Mouthwash in Vienna

[Michkov]

Questions:
Do hostels usually let you do laundry? Going to have to sometime.

Depend on the hostel, if you cant find something you may need look for a laundromat.

BTW Easter is coming up which usually includes closed shops and such. The ones at major train stations should be open though.

 

[Camikaze]

A lot of hostels have lockers or locked draws into which you can fit your entire luggage. Your bag should also be locked. I've stayed in 50+ hostels and have never had anything stolen, with these minimal protections.

Hostels can sometimes have a laundry service, but more usually a big hostel will have laundry facilities for you to pay to use yourself. A smaller hostel will be able to assist you in finding or using a laundromat.

Make sure you go to the Kunsthistorisches Museum - it's possibly the best in Europe to visit, given both its collections and its layout and manageability. Other than that and the super obvious sights, I don't have any particular Vienna recommendations, but it's a great hub to visit other places. In addition to a day (no more) in Bratislava, Ljubljana (bundle in Bled), Munich, and Budapest are all in reachable distance for either very long day trips, or ideally, a couple of nights each (though you could spend an age in Budapest - and without wanting to typecast, it may be of particular interest to you as a Jewish person). Smaller places also worth visiting within day trip distance are Salzburg, Passau, Berchtesgaden, Melk and Cesky Krumlov.

If you are heading to some of those bigger places, bear in mind it might be worth booking a seat reservation on top of your regular ticket, particularly with RJ services (as opposed to the more regional services you would get to a place like Melk). Other than that, going to these places by train is super simple and convenient. You might ask at the hostel where you're staying whether they know any better bus or private transfer options for the particular places you're going.

 

[Lexicus]

Listen to this song

 

[Lillefix]

Make sure you go to the Kunsthistorisches Museum - it's possibly the best in Europe to visit, given both its collections and its layout and manageability. Other than that and the super obvious sights, I don't have any particular Vienna recommendations, but it's a great hub to visit other places. In addition to a day (no more) in Bratislava, Ljubljana (bundle in Bled), Munich, and Budapest are all in reachable distance for either very long day trips, or ideally, a couple of nights each (though you could spend an age in Budapest - and without wanting to typecast, it may be of particular interest to you as a Jewish person). Smaller places also worth visiting within day trip distance are Salzburg, Passau, Berchtesgaden, Melk and Cesky Krumlov.

Also Venice. But I agree with the art museum. The wonderful thing about it is that the plaques under the paintings have much interesting information. Most museums either have no information or just "this was bought by" and so on. In this museum they actually explain what things symbolizes and put things in context. I had to almost be dragged out last time.

 

[sophie]

Questions:

How do I keep my money and items safe in a hostel?

Do hostels usually let you do laundry? Going to have to sometime.

Hostels usually have a lockbox or locker that you can use. If it's a private room you can usually keep your things in your room, although obviously you should keep at least your passport on your person at all times.

 

[Arakhor]

I'd second visiting the Kunsthistorisches Museum. If you ever wanted to photograph great masters but never had the opportunity, for some reason the KHM will let you do that as much as you want (but don't you dare do that upstairs in the Hofburg).

 

[Michkov]

Re Kunsthistorisches, if you are more into dead animals, sticks and stones, the building on the other side is the natural history museum. For live animals there is Schönbrunn Zoo

 

[Arakhor]

Oh yes. I made a special visit to the Naturhistorische Museum just to see the Venus of Willendorf.

 

[Mouthwash]

Actually I spent yesterday at both museums. Took dozens of pictures.

@Owen Glyndwr, did you mean the State Opera House? There's more than one.

 

[sophie]

@Owen Glyndwr, did you mean the State Opera House? There's more than one.

That's the one

 

[Mouthwash]

So you can't pay on the buses, but have to purchase a ticket before you get on. All transportation here is ridiculous and that's my final judgment.

 

[Lillefix]

Switzerland was quite nice in that respect. In many cities you get free public transportation throughout the city when you have a hotel room.

 

[Arakhor]

So you can't pay on the buses, but have to purchase a ticket before you get on. All transportation here is ridiculous and that's my final judgment.

If you'd bought the unified ticket as I recommended, that wouldn't be an issue.

 

[yung.carl.jung]

is this your first time leaving israel? genuinely curious

I am not the type to plan in advance at all, but that's because I've been around

had you done like 2 minutes of research with google (or listened to arakhor) you would not only have saved a lot of time, but you also would have saved a metric ton of money. pretty much every bigger city offers a cheap combined ticket for public transportation.

 

[Mouthwash]

is this your first time leaving israel? genuinely curious

I've spent most of my life in America. You thought I was a native-born Israeli?

had you done like 2 minutes of research with google (or listened to arakhor) you would not only have saved a lot of time, but you also would have saved a metric ton of money. pretty much every bigger city offers a cheap combined ticket for public transportation.

Oh, actually I didn't expect to have to use transportation until I left for Salzburg. My hotel is at a five-minute walk from the Hofburg and most of the famous museums. It's only because I decided to visit Schonbrunn Palace that I'm doing it (and I did purchase a 24-hour pass after finding out about the bus policy).

 

[Arakhor]

Staying near the Hofburg would ordinarily be a good plan. I stayed at a hotel not too far from the Belvedere Palace (Prince Eugene's pad), so everywhere else required a spell on the U-bahn, but compared to the London Tube, that was quite pleasant.

 

[Mouthwash]

I take back some of what I said about the subways... looks a lot less dystopian during the day.

Today I bought a ticket from a guy near the State Opera - it was to a concert at somewhere called the Palais Eschenbach. I figured this was to catch customers before they bought tickets at the Opera. He said that it started at 8:15 and that I should show up at 8. Problem is, Palais Eschenbach is closed today!

Now I can't remember him explicitly claiming it was today, so it may be a simple oversight on my part. Neither the number on the card or the number online work (I'm not sure my data plan even lets me call within Vienna).

Did I get scammed? What should I do?

EDIT: Oh yes, cost was 42 Euros, which is what it said online.

 

[shadowplay]

I'd avoid buying anything from a guy on the street.

 

[Mouthwash]

If he was a scammer, he's a very brazen one. I don't associate Sunday with stores closing, but pretty much the entire Western World does. Someone would question and check.

He was very close to the State Opera. You think they'd have cleared him out by now were he selling fraudulent tickets.

There was also another salesman (he didn't have change and asked him for it). So multiple scammers then.

 

[sophie]

If he was a scammer, he's a very brazen one. I don't associate Sunday with stores closing, but pretty much the entire Western World does. Someone would question and check.

He was very close to the State Opera. You think they'd have cleared him out by now were he selling fraudulent tickets.

There was also another salesman (he didn't have change and asked him for it). So multiple scammers then.

Yeah, scalped tickets is a pretty dicey proposition. You can buy standing-room only at the box office. Here's how