British Expats - One day in Vienna

[email protected] wrote:

    > I'll be in Vienna on a one-day stopover in December. I arrive at
    > 9:40AM on Sunday and fly out at 11:00AM on Monday.

You arrive at where, exactly? The airport, or one of the train
stations?

If you arrive at the airport, then you have to add time for waiting
for the train (unless you're lucky) plus the time it takes the train
getting into town. If you arrive at the airport from outside the
Schengen zone, there's also clearing passport control and maybe
customs.

You won't be in town much before 11:00 AM. Once you get checked into
a hotel, you'll only have a limited amount of time left on Sunday
afternoon/evening.

    > Because of my very limited time, any help in prioritizing all of
    > Vienna's sights would be very appreciated. I basically plan on
    > dropping off my suitcase when I get in and keep seeing things until
    > everything's closed! I'd like to get a little shopping in as well.

You can give up on the shopping. Austrian Sundays and shopping do NOT
go together. Most stores are shut. You can get something to eat, you
can see a movie, you can take public transport somewhere, you can go to
the Prater, you can stroll around the Graben and window shop, you can
stop in at a cafe for coffe and pastry, but forget actual shopping.

You can see museums at Schloss Belvedere or tour Schönbrunn Palace.
You can gawk inside the cathedral in the city center. You can order
a hearty lunch of stelzl and Budvar beer at the Schweizerhaus beer
garden in the Prater. But forget shopping.

    > Also, I'm trying to find an inexpensive centrally located hotel. I
    > just want clean with ensuite facilities; doesn't need to be anything
    > fancy.

The Ibis chain has locations in Vienna. Clean, en-suite, not fancy, not
horribly expensive.

Locations include Ibis Wien Messe, Ibis Wien Mariahilf, and Ibis Wien
Schoenbrunnerstrasse, all centrally located.

    > In the morning, what's the best way to get to the airport in time for
    > my (international) flight? I'm worried because I'll be heading there
    > around rush hour.

Take the S-Bahn. It takes the same amount of time, no matter what time
of day it is. If your flight is international, you'll have to be at the
airport no later than 9:30 for an 11:00 flight, and you'll have to catch
an S-Bahn leaving from the city center to Schwechat airport at 9:00 AM;
it would be better to be even earlier. Shops don't open much before
9:00 AM on weekdays. Forget shopping.
--
dgs