Day trips · Vienna · Austria
6 best day trips from Vienna
Where to go when you want a day away from Vienna, and how long it really takes.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
The classic day trip from Vienna is Wachau Valley and Melk Abbey (About 1 hour by train to Melk). The closest option is Baden bei Wien, about 30 km away.
Key facts
- Day trips in this guide
- 6
- Closest
- Baden bei Wien (30 km)
- Most popular
- Wachau Valley and Melk Abbey
Day trips compared
| Destination | Distance | Travel time | How | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wachau Valley and Melk Abbey | 85 km | About 1 hour by train to Melk | Train to Melk, then a river boat or bus along the Danube | Couples, Culture, Food lovers |
| Bratislava | 60 km | About 1 hour by train or 75 minutes by boat | Regional train from the Hauptbahnhof, or the seasonal Twin City Liner catamaran | Budget, First-timers, Culture |
| Baden bei Wien | 30 km | About 1 hour by local railway, or 30 minutes by train | Badner Bahn light railway from the Opera, or regional train | Couples, Quiet stays, Luxury |
| Heiligenkreuz and the Vienna Woods | 30 km | About 45 minutes by bus | Bus from Wien Meidling, or a car or tour | Quiet stays, Culture, Families |
| Lake Neusiedl and Rust | 60 km | About 1–1.5 hours by train and bus | Train to Neusiedl am See, or train and bus to Rust | Families, Quiet stays, Food lovers |
| Salzburg | 300 km | About 2.5 hours each way by train | Railjet train from the Hauptbahnhof or Westbahnhof | First-timers, Culture, Families |
The day trips
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85 km · About 1 hour by train to Melk
1.Wachau Valley and Melk Abbey
The baroque Melk Abbey stands high above the Danube at the start of the Wachau, a UNESCO-listed stretch of river lined with terraced vineyards, apricot orchards and wine villages. Take a river boat from Melk to Dürnstein, where Richard the Lionheart was held captive in the castle now in ruins above the town.
- Getting there
- Train to Melk, then a river boat or bus along the Danube
- Best for
- Couples, Culture, Food lovers
60 km · About 1 hour by train or 75 minutes by boat
2.Bratislava
Slovakia's compact capital has a pedestrian old town, St Martin's Cathedral, where Hungarian kings were crowned, and a hilltop castle with views over the Danube. Prices are lower than in Vienna.
- Getting there
- Regional train from the Hauptbahnhof, or the seasonal Twin City Liner catamaran
- Best for
- Budget, First-timers, Culture
30 km · About 1 hour by local railway, or 30 minutes by train
3.Baden bei Wien
An elegant spa town of Biedermeier houses where Beethoven spent many summers. The thermal baths, Kurpark and the vineyards and wine taverns at the edge of the Vienna Woods make a relaxing day.
- Getting there
- Badner Bahn light railway from the Opera, or regional train
- Best for
- Couples, Quiet stays, Luxury
30 km · About 45 minutes by bus
4.Heiligenkreuz and the Vienna Woods
The Vienna Woods (Wienerwald) are crisscrossed with walking trails. Heiligenkreuz is a Cistercian abbey founded in 1133 and still home to monks, with a Romanesque and Gothic church and cloister; nearby is the Seegrotte, an underground lake in a former mine.
- Getting there
- Bus from Wien Meidling, or a car or tour
- Best for
- Quiet stays, Culture, Families
60 km · About 1–1.5 hours by train and bus
5.Lake Neusiedl and Rust
Austria's largest lake is shallow and reed-fringed, a UNESCO-listed area of birdlife, cycling paths and sailing. Rust, on the western shore, is known for storks nesting on its chimneys and for sweet wines.
- Getting there
- Train to Neusiedl am See, or train and bus to Rust
- Best for
- Families, Quiet stays, Food lovers
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300 km · About 2.5 hours each way by train
6.Salzburg
Mozart's birthplace has a baroque old town under the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Mirabell Gardens and the locations of The Sound of Music. It is a long day trip, so consider an overnight stay.
- Getting there
- Railjet train from the Hauptbahnhof or Westbahnhof
- Best for
- First-timers, Culture, Families
Day-trip tips
- Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
- Buses fill gaps in the network, including bus 38A from Heiligenstadt to Grinzing and Kahlenberg, and night buses run when the U-Bahn closes on weeknights.
- For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best day trip from Vienna?
Wachau Valley and Melk Abbey. The baroque Melk Abbey stands high above the Danube at the start of the Wachau, a UNESCO-listed stretch of river lined with terraced vineyards, apricot orchards and wine villages.
+How long does it take to get from Vienna to Wachau Valley and Melk Abbey?
About 1 hour by train to Melk — Train to Melk, then a river boat or bus along the Danube, about 85 km.
+How long does it take to get from Vienna to Bratislava?
About 1 hour by train or 75 minutes by boat — Regional train from the Hauptbahnhof, or the seasonal Twin City Liner catamaran, about 60 km.