Best day trips from Vienna by train and boat

Vienna sits on the Danube, close to two borders and at the edge of the Vienna Woods, so a day trip can take you to a wine valley, another capital or a spa town within an hour. The short answer: the Wachau with Melk Abbey and Dürnstein is the classic and the most beautiful trip, Bratislava is the easiest one, and Baden and Lake Neusiedl are calm half days. Salzburg is possible, but it is a long day.

Day trips from Vienna at a glance

Times are typical direct connections. The Danube boats in the Wachau and the catamaran to Bratislava run only in season, roughly from spring to autumn; check the operators' timetables.

The Wachau: Melk, Dürnstein and Krems

How to get there: trains run from Vienna to Melk in about an hour (from Westbahnhof or the main station, some with a change in St. Pölten), and to Krems at the other end of the valley in about an hour as well (from Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof or Heiligenstadt). Between Melk and Krems, the Danube boats of DDSG and Brandner sail from spring to autumn; downstream, from Melk to Krems, the trip is much faster than upstream. In winter, the Wachau buses run along both banks instead. ÖBB also sells a combination ticket for train, boat and abbey.

What to see: Melk Abbey, a vast Benedictine monastery of the Baroque, with its library and marble hall high above the river. On the boat, terraced vineyards and castle ruins pass by: Spitz, Weißenkirchen and finally Dürnstein, with its blue-and-white church tower and the ruin of the castle where Richard the Lionheart was held prisoner. Krems has a pretty old town and the Kunstmeile with its museums. The Wachau is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is known for apricots and white wine, Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.

How long: a full day: abbey in the morning, boat at midday, Dürnstein in the afternoon, train back from Krems.

Best for: everyone, especially in spring when the apricot trees blossom and in autumn at grape harvest. A guided tour helps if you want to do it outside the boat season or without timing trains and ships; Wachau day tours from Vienna^* can be compared on Viator.

Bratislava: the capital next door

How to get there: regional trains run from Wien Hauptbahnhof to Bratislava hlavná stanica in about an hour, roughly every hour. In season, the Twin City Liner catamaran sails from Schwedenplatz in Vienna to the old town of Bratislava in about 75 minutes – more expensive, but a beautiful trip along the Danube through the national park of the Danube floodplains.

What to see: the compact old town with the Main Square, St. Martin's Cathedral, where the kings of Hungary were crowned, the Michael's Gate, and the square Bratislava Castle above the river. Across the Danube, the bridge with the restaurant on top (the "UFO") has an observation deck.

How long: half a day for the old town and the castle, a full day at a slow pace.

Best for: a second country in one day, travellers on a budget, a relaxed contrast to Vienna. Slovakia uses the euro.

Baden bei Wien: spa town in the Vienna Woods

How to get there: S-Bahn trains run from the main station to Baden in about 30 minutes. The Badner Bahn, a light railway, runs from the State Opera through the southern suburbs to the centre of Baden in about an hour – slower, but it stops right in the middle of town.

What to see: Baden is a spa town with sulphur springs and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Great Spa Towns of Europe". Walk through the Biedermeier town centre, the Kurpark on the slope of the Vienna Woods, past the house where Beethoven worked on his Ninth Symphony, and to the vineyards above town. The thermal baths are open to day visitors.

How long: half a day, or a full day with the baths.

Best for: a slow day, spa lovers, wine and walking.

Lake Neusiedl: steppe lake in Burgenland

How to get there: regional trains run from Vienna to Neusiedl am See in about an hour. Other towns on the lake, such as Rust and Podersdorf, are reached by bus or by bike from there.

What to see: Lake Neusiedl is a shallow steppe lake with wide reed belts, shared between Austria and Hungary and protected as a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a paradise for birdwatchers and cyclists – a flat cycle path runs around the lake. Rust is known for its storks on the chimneys and its sweet wines.

How long: half a day for a walk and a swim, a full day by bike.

Best for: cyclists, nature lovers, families in summer.

Salzburg: possible, but long

Railjet trains from Wien Hauptbahnhof reach Salzburg in about two and a half hours. As a day trip that means five hours on the train, so it only works with an early start. Salzburg is better as a stop between Vienna and Munich or with a night there. Train tickets^* can be compared on Omio.

Train, boat or guided tour?

For Bratislava, Baden and Lake Neusiedl, the train is the simplest choice. For the Wachau, train plus boat is the classic, and in season it works well on your own. A tour only saves you the timing outside the boat season or adds a wine tasting. Tickets for Vienna's sights^* can be found on Tiqets for the city days.

How many day trips fit into a Vienna trip?

With three days, Vienna itself fills the time: the old town and the Hofburg, Schönbrunn, the museums and the Belvedere. From four days, add the Wachau or Bratislava; from five days, both. Our article how many days in Vienna shows the split, and our 5-day Vienna plan already contains a day in the Wachau.

How YesTrip helps you plan

YesTrip has a ready-made plan for Vienna, including a five-day version with a day in the Wachau and the connections as notes. With one tap you copy it into the app, swap the Wachau for Bratislava, and add your hotel. The app shows the weather for your travel days, which helps you choose a dry day for the boat, and with the offline package you have the map without a connection – also across the border in Slovakia. YesTrip is free.

Vienna trip planDay by day, with map and tips

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