Vienna, Austria’s capital, is one of the most beautiful cities in all of Europe. Outstanding architecture, long-standing history, vibrant culture and delectable food all make it one-of-a-kind so if you want to see it all and are wondering where to stay in Vienna, here is your detailed answer.
It’s a great idea to stay in Vienna for a few days before travelling on, for instance doing an Austria road trip to Innsbruck. And knowing where to stay makes quite the difference in your Vienna epxerience.
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Districts of Vienna
In total, Vienna is made up of 23 districts (“Bezirke”). If you are visiting Vienna for the first time or only for a very short getaway, the best place to stay in Vienna is central.
The very city centre lies in district one and 2-9 are laid out around it. I will introduce them a bit more to you so you can find the best vibe that suits your preferences.
Where to Stay in “Innere Stadt” (District 1)
Vienna’s inner district is where you can find the historical heart of the city. This is where most of Vienna’s attractions can be found and are easily accessible by foot. You can easily see the borders of this district as it is circled by The Ringstraße, tracing the former city wall outline.
Ruby Lissi Hotel
Clean, modern and neat hotel rooms can be had right in the inner city centre in Vienna at the Ruby Lissi Hotel.
Low Budget Stays in Innere Stadt
There are no hostels in innere Stadt.
Mid Range Hotels in Innere Stadt
On a budget but looking for fine chic and historic buildings to go with your hotel in Vienna? Check into Ruby Marie Hotel Vienna, which is set in a 18th century building and luxuriously furnished.
It looks just exquisite and features an open-plan bathroom with a glass rain shower, free toiletries and oversize towels. Fun fact: you can rent electric guitars and bikes.
Austria Trend Hotel Rathauspark Wien comes with tasteful and sleek design, an excellent and quiet location and located in a 19th-century city palace, this Vienna hotel is contemporary classic.
To really feel at home in Vienna, check out the quaint Pension Nossek. It gives you that old Vienna feel with Art Noveau style, as if you are at home with a local friend.
Rooms include a flat-screen TV, mini-bar and private bathrooms. Before you check in, request a room with free wifi.
Best Luxury Hotels in Innere Stadt
One of the mist prestigious addresses in Vienna is Hotel Sacher. Yes, THAT hotel Sacher, which was named after the creator of the world renowned and delicious Sacher Torte. Expect 5 star treatment in all areas, including service, food and spa.
There are two restaurants and a bar onsite. Rooms look extravagant and precious with elegant furnishings and famous paintings. 5 star hotels in Vienna book out fast, so check availability now.
This also goes for the Grand Hotel Wien. You probably guessed it from the name, it looks super posh and almost like a museum. If you want to feel the vintage glam of classic Vienna, this is an excellent place to book into. Plus, there are 5 restaurants, 2 bars, a spa as well as a rooftop terrace with stunning views over Vienna.
A more modern Vienna accommodation – if lavish isn’t what you are going for – is Hotel Topazz & Lamée.
Super sleek in subdued colours, custom-made wooden furnishings and dark panels, this hotel feels like something James Bond would relish in. If you are lucky, you can snatch a room with divan windows that offer great views over Vienna.
Check availability via Booking* or Agoda*.
Where to Stay in “Leopoldstadt” (District 2)
Through Vienna two rivers run: the Danube and the Danube canal. Between those, will find yourself in the “Leopoldstadt” district. It includes the Paterstern and Giant Wheel and got its name from Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. Fun fact: the district twinned with NYC’s Brooklyn.
Low Budget Places to Stay in Leopoldstadt
There aren’t hostels in Leopoldstadt, only cheap hotels in Vienna’s centre. One of these is Meininger Hotel Wien Downtown Sissi. From here, you have easy walkable access to the local fruit and veggie market, the Karmeliter Market, as well as cafes, restaurants and shops. A guest kitchen can be used if you like preparing your own lunch boxes.
Check availability via Booking* or Agoda*.
Hotel Odeon provides a cozy atmosphere. It is one of these amazing a classic, old hotels in Vienna. It is charming and located in a quiet neighbourhood. For an extra fee you can book breakfast and it will be served in the courtyard.
There are two metro stations that are close. Wifi works best in public areas, so don’t count on it working excellently in your room.
Check availability via Booking* or Agoda*.
One way to set up base in Vienna is from a rented apartment, such as at Apartments Maximillian. They are fully furnished in a sleek Art Noveau design, come with flat screen TVs, kitchens/kitchenettes and wifi.
The nearest metro station is only 400m away and you can walk into the historical centre. Check rooms here.
Reserve your spot via Booking* or Agoda*.
Mid Range Hotels in Leopoldstadt
Close to the Danube with excellent river views – if you book such a room – is Hilton Vienna Danube Waterfront. Transport is available in a 5 minute walking radius.
Rooms are very spacious and come with great amenities. Plus, you can enjoy the open-air riverside pool and free WiFi in public areas as well as dining in the onsite restaurant. Click for rates.
Check rooms via Booking* or Agoda*.
Another fully furnished holiday apartment in Vienna is Sky Apartments Vienna. It offers single apartments for solo travelers as well as double apartments or travel partners and couples.
The apartments are located in a traditional Viennese building and you have access to the rooftop terrace and an internet terminal as well. Check rates now.
Book your stay via Booking* or Agoda*.
Best Luxury Hotels in Leopoldstadt
voco Vienna Prater offers a no nonsense hotel stay. Rooms are neat and sober.
The Underground Station is close and you only need to travel one stop to get to amusement park The Prater as well as Danube Island.
There is an in house bar as well as a terrace and garden pavilion. Wifi works throughout the building.
Book your stay via Booking* or Agoda*.
Courtyard by Marriott Vienna as always excels in style and comfort. Sitting besides the Reed Messe Wien, Vienna’s exhibition and convention centre and the Krieau Underground Station, you have fast access to the city centre and Vienna’s main attractions.
This Vienna hotel is particularly favoured by solo travellers. Check the reviews here*.
Where to Stay in “Landstraße” (District 3)
A little further from the centre, the Landstraße district is east of the Danube Canal. Its name translates to 2country road”. It’s a more urban and heavily populated district but houses the 18th century Belvedere, which includes a castle, gardens and the Austrian Galler, as well as the Hundertwasserhaus.
Low Budget Places to Stay in Landstraße
When it comes to budget stays with your hotel in Vienna, Ibis is king. For the Landstraße district, you need to look for the Ibis budget Wien Sankt Marx. Rooms are compact but include free wifi, air-conditioning, bathroom with a shower and a toilet and a flat-screen satellite TV. It’s only 2 minutes away from the nearest bus and underground. Check current deals here.
There are no hostels in the Landstrasse district.
Book your stay via Booking* or Agoda*.
Mid Range Hotels in Landstraße
If you love art (and can’t wait to see the Hunderwasserhaus), you gotta get a room at the stylish Kunsthaus Apartments. It sits in a historical building and is located right next to the Kunsthaus Wien and the Hundertwasser Museum. You can see the canal from here as well as the original Kunsthaus façade. Rooms come with kitchen and a supermarket is nearby.
Check the hotel out via Booking* or Agoda*.
An alternative is the likewise pretty VLA – Parkgasse nearby. It offers one bedroom apartments, which can provide sleeping options for up to three people, which is great value for money. Each unit has a kitchen with a dishwasher, oven, toaster as well as a private bathroom with free toiletries, and a living room with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. Check hotel rates now.
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Best Luxury Hotels in Landstraße
Fancy a hammock in your hotel room? You can have that at the stylish Daniel Vienna Hotel near Belvedere Palace. All rooms are very tasteful and come with individual designs, there is free wifi throughout and access to parking and an onsite restaurant. You can rent a bike or vespa from the reception. Fun fact: the hotel has its own beehives on the roof and makes its own shampoo. Check hotel availability now.
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Belvedere Suite by welcome2vienna provide a very homely apartment stay during your holidays. You will have your own bedroom, living room and kitchen. Plus, there is free wifi, ironing facilities, a TV and dishwasher. Check rates now.
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The family-run Hotel Urania looks like out of a Sissy movie. It is very lavish and vintage chic. It’s location is also prime, being only a 10 minute walk from the Hundertwasser House and the Wien-Mitte Train and Underground Station. Each room has a different theme. Also, there is a bar onsite. The hotel offers reduced prices during low season in case you are looking for affordable luxury. Check deals now.
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Where to Stay in “Wieden” (District 4)
Compared to the other Viennese districts, Wieden is rather small. It is the oldest Vorstadt and dates back to early medieval times as does its main street. Since the Vienna University of Technology is located in Wieden, you know this district is young and hip.
Low Budget Places to Stay in Wieden
There is only one hostel in Wieden, which happens to be one of the best rated. That’s Wombats City Hostel. It sits basically at the edge of the first district at the Naschmarkt and you can walk into the centre easily. The metro is close by as well, the hostel is clean, offers smartcard access, has free Wi-Fi and free city maps. Check availability now.
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For budget hotels, the Do Step Inn Central provides good value. From here, it’s only 11 minutes on food to Belvedere Palace and less than 2km to the Vienna State Opera. Rooms come with a shared bathroom and shared lounge. Wifi is available throughout. Check rates now.
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Another affordable hotel is Carlton Opera. It offers both single room and economy single room if you are on the lookout for a great deal. Each room is decorated differently and therefore unique, there is a buffet breakfast and wifi in the entire building.
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Mid Range Hotels in Wieden
Hotel Erzherzog Rainer is popular with solo travellers, according to Booking. You can take advantage of the single room options after all! They come with a private bathroom, TV, wifi and they with soundproof walls for the best sleep. Nearby parking is available for an extra fee as well. Check booking dates here.
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Hotel Etagerie comes in wonderful blue hues. If that’s your favourite colour, what are you waiting for? That aside, rooms have a equipped kitchenette with a fridge, coffee machine, and a stovetop. Then, there’s a private bathroom with bath or shower and a hair dryer. Vienna State Opera and Stadtpark are less than 2km away.
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Pakat Suites Hotel doesn’t just offer hotel rooms but wonderful suites. They come equipped with wifi, air-conditioning and specially designed furniture by Wittmann. Onsite, you can find a terrace, spacious garden, modern gym, a cocktail bar and a comfortable breakfast room. The nearest metro station is 10 minutes away.
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Best Luxury Hotels in Wieden
Hotel Kaiserhof Wien is a traditional hotel in a quiet side street in Vienna. To the opera, Ringstraße Boulevard and the Karlsplatz Underground Station, it’s only 7 minutes on foot. The hotel even includes spa area with sauna, steam bath and fitness room, as well as an internet corner.
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Want to stay in a modern whimsical yet sleek space? Sweet Living Naschmarkt will give you just the right impulses with its spacious and stylish apartments that come with seating and dining area as well as a kitchen. The Naschmarkt is only 5 minutes away.
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Apartment Oper is a fully and well equipped contemporary apartment that feels just the right amount of homely. It offers plenty of space and has a comfortable bed with good quality bed linen. Air conditioning, oven and microwave are available. ”
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Where to Stay in “Neubau” (District 7)
As the name suggests (Neubau means new building), this district is cool and edgy. There are plenty of galleries, coffee shops and artsy vibes to be had in Neubau.
Low Budget Places to Stay in Neubau
When it comes to low budget stays, there are a few of hostels in Vienna. One is Hostel Wien Myrthengasse, which is part of the Hostelling International brand. If you have membership, you get nice discounts. You can easily apply for it online or at the hostel. Breakfast at the hostel is included and wifi is available throughout. Check rates now.
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An affordable and likewise central hostel is Westend City Hostel by Mariahilferstraße, which happens to be the most prominent shopping street in Vienna. Connecting to other districts is easy as both train station and metro station (for U3 and U6) are super close. Each room has its own shower and toilet as well as table and chairs.
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A budget hotel in Neubau is Pension Hargita. It is super close to the metro and just around the corner from the Mariahilfer Straße shopping street. Rooms have wooden floors and comfortable beds. There is a TV. Bathrooms are private or shared.
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Mid Range Hotels in Neubau
To satisfy your inner art lover, you could stay at Hotel ViennArt am Museumsquartier. It’s situated in the likewise picturesque Spittelberg Quarter and next to the Museum Quarter. Each room comes in a bright and colourful design and features modern artworks. The lobby itself is also artsy.
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6 rooms – 1070 looks straight out of a fancy home living catalogue. It’s sp pretty! The underground station Volkstheater is close by and offers easy access to the public transportation network, which means the city centre is only 10 minutes away. Apartments are well lit and come with kitchen and a living area.
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Best Luxury Hotels in Neubau
One of the best designed compact hotel rooms, if you ask me, is at NH Collection Wien Zentrum. With a slight minimalist futuristic vibe and in all white, the spacious and modern rooms are between 30 and 164 ft² in size and come with large bathrooms and rain shower. In start contrast stands its colorful façade, which was designed by the famous Austrian painter Christian Ludwig Attersee.
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For a blend between modern hotel and vintage chic, try Hotel Savoy Garni. Take advantage of the bath, the tea and coffee making facilities and free wifi. The area itself is very boho with its many hip restaurants, cars and cafes on the Lindengasse Street.
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Small Luxury Hotel Altstadt Vienna is part of a renovated historic building in the boho Spittelberg quarter. It was awarded four stars for its outstanding service and individually decorated rooms. All of them come with cable TV, parquet floors and a mini-bar. If you feel fancy, join for the free tea and homemade cake are in front of the Red Salon fireplace.
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How to Get Around Vienna
Public Transport
Vienna has excellent public transport. So unless you are planning on driving around Austria, you don’t need to rent a car. To save you time and hustle trying to find ticket machines, stamping them and checking prices for various districts, I recommend getting the Vienna City Card. After purchase, the card is valid for 365 days.
It allows you unlimited use of the metro, tram and bus system in Vienna. Plus, it gives you discounts for over 210 places to visit in Vienna, such as museums, theatres, concerts, shops, cafes and restaurants. You can choose between 24, 48 or 72 hours, depending on what works best for you. Order it online so you already have it upon arrival.
Discount alternative: Get the Flexipass for 3-5 of the best attractions (valid for 30 days)
Airport Trains
To get to and from the airport, you can’t use the Vienna City Card. Since Vienna International Airport actually lies outside of the city, public city transport won’t get you all the way. For trains, there are two options.
The express CAT leaves half hourly and takes 16 minutes. It is the fastest but also most expensive option with 11€ one way. A special perk is that – with the right flights – you can check in your luggage at the station already. Prebook your CAT trip here.
For a cheaper option try the S7, which is a regional train. It only takes 23 minutes to travel between the centre and airport but trains are older and not very wheelchair accessible. For other train lines that go to the airport, check the train timetable.
Airport Buses
Even cheaper than trains (but taking longer) are local airport bus lines. They leave every 17 to 45 minutes and cost 8€ one way. Look out for the Postbus logo to spot it. Timetables and pickup spots are located here. If you want to be extra smart, combine your airport bus transfer with a hop on hop off bus ticket. Get it here.
In case you want to go to the International Busterminal, take the airliner bus for 5€. Timtetables can be found here.
Airport Transfers/Taxis
For the utmost comfort, you can arrange an airport transfer to pick you up right as your plane lands. Your flight will be tracked, so there is no need to worry about it missing you. You can book it one way or both ways.
If you don’t mind using a taxi, prebook this as well and expect costs between 28-35€ plus tipping. Taxis are slightly cheaper than airport transfers. In case you are concerned with your budget but prefer cars, opt for DriveNow car sharing.
Top 5 Items to Pack for Vienna
- Travel guides – Vienna is full of big and little gems and to discover them, a Lonely Planet Guide is really a great start. It will not only show you the main attractions and information on their historical significance, but also lsits restaurants, wonderful parks and basic Austrian phrases.
- Travel insurance – No matter where in the world you travel, it’s necessary to cover your bases and get both health and travel insurance. Conveniently, that is provided at the same time through WorldNomads insurance. Even if you are the healthiest and fittest person, you are not immune to possible accidents or travel mishaps.
- Walking shoes – Vienna’s old town being historical, you will have to walk on cobblestones and that’s a definite no go if you planned on wearing heels. Besides that, you will want to walk around town a lot to really see as much as you can. Opt for comfortable sandals in summer and regular sneakers or city shoes on colder days.
- External charger – Vienna is just so pretty and you will find yourself snapping away like crazy. In case you are using your phone for that or use its navigation functions a lot, it will quickly drain your battery. For that, I never leave on day trips without an external battery and charging cable.
- Adapter – Austria uses two associated plug types, types C and F. The first has two round pins and the latter has those with additional earth clips on the sides. Power is provided in 230V voltage and 50Hz. To protect your electronics and be able to charge your cables, don’t leave without a travel adapter. I use this one and it works across the world.
Is Staying in Vienna Worth It?
It most definitely is! You can’t just spend a day or two in Austria’s capital. There are so many things to see in Vienna!
Depending on the length of your stay, you might want a private hotel room or an apartment to make you feel either on holiday or at home abroad. To mingle with fellow travellers, Vienna hostels are best.
Where would you stay in Vienna?
More travel tips for Austria
- What you need to know about Krampuslauf
- Tips for visiting Salzburg Christmas Markets
- What are the best Christmas markets in Austria?
- My report in travelling Tyrol on a weekend
- What to do on an Austrian alp holiday
- Good reasons to visit Graz
