← Linz Donau Marathon·3 nights

Vienna: Three Nights Down the Danube Line

Frequent trains take you from Linz to a flat, café-heavy Vienna, with museums from Tuesday and a 15-minute Railjet to the airport.

Duration3 nights
TransitÖBB train from Linz Hauptbahnhof to Wien Hauptbahnhof, at least twice an hour
DepartsLinz Hauptbahnhof

After the Linz Donau Marathon: Vienna

The Route: Linz → Vienna → Vienna Airport Logistics: ÖBB trains run at least twice an hour from Linz Hauptbahnhof to Wien Hauptbahnhof. One hotel for three nights. The airport is a 15-minute Railjet from the same station. Marathon Month: April Duration: 3 nights

Linz Hbf ──(train, twice an hour or more)──> Wien Hbf ──(U1 / tram)──> Hotel
                                                   │
                           Vienna Airport ◄─(Railjet, about 15 mins)──┘

Vienna is the end of the line for most people who run in Linz, because the Danube valley railway leads straight to it and the airport is there. The city is flat in the places where a marathoner wants flat, and it has a great many chairs. Spend Monday travelling and sitting. Museums open on Tuesday.

April in Vienna: the days are cool and the weather changes quickly, so carry a rain layer. The coffee houses are warm all year.

Getting there

ÖBB operates trains between Linz Hauptbahnhof and Wien Hauptbahnhof at least twice an hour, and the operator sells limited-quantity Sparschiene fares up to six months ahead. Check the Monday timetable at oebb.at, and reserve a seat if you have luggage. From Wien Hauptbahnhof, the U1 metro and trams reach the centre quickly.

Nights one to three: Vienna

Choose one hotel and keep it. The Motel One Wien-Staatsoper is a central design-led budget hotel by the Opera, and the Hotel Sacher, behind the Opera, is more formal. Check availability and breakfast hours for your dates.

On the first evening, walk a short, flat loop. The Ringstrasse is level, and the stretch past the Stadtpark takes about 20 minutes. The Prater Hauptallee is a straight avenue of about 4.5 km lined with chestnut trees. Walk part of it and turn back.

On Tuesday, visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum. It is closed on Mondays outside the summer months, and the Bruegel paintings and the Habsburg collections take two to three hours. Check prices and hours at khm.at. The Belvedere shows Klimt's The Kiss, and its opening times differ by building, so check belvedere.at.

Order a Melange and a slice of cake in a coffee house. Café Sperl, at Gumpendorfer Straße 11, dates from 1880, and Café Central, at Herrengasse 14, occupies a vaulted hall. Stay an hour.

For dinner, Figlmüller at Wollzeile 5 is the long-standing schnitzel house. Allow roughly €25 to €30 for a schnitzel. The Naschmarkt runs from Karlsplatz and sells produce and prepared food Monday to Saturday. It is closed on Sundays.

Getting to Vienna Airport

Vienna Airport is about 15 minutes from Wien Hauptbahnhof by Railjet, with S-Bahn trains running more slowly but more often. Check the timetable on the morning of your flight at oebb.at, and allow time at the station, since platform changes are common.