First Class to Vienna: Palaces, Walking Tours, and Hidden Beer Gardens

Vienna wasn’t really on our list of cities to visit when doing our original itinerary for this trip, however, since we were up this way, we needed a city to fly out of for the next leg of our journey instead of back tracking into Germany.

Pallas Athena with golden helmet at Parliament - Vienna

The train from Bad Ischl to Attnang-Puchheim was just a normal commuter train, making it much easier to get a seat. For the next leg from Attnang-Puchheim, I’d booked months in advance to take advantage of the first-class "quiet" carriage—it wasn’t much more expensive than standard seating. I had been worried about the nine-minute connection window at Attnang-Puchheim for the Vienna line hoping there weren't going to be any delays, and we managed the change in just three minutes without a problem.

Leanne and I had the two first-class carriages entirely to ourselves; it was wonderful! Walking through both carriages toward Business Class, I could see only one other lonely person in the distance.

Isn't it funny that even when you have two whole carriages to yourself, you still sit in the exact seats you paid for? A little later, a member of the train staff came by to ask if we’d like a meal and gave us a menu to look over. We made our selection and enjoyed a few drinks as well, all while admiring the scenery for the next few hours

1st Class to ourselves with Railjet to Vienna

Arriving in Vienna was less crowded than I thought, and the row of taxis waiting outside seemed to stretch on for ages. However, since the weather was great and the streets were paved rather than cobbled, we decided to walk to the hotel. In hindsight, that was probably a mistake as it started to warm up and the walk ended up taking an hour.

Arriving at the hotel "Rioca Vienna Posto 2"and being greeted by a Brazilian (the person, not the wax!) was a bit of a surprise, but since we were staying in a Brazilian-themed hotel, I suppose it was to be expected. The décor had a very Rio de Janeiro feel to it, featuring living walls of plants and a beautiful foyer. The staff were pleasant and even upgraded our room for us. The hotel also has an outdoor bar area just off the street that stays open until the early hours of the morning—which I'm sure we'll enjoy later.

Pallas Athena Fountain - Vienna

It was time to hit the heart of Vienna, so we walked about 10 minutes to the nearest station and caught the U-Bahn (subway) in. It was a little confusing at first, but we figured it out pretty quickly. The train took us right to Stephansplatz (St. Stephen's square), smack in the middle of the action; the moment you emerge from the subway, the first thing you see is the towering St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

I had forgotten what a big, noisy city felt like, and it took a little adjusting after the peace of the smaller towns. The streets seemed like a maze, filled with high-end designer shops and surrounded by endless restaurants, gift shops, and the constant clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages.

We took a good slow walk around and popped into St. Peter's church and St. Stephen's Cathedral before sitting down for a drink and some serious people-watching. We didn’t do much else, knowing we had a tour booked for tomorrow that would likely fill in all the blanks.

We caught the train back to the hotel, had a quick freshen-up, and hit the beer garden. It was quiet at first, but it started to fill up after a while. We were enjoying a couple of cocktails and a beer with some nibbles when I heard a crash behind me. It was too late to get my superhero suit on; the fellow had already hit the ground with his legs skyward and his arms clutching at the air. Another man from the table beside him came to the rescue and helped the drunk up. I walked over and straightened his spilled beer, and the barman, hearing the noise, eventually helped him back to his hotel room. We had another drink each and called it a night

Day 25. 5th September: Vienna Walking Tour and a Tram to Nowhere

The walking tour started at 10 AM, and we arrived a little earlier, as we had to meet by the “Green Rabbit” which is a sculpture on top of a hot dog stand. Say no more, I went over to check the dogs out and what a selection she had! I had to go for the bratwurst with sauce, as it was freshly cooked over a grill and ever so slightly singed on the skin, which gave it that pop when you bit into it. So good! But the service was crap.

Our tour guide’s name was Lisa. She joked that she’d accept "Mona Lisa" just so we wouldn’t forget her name when it came time to leave a review! She was brilliant and so easy to understand. It’s always impresses me how guides seem to have every date and detail committed to memory—they really do know everything about anything.

We walked and she talked for a good two hours; it was yet another deep-dive history lesson on a city I previously knew nothing about. I won’t go into every detail, but Vienna certainly has a fascinating past—centered largely on the Habsburg family who shaped the city, with a fair bit of "creative" interbreeding thrown in over the centuries to keep the power in the family, and with that not the best looking family.

At the end of the tour, we headed to a local restaurant that came highly recommended. It was absolutely packed, but they managed to squeeze us in and find us a couple of seats. We both settled on the veal goulash served with spätzle, which was delicious. The apple strudel not so much but the whole meal was very reasonably priced. The name of the restaurant is "Reinthaler's Beisl" and right in the middle of the city. It's much bigger than it looks from the outside.

The tour we took was through "Good Vienna Tours" it's a totally free walking tour and you tip the guides at the end as much as you think the tour was worth. We both highly recommend this tour group and book in advance online.

There is so much to see in this city, and Lisa had recommended doing the “Vienna Circle,” where you can catch a tram that passes all the highlights, including the lush gardens, Parliament House, and the State Opera.

We boarded the Number 1 tram to do the Vienna Circle, but for some reason we just stayed on until the very end of the line. We eventually found ourselves at a massive park kilometers outside the city center, deep in the suburbs. It didn't matter though, as it gave our legs a rest. We had to hop off as this was the end of the line for Number 1 and the stop was called Prater, Hauptalle, we found the only small café called Cafe Konstantin and perched ourselves there for a bit to take it all in. I Googled the area and discovered the park actually has many other restaurants, though they were all hidden behind the thick canopy of trees. Since our legs had already taken enough of a beating today, we decided against more exploring; we jumped back on the tram and headed back into the city to catch the subway home.

Enjoying a cold beer at Rioca Vienna Posto 2

We were about to head down to the beer garden for a few drinks tonight, but after finally sitting down in our room, we realized we just didn’t have the energy—plus, we have an early flight to catch tomorrow.

We didn't even plan on coming to Vienna, but did Vienna win us over? Unfortunately, it didn't quite win me over, but it did Leanne. It seems like Vienna is always putting on events; for us, that meant most of the main monuments were hidden behind scaffolding, large screens, and construction. However, even with all the work going on, the city still has a charm to it. It’s a beautiful mix of old-world palaces and a high-quality way of life that you feel the moment you step off the train. It’s grand, it’s historic, and it's a city that definitely knows how to live well.