Vienna, the capital of Austria and one of Europe’s most beautiful and historically significant cities, is a pleasure to experience with children of all ages. It features all of the great things you expect from a European vacation – culture, education, great food, amazing architecture and so much more – in a way that is easily walkable (with some easy to use public transportation) and accessible to a family of any size.

With so much to see and do you can make it a great extended stay, or plan an exciting European tour with an action packed day or two. Tackle the whole city or just a neighborhood. Vienna is filled with possibilities and is sure to make great memories for your family.

Here is what one family, with a wealth of travel experience, had to say:

The truth is that Vienna was never on our list of places to visit. For some reason it just didn’t catch our attention. As a result of this we knew next to nothing about it. We decided to give it a try after hearing positive things about the city from a friend, and we are so delighted that we did. Vienna is a wonderful, vibrant city to visit. We highly recommend it for other families, as long as your children appreciate culture, a beautiful walkable city, friendly warm people, and an urban experience in general. We would put this on the must-visit list if you enjoy exploring Europe.

A little about the family:

The type of vacation we typically choose is luxury. For our activities, we like luxury and often stay at the finest hotels, but we are also adventurous and love off the beaten path types of experiences and always seek them out. We aren’t bothered by very “local” experiences anywhere and think these are very important to our vacation. We love adventure. We also like a mixture of regular, touristic and organized places. We enjoy hiking and outdoorsy activities. We enjoy museums, markets and other activities geared towards children. We like to maximize each day by seeing as much as possible.

Vienna, From a Family Perspective:

How to Enjoy it Best:

Vienna is a great city for families who want culture, a beautiful and easily walkable experience with fantastic architecture, deep historical significance and great museums.

People are very warm and friendly to tourists, which made our two days very enjoyable. The city is great for children of all ages, though it is probably best suited for ages 6 and up.

We recommend a guide on at least one day, in order to truly understand Austria’s place in world history. A good guide can give you a true sense of the importance of Austria and the significance of the many historical sites you will come across.

We endorse: Walter Juraschek

Taborstraße 59/23A

A – 1020 Wien

Tel.: +43 699 1 925 15 24

http://www.my-vienna-guides.at

From Our Family: Walter is really knowledgeable and friendly, and he really knows his way around Vienna.

Where to Stay:

Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna

Schottenring 24, 1010 Wien, Austria

For Reservations, call: +43 1 2361000 or email to: info.vienna@kempinski.com.

With modern architecture and amenities in the heart of this historic city, Palais Hansen Kempinski is a wonderful place to stay. Located in the heart of Ring Boulevard, this hotel can have you perfectly situated for virtually anything you want to do in the city. Its elegant rooms include suites. Originally built in 1873 for Vienna’s World Exhibition, this hotel marries the best of old world class with modern attention to detail.

From our family: A great luxury hotel, with outstanding staff and first class service. The hotel is well located for exploring Vienna, and has very comfortable rooms. You’ll also enjoy a great lobby and spa if you stay here. This really was a wonderful setting for our trip and place to stay while in Austria. You can easily walk to many of the main city areas, or if you prefer, it is also very close to a train – this way you don’t have to only rely on cabs.

Insider Tips for Tackling Vienna:

Getting Around: is easy in Vienna. It is an eminently walkable city, and if you are excited about that prospect, you can see all sorts of wonderful things by taking your time and exploring at your own pace. For getting to specific venues, the subways and trains are easy to navigate, affordable and recommended. To be able to feel confident after just two days there leaves us with a good feeling about any family being able to feel comfortable there in short order.
Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia is only about an hour away. That means that these are the only two capital cities in the world so close to one another (unless you count Rome and the Vatican, which is a special circumstance). This rare occurrence presents a fantastic opportunity to families who want to get in a little something extra. If you are here an extended period, or feel you have a day to spare, consider taking a trip here. We didn’t, but we heard people really enjoy it. On the other hand, we could have used another day or two in Vienna, as it is such an enjoyable and beautiful city. The choice is up to the individual family, but knowing it is an option adds yet another positive to the long list of reasons to see Vienna.
A helpful tip for the airport: there is a train direct from the airport to the city. We opted instead for one of the fixed rate taxi services, which is an option if you don’t want to wait on line for a regular taxi (or take a chance on the taxi’s meter). We paid 36 Euro from the airport to our hotel, and they gave a slight discount if you book them on the way back from the hotel to the airport (33 Euro). You don’t need to book the return trip until you are ready to go back to the airport (just book a minimum of 2 hours ahead). The van we got was comfortable, and had space for 8 passengers with some luggage – though not a huge amount. For us, this option was very convenient.
Taxis: In general, we found the taxis here to be fairly priced, unlike some other European cities we have visited where they were very expensive. Taxis are readily available and a good option if you are in a time crunch, tired, or simply if it is how you prefer to get around a city.
Flights: We enjoyed our flight on Austrian Airlines and would recommend them to other families looking to make the trip to Vienna. The plane was comfortable, the crew was very nice, and they were more than on par with other reputable, regional carriers.

For Families Looking for Vacation Inspiration in Austria, we have two days in Vienna that you can take “as is” or use as a starting point for your own adventure. Both are tested by real families and come with full recommendations, as well as helpful hints.

Here are our family itineraries for Vienna:

Vienna, Austria Day One – A more historically minded and educational day. Experience the great landmarks of the city and get a healthy dose of history and culture as you get your bearings in this fantastic locale.
Vienna, Austria Day Two – This day trades off some of the touring for more experiences. Take in some great art, classical music and an interactive show kids will love. There is also time for shopping. This day keeps you off your feet a bit more and lets you take the time to absorb some local flavor.

Some Other Things To Do:

These are things our real family didn’t do, but heard about or was recommended. Take a look and see if they may be right for your family:

Prater Amusement Park

1020 Vienna, Austria

+43 1 7280516

http://www.prater.at/GeneralInformation.php?LI=1

The area is open 24 hours, with most of the amusements operating from 11 AM – 12 AM

Admission is free of charge, while there are individual fees for certain attractions.

Description:

This historical amusement area dates all the way back to the 12th century, though it has been continuously updated to include modern amenities and exciting attractions. Here you’ll find food, shopping, arcades, rides, a planetarium and more. The affordable prices range between 1.50 and 5 Euros per activity. There is something here for all ages, and because you aren’t committing to a hefty admission fee like many amusement parks, you can choose to spend a whole day here or just pop in for an hour or two and not feel like you’ve wasted anything. Peak season in the “Wurstelprater” runs from March 15th through October 31st.

Ice Skating at City Hall (Wiener Eistraum)

(Annually from January until early March).

Stadt Wien Marketing GmbH, Kolingasse 11/7 1090 Wien

+4314090040 or info@wienereistraum.com

http://www.wienereistraum.com/index.html

Description:

Every year, the square in front of the Vienna City Hall is transformed into a 6,000 square meter ice rink. The setting is picturesque, especially under lights in the evening, as two large rinks are connected by small paths that wind under the trees in the park and take you across paths normally designated for foot traffic. Booths are scattered around the area for you to take a break and warm up with a hot beverage, or take in some local food to refuel and experience the native life. Open until 10 PM daily during the run of the facility, you can rent skates there or bring your own.

Interested in Booking a Viennese Trip for your family? Check Out:

Stay tuned for more great itineraries and thorough spotlights in the future. We are here to help you book your most extraordinary and memorable vacations yet!

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