Welcome to the city of music, Waltz, schnitzels and Sacher cake. Welcome to Vienna! It is no hidden fact that Austria’s capital offers a very high standard of living, which leads to high prices for all the tourists as well. In this article I will be sharing with you all my tips and tricks on how to have an unforgettable time here without spending a fortune. Explore Vienna on a budget!
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SLEEP FOR LESS
Hostels
For all those adventurous ones, who love meeting new people and have nothing against sharing a room, Vienna offers a big variety of hostels. The prices for a bed in a shared room are usually around €15 and private double rooms start at about €45, which is quite cheap for the high standards in the city. Some even have breakfast included which makes staying on a budget even easier.
Here are the 5 best cheap Vienna hostels according to TripAdvisor:
Hostel Ruthensteiner Vienna
Wombats City Hostel Vienna “The Naschmarkt”
Wombats City Hostel Vienna “The Lounge”
Do Step Inn
Meininger Vienna Downtown
AirBnb
If you’re looking for a nice place where you don’t have to share a room, but you can’t afford paying too much, why not look for an AirBnb apartment? The website provides a wide variety of places for much better prices than normal hotels, and in most of the cases you get to have a kitchen, which is always a plus.
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MONEY-SAVING ENTERTAINMENT
Opera for €3
The Vienna State Opera is considered one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. Tickets can go up to over €150 and they are usually sold out even months in advance. Luckily, the Viennese opera performances can be within everyone’s budget thanks to the standing seats ticket policy. The ticket booth for these standing spots opens exactly 80 minutes prior to each performance, so you are able to grab one of these amazingly cheap ‘seats’. It is highly recommended to be there at least an hour or two earlier, since the spots are very limited. To find the line, go along the left side of the building until you reach the entrance marked with the sign ‘Stehplatz-Kasse/ Standing area’. Be prepared to stand on your feet for a long time.. but hey, it’s worth it! The ticket options are :
- Parterre: 4 euro (Ground level, closest to the stage)
- Balkon: 3 euro (Mid level balcony)
- Galerie: 3 euro (Highest level balcony)
Museums
Vienna’s beautiful and rich museums offer a great experience, but the prices can be a bit off-putting, especially when talking about €15 – €20 per person. The good news is most of these museums have students and seniors discounts, as well as discounts with the Vienna Card varying from 5% to 50%. Certain museums like Geldmuseum, Kunsthalle am Karlsplatz and MUSA are always free for everybody.
Children and teenagers under the age of 19 can enjoy a free entry at a lot of museums including:
.On the first Sunday of every month a number of museums around the city open their doors free of charge, including the Wien Museum Karlsplatz, Römermuseum, MAK and Otto Wagner Pavillion, Uhrenmuseum. You can also visit the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) on Tuesdays from 6pm-10pm as well as the MUMOK museum on Thursdays from 6pm-9pm at a reduced price of just €5.
Free Walking Tour
The best and most efficient way to learn about a city while being on a tight budget is taking a free walking tour. These tours are offered pretty much everywhere around Europe and they usually work on the same basis – you don’t pay anything to take it, but at the end of the tour you can tip the guide as much as you deem appropriate. In case you didn’t enjoy it, you don’t have to. Here is a list of the free tours offered in Vienna, so take your time and pick the one for you:
- PrimeTours: www.primetours.at
- Welcome Tour Vienna: www.welcometourvienna.at
- Good Tours: www.goodviennatours.eu
- Anna loves Vienna: www.annalovesvienna.at/english/free-walking-tour/
- Original Europe Tours Vienna: www.free-vienna-tours.com
- Free Tour Vienna (Spanish only): www.freetourvienna.eu
- Tip Top Tours (Spanish only): www.tiptoptours.eu/free-tour.html
Source: wien.info
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EAT ON A BUDGET
Sly and Arny – This hidden gem, located in close proxmity to the University of Vienna (Schottentor), is perfect for a romantic dinner out or just a tasty meal in a nice ambience. Pizzas, risottos, burgers and other yummy dishes for as little as €3 to €6. And let me tell you, the food is absolutely delicious. It has been my favourite restaurant in Vienna ever since I discovered it!
Where: Lackierergasse 5, 1090 Vienna
Opening hours: Mo-Su 18:00 – 01:00
Der Wiener Deewan – The one place that every student in Vienna knows about is The Deewan. This Pakistani restaurant is a dream come true when it comes to budgeting. Their policy is – eat as much as you want and pay as much as you want! They serve traditional Pakistani cuisine and it’s sooo yumm that I happen to go there way too often.
Where: Liechtensteinstraße 10, 1090 Vienna
Opening hours: Mo-Sa: 11:00-23:00
*Closed in August for summer holidays.
PARTY CHEAP
Clubs
We all know what most of us youngsters are here for – a good ol’ unforgettable (or most probably forgettable) night with friends, sipping on a few drinks and enjoying the latest music hits. Well, ain’t nobody got time (nor the money) for those fancy places with €10+ entry fees and exceptionally pricey drinks. I am here to tell you some of the hottest spots in town where you won’t have to spend a fortune.
Travel Shack – Probably the most popular place amongst tourists. Everything in there screams ‘partyyy’ – from the interior, the range of drinks, to the atmosphere and the people. The chances of meeting locals there is quite low – everyone is from all over the world and this is what makes it one of the best and most fun spots for a night out. What’s more – there’s no entry fee and the drinks are quite reasonably priced!
Loco Bar – The name speaks for itself. This is the place you go to either get smashed or enjoy some RnB, Hip Hop, Reggaeton and 90s hits… or both. Honestly, the music there is pretty awesome, and their prices are unbeatable. Starting from just €0.50 for a long drink on a Monday evening (between 7pm-8pm), going up to a maximum of €3.90 after 22pm. A beer would cost you€2.50 and a spritzer€2. You won’t find better prices than that. There is also no entry fee, which makes it even better. However, keep in mind that the place is relatively small and it fills up quite quickly.
Bars
Looking for a more chilled night, sitting at a table and having a nice talk with friends and strangers? Then these bars are perfect for you. All of them are in great locations and offer pretty much similar prices – you can get a long drink for €3.80 and draft beer for €2.80.
Book your accommodation through Booking.com – the most trustworthy and widely used website in Europe and beyond.
Book a car for your trip – I use DiscoverCars for most of my travels.
Book any travel experience such as day trips, excursion, travel cards, museum tickets and more from Get Your Guide.
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Vienna Insider Tips – what to know before visiting!
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The Vienna Cards Explained! Which one to choose – Vienna City Card or Vienna Pass
Where to Find the Best Schnitzel in Vienna – Tips + Prices!
11 Marvelous Things to do in Vienna in December: Winter in Vienna Guide
Ultimate Vienna Christmas Markets Guide
Where to go Ice Skating in Vienna – Ice Rinks in Vienna, Austria (Full List + Tips!)
10 Dreamy Day Trips from Bratislava, Slovakia
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Lyubomira Doncheva
Lyubomira is the creator and author behind Bulgarian On The Go. With a background in journalism and experience in the field of tourism and marketing, her mission is to show travellers many beautiful places they might have never thought of visiting or even knew existed.
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