Vienna to Salzburg: How We Explored Two Cities for Less (Itinerary & Tips)
Vienna
"The Christmas Market Dream"
We visited Vienna on November 27, 2024. Why this season? Honestly, Instagram made us do it! After scrolling through endless reels of magical Christmas markets and fancy decorations, we knew we had to see it for ourselves.
Coming from Asia, where we don't have authentic town-square Christmas markets with real mulled wine and traditional crafts, this was a dream come true. If you have no idea what to do in Vienna during winter (or how to navigate the transport system), I’ve put together our full itinerary and budget tips below.
🎫 Public Transportation
🚆 Vienna 24-Hour Pass (Zone 100)
| Type | Price (2026 Est.) | Pros/Cons |
|---|---|---|
| 📱 Digital Ticket | ~€9.70 | Cheaper & Instant |
| 🎟️ Physical Ticket | ~€10.20 | Must Stamp it! |
| (History Note) | €8.00 | Price we paid in 2024 |
💡 My Tip: Download the WienMobil App. It covers the Core City (Zone 100) and saves you the hassle of finding a stamping machine.
🏛️ Museum Lover? Get the Vienna City Card instead for 200+ discounts.
🗓️ Day 1: Arrival & Sushi Feasts (27/11)
🚆 Krakow to Wien Hbf
We took the PKP Intercity. Checked in at our host sister’s house and did a quick greet!
🍣 Ebi Sushi Buffet
Cost: €16.59If you are craving Asian food, this is the spot. All-you-can-eat goodness!
📸 Parliament & Recordstore & Vintage Stroll
Visited Alt & Neu Recordstore shop and wandered along Mariahilfer Straße. The Parliament building looks stunning at night!
🥞 The Fluffiest Pancakes
We went to Demel for the famous Kaiserschmarrn. It was €7.90 but absolutely worth it. It comes with a rich plum sauce that balances the sweetness perfectly.
🍷 Glühwein & Boot Mugs
We hunted down the viral "Shoe Mug" at the Christmas Market near the Opernviertel! The Glühwein was €5.40. We also bought some cute handmade stamps at Schwedenplatz.
📸 Streets
We visited the quirky Hundertwasser House (so colorful!) and watched the mechanical figures at the Ankeruhr Clock.
Quick Stops: Jesuit Church & Hofburg Palace.
🏛️ Museums & Dinner
We explored the Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM).
For dinner, we ate at Reinthaler’s Beisl before a final Christmas market stroll with our host sister.
KHM Museum
Schnitzel Dinner
🗓️ Day 3: Salzburg Stopover
🚆 Westbahn to Salzburg
We booked via westbahn.at. Departed from Wien Westbahnhof. Upon arrival, we dropped our bags at Yoho Hostel—super convenient!
🍦 Ice Cream for Breakfast?
We planned to find a "proper" breakfast, but stumbled upon La Romana dal 1947. We ended up having Pistachio Gelato instead. No regrets—it was amazing!
🏰 Hohensalzburg Castle
Lunch at Gasthaus Zwettler’s, then walked up to the castle.
Surprise: We managed to enter the courtyard without a fee (possibly a holiday perk?).
☕ Café Tomaselli
We shared a truffle cake and coffee to rest. The view over Mozart Square is lovely!
Note: It gets very crowded in winter.
🍕 The "SPAR" Dinner Party
It was too cold to stay out late, so we grabbed a pizza from SPAR and ate it in the hostel common room. Honestly? The perfect cozy end to a cold day.