By: Anna Bennett

After another Thursday night of sitting around with friends (or more like dancing around since it was at Chapeau Rouge) we realized we really wanted to get out of Prague. So, instead of having the same old Saturday night we decided to go to Vienna.  Friday morning we got up at noon and booked our tickets.  The next day, we were off and running, ready to see Vienna for just a day.  Want to plan a trip to Vienna for less than 24 hours?  Here are some tips.

Sarah Henderson, Anna Bennett (Me), Elizabeth Lancaster, and Nina Culotta at the Wiener Eistrum at City Hall in Vienna

How to get there: Student Agency bus for around $30 round trip.

Where to stay: Most importantly, make sure your hostel is on the map.  (Sidenote: you should also be sure to bring a map of the city.  If you forget one, there is a hotel near the bus stop that gives out free maps).  When we arrived in Vienna, we quickly realized our hostel was not anywhere near the town center.  It was called Palace Hostel, and if you are in Vienna for more than 24 hours is may be a great place to stay, but we needed to find new accommodations.  We tried the town center and squatted in a bookstore until we found Myrthengasse/Neustiftgasse, a quite beautiful hostel which cost us €20 a night and was right in the center of everything. It also had a free breakfast.

How to get around: We did not take a cab once. The metro is very easy and is €1.80 a ride.

What to do: Walk around A LOT.  What we did was just walk around the city center and that was plenty.  The buildings are incredibly beautiful. Also, find a coffee shop and people watch for a little while.  The people are much nicer there and they smile.

What to eat: Anything authentic.  It will be fried, it will be beef, and it will be delicious.  We opted for a nice restaurant for dinner, so with our hostel’s recommendation we found Witwe Bolte.  It was really good—a little pricier than we’re used to here in the Czech Republic, but well worth it.

Currency: Euro

Tip?: We had no idea so we usually left a few pennies, but we were told later it’s polite to give 10%

If you’re only there for an hour: Go to the center of the city, get off the Metro at Stephensplatz and see St. Stephens cathedral. It was one of the most beautiful Gothic buildings I’ve seen.  And there are some great street performers right outside.