Vienna
Habsburg palaces, coffee-house culture and €15 standing-room opera tickets that change your life.
Premium without the price tag.
Vienna feels untouchably expensive, until you learn the locals' tricks. I stayed in Neubau (7th district, artsy, walkable) for €85 a night, bought a 72-hour transit pass for €17 that includes the U-Bahn to Schönbrunn, and queued 80 minutes for a €15 standing-room ticket at the State Opera (yes, the real Staatsoper), I saw Carmen from the balcony for the price of a pizza. Vienna Pass is a tourist trap; the free Belvedere garden and €16 Kunsthistorisches Museum are all you need. Drink your melange at Café Sperl, not Central. Three days, €540 from Thessaloniki (often via Bucharest).
What to do, where to go.
- 01Standing-room opera tickets €15 (80 min queue)
- 02Schönbrunn gardens (free) + palace (€26)
- 03Naschmarkt Saturday flea market
- 04Café Sperl, original Habsburg coffee house
- 05Belvedere & Klimt's The Kiss (€16)
Places most tourists never see.
Loos American Bar
Adolf Loos's 1908 micro-bar, 4m×6m. Best martini in Europe for €13. Open till 4am.
Kunsthistorisches Café
Have coffee under a Klimt-painted dome. €5 espresso, infinite Instagram.
Donauinsel beach bars
Vienna's free river island. Locals sunbathe, swim and DJ at sunset all summer.
Honest numbers, no hidden fees.
- Flights from Thessaloniki€140
- Neubau apartment (3 nights)€255
- Coffee houses & meals€90
- Opera + 2 museums€55
