Out of my nearly 3-day travel, I have written this Vienna budget travel tips blog that includes useful points on how to travel, what to see, where to eat and where to stay in Vienna on a budget.
You can also read my other blog with tips on what to see and do in Vienna if you’re looking for those suggestions.
Now, let’s get started with the topic in hand and discuss it…
Vienna Budget Travel Tips
A city of culture, history, music and art, with a nightlife to rival that of any city in the world, that’s what Vienna is, in a nutshell. Walking through its many fairytale-like streets you wonder if there can be a place so royal and majestic in its appearance as Vienna. No wonder, it deserves its nickname The Imperial City, fairly well.
But where on one side every experience, every sight in the city, is a total treat, the cost of travelling in Vienna — whether you talk about a 10 Euro cup of coffee or a 150 Euro ballet performance — can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re travelling Europe on budget. But that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to fill yourself up with the city’s history and culture, without having to spend too much.
Find out how in this travel blog on Vienna budget travel tips!
Airport To Vienna City
If you’re flying into Vienna, the best and the cheapest way to get to the city centre is by taking the S-Bahn connection from Euros 2.50 to Euros 4.40 (depending on how far you’re going). Find the nearest S-Bahn station in the city and walk to your hostel. You will not be walking more than a kilometre.
If taking a train and haggling around with interconnections seems overwhelming on your first day, you can take Vienna AirportLines (or the Vienna airport bus), for around 8 Euros to its various stops in the city centre.
Taking the cheapest mode of transportation is the first step in this Vienna budget travel tips guide. Soon, in this travel blog, you will find how to travel and where to stay in Vienna on a budget too. So keep reading!
But before that, you may also be interested in reading my Golden Tips on how to travel the world without money, and if you happen to be an Indian, read how to plan a European trip from India.
City Card For Budget Travel Within Vienna City
For those who are travelling to Vienna for a short time, and are intended to cover many tourist attractions and museums, investing in a Vienna City Card would surely help in saving more money. Moreover, unlike many other City Cards I bought in Europe (especially if we talk about Budapest and Zurich City Cards, which cost around 50 Euros for 72 hours) Vienna City Card was fairly cheaper. For 24.90 Euros, it gave me unlimited free travel by public transport for 72 hours, as well as discounts in over 200 different museums, sights, shops, and restaurants.
I bought my card at the Tourist Information Centre in Albertinaplatz, but you can also get it from the airport, or even online.
Ringstrasse For Free Vienna Walking Tour
By far, I’ve not found any street so beautiful and full of treats as Ringstrasse — a 5 kilometres long ring road that runs around the centre of Vienna, taking you to the city’s top tourist attractions including the State Opera, Imperial Palace, Parliament and City Hall. In addition to that, it also makes for the best free Vienna walking tour.
Check these Vienna Pictures to get an idea of what a free Vienna walking tour feels like.
It is only by walking along Ringstrasse, you can visit most of the tourist highlights in the city. Though most of the places charge an entry fee to gain access inside, a few sites like St. Stephan’s Cathedral, and the gardens of Schonbrunn Palace, however, are free.
More Budget Tips For Vienna Free Walking Tour
There are a few good options in Vienna to choose from when it comes to a free walking tour. You can join the daily free public walking tour at 11:30 am at Stephansplatz 8 — the one I ended up taking, or perhaps ask for one at your hostel because many hostels run their private free walking tours for their guests.
For example, the hostel I was staying at ‘Wombats City Hostel’ in Naschmarkt, offered free tours that took their guests around Naschmarkt (an open market with over 100 market stalls selling food and drink), the State Opera, and a few other places in and around Ringstrasse.
Though in a Vienna free walking tour, you’re still expected to tip the guide (5 EUR, or something) rest assured it is still a good bargain.
And if you don’t want to be a part of any group walking tours and plan your own itinerary, check this travel blog I have written on what to see and do in Vienna.
Free Entertainment Tours In Vienna
Vienna is a city of music and entertainment, but the entry tickets can make you go flabbergasted, for example, a one-time show in its famous Opera House can set you back Euro 150 plus. I heard so many tourists visit Bratislava (from Vienna) only to watch the opera in the Bratislava Opera House which costs nearly half the price of what it costs in the Vienna Opera House and offers a pretty similar experience.
But you don’t need to do that if only you’re willing to stand during the performance. The State Opera House in Vienna offers cheap standing tickets, which unfortunately run out of sale about two hours before the performance, but cost only 4 Euros. Yes, you heard that right, only 4 Euros!
Similarly, for the popular Spanish School of Riding, the only place in the world that’s still practising generations-old riding techniques, and is surely a must-visit-place in Vienna, you can buy the morning exercise performance for under 15 Euros.
Budget Dining In Vienna
I recommend visiting the open market at Naschmarkt and eating a satisfying meal for under 5 Euros — at one of its many Falafel stalls, or something else. Other budget places to eat in Vienna are Neubau and Josefstadt.
You can also try some hot dogs at one of the Würstelstands that can be found at pretty much every corner around the city (especially in the city centre, where food is unbearably expensive) to save money on food.
If however, you are heavily bitten by the idea of eating sumptuous sit-down meals use lunchtime to do so, as many places around the town offer a cheaper mittagsmenü, where you can get a multi-course meal from a set menu for under 10 Euros.
Recommended Budget Stay In Vienna
Since we are talking about one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe here, consider no dearth of accommodation. I stayed in Wombats City Hostel, however, and can recommend the place for its great atmosphere and as a place for those thinking about where to stay in Vienna on a budget.
The hostel has an in-house bar and many public spaces guaranteeing a friendly atmosphere. Having said that, finding a few friends if you are travelling solo is no problem. Also, since it is a hostel with shared dorm rooms, there’s no need to keep thinking about where to stay in Vienna on a budget and book a room there.
That’s all in this article about Vienna budget travel tips. If you want more tips on what to see and do there, check Vienna Tourism Website.
Really nice post Dev. I am planning to visit Vienna soon.
Really amazing to read your blog.
Approx what would be the total cost as per your itenary for Vienna
Hi Neha, it totally depends what experiences you’re looking for. If staying in a backpacking hostel, using public transport passes and eating just once outside and rest cooking for yourself in the hostel. I think you can do it in under 30 EUR per day, easily. Go for Vienna Card to save entry fee to museums as well as get unlimimted travel in public transport.
Thanks, have you been to other places in Austria as well, and is the visa process tedious?
Stayed for a day in Salzburg, but didn’t explore much. And yes, visa is tedious. A Schengen visa is always tedious. :/
4 Euros if you stand and 150 for a seat? well that’s definitely a real bargain. Thanks for the useful information, since opera is always in my list.
I was left shellshocked too when I got the information. Doesnt sound very believable.
You can add a link to this list of free walking tours in Vienna:
https://www.guruwalk.com/vienna
Sure Juan, thanks for this. Hope the readers will find it useful.
Woow, this looks really amazing,
This is really on my have to do list before i get into my 40’s
Keep posting,
Kind regards
Stefanie