Vienna, 2018

Prater, Vienna

Honestly, the most exciting thing in Vienna (for me, at least) was the snow. It is also, probably, mainly because I've never seen much snow in my life - and I quite enjoy this arrangement I've signed with Mr. Snow where I only see him once every two decades because quite frankly, I can't stand Mr. Snow's old cold heart.

Conflict-of-interests aside, Vienna was pretty - it had a lot of touristy activities on standby: museum visits, Christmas markets, overpriced cafes - but it was also very, very expensive. There would be little to no photos of food because I think we ended up making meals from store-bought bread and ham instead (budget travels 101). Before my highlights, let's jump into some traveling details (DJ, give me a beat).

Traveling around Europe

Traveling by train/coach can be very cheap. If you plan in advance on which cities you want to visit, you don't necessarily have to get the Euro Rail Pass (thrift level: Asian). This may sound like a dumb reminder but do remember do bring your passports everywhere (even if you intend to return to the same city and have a safe there) - there was this couple who tried to board the coach and the American husband forgot to bring his passport and they were denied access. The wife ran out of the bus, kneeled on the floor and... started... sobbing. Quite a scene indeed! (I heard it was meant to be their anniversary celebration. Sad). Students studying in the UK, remember to bring along your Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) along to save yourself, and the officer at the immigration booth, some time and effort. Also, take note that during winter, some types of shops may be closed - like wine houses or some amusement parks.

Book Your Stay ASAP

We booked our AirBnB about three weeks before our trip (not ideal, not ideal at all) and ended up far from town with housemates that soaked our toilet rugs in water (??? so tempted to rat out their nationality but I shall not be petty coughs Malaysia's neighbour cough passive aggressive cough). There are many options available depending on what you're looking for, but we have done our calculations and realised that renting from AirBnB is also cheaper than hostels, and you can usually get a private restroom, access to the kitchen and more privacy. Vienna is a popular and expensive holiday destination, which means most of the listings available are within houses with an actual family (rather than being able to rent the entire flat/house), so if you're not one who enjoys cohabiting, then perhaps you can opt for a hotel.

First Time Experiencing Winter?

I spent almost an hour in Mountain Warehouse trying to pick out the perfect winter coat - I can barely survive the 10 degrees celsius wind, I would definitely need more than just wooly socks to make it through the snow (needed meself some DUCK DOWN FEATHERRRR, I went a step further and got myself a ski jacket. Not because I was actually going to ski, I was just that terrified of the cold. It has a fluffy hood. I like). If this is your first time experiencing winter, make sure you stock up on some thermal clothing (Uniqlo heattech all the way). I also made the mistake of wearing mesh trainers (my boots weren't comfortable enough for long hours of walking) and had my little toes frozen with melted Olafs - if you happen to be in the same situation, you can wrap your legs in a plastic bag before layering your socks and shoes on. Take note: scarves and gloves are not mere fashion accessories, they are essential for survival, and so are your lip balm and moisturisers. I also conveniently covered my messy hair up with my beanie. The only sad part is having to wear the exact same things for photos because you only have one winter jacket :') Unlike other Instagram-girls, removing my winter coat for photos was also non-negotiable.

Highlights:

The touristy spots were quite scattered throughout Vienna, which also meant we needed the daily travel passes (it wasn't too expensive, but it was a hassle to go from one end to another). It being very cold also meant we avoided outdoor activities, which was quite unfortunate because a lot of areas looked quite fun. We didn't get a chance to see for ourselves, but it looked like there were a lot of sights and food along the Danube Canal. Unfortunately, most of the museums/libraries also had entrance fees, so being the frugal students that we are, we passed all these sights (ended up binge watching Harry Potter in our AirBnB, which was also very fun).

1. Schönbrunn Palace & Belvedere Palace

Both palaces are huge - and I'm assuming it is lined up with beautiful flowers and greens during the rest of the year; as for us, a blanket of soap. It was still fun - trying not to fall off slippery slopes, snowball fights and making tiny snowmen.

One thing for sure, I really appreciated how symmetrical all these historical buildings were. If you're willing to pay to enter the art galleries, there's a whole bunch to see as well. If you wanted a free stroll, the sights were quite fantastic in itself. These grounds were huge (tbh can't relate to why Princess Jasmine felt the need to escape, I'm sure they had everything and more). If you googled these palaces, you can see that they usually have ginormous fountains and beautiful flowers - and as for us, once again, blankets of snow.

2. Prater

Which is a large public park and also has an amusement park. There isn't a per-entry fee but you can pay based on the rides that you want to go on (which I felt was a good deal). It was cold and wet but there were a lot of booths selling eggnogs, mulled wine and hot chocolate. We decided to go on one of those spinny-I'm-about-to-die-upside-down rides and called it a day (weaaak loool). It really depends on how much you are willing to spend, but it has quite a few rides for a small park.

almostdied.jpeg

The emptiness ruined the aesthetics but it was also a kids-only ride :(

3. Christmas Markets

There were markets everywhere and most of them sold food, drinks as well as cutesy products (like candles or decorative items). The most interesting market we visit was the Art Advent on Karlsplatz, which had interesting handicraft and kids' activities (pretty good - but pretty expensive - food).

One of my fav photos! It was also cute because the ride was essentially 'powered' by the two adults riding the bike,

This was the Musikverein, although we didn't watch a show, it was a really cute coat room to be in

A lot of time was spent commuting, tbh, and everything was so expensive. I'm personally no fan of the cold. Perhaps it would be more enjoyable in the warmth, but I also quite enjoyed the Christmas markets, so it's still a win!