Help for a first time Euro traveler

[Borderline Divine]

I'm going to Vienna in June and would appreciate some advice or suggestions on where to go and what to see.

I've got 11 days and home base is Wien. Arrive and depart from there. Already scheduled 2 days in Prauge. Other than that my only must-see is Trento, Italy (ancestral homeland).

It looks like a pretty easy dash from Wien to Venice. How long should I stay there?

Also any tips on rail travel, etc. would be appreciated. This cowboy ain't driving in Europe.

Salzburg= Munich?

What about Trieste?

Thanks

[filsdepac]

I'm going to Vienna in June and would appreciate some advice or suggestions on where to go and what to see.

I've got 11 days and home base is Wien. Arrive and depart from there. Already scheduled 2 days in Prauge. Other than that my only must-see is Trento, Italy (ancestral homeland).

It looks like a pretty easy dash from Wien to Venice. How long should I stay there?

Also any tips on rail travel, etc. would be appreciated. This cowboy ain't driving in Europe.

Salzburg= Munich?

What about Trieste?

Thanks

Salzburg is an absolute must and wouldn't require a lot of time. PaloAltoCougar would be the one to ask about it, so i will simply say go. As cheesy and touristy as it sounds, the Sound of Music tour was really fun, mostly thanks to our effeminate guide who curiously referenced his "wife" a lot. I believe she and Corky Sinclair's wife were friends.

Prague was my favorite city, I'm sure you have that one covered.

I'd suggest going to Budapest as well. One of the coolest things I saw was the old communist statue yard they have outside the city, although the entire tour takes a few hours. Oxcoug is the authority on that city though.

Depending on how many places you go to, I'd get a railpass that allows X amount of days travel to Y countries. You can fill in the blanks at the raileurope site to fit your needs. For train times, I really like the sbb.ch/en site, which is the swiss rail site (but for all of europe). I just found it to be more user friendly.

[Jacob]

You've probably already planned on it, but I wouldn't miss Schloss Neuschwanstein. We did it as a day trip from Munich. We also really liked Munich. I think it would have been better had we sampled the beer.

[UteStar]

I'm going to Vienna in June and would appreciate some advice or suggestions on where to go and what to see.

I've got 11 days and home base is Wien. Arrive and depart from there. Already scheduled 2 days in Prauge. Other than that my only must-see is Trento, Italy (ancestral homeland).

It looks like a pretty easy dash from Wien to Venice. How long should I stay there?

Also any tips on rail travel, etc. would be appreciated. This cowboy ain't driving in Europe.

Salzburg= Munich?

What about Trieste?

Thanks

I have never been a big fan of Venice. I would spend a half day or full day (ugghh) in Venice and then get over to Florence which I think is a much cooler city. I would then drop over to Rome for 2 days. So, with travel, that would be probably 5 days in those 3 cities which may not work with your schedule.

[creekster]

We did Prague/Salzburg/Wien last year.

Agree Salzburg is a must.

I would spend a little more time in Prague.

You should consider Cesky Krumlov, which is roughly between Prague and Vienna (we drove between the cities). It is one of our favorite places. Look it up, it is a cool little city.

Venice is a must if you have never been but will be super crowded and smelly in June. Even so, unless you will be back with some certainty, I really think at least 1.5 days is minimum for Venice.

Florence and Rome I would wait for the next trip. Biggest mistake you could make, IMO, is trying to do too much. Within reason, less will be more.

[thesaint258]

Initial thoughts:

For food, go to Helene Schmidt's Schnitzelwirt on Neubaugasse 52 (best schnitzel in the city), a Heuriger up in the 19th District, and find a doner kebab stand. My favorite was right by the subway exit on Schwedenplatz.

For things to do, I could go on and on, but I won't bore everyone. A quick list:

• The Spanish Riding School (Spanische Hofreitschule): this is where you see the Lippizaners perform
• Head over to the city center to see Stephansplatz and its main attraction, Stephansdom (biggest cathedral in the city). Also, practically next door, is Zanoni Zanoni, which has great gellato.
• Take a tour of Schoenbrunn, the Hapsburg palace. Take time to walk around the grounds and up to the Gloriette too.
• Ride the Riesenrad (ferris wheel) at Praterpark
• Have lunch or dinner at the restaurant at the Donauturm (Danube Tower)
• Get tickets to something at the Volksoper or Staatsoper. I saw several performances there, and they were all excellent.
• Schloss Belvedere is a great museum, and there are plenty of other great museums throughout the city. It's easy to find one that has works you will like.

[Gidget]

Though I agree with creekster on the not cramming in too much, I would have to say Rome was one of the most fascinating places I have ever been. St. Peter's Basilica was by far the most amazing place I have ever seen. I could have spent a week in that place it was so mesmerizing and beautiful.

[Mrs. Funk]

I loved Salzburg. And yes, while it's unbelievably schmaltzy, the Sound of Music tour was surprisingly entertaining. While staying in the area, we also hit Berchtesgaden for the Eagle's Nest tour. The history is fascinating, and the views of Bavaria from up there are incredible.

It's difficult to strike the right balance between frenetic sightseeing and meandering through the countryside. When I went to Europe with my family, we hit parts of four different countries in about 10 days. We were all exhausted and sporting a depressing number of blisters by the end. Enjoy your time, but don't kill yourself.

[UteStar]

Venice is a must if you have never been but will be super crowded and smelly in June. Even so, unless you will be back with some certainty, I really think at least 1.5 days is minimum for Venice.

Florence and Rome I would wait for the next trip. Biggest mistake you could make, IMO, is trying to do too much. Within reason, less will be more.

It is always interesting to get different opinions. I would put Rome, Florence and the Cinque Terre all well ahead of Venice in places to see in Italy. I would probably put Milan ahead of Venice as well. Everyone should see Venice simply because it is Venice and for that reason, you should probably go there ahead of some of my other ideas. But in terms of things to see and interesting things, to me, it is well behind the other places in Italy.

I have always been the cram it all in kind of traveler. Our days are always packed. I can understand what everyone else is saying - but I love getting as much in as possible.

But, you can't really go wrong with whatever you decide in terms of what you want to see. 11 days is a good amount of time to see some cool things. It should be a great trip.

[creekster]

It is always interesting to get different opinions. I would put Rome, Florence and the Cinque Terre all well ahead of Venice in places to see in Italy. I would probably put Milan ahead of Venice as well. Everyone should see Venice simply because it is Venice and for that reason, you should probably go there ahead of some of my other ideas. But in terms of things to see and interesting things, to me, it is well behind the other places in Italy.

I have always been the cram it all in kind of traveler. Our days are always packed. I can understand what everyone else is saying - but I love getting as much in as possible.

But, you can't really go wrong with whatever you decide in terms of what you want to see. 11 days is a good amount of time to see some cool things. It should be a great trip.

I was basing it on the geographical factors he provided. Venice is not nearly as far as Rome or even Florence. If he is based in Vienna, already has plans on heading to Prague and ancestral visits in his homeland, then Venice seems like a more natural desitnation. It is unique in all the world. It is an icon that is like no other. That said, Rome and Florence are both fabulous and no one would ever go wrong visitng, but I cringe alittle when people try to cram Rome or Florence into a couple of days when each alone demands much more time. Venice, OTOH, can be experienced a few days reasonably well (although I much prefer it in off season; the tourists absolutely overrun the place in the summer months).

Again, I want to plug Cesky Krumlov. We stopped there at turing of my firend from Geneva. It was a wonderful place and I would encourage anyone to go.

[filsdepac]

I was basing it on the geographical factors he provided. Venice is not nearly as far as Rome or even Florence. If he is based in Vienna, already has plans on heading to Prague and ancestral visits in his homeland, then Venice seems like a more natural desitnation. It is unique in all the world. It is an icon that is like no other. That said, Rome and Florence are both fabulous and no one would ever go wrong visitng, but I cringe alittle when people try to cram Rome or Florence into a couple of days when each alone demands much more time. Venice, OTOH, can be experienced a few days reasonably well (although I much prefer it in off season; the tourists absolutely overrun the place in the summer months).

Again, I want to plug Cesky Krumlov. We stopped there at turing of my firend from Geneva. It was a wonderful place and I would encourage anyone to go.

I've heard from others that Cesky Krumlov is a great destination as well. Next time I'm in eastern europe, I plan to go there, Plzen, and Krakow.

[pellegrino]

Ok, since you're itinerary keeps you in northeastern Italy (an area I know very well) I'd suggest that while you travel southward you stop in two cities that are politically Italian but very Austrian/Tyrolean. Both are on the main train line from Salzburg to Trento

Bressanone/Brixen is a lovely little town that you can see in a few hours (between trains). It has a great little main square and boasts fine architecture in that typical Tyrolean style.

Bolzano is the capital of Italy's most northern province, it's a bit larger than Bressanone, but can be seen in about the same amount of time.

The cathedrals of both towns are well done, nothing spectacular, but worth seeing.

The biggest attraction for this area is the mountains, which are beautiful. If there are different funiculars and trams that will take you up on the mountain and give you access to some great trails. If you want to spend time in nature rather than in a museum or a church then this is the place to do it.

Trento is a cool town, decidedly more Italian than Bolzano. I'll be honest though and say I wouldn't spend any more time there than necessary.

I always tell anyone going to Italy that they have to see three cities: Rome, Florence, and Venice. It looks like your time constraints prevent you from going farther south, so I'd go straight to Venice and spend three days there. Two to see Venice in a decent manner and one to see the islands (Murano and Burano are the best).

Venice isn't the easiest city to see because of its maze-like streets and canals, but it is worth getting to know. The Arsenal is great, the Basilica and campanile are fabulous (if you understand what you're looking at) and the Palazzo dei Dogi is incredible.

If you like modern art (and I do) then you have to see the Guggenheim (yes, there's one in Venice too) as it's widely recognized as one of the finest collections in the world. IMO, it's even better than the Guggenheim in NY and possibly better than the MOMA (haven't spent enough time in the MOMA to accurately judge). If your tastes are more classical and you appreciate the grand masters more so, then the Accademia is for you.

I would stay in the Canaletto area as it's more residential and less touristy. I can give you the number of a monastery that takes in travelers at a low rate. Canaletto's restaurants are much better both in quality and economy and you're just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the islands, which must be seen in order to really experience Venice. Go see a glass blowing demonstration on Murano in the morning, check out their showroom and get suckered into buying a gaudy new chandelier for your wife's dining room.

Go to lunch in Burano, which has some great restaurants and is where they make lace. Burano has the most brightly colored homes you'll ever see. it's just a sleepy little town where not too many tourists go, but it's totally worth it.

On your way there from Trento, you might stop in Verona. It's a cool town, there's the "Casa di Giulietta" which is the purported balcony of Shakespeare's famously ill-fated couple. There's a statue of Juliet in the courtyard where the tourists line up to take pictures of their hand on her right breast, which is supposed to give you good luck.

hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.

Edit: The good thing about ending your Italian stay in Venice is that you can take a relatively cheap night train ($40) to Vienna, leave Venice at 9.00 and get to Vienna twelve hours later.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I harassed hausfraus for the better part of two years in Vienna and Salzburg in the '70s, and have returned multiple times since. You can cover most everything worthwhile in Wien in a couple of days. Salzburg and its environs deserve a couple of days as well. I can provide details about either if you'd like, including some lesser known but very cool sights. Approximately midway between Vienna and Salzburg, a quick sidetrip off of the freeway is Mauthausen, a major concentration camp with some fascinating things to see if you're interested in that sort of thing.

Will you have a car, or are you going to get a Eurailpass?

[Borderline Divine]

Thanks everybody for the replies and I hope they keep coming.

PAC-I'm leaning toward the railpass. What would you suggest? A poster above mentioned the night train from Venice to Wien and I already was leaning that way. Looks like the train/days combo that would work for me would run about $600. Surely a car would be more?

[Jacob]

IMO, Rome is too far away. You'll waste too much time travelling. Definitely don't do a one-day trip to Itialian cities. It's just not enough time to take it in and enjoy it. If you must, make it a 2-3 day side trip to a single city in northern Italy. You don't enjoy Venice by arriving and walking around for a day or 2.