We took a family trip to Europe, starting with Vienna. Aside from some issues with our Airbnb, which I will capture in another post, we really enjoyed our stay.
Day 1
On our first full day, we soaked up the sights in and around the city. Schönbrunn Palace and Naschmarkt were of particular note. The palace and its accompanying gardens were pristine and beautiful. To escape from the heat, we took a tour of the palace interior which showcased the living quarters of Hapsburg royalty.
Day 2
The next day was a little more ambitious. We had plans to see the Austrian countryside. Through ÖBB, I booked a combination ticket that included a train ride to either Melk or Krems on the Danube river, a boat cruise between the two towns, and a return train back to Vienna.
We set off for Melk which was roughly a 2 hour journey from Vienna. Sitting on cliffs overlooking the Danube river, the town was very picturesque and peaceful. After touring the massive Melk Abbey, we intended to take the boat to Krems, only to learn that we had missed the last boat of the day.
Our disappointment was short lived though, as this gave us more time to stroll through the endless gardens of the abbey. We returned through the town of Melk to the train station and rode back to Vienna.
To our pleasant surprise, our combination tickets were valid for 2 days and were never checked.
Day 3
Naturally, we chose to try our luck again with the boat ride. This time, we rode the train from Vienna to the town of Krems, had a nice lunch in the town, and then caught the last boat from Krems to Melk.
The ferry on the Danube through the gorgeous Austrian countryside was a highlight of the trip. We past several castles and picturesque villages on our way. Finally, we walked back through Melk and caught the train back to Vienna.
Day 4
We checked out of the Airbnb and headed to Vienna central station for our next destination, Prague.
