Vienna & Salzburg or Bratislava

[atalost]

Going to Vienna for a few days and thinking of getting the train to either Salzburg for a couple of days or Bratislava and then flying home. Which would you suggest and where to stay in any location. Thanks

Salzburg it is beautiful, I loved visiting.

We recently visited both Salzburg, and Bratislava, whilst in Vienna. I much preferred Salzburg. There was a lot to do and see. I felt I could spend more time there.

Bratislava was quite nice but there really wasn’t much to do.

Agree with pp Bratislava is quite dull imo.

I have done both, and the Vienna to Salzburg line is more scenic. Salzburg is a major tourist destination, although the crowds are fairly easy to avoid.

Salzburg always!!!

I found Salzburg far more interesting than Bratislava.

There are two train companies that operate between Vienna and Salzburg - the State railway ÖBB and the private company Westbahn. Westbahn is usually the cheapest option and operates funky new double-decker trains that allow great views of the countryside if you book a seat on the upper deck.

You don't need to go back to Vienna in order to return to the UK - there are daily flights (Ryanair or BA) to London from Salzburg.

To hijack this thread completely, what would people recommend doing in Salzburg? We will have some time in Bavaria this summer, and I'm pondering whether a day trip to Salzburg is worth doing...

The castle is great in Salzburg. You can also do a Sound of Music tour, if that’s your thing. Lots of pretty wandering around, cafes and shops.

I did the Sound of Music tour and also Mozart's birthplace when I was in Salzburg in 2015.

My partner spent a few days in Salzburg and the best thing we did was a day trip to Eagles Nest up in the mountains (Hitlets weekend place) and lunch in nearby Berchtesgaden. Historically quite a mind blowing place to be and incredibly beautiful scenery!

Bratislava is on my places to go list and I have stayed a few days in Salzburg and we found quite a limited place, it's very perfect and very tourist trappy, we didn't find it easy trying to find places to eat and drink at night that weren't tourist central. We did a day trip to Eagles Nest though up in the mountains we highly recommend. Also there is a fantastic monastery beer hall in Salzburg.

Also just to caution, we had an Airbnb near the main train station in Salzburg and it's pretty rough around there with a lot of of homeless alcoholics sleeping rough.

Budapest is much better than Bratislava, but quite similar to Vienna

We stayed here in Vienna last year: https://magdas-hotel.at/en/vienna-city/ and really liked it, close to station and tram stops, quiet street.

Total opposite to @FlyingCatGirl I was in Salzburg for a couple of days last September, staying near the station, and didn't see any homeless alcoholics and found lots of good places to eat and drink that weren't tourist central and very reasonably priced.

I got a Salzburg card which gives you 24, 48 or 72 hours free bus travel within the local area and entrance to dozens of attractions and places to visit. I recommend the Mirabelle Palace gardens (free anyway), Schloss Hell run for the fascinating water gardens (and the octagonal orangery from Sound of Music), the Untersburg cable car, the strange Christmas museum and the Cathedral. The 24-hr card cost something like 36 euros but had I paid for everything it would have been 94 euros.

I also visited the fortress (good views but meh), Mozart's birthplace (meh), catacombs (meh) and Monschberg elevator (great views and nice walk). There are other things I didn't have time to do.

I absolutely loved it, popped into every church I could (beautiful) and just walked around the old town again and again. In comparison I found Vienna very disappointing.

My favourite place in the world, Budapest is the only place I've been to 4 times and looking to make a trip back next year as it's been ten years since we last went.

I visited Vienna and Prague years ago and Salzburg more recently for an academic conference. I loved all three cities but I don't know Bratislava.

Vienna and Salzburg are very scenic with a lot to do. The imperial palaces and museums in Vienna are amazing. I have always been fascinated by the tragic story of Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress Maria Vetsera so I made a trip to see the hunting lodge at Mayerling. Another great thing to do is to ride completely around the ringstrasse on the tram. Salzburg is much smaller than Vienna but easy to walk around without getting lost. It has some wonderful shops and markets. Its an old style fairytale like city set amid beautiful countryside.

These are two lovely safe cities to walk around on your own. Among the safest in Europe. Be aware that basic precautions (pick pockets, scammers and undesirables) should be taken around the railway stations which is true of any major city.

Salzburg.

Bratislava is a day trip. Or a suburb of Vienna according to Ryanair.

I went to Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava at Easter and Budapest was my favourite. I liked Bratislava too but it's small and a half day would be enough time to see everything.

Salzburg

If I was in Salzburg I would want to see the Eisriesenwelt, but that's not really seeing the city.

A few years ago we went interrailing, and did Munich, Salzburg, Vienna Bratislava and Budapest. TBH, they were all wonderful, but choosing between Salzburg and Bratislava, would go for Salzburg every time. The town centre is really sweet and beautiful, the main shopping street with its old signs are lovely, we did a Sound of Music cycle tour which was a lot of fun.

In Salzburg we stayed here, it was a little oout of the town centre, but I don't recall it being an issue, I think we would get the bus home if tired. I do recall there was an excellent outdoor municipal pool opposite, which was a very welcvome relief during a v hot spell. https://www.hotelsone.com/salzburg-hotels-at/arcotel-castellani-salzburg.html?dsti=3908&dstt=8&nid=1&as=g&aid=806338238353&cmpid=21722256953&agid=195460843163&gid=Cj0KCQjw-MDTBhCgARIsAKAkdlSGePv9JkDEQkwMrdv0nMiabo4oF_QmQbPliPH0xiA40sh6Gtazn-kaAryJEALw_wcB&gwbrd=CkEKCQjw1bvTBhDzARIwAO8I-jX0mAbi0dpU8K9Nccj60ZCzd3vQhTomG9HHB7XR8uaWmg4Nyzl8jB9wnvivGgIlew&ggbrd=0AAAAAD4o1PexvIr23OHZ67sTf9s1BYiNJ&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21722256953&gbraid=0AAAAAD4o1PexvIr23OHZ67sTf9s1BYiNJ&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-MDTBhCgARIsAKAkdlSGePv9JkDEQkwMrdv0nMiabo4oF_QmQbPliPH0xiA40sh6Gtazn-kaAryJEALw_wcB

In Bratislava we stayed here, which was an awesome hotel, it was a short stroll into the old town: https://www.lofthotel.sk/

I did Munich, Salzburg and Vienna last summer travelling on the train - flying in to Munich and out of Vienna. I loved all the cities - the children who were 9 and 13 especially loved Munich but I loved Salzburg.

Salzburg has wonderful city scapes from various places in the city. We were there during the festival and the music in the street was stunning. Especially enjoyed opera via free outdoor cinema below the castle. The Salzburg card is well worth getting as previously discussed - we heavily used the 48 hour pass including going on a cable car as well as all the castles and palaces. We also did parkrun there and it must been one the nicest settings for a run at Hellbrum with an water feature called a Kneipp stepping pool which you can walk around post run. Even if you don't like The Sound of Music, it's worth rewatching before a visit as a lot of the sights are used.

We spent a week in Salzburg in 2022 and absolutely loved it.

If you are only there a day then just wandering the streets is worth it, it is so beautiful. But other things we did while we were there:

• the Castle - lovely views
• Salzburg Residenz ( great dressing up opportunity which DD and I loved!)
• Weihnachtsmuseum (Christmas museum)
• Mozart's birthplace
• St Peter's Cemetery and Catacombs
• Free band concert in the Mirabelle Gardens every Sunday morning
• Sound of Music locations - we didn't do an official tour but found several anyway as I had a guide book that listed them

Going slightly out of town on the bus:

• Schloss Hellbrunn - amusing water features, lovely gardens and the gazebo from Sound of Music
• Freilichtmuseum - surprisingly interesting open air museum