Vienna Tourist Traps

Not worth the triple price compared to the regular S7 train. When at the airport, the walls and signs literally scream with their ads beckoning you to take it into Vienna - so much so that I found it difficult to locate the signs to the regular train.

I don't know how it is in the warmer months but during the winter the horses seem to suffer. I felt sorry for them but we could really do anything, I guess when they are on the move is better but I prefer to walk too...

What's more, its expensive and the ride lasts only 30'. If you want to try them anyway, you can find them next so St. Stephan or at Hofburg area. We just took some pictures of them and went into warmer places.

Unique Suggestions: Put more clothes on and say "I'm a tourist and I do silly things" :)

Fun Alternatives: I suggest to walk, take the tram etc

It is some kind of a lovely tourist-trap: The Fiaker - it is a horse-drawn carriage like it used to be the only "taxi-service" of the times of imperial Vienna before WW I.
Nowadays you will find them mostly waiting for tourists next to the cathedral Stephansdom or at Heldenplatz next to Hofburg.

Unique Suggestions: It is best to fix a price before you enter, so it will not be a surprise afterwards...

4 more images

I found that the Tap water in Vienna is perfectly find and there is absolutely no issue when you drink it. Vienna is a developed country and one does not have to have bottled water like a third world country.

However every restaurent that I had been too in Vienna seems to push bottled water and also charge outrageous rates of 4 Euros per bottle.... 6 US$. That is a rip off... when you ask to Tap water they have NONE.

In fact in one restaurent "Colobo Hoppers" as Sri Lankan restaurent I was told that some Drik or Water is mandatory to be ordered with the buffet.

Unique Suggestions: Just ask to Beer its cheaper than bottled water...

Fun Alternatives: Either carry your bottle of water and drink it or just order beer it costs cheaper.

The Mozartkugel (English: Mozart ball), originally known as the “Mozartbonbon”, was created by the Salzburg confectioner, Paul Fürst in 1890 and named after the famous music composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I am not such a fan of these chocolate balls (because I don't like marzipan) but tourists buy because it's considered as a typical Austrian souvenir.

Buying mozart balls itself is not a tourist trap, but it is where you buy them would be a big tourist trap. The Mozart balls are sold in all souvenir shops or at the airport duty-free shops are very very expensive.

Unique Suggestions: If you really have to buy them, go ahead and have fun.

Fun Alternatives: You can buy the mozart balls at the BILLA or SPAR supermarkets around the city. The prices are very much lower.

After many years in Vienna, I decided to see the Schmetterlinghaus (Butterfly house), which is part of the Palmenhaus (Palm house or greenhouse) within the Hofburg (Imperial) Palace, next to the Burggarten and just 200 meters from the Opera house. The Schmetterlinghaus was advertised like this... "Come and be amazed by hundreds of live, free-flying tropical butterflies, in an exciting recreation of their natural rain forest environment".

Sadly, in reality, we found this advert to be untrue. When we were there last summer 2008, there were not many butterflies ~ in fact we saw only 10 butterflies! When we asked the people there, they said that the butterfly numbers depended on how many pupae they will get from the supplier. We did see some pupae in an glass enclosement container there but still not enough to shout about!

The whole inside area was a lot smaller than it appeared on the outside. The whole place didn't seem to be very well maintained and we didn't see much tropical plants either. The glass windows were dirty and the whole place looked like it could do with a good scrubbing. Inside was was hot, humid and smelly and we wished we hadn't wasted 4 euros each on the tickets.

I have been to the Butterfly Houses in Malaysia (in Kuala Lumpur and in Penang), and in Montreal, Canada. Here, I saw so many beautiful exotic butterflies in the tropical garden settings.

Hence, I would have expected the butterfly house in Vienna to be just as good but alas, it was not true.

Unique Suggestions: Just don't go - it's a waste of time and money. But if you are curious, here is the link: Schmetterlinghaus

Fun Alternatives: Go and enjoy a walk in the adjacent Volksgarten or around the Stadtpark instead.

I went on a guided tour around the Opera House with a group of friends. The tour cost is Euro 6.50 per person for about half an hour, and I don't think it was such a good value. There were many groups on tour and we were herded around too much, not leaving much time for the tour guides to explain much, not giving us much time to really look around. We didn't see much of the Opera House - front and back of the curtains, some empty rooms, and 2 ballrooms, that's it.

For Euro 6.50 per person for half an hour? That is too much for too little time.

Unique Suggestions: If you really want to see the inside of the Opera house and don't have time to explore it, try to go during low-peak season or in the morning when there are less tourists around.

Fun Alternatives: If you have the time, bring your guidebook along and explore the Opera house on your own. If you happened to see a guided tour group, you can sort of eavesdrop on the group tour...hehehe. :)

When summer comes to Vienna, it comes suddenly and with such heating force. One day, it is nice and cool, and then the next, it is hot and sunny. When it gets hot, people gets thirsty easily and they will be wanting a nice cool drink - fast.

But do not be tempted to buy drinks from the city centre's food stalls, souvenir shops, etc. The prices of these cold drinks will be very expensive when compared to supermarket prices. A 0.5L bottle of mineral water will cost Euro 1.50-1.80 while in supermarkets will cost less than Euro 0.50. A cold Coke or Iced Tea can cost you Euro 1.80 - Euro 2.00 per 0.5L bottle.

Unique Suggestions: Well, if you are really dying of thirst, go ahead and pay a premium price for the bottled water, coke, or soft drink beverages.

Fun Alternatives: If you plan to spend a long time outdoors, it is better you buy from the supermarkets or carry your own bottled water. By the way, the water from the tap is cool and delicious as Austria has good quality tap water. There are a few supermarkets located around the city centre - these are called BILLA or SPAR/INTERSPAR or HOFER or ZIELPUNKT. It is nice to visit these supermarkets (especially in summer) because they are air-conditioned and they sell good snacks (ready-packed sandwiches, pastries, cakes, donuts, etc.) and different sizes of bottled water.