Bratislava / Vienna recommendations

[pinkflamingo83]

Hi,

I'm thinking of flying to Bratislava for 4-5 nights in early April. Possibly solo, unless I can convince a friend or family member to come with me. Perhaps I will just be brave and go alone....

I'd be arriving mid-afternoon and leaving at lunchtime. Does anyone have any tips, where to stay, what to do, day trips out? I would also like to go to Vienna (short train ride away) and potentially stay over there too.

Thanks so much x

If it's your first time in Vienna, Schoenbrunn Palace is definitely worth a visit. It's set in large grounds, so aim to visit on a day when the weather is decent. It's a bit outside the centre, but easily reached by public transport. Vienna has an excellent public transport system.

Not been to Bratislava but we just flew back yesterday from 3 days in Vienna, it's a great city and we had a lovely time. It's very busy at the moment though, the palaces of Schonbrunn, Hofberg and Belvedere were sold out 2 to 3 days in advance. Same for the Opera house. I don't really like pre-booking as it ties you to an itinerary, but you have no choice if you can't get in without a booking. Have a look 4 or 5 days and see what availability looks like for coming days and then book if needs be, you'll miss Easter so can't imagine it will be as busy as now. Other sites like the towers at the cathedral and the Ferris wheel at the Prater had queues of at least 30 minutes. We walked straight in at the Albertina and Karlskirche around 5pm each time. I booked last minute and so we stayed out near Westbahnhof, would definitely recommend staying inside the ringstrasse, so walking distance to the sites, if you can find somewhere affordable.

I can recommend the Klimt exhibition at the Belvedere and the Secession if you like art.

Take a trip on the tram around the ring and you will see the main sights. I think it's free now.

The Hofburg is worth a visit especially as now they really make some effort to recreate what it was like when occupied. I first went in about 1997 and it was just empty rooms! I also love all the antique shops in that area, just for window shopping!

Schönnbrunn is beautiful but a bit of a trek from the centre and massive so it depends if you want to spend the time. It is lovely though!

Have coffee and cake at Café Oberlaa for a real Viennese experience. The staff are a bit hoity toity (mainly because they are Viennese)but the cake is excellent as is the coffee!

Walk around lots, it's a beautiful city.

We're regular visitors as we have family nearby.

Upper Belvedere is my favourite gallery. Schoenbrunn is easy to get to by metro, line number 4 I think. The area around the cathedral has fabulous architecture and some beautiful shops.
I have been to Bratislava and was underwhelmed. It’s quite small, some interesting architecture but outside of the main streets was a bit seedy imo.

I would only spend 1 day in Bratislava and spend the rest of the time in Vienna. The old centre of Bratislava is lovely but it's a small area and the rest of the city is about as attractive as Luton.

Thanks so much for the recommendations all, really helpful and kind of you! I think I'll look at Bratislava as a 1 night stay, then train to Vienna for the rest of the trip.
Happy New Year :)

You only need half a day in Bratislava. It’s like a village.

Thank you, I am glad I asked!