you can see how Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth lived. The museum displays more than 300 objects, including her dresses, jewellery and a replica of her private railway carriage.

The ticket covers both the museum and the apartments, includes an audio guide and has previously cost €20. Allow about an hour for the visit. You need to buy a timed ticket online through the museum’s own website.

The museum is being expanded. Until 18 November 2026, the museum section itself is closed, while the apartments remain open at a reduced price. A new, larger visitor route opens on 19 November 2026 with 12 extra rooms, and the Silver Collection, or Silberkammer, which has been closed since 2023, will become part of the tour. The entrance is beneath the dome at Michaelerplatz. The nearest station is Herrengasse on the U3.

Book a guided tour of the Sisi Museum, Hofburg and gardens.

4. Spanish Riding School

The Spanish Riding School in the Hofburg is home to the white Lipizzaner stallions. Its classical horsemanship was added to UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage in 2015. Performances take place beneath the chandeliers of the Baroque Winter Riding School, built in 1735.

The cheapest way to watch the horses work is morning exercise, held from Tuesday to Friday at 10am and lasting about an hour. Standing tickets cost €17 to €18, while seats cost up to €29. Bear in mind that the famous jumps are rarely performed during training. The full performances are usually on Saturdays and Sundays at 11am, with prices ranging from €33 for a standing ticket to €155 for the best seats.

The €24 guided tour takes you inside the riding hall and the stables in the Stallburg. The riding school’s ticket website shows dates up to a year ahead. Photography isn’t allowed, and there’s no cloakroom.

Book the guided tour of the Spanish Riding School here.

5. The State Hall of the Austrian National Library

A few steps from the riding school is one of the world’s most beautiful libraries. The Prunksaal, or State Hall, was built between 1723 and 1726 as Emperor Charles VI’s court library. The hall is almost 80 metres long and 20 metres high, with paintings inside its dome and around 200,000 books dating from 1501 to 1850 on its shelves.

A statue of the emperor stands in the middle of the hall, surrounded by four large Venetian globes. The books include Prince Eugene of Savoy’s collection of 15,000 volumes bound in red, blue and yellow leather. It’s only one room, so a visit doesn’t take long, but it’s one of the places in Vienna that leaves the strongest impression.

Admission costs €12, and visitors under 19 enter free. It’s closed on Mondays from October to May. Throughout the year, it stays open until 9pm on Thursdays, when it tends to be quieter. The entrance is on Josefsplatz.

6. Belvedere Palace

The Belvedere consists of two Baroque palaces with a French formal garden between them, built for the military commander Prince Eugene of Savoy in the early 18th century. The Upper Belvedere houses 24 paintings by Gustav Klimt, including The Kiss, probably Austria’s most famous painting. Its Marble Hall was also where the Austrian State Treaty was signed in 1955.

The Upper Belvedere costs €23, while the Lower Belvedere, which hosts temporary exhibitions, costs €20. A combined ticket for both costs €32, and visitors under 19 enter free. You need a ticket for a specific time slot, so book ahead, especially at weekends and during holidays.

With time for just one palace, choose the Upper Belvedere. It opens every day from 9am to 6pm. Tram D runs from the Ringstrasse to the Schloss Belvedere stop.

Buy a ticket for the Upper Belvedere and Klimt’s The Kiss here.

7. Kunsthistorisches Museum

The imperial family’s art collection gained its own palace on the Ringstrasse in 1891, and the building’s marble staircases and domed hall are an attraction in their own right. The museum has the world’s largest collection of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder: 12 works, including The Tower of Babel, Hunters in the Snow and The Peasant Wedding.

On the ground floor, the Kunstkammer contains around 2,200 objects from the Habsburg treasuries. Its star piece is Benvenuto Cellini’s gold salt cellar. With only a couple of hours, I’d concentrate on the Bruegel room and the Kunstkammer.

Tickets cost €22 online or €24 at the door, and visitors under 19 enter free. Since September 2026, the museum has only admitted visitors with reserved time slots, so buy your ticket online. It opens from 10am to 6pm, staying open until 9pm on Thursdays. The museum opens seven days a week until 4 January 2027, but check Mondays if you’re travelling later. Take the U3 to Volkstheater or tram D to Burgring.

Buy a ticket for the Kunsthistorisches Museum here.

8. MuseumsQuartier and Leopold Museum

The former imperial stables opposite the Kunsthistorisches Museum are now one of the world’s largest cultural complexes, with more than 50 institutions. The courtyards are free and open around the clock. In the warmer months, locals lounge on the colourful plastic furniture with a drink. It’s a good place for a break, even without a museum ticket.

The main museum here is the Leopold Museum, which has the world’s largest Egon Schiele collection, with more than 220 works, alongside major paintings by Gustav Klimt. Admission costs €19. Visitors under 19 pay €2.50, so it isn’t free for them as most other museums in the city are. It’s closed on Tuesdays.

Next door, mumok displays modern art from Picasso to Warhol. Admission costs €18, and it’s closed on Mondays. A combined ticket for the two museums costs €33. Take the U2 to MuseumsQuartier.

Buy a ticket for the Leopold Museum here.

9. Albertina

The Albertina occupies the Habsburgs’ largest residential palace, just behind the opera house. It owns one of the world’s largest collections of graphic art, with more than a million prints and 60,000 drawings. Albrecht Dürer’s Young Hare is its best-known work. The drawings are sensitive to light, so they only go on display occasionally.

What you can always see is the permanent exhibition from Monet to Picasso, with works by Degas, Cézanne, Matisse and Chagall among others. Your ticket also covers the yellow, green and turquoise state rooms where the archdukes lived.

Admission costs €19.90. A €24.90 combined ticket also covers Albertina Modern near Karlsplatz and is valid for a year, so you don’t need to visit both on the same day. The museum opens daily from 10am to 6pm, with late opening until 9pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. You don’t need to reserve a time slot, but an online ticket saves queuing at the ticket desk.

10. Vienna State Opera

The State Opera, which opened in 1869, is one of the world’s leading opera houses and stages around 50 different operas and ballets each season. The season runs from September to June. Every seat has its own small screen with subtitles in English and other languages, and there’s no dress code.

You don’t need to spend hundreds of euros to get in. The opera house sells 435 standing tickets for €13 to €18, available only on the day of the performance. You can buy them online from 10am or at the standing-room box office by the Operngasse entrance, which opens 80 minutes before the performance.

To see the building without attending a performance, the guided tour lasts 40 minutes and costs €13. Times vary from day to day, and tickets are sold online and are non-refundable. The opera house is beside Karlsplatz station, where the U1, U2 and U4 meet.

11. Karlskirche

Karlskirche on Karlsplatz is Vienna’s finest Baroque church. Emperor Charles VI pledged to build it during a plague epidemic, and it was completed in 1739. Two 47-metre columns stand in front of its green dome. Inside, the dome’s frescoes cover 1,250 square metres.

The €9.50 ticket includes an audio guide, the treasury, the organ gallery and the panoramic terrace above the entrance, which looks out over the city’s rooftops. Children under 10 enter free. The church opens from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, and on Sundays and public holidays from 11.45am to 7.15pm.

In the evenings, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is performed on historical instruments inside the church. It’s one of Vienna’s most popular classical concerts for visitors, and the setting makes it special.

Book tickets for Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at Karlskirche.

12. Secession and Naschmarkt

A few minutes’ walk from Karlsplatz is the Secession, a white exhibition building crowned with a dome of gilded laurel leaves. The artists behind it broke away from the established art scene in 1897. Downstairs, Gustav Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze from 1902 stretches across three walls. Admission costs €13, with free entry on the first Wednesday of each month. It’s closed on Mondays.

Just across the road begins the Naschmarkt, the city’s largest market, with around 120 stalls and places to eat. You can buy cheese, olives, spices and fruit or sit down at one of the many restaurants. The stalls open from Monday to Friday, 6am to 9pm, and on Saturdays from 6am to 6pm. They’re closed on Sundays.

On Saturdays, a flea market takes place near Kettenbrückengasse station from 6.30am until early afternoon. The market’s old car park has become a park and a new market hall. The rest of the area is scheduled for redevelopment in 2027, so the flea market may be affected. The U4 stops at Kettenbrückengasse, right in the middle of it all.

Book a food tour with tastings at the Naschmarkt.

13. Prater and the Giant Ferris Wheel

The Riesenrad, or Giant Ferris Wheel, has been turning in the Prater since 1897 and stands almost 65 metres high. A ride in its red wooden cabins takes 12 to 15 minutes and costs €14.50. Come at sunset and buy your ticket online to avoid the queue at the ticket desk. Opening times vary with the season.

The Wurstelprater amusement park surrounds the wheel. Entry is free around the clock, and you pay for each ride separately, typically €3.50 to €15. There are more than 250 attractions, from old carousels to modern roller coasters.

The season runs from 15 March to 31 October. Only some rides operate in winter, and most are closed in January, although the Ferris wheel runs all year. Behind the amusement park begins the green part of the Prater, with a long avenue where locals run and cycle. Praterstern station, on the U1 and U2, is right by the entrance.

Buy a Giant Ferris Wheel ticket with skip-the-cashier-desk access.

14. Hundertwasserhaus and Kunst Haus Wien

The artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser hated straight lines, and it shows in the Hundertwasserhaus apartment building, completed in 1985. Its façade is a patchwork of colours, the floors undulate, and more than 200 trees and shrubs grow on its roofs and balconies. Ordinary tenants live here, so you can only view it from outside.

Opposite is Hundertwasser Village, a small shopping arcade in the same style that you can enter. Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the two places. The address is Kegelgasse 34.

To see his paintings and architectural models, walk five to ten minutes to Kunst Haus Wien, home to Museum Hundertwasser. Admission costs €16, and the museum opens daily from 10am to 6pm. Tram 1 from Schwedenplatz and tram O from Praterstern stop at Radetzkyplatz. The Vienna City Card gives you a 30 per cent discount, one of the card’s largest reductions.

Buy a ticket for Kunst Haus Wien and Museum Hundertwasser here.

15. Ringstrasse, City Hall and Parliament

The Ringstrasse is the broad boulevard laid out after the city walls were demolished in the 1860s. The opera house, Hofburg, two major museums, parliament, city hall and Burgtheater line its route. The easiest way to see it is aboard tram 1 or 2, which cover most of the ring on an ordinary transport ticket. The yellow tourist Ring Tram no longer operates.

Parliament is the obvious free attraction along the route. The visitor centre is free to enter with photo ID. Guided tours are also free, but you need to book online. It stays open until 9pm on Thursdays and is closed on Sundays.

City Hall offers free guided tours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 1pm. The tour is in German, with an English audio guide, and you must register online. The square outside hosts the city’s major events. The Christkindlmarkt Christmas market runs here from 13 November to 26 December 2026, the Wiener Eistraum ice rink from 22 January to 7 March 2027, and there’s a free film festival in summer.

Book a hop-on hop-off bus tour around Vienna.

16. Vienna’s Coffee Houses

The coffee house is the Viennese equivalent of a second living room. In 2011, the city’s coffee house culture was added to Austria’s list of intangible cultural heritage. Expect marble tables, bentwood chairs, newspapers on racks and waiters in black and white. You can linger over a single cup for as long as you like. Order a Melange, which is similar to a cappuccino.

The most famous, Café Central, has been closed for renovation since March 2026 and isn’t expected to reopen until the winter. Café Sacher, opposite the opera house, serves the original Sachertorte at €11.50 a slice. You can reserve a table to avoid the queue. Demel, the former imperial confectioner on Kohlmarkt dating from 1786, doesn’t take reservations, so you’ll need to queue there.

For the atmosphere without tourist prices, try Café Sperl, founded in 1880. A Melange costs €4.90 and a slice of Sachertorte €5.40, and the billiard tables are still there. Café Landtmann beside the Burgtheater and Café Hawelka in a side street off Graben are two other classics. At Hawelka, warm Buchteln yeast buns come out of the oven from 8pm. It’s usual to round up the bill or leave around 10 per cent as a tip.

Book a guided tour of Vienna’s coffee houses.

17. Haus der Musik

Haus der Musik is an interactive sound museum spread across four floors, and it’s the best museum in Vienna for a visit with children. You climb a staircase that plays like a piano, experiment with sound and hearing, and visit rooms devoted to Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss and the other great composers who lived in the city.

On the top floor, you can try conducting the Vienna Philharmonic on a large screen, with the orchestra following your tempo. The building also houses the Vienna Philharmonic’s own museum.

Admission costs €19 for adults and €8 for children under 12. A family ticket for two adults and up to three children costs €39. The museum opens daily from 10am to 10pm, with last entry at 9pm, making it one of the few sights you can save for a rainy evening. It’s on Seilerstätte, between the opera house and St Stephen’s Cathedral.

Buy a ticket for Haus der Musik here.

18. Zentralfriedhof

Vienna’s Central Cemetery is enormous, with 330,000 graves across 2.4 square kilometres, and it’s worth visiting if you love music. In section 32A, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and both Johann Strauss senior and junior lie side by side. Mozart has a memorial here, but not a grave, while the pop star Falco is buried in section 40.

Use Gate 2, the main entrance. From here, walk straight towards the large Art Nouveau church, completed in 1910. The composers’ graves are along the way. An information point by the gate has a guide to the honorary graves.

Entry is free. The cemetery opens at 7am for most of the year and at 8am in winter, closing between 5pm and 7pm depending on the season. Tram 71 runs from the Ringstrasse near the opera house to Zentralfriedhof 2. Tor, taking 20 to 30 minutes. Avoid 1 November, when seemingly the whole city visits.

Book a guided tour of the famous graves at the Zentralfriedhof.

19. Kahlenberg and a Heuriger in Grinzing

Vienna has working vineyards within its city limits. From the 484-metre Kahlenberg on the edge of the Vienna Woods, you can look out across the entire city and the Danube, and on clear days as far as the Alps. Bus 38A runs from Heiligenstadt U4 station to the summit in under half an hour.

From here, you can walk down through the vineyards to Nussdorf or Grinzing and finish at a heuriger. The word means both the wine tavern and the current year’s wine, and only winegrowers serving their own wine may use the name. You can recognise a traditional heuriger by the bundle of pine branches above the door and a sign reading Ausg’steckt.

Order a glass of Wiener Gemischter Satz, Vienna’s own white wine, made from at least three grape varieties grown and harvested together in the same vineyard. The food is traditionally cold and served from a buffet. To get back, take tram 38 from Grinzing to Schottentor or tram D from Nussdorf, which runs all the way to the Ringstrasse. Without time to travel out here, you can book a wine tasting in a private cellar in the city centre.

20. Danube Tower and Danube Island

At 252 metres, the Donauturm, or Danube Tower, is Vienna’s tallest structure. The lift takes 35 seconds to reach the viewing platform at 150 metres, where you have views in every direction. Above it are a rotating café and restaurant. For an extra thrill, you can take a slide down the outside of the tower from 165 to 150 metres.

Tickets cost around €19.90 at the ticket desk or €18 online. The tower opens every day at 10am, with the last lift up at 9.45pm. Take the U1 to Alte Donau or Kaisermühlen-VIC and walk through the park, or catch bus 20A to the entrance. A combined ticket for the tower and the Giant Ferris Wheel costs €27.50.

In summer, combine your visit with a swim. The Donauinsel, or Danube Island, is a 21-kilometre island in the river with free bathing beaches along its length. At the Alte Donau, you can also swim for free in several places and hire an electric boat, pedalo, canoe or kayak. Both are served by the U1.

Buy a skip-the-line ticket for the Danube Tower here.

Practical Travel Tips for Vienna

Transport: The underground, trams and buses use the same tickets. A single journey costs €3 in the app or €3.20 on paper. A 24-hour ticket costs €9.70, and a seven-day ticket costs €25.20 in the app. The 48-hour and 72-hour tickets were discontinued on 1 January 2026, so the seven-day ticket is cheapest for stays of three days or more. Paper tickets must be stamped in the blue machines before you travel. Wiener Linien lists all the fares, and I’ve covered the journey from the airport in my guide to getting from Vienna Airport to the city centre.

Vienna City Card and Vienna Pass: The Vienna City Card costs €19 for 24 hours, €31 for 48 hours or €37 for 72 hours. It’s primarily a transport ticket with small museum discounts, and is best value when you’re travelling with a child under 15, who can travel with you for free. The Vienna Pass costs €109 for one day or €175 for three days and includes entry to up to 90 attractions, but no public transport. It only makes sense if you visit plenty of paid attractions in a short time. Buy the Vienna Pass here.

Day trips: From Vienna, the train takes about an hour to Melk Abbey in the Wachau Valley, where admission costs €16. From late March until 1 November, sightseeing boats run along the Danube between Melk and Krems. Book a day trip to the Wachau by bus and boat. Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava, is also just an hour away by train, with two departures an hour. During the warmer half of the year, the Twin City Liner catamaran gets you there in 75 minutes. Book a guided day trip to Bratislava by bus and boat.

Closing days and timed tickets: There isn’t one shared closing day. The Leopold Museum closes on Tuesdays, mumok and the Secession on Mondays, and the State Hall on Mondays from October to May. Schönbrunn, the Sisi Museum, the Belvedere and the Kunsthistorisches Museum require timed tickets. Shops close on Sundays, as do the Naschmarkt stalls.

Tourist tax and drinking water: Hotels charge a tourist tax, which has been 5 per cent of the room price since 1 July 2026 and is scheduled to rise to 8 per cent on 1 July 2027. Tap water comes from Alpine springs, and there are 1,800 public drinking fountains around the city, so bring a bottle.

Christmas in Vienna: The Christmas markets start early. The 2026 season at Schönbrunn runs from 6 November to 6 January, while the Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz runs from 13 November to 26 December.

Where to stay and where to go next: I’ve written a guide to where to stay in Vienna to help you compare the neighbourhoods, and you can also browse hotels in Vienna here. It’s easy to take the train from Vienna to neighbouring countries’ capitals, so have a look at my guides to things to do in Prague and things to do in Budapest too.

The post Things to Do in Vienna: The 20 Best Sights & Activities appeared first on Destination Well Known.

This means the CAT airport train is running as a bus, and the S7 no longer goes to Wien Mitte. The usual advice is therefore out of date. Here’s a guide to the options currently available, including prices, journey times and my recommendations.

If you’d rather drive yourself from the airport, you can compare prices on rental cars at Booking.com.

1. Railjet and REX7 to Wien Hauptbahnhof

The train to Wien Hauptbahnhof is the option I’d recommend for most people right now. ÖBB’s Railjet runs non-stop from the airport to the main railway station in around 15 minutes, and this route isn’t affected by the closure.

The regional REX7 train takes the same route in around 20 minutes, stopping at Schwechat and Kaiserebersdorf along the way. From Hauptbahnhof, take the U1 three stops to Stephansplatz and you’ll be right in the centre.

Hauptbahnhof is also a useful starting point if Vienna is just the first stop on your trip, with direct trains to destinations including Prague. I’ve put together a separate guide to the best things to do in Prague.

Prices and tickets

An adult single ticket costs €5.50. That includes €2.30 for the journey from the airport to the city boundary and €3.20 for travel within Vienna. Children aged 6 to 14 pay €2.80, and children under 6 travel free.

The €3.20 portion is a standard single ticket for Vienna, which allows you to change services along the way as long as you don’t break your journey. If you already have a ticket valid within Vienna, such as a Vienna City Card, you only need the €2.30 supplement.

You can buy tickets in the ÖBB app, on ÖBB’s website, at ticket machines or at the ÖBB desk in the airport. Railjet and REX7 cost the same, so take whichever train leaves first.

Departures and journey times

Railjet leaves the airport every 30 minutes from 06:33 to 23:02, with a final departure at 00:02. From Wien Hauptbahnhof towards the airport, trains run every 30 minutes from 05:42 to 22:42.

The trains continue to Wien Meidling, where you can change to the U6. That journey takes just under 30 minutes from the airport. You’ll find current departure times on Vienna’s official tourism website.

2. CAT by bus to Wien Mitte

The City Airport Train is normally the fast airport train to Wien Mitte. While the railway is closed, CAT is operating non-stop buses between the airport and Wien Mitte. This arrangement continues until the end of October 2027.

The journey takes 21 minutes. In the city, the bus stops at Wien Mitte The Mall on Marxergasse 1b, where you can change to the U3 and U4. From there, it’s around a 12-minute walk to Stephansplatz. At the airport, buses stop directly outside the arrivals hall at Terminal 3.

Prices and tickets

A single ticket costs €14.90 and a return costs €24.90. Children under 15 travel free, and CAT says tickets bought online are 20% cheaper.

You can buy your CAT bus ticket here and have it ready on your phone when you land.

I find the price hard to justify while CAT is operating as a bus. You’re paying almost three times as much as for the train, and the bus uses the same roads as everyone else. It makes most sense if you’re staying near Wien Mitte or travelling with children under 15.

CAT’s city luggage check-in service, City Check-in, is also suspended throughout this period.

Departures and journey times

Buses run every 12 minutes between 07:00 and 19:00, and every 15 minutes early in the morning and in the evening. The first departure from Wien Mitte is at 05:30 and the last is at 23:15. From the airport, the first bus leaves at 06:10 and the last at 23:37.

Check the current timetable on CAT’s website. The new CAT trains aren’t expected to return to the tracks until autumn 2027.

3. Vienna Airport Bus

The airport buses have become a better option during the closure, with two new routes added. There are now five routes running directly to different parts of the city, often saving you a change of transport.

The five routes

• VAB1: Wien Hauptbahnhof and Westbahnhof. The journey to Westbahnhof takes around 40 minutes, with buses every 30 minutes.
• VAB2: Morzinplatz near Schwedenplatz, on the edge of the Innere Stadt. The journey takes 20 to 22 minutes, with buses every 30 minutes.
• VAB3: Donauzentrum via Kaisermühlen VIC. The journey takes around 40 minutes, with one bus an hour.
• VAB4: Karlsplatz, near the State Opera. The journey takes around 26 minutes, with buses every 30 minutes.
• VAB5: Praterstern. The journey takes around 28 minutes, with buses every 30 minutes.

Prices and tickets

A single ticket costs €11 and a return costs €20. Children aged 6 to 14 pay €6 for a single and €11 for a return, while children under 6 travel free.

You can buy tickets online on the Vienna Airport Bus website, from the company’s ticket machines or from the driver. Drivers only accept cash, so have euros ready if you’re buying on board.

Departures and journey times

VAB1 runs latest into the night. It leaves the airport every 30 minutes from 04:30 to 01:00, making it a useful option if you land late.

VAB2 leaves the airport between 04:15 and 00:15. The airport has an overview of bus connections where you can check your route.

4. S7 to St. Marx

For years, the S7 was the standard budget option because it ran directly to Wien Mitte and Praterstern. During the closure, it only runs between the airport and St. Marx station, a journey of 18 minutes.

From St. Marx, you’ll need tram 18 or 71, or bus 74A, to continue towards the centre. The ticket costs the same as Railjet: €5.50 for an adult.

I’d therefore only choose the S7 if your hotel is near St. Marx or along one of those two tram routes. For the city centre, the train to Hauptbahnhof is faster and easier at the same price.

ÖBB has a page about the closure showing the revised routes. The City of Vienna also publishes an overview of the changes.

5. Taxis, Uber and Bolt

A taxi takes 20 to 25 minutes from the airport to the city centre and is the easiest option for a group or anyone with lots of luggage. The taxi rank is just outside the arrivals hall, and you can also ask at the City Transfer desks inside.

Prices

If you take a taxi from the rank without booking, you’ll pay the metered fare. You can get a fixed price by booking in advance and providing your address:

• Taxi 31300: €37 for up to four people when booked through the app.
• Taxi 40100: €42 for up to four people on journeys from an address in Vienna to the airport.

With Taxi 40100, you must specifically request an airport taxi. Otherwise, an extra €18 is added for the car’s return journey to Vienna. Prices and other operators are listed on the tourism office’s taxi page.

Uber and Bolt also operate in Vienna and can be booked to and from the airport.

Private transfers

To arrange everything before you leave home, you can book a private transfer from Vienna Airport here.

Prices start at around €28 per person. That can make it cheaper than a taxi for one person, while two or more people will usually pay less for a pre-booked taxi.

Which option should you choose?

Here are my recommendations for the most common situations:

For most travellers: Take the train to Wien Hauptbahnhof and change to the U1. It costs €5.50, takes around 15 minutes to the main station and isn’t affected by road traffic.

If you’re staying near Schwedenplatz, Karlsplatz or Praterstern: Take the airport bus that runs directly there. You’ll pay €11 and avoid changing with your suitcases.

If you land late: VAB1 leaves the airport until 01:00. After that, a taxi is the realistic option.

For three or four people: A pre-booked €37 taxi costs less than €10 each for four people and takes you straight to your door.

For families with children under 15: Children travel free on the CAT bus, making it better value for a family heading to Wien Mitte.

Practical tips for Vienna airport transport

Check your travel dates. Everything in this guide applies while the S-Bahn line is closed, until the end of October 2027. After that, both the S7 and CAT are expected to run as trains to Wien Mitte again.

Buy your train ticket in the app. You can buy it in the ÖBB app while waiting for your luggage, so it’s ready when you head to the platform.

Bring cash for the bus. Vienna Airport Bus drivers only accept cash. Buy online if you’d prefer to pay by card.

Choose your hotel around the connection. Staying near Wien Hauptbahnhof gives you the quickest route to and from the airport. You can see hotels near Wien Hauptbahnhof here.

To help you choose a neighbourhood, I’ve written a guide to where to stay in Vienna. Once you have arrived, use my guide to the best things to do in Vienna to plan your sightseeing.

The post Vienna Airport to the City Centre - Guide to Trains, Buses & Taxis appeared first on Destination Well Known.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the best places to stay in Vienna, highlighting the unique vibe of each neighbourhood so you can find the perfect fit for your visit.

Whether you’re after cool streets filled with cafes and shops or a more tranquil spot with easy access to landmarks, there’s a place for every traveller.

Plus, I’ll recommend top hotels in every price range, so no matter your budget, you’ll find a great spot to rest after a day of exploring this elegant city.

The most useful comparison is the exact hotel address: check the walk to a U-Bahn station, whether breakfast is included, and your airport connection before deciding.

Best Areas to Stay in Vienna

If you’re in a hurry, here are the best areas to stay in Vienna as a tourist:

• Innere Stadt – the city center & the best area in Vienna
• Mariahilf – a trendy area with cool coffee shops
• Landstraße – a less touristy area near the center
• Leopoldstadt – parks, the Prater and a residential base

Click on the area’s name to see the best hotels there.

The guide to where to stay in Vienna continues below, where I recommend specific hotels in the different areas. To plan your days, see my guide to the best things to do in Vienna, with 20 sights and practical travel tips.

1. Innere Stadt – City Center & the Best Area in Vienna

If you understand a bit of German (spoken here in Austria), you might guess that Innere Stadt means ‘Inner City‘; thus, it is the center of Vienna.

Therefore, Innere Stadt is the perfect area to stay for travelers who want to be close to the city’s best sights and experiences.

See the best hotels in Innere Stadt here.

For instance, in Innere Stadt, you’ll find Stephansdom, a majestic Gothic cathedral offering a fascinating insight into medieval architecture.

Also, Hofburg, the former imperial palace, is a key destination for history enthusiasts, with its museums and the Spanish Riding School.

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art Museum) is a must-visit for art lovers who can admire impressive art collections.

The advantage of staying in Innere Stadt is, of course, its central location. It makes it easy for visitors to navigate the city on foot or via public transport.

The area offers a wide range of accommodation options, from luxury hotels to more economical choices, making it accessible for all travelers.

In other words, Innere Stadt is an ideal place to stay to make the most of your trip to Vienna.

Places to stay in Innere Stadt

As it is the best area to stay in Vienna, there are naturally plenty of good hotels in Innere Stadt. Below, I’ve selected some of the best, starting with a downright luxury hotel.

The Amauris Vienna – Relais & Châteaux is a luxury hotel with a unique indoor pool.

This hotel offers a unique combination of classic elegance and modern amenities.

The rooms are decorated with an eye for detail, and guests can enjoy exquisite culinary experiences at the hotel’s restaurant.

With its personal service and elegant atmosphere, The Amauris is the ideal choice for those seeking a luxurious and memorable experience in the heart of Vienna.

See more photos and book here.

Ruby Lissi Hotel Vienna offers you a luxurious experience at a slightly cheaper price.

The hotel combines modern design with a cozy atmosphere, creating a unique and welcoming vibe.

Rooms are smartly furnished with a focus on functionality and comfort.

It is a perfect place to stay in Vienna for those who want a combination of luxury and good value for money close to Vienna’s many attractions.

See more photos and book here.

Aparthotel Adagio Vienna City, with its studio apartments, provides a comfortable base for your trip to Vienna.

Each studio apartment has a fully functional kitchen, allowing you to prepare meals and save on dining expenses.

The apartments are modern and spacious, ideal for relaxing after a long day of sightseeing.

I have stayed at Aparthotel Adagio hotels in Edinburgh and Munich, among others, and they always work well. And the price for a night’s stay is always fair.

See more photos and book here.

Now we leave the center of Vienna, but we won’t venture that far away from all the main attractions.

2. Mariahilf – Trendy Area with Cool Coffee Bars & Artists

Let’s take a closer look at a super trendy area of Vienna, which is perfect if you’re a young couple traveling to Vienna and want to try some cool places often seen on social media.

Mariahilf stands out with its unique combination of vibrant urban culture, creative energy, and modern flair.

See the best hotels in Mariahilf.

Firstly, the shopping opportunities in Mariahilf are unparalleled.

Mariahilfer Straße, the area’s main artery, is a shopping mecca offering everything from international brands to local designers.

You can find the latest trends, vintage finds, and unique souvenirs here.

Mariahilf is also the center of Vienna’s creative scene.

Small galleries, design shops, and studios characterize the streetscape, allowing you to explore and purchase original art and crafts.

This artistic spirit makes Mariahilf an exciting and inspiring part of the city.

Another vital feature of Mariahilf is its culinary scene.

The area has many excellent dining options, from trendy cafes and bistros to fine dining restaurants.

In the evening, the area transforms into a lively spot with bars and small clubs where you can enjoy Vienna’s nightlife.

Mariahilf is located just west of Innere Stadt, so you are still very close to all the well-known attractions, but you’ll be mingling more with locals than tourists.

Places to stay in Mariahilf

Let’s take a closer look at some of the best hotels in Mariahilf below. We start with a luxury hotel and then move down in price.

Hotel Das Tyrol in Mariahilf offers you a luxurious experience that is cheaper than similar top-class hotels in the inner city – albeit it’s only a 5-minute walk from Das Tyrol to Innere Stadt.

Known for its elegant design and exceptional facilities, including a Turkish hammam, this hotel is the perfect retreat for those seeking relaxation and well-being.

The rooms are tastefully decorated with artistic details, and the welcoming service ensures a comfortable stay.

See more photos and book here.

NH Wien City is a solid choice for a comfortable 4-star hotel at a reasonable price.

The hotel offers well-functioning and modern rooms designed to ensure your comfortable stay. With friendly service and practical amenities, there is nothing to complain about here.

The location is ideal, as you find yourself close to Mariahilf’s trendy shops and cafes, making it easy to dive into local city life.

NH Wien City is a great place to stay in Vienna for those seeking quality and comfort without breaking the bank.

See more photos and book here.

For a longer stay or a trip where you want to prepare some meals, an apartment can be worth comparing with a hotel room.

Numa Vienna Terra offers apartments and studios on Gumpendorfer Straße in Mariahilf. It suits travellers who are comfortable with digital check-in and do not need a traditional reception desk.

I have stayed at another Numa property in Berlin. For Vienna Terra, check the specific apartment category: size, kitchen facilities and air conditioning vary between options.

Check-in uses a PIN code and support is provided through a virtual reception. That can make arrival straightforward, but read the instructions before travelling and check the luggage-storage arrangements if you arrive early.

A Booking.com review displayed on Numa’s own page sums up the appeal: “Location. Cleanliness. No hassle. Privacy.” Compare the final price and cancellation terms for the room category you actually need.

See more photos and book here.

3. Landstraße – Lovely Area with Local Life Near the Center

Landstraße, situated just outside Vienna’s inner city, is an excellent choice for those seeking a more local and authentic experience of the city.

This area is less touristy, giving it a more relaxed and authentic atmosphere while being super central.

See the best hotels in Landstraße here.

One of the major attractions in Landstraße is the Belvedere Palace, a historic wonder with impressive Baroque architecture and beautiful gardens.

The palace houses an excellent art collection, including Gustav Klimt’s famous painting, The Kiss. This place is a must-visit for art lovers.

Besides Belvedere, Landstraße also offers several charming parks and green spaces, like Stadtpark, perfect for a relaxing walk or a picnic.

Landstraße is also home to many local shops, cafes, and restaurants, where you can enjoy authentic Austrian gastropub culture.

Here, you can taste local dishes and specialties in a more authentic and less touristy setting.

The area is also known for its markets, where local life comes to life. 

For example, visit Rochusmarkt, where you can find fresh produce and taste local delicacies.

Landstraße is worth comparing with Innere Stadt, particularly if you find a hotel close to the U3 or U4. Prices vary by dates and property, so a district label alone does not guarantee a cheaper stay.

Airport transfer update: major rail works affect the usual airport connections until the end of October 2027. CAT is operating a replacement bus to Wien Mitte; the S7 runs to St. Marx rather than Wien Mitte, and REX7 is diverted to Hauptbahnhof. Check the Vienna Tourist Board’s current transfer advice for your arrival date.

For prices, journey times and help choosing a route during the works, see my guide to getting from Vienna Airport to the city centre.

Places to stay in Landstraße

There are plenty of places to stay in Landstraße, and like in Mariahilf, you get a lot of value for your money here. So, let’s take a closer look at some of my favorite hotels in this area of Vienna.

Hotel Spiess & Spiess in Landstraße is a true gem in Vienna, perfect for those seeking an intimate and luxurious experience.

With only 20 rooms, this boutique hotel offers a personal and relaxed atmosphere.

The rooms are spacious and tastefully decorated, and the hotel’s focus on details ensures a stay of the highest quality.

Located in a charming area, you’re close to green spaces and the city’s attractions.

See more photos and book here.

Ruby Sofie Hotel Vienna is an excellent 4-star hotel with high quality and great reviews.

This hotel is known for its stylish design and relaxed atmosphere.

The rooms are modern, comfortable, and equipped with everything you need for a pleasant stay.

The hotel’s welcoming staff and excellent facilities make it a sure winner on your trip to Vienna.

See more photos and book here.

Grand Hotel Mercure Biedermeier is an ideal solution for those seeking good comfort and clean rooms at an affordable price.

As part of the Mercure chain, this hotel guarantees a reliable standard of quality and service.

The hotel’s Biedermeier style creates a charming and cozy atmosphere, and the rooms are well-maintained and functional.

Mercure Biedermeier is perfect for those who want a comfortable and hassle-free experience without extra luxury but at a reasonable price.

See more photos and book here.

4. Leopoldstadt – Parks, the Prater & a Residential Base

Leopoldstadt is Vienna’s second district, between the Danube Canal and the Danube. I would consider it for a stay combining city sightseeing with the Prater and green space.

Choose the part of Leopoldstadt carefully: a hotel near Praterstern has a different journey into the centre from one farther north in the Nordbahnviertel.

See the best hotels in Leopoldstadt here.

Leopoldstadt is known for its thriving art scene. The neighborhood is filled with independent galleries and workshops where local artists exhibit and sell their works.

I also highly recommend this video if you are looking for good places to eat in Vienna:

The area’s artistic vibe gives it a unique character that appeals to creative souls.

Another important factor that makes Leopoldstadt an attractive area for young travelers is its multicultural environment.

This is naturally reflected in the culinary scene here in Leopoldstadt, where many international cuisines exist.

Prater, a large public park with the famous Wiener Riesenrad (the Ferris wheel), is one of the primary attractions in Leopoldstadt.

The area also has a vibrant nightlife, with a selection of bars, clubs, and live music venues that attract a young and hip crowd.

Places to stay in Leopoldstadt

In keeping with tradition, I’ll start with a luxury hotel, then focus on some good places to stay, targeting young travelers.

Der Wilhelmshof is an art-focused hotel on a side street near Praterstern. It is a useful option if you want public transport close by and a base for exploring the Prater as well as the historic centre.

The hotel includes complimentary breakfast in the price.

Each room is individually designed, offering you an exclusive and personal experience.

Der Wilhelmshof is ideal for those seeking an elegant and luxurious experience in one of Vienna’s most vibrant districts.

See more photos and book here.

The Social Hub Vienna is the perfect hotel for young people looking for a social and dynamic environment at an affordable price.

Rooms are modern and functional and provide everything necessary for a comfortable stay.

The hotel also has common areas where you can relax, work, or socialize with like-minded travelers in the bar.

And with its location in trendy Leopoldstadt, you are close to hip cafes, bars, and Vienna’s cultural attractions.

See more photos and book here.

HausPension is a guesthouse in the Nordbahnviertel part of Leopoldstadt, within the mixed-use HausWirtschaft building on Bruno-Marek-Allee.

This relatively new hotel shines with its fresh and modern design.

The rooms are minimally decorated but with all the necessary facilities for a comfortable stay.

This location suits travellers who like a residential neighbourhood and are happy to use public transport. Do not book it expecting a 15-minute walk to Stephansplatz; check the route from the actual address to your planned sights.

See more photos and book here.

Areas & Places to Avoid in Vienna

When choosing where to stay in Vienna, I would focus on transport, street noise and the exact address instead of ruling out entire districts.

For a short sightseeing trip, a remote bargain can lose its appeal if you spend a large part of each day travelling. Compare the full door-to-door journey to the centre.

Favoriten is a large district. A hotel close to Hauptbahnhof can be useful for rail connections, while an address much farther south has a different journey into the centre. Check the nearest U-Bahn station.

Read recent reviews for the specific hotel and street, especially comments about noise, access after dark and the walk from public transport.

Ottakring is outside the main historic sightseeing area. It can suit a longer stay, but for a brief first visit I would compare its travel time with the four areas above before booking.

Karlsplatz is a useful transport hub for the historic centre and nearby cultural sights. As with any station-area hotel, check the precise entrance and room location when comparing options.

Still trying to figure out where to Stay in Vienna?

In this guide to where to stay in Vienna, I have taken you through Vienna’s various neighborhoods, from the luxurious and historic streets of Innere Stadt to the trendy and vibrant Mariahilf.

We have explored charming Landstraße and the multicultural Leopoldstadt, which offers a dynamic mix of art and culture.

Each area in Vienna has its unique charm and character, making the city a fascinating place to explore.

With this guide, I hope to have provided you with insight and inspiration to plan your perfect trip to Vienna, whether seeking luxury, culture, history, or an authentic local experience. If Vienna is one of several cities on your trip through Central Europe, you can also read my guide to where to stay in Zurich. The train also connects Vienna with Salzburg, and my guide to where to stay in Salzburg covers Mozart’s city, from the Old Town below the fortress to the area around the Hauptbahnhof.

If you have any questions about your trip to Vienna or the mentioned areas, please comment below, and I will do my best to help.

Frequently asked questions:

The post Where to Stay in Vienna? 4 Best Areas & Places to Stay (+Avoid!) 🇦🇹 appeared first on Destination Well Known.