Europe Essentials By Akhil Shanbhag

March 2013

This guide has been developed based on first-hand experience of travelling across 24 European countries. I have excluded some major countries (like France & Germany etc.) as their travel itineraries are very much public & easy to plan. The information in this guide is totally based on my personal views & experiences. I wish you a safe & memorable Euro Trip!!

Countries I visited

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,

Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,

Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican City

More Countries I would have liked to Visit on this trip given more time

Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, San Marino, Gibraltar

Experiences not to be missed in decreasing order of importance

1. Sky Diving (Munich, Prague, Sevilla or Italy), Bungee Jumping (Locarno), Scuba

Diving (Nice, France or Spain)

2. Norway Northern Lights, Tromso (Arctic Circle), Fjords Tour (Bergen)

3. Switzerland Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe), Mt. Titlis, Interlaken, Golden Pass

Panoramic Railway

4. Croatia Plitvice Lakes National Park, Bol beach (Brac Island)

5. Germany Oktoberfest (Munich), Berlin Walking Tour

6. Spain Barcelona (Football Match, Beach, City), Sevilla

7. Netherlands Amsterdam (You know what)

8. Portugal Lagos Beaches

9. Hungary Budapest Bath Spas

10. Czech Republic Prague Pub Crawl

11. Andorra Pyrenees Mountain Hitchhiking

12. Monaco Monte Carlo Casino

13. Austria Werfen Ice Caves, Salzburg, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Website to help you plan your travel

1. Bahn.com (Your one stop site for all train schedules)

2. Raildude.com (For train details)

Website to book hostels/accommodation

1. Booking.com

2. Hostelworld.com

3. Hostelbookers.com

4. Airbnb.com (For Flats/Group Acco.)

Eastern Europe

Trains: Mostly no reservations required on trains. Night trains need reservations but are very

cheap (3 Euros) compared to the rest of Europe. The trains are slow & journeys are long. The

countries have a lot of focus on Buses which ply regularly between most locations and can cost

anywhere from 10 to 25 Euros per journey.

Personal Safety: These countries are less developed compared to the rest of Europe & as with

other developing countries, safety is a concern. Travelling in groups would be the best way to

explore these countries. While travelling on trains, keep your luggage with you under your legs or

on the next seat (especially when you are travelling alone). If you are travelling in your groups, you

can think of tying your bags together when placed over head. There are thieves on these trains who

can flick your bags when you are deep asleep. Sometimes thieves are dressed as Police & ask for

your passports. They can deceive you with the slightest movement of their hands. Be very careful

when you are handing over your passport, wallet or any other belongings to strangers.

Food: Unlike western European countries, food is very different here & is very economical as well

(stomach full for 1.5 Euros). If you have lost 5 to 10 kgs on your other journeys, Eastern Europe is a

good way to make up for it.

Visa issues: Schengen Visa is valid in countries like Hungary, Slovakia. You get stamped on your

passport on entry to & exit from countries like Slovenia & Croatia. Your Schengen Visa is sufficient

for travel to countries like Romania & Bulgaria (valid for max. 5 days). There will be thorough

checking of passports on trains (during the night) especially if you are of Asian origin. Do check the

latest regulations for Visa on the web to avoid getting into any complications.

Currency: Most of these countries have their own currency & are not yet fully integrated with the

Euro. So carrying a Centrum card with sufficient balance is always a good idea. But many places

dont accept cards. So, if you are travelling in a group, you can probably withdraw sufficient cash

from any of the ATMs, use it & then get any leftover currency exchanged to Euro at any of the

railway stations when leaving the country.

When to visit: Weather is not as important here as it is for places like Swiss, Scandinavia etc. So

you can probably plan this as your last trip sometime towards the end of November.

Hostels: Accommodation is cheap is all these countries (max. 12 Euros/person). If you travel in

groups of 4 or 5, you can look for apartments (through booking.com) which might work out to be

much cheaper (5 to 6 Euros/person).

Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National park: Clearly one THE best places on Earth. It has been rated by Nat Geo &

other travel websites among the Top 10 places to see before you die list & also gets my vote for

being the best experience of Eastern Europe. Its a national park with waterfalls all around. The

water is crystal clear & scenic views everywhere. It is located about 4 hours away from Zagreb. On

a Sunday morning, we mistakenly got down at a train station called Plitivce Jazera (hoping for it to

be close to the park) and later found to our dismay that it was about 50 kms away from the park.

There was only one train which comes to this station (by which we came) & nobody understands

English. There werent any other modes of public transport. So, it was a situation where we didnt

have any way out of this place & were totally screwed. But our Jugaad way of working things out

helped us & we successfully hitchhiked our way out of this place (Croatians are awesome We

travelled 50kms for free, all the way to the park ). From being stuck in a random place without

any way out (at the start of the day) to successfully hitchhiking twice to one of the awesomest

places on Earth (at the end of the day) it was the most amazing experience Ever.

Brac Island, Bol beach: Brac Island can be reached by ferry from Split. It costs about 4 Euros by

ferry (pay local currency) which drops you off at the city of Supetar (on the island). It is a huge

island with many small towns. Bol is the most famous town with the hugely popular beach called -

Zlatni Rat beach (Golden Cape). From Supetar, it costs about 8 Euros for a 2-way ticket (by bus) to

reach this beach. You can also probably rent a bike or car if you reach the island in the morning &

drive through the curvy roads.

Zagreb: It is a beautiful city, but we didnt get to explore it much. We stayed in a hostel called

Palmers Lodge in the city centre (11 Euros per person), 300m away from the Railway Station.

Travel Strategy: We reached Split at 8am in the morning on our way from Bratislava. We took the

9am ferry & reached Brac Island by 10am. We roamed around a bit in Supetar & then took the bus

(45mins journey) to Bol (Zlatni Rat beach) around 12pm. We spent about 3 or 4 hours on the beach

& travelled back to Supetar in-time to board the 6.30pm ferry back to Split. We then took the

overnight train which goes from Split to Ljubljana & got down at Plitvice around 3am. We spent the

night in the Station Masters guest room & started hitchking at 8am in the morning. We were inside

the Plitvice Lakes National Park (entry fee 10 Euros) from 11am to 5pm & then back to Zagreb to

board our train to Ljubljana.

Hungary

Budapest: Also known as the City of Bath Spas. This is a beautiful & architectural city which has 2

parts Buda & Pest. You can visit the tourist information at the Budapest Keleti train station to plan

your day. Castle district, Budapest Parliament, St Stephen Basilica, Heroes' square, Matthias Church

& the City Park are some of the main attractions. There are also multiple hanging bridges across the

river Danube which is very picturesque.

The city is most famous for its Thermal Baths & is an experience you will remember for a long time.

There are many thermal baths in the city - Szchenyi thermal bath (oldest, most famous & has a lot

of crowd), Rudas Gygyfrd (Turkish bath; is smaller & has lesser crowd). Entry fee typically

ranges from 7 to 13 Euros & gives you access to thermal bath pools (many pools with temperatures

of 26 to 36 degrees), swimming pool & multi-fragrance Saunas (with temperatures of 42, 50, 55 &

72 degrees). There is a morning-discount especially if you reach the place before 12pm. Most of

these Spas have strict regulations on what you can wear. Dont be surprised if men have to

mandatorily undress completely (yes, totally nude) before you enter the facility. Believe me youll

get used to it once you spend a couple of minutes inside.

These Spas have varied schedule some Women only sessions, some mixed sessions etc. During the

mixed sessions, women wear Swim suits & men wear shorts. If you plan to go to the Rudas

Gygyfrd, there is a Friday night mixed-session from 10pm to 4am.

Slovakia

Bratislava: One of the cheapest places around for food, shopping etc. on your Euro trip. Eat all you

want & then take a stroll around the Old Town, the Main Square (Hlavne Namestie), Bratislava

Castle enjoying the views of the city & the Danube River. The hanging bridges here are very famous

and one of them has a UFO Observation deck on top. A cup of coffee here costs 20 cents while a

stomach full traditional Slovakian meal costs anywhere between 50 & 80 cents. A Subway meal

here is around 1 Euro, which costs about 3 Euros in Germany & about 10 Euros in Scandinavia.

Slovenia

Slovenia is one of the most beautiful countries in Eastern Europe apart from Croatia. You will be

greeted with some amazing natural beauty all around.

Lake Bled: One of the most beautiful lakes around with a castle at the centre of it. The walk around

the lake is about 6kms & you can have a very peaceful walk if you spend 3 or 4 hours. It is closest

(10-min walk) to reach the lake if you get down at a train station called Bled Jazeera on your way

from Ljubljana. Some misinformed people get down at a station called Lesce Bled, which is about 30

mins away from the lake by bus & costs 6 Euros. So dont be one of those.

Ljubljana: A beautiful town & the capital of Slovenia, looks amazing once the lights come on after

sunset. You can stroll around the Old Town, Preseren Square, Triple Bridge (most famous attraction

slightly overrated) and the Dragon Bridge (highly overrated) to spend an evening. A huge pizza

(the size of a trucks steering wheel) costs around 10 Euros.

Romania

Bucharest: Romania will be a different kind of experience when compared to the rest of Europe.

The buildings are huge, with high ceilings and the place looks like it has just lost a war. We couldnt

spend much time there due to the inconvenient train schedules. If you intend to go to Bucharest,

dont miss the magnificent Parliament Palace (the 2nd largest administrative building in the world

after the Pentagon) and a walk through the Old Town. There are overnight trains from Budapest (3

Euro reservation) which is a 15-hour journey. And there are similar trains back. But unless you

intend to continue on to Bulgaria & then to Greece, you can safely skip Romania for want of time.

Switzerland

1. Interlaken, Engelberg, Mt. Titlis, Jungfraujoch

a. Access

This is one of the most beautiful places on the planet & is the base point for many well-

known peaks in Switzerland. It is situated between 2 beautiful lakes & hence the name.

Places like Mt. Titlis & Engelberg are very close by & there are frequent trains (every

hour).

b. Places to check

Engelberg: is about 3 hours away from Interlaken & the base for Mt. Titlis. It is a very

beautiful town in itself & can be explored (cycling, stroll) if you have sufficient time.

Mt. Titlis: is one of the best value-for-money experiences in Europe. By paying an entry

fee of 55 Francs (43 for cable car + 12 for Ice Flyer), you get a complete Swiss package.

The cable car takes you to the peak (10000 ft) where you get some amazing views of the

Swiss Alps. The Ice Flyer is a small ride at the top of the mountain which allows you

access to Skiing & other snow sports. Do buy both for a wholesome experience. Ideal

time to spend at the top is about 4 hours. So plan your day accordingly. 11am to 2pm is

the best time to be on top depending on the weather forecast.

Jungfraujoch: Heaven on earth! It is the highest peak in Europe or so it is claimed. Open

only until around the end of October, it has one of the most beautiful train journeys in the

world. You need to buy a separate ticket for Jungfraujoch Bahn (only 25% discount with

Eurail). It is expensive and costs around 140 Euros (after discount). Is it worth paying so

much is debatable & you can skip it if you are on a really tight budget & have already

covered Mt. Titlis. The train journey to the top is unmatched & breath-taking with some

spectacular views. Having a good weather on this journey is very very important. At the

top, there is a plateau where you can spend time. The temperature is around -2 to -5

degree Celsius in October & the weather changes rapidly at the top (can go from sunny to

cloudy to snowing in a short span of 15 mins). There is an old saying - You can never

check Switzerland off your list unless you have conquered Jungfraujoch.

There are some very beautiful Swiss villages like Grindelwald, Wenger & Lauterbrunnen,

on this train journey (midway to the peak) where you can spend time (while returning

back from the top). Since Jungfraujoch Bahn is very frequent, you can choose to spend an

hour or two at these villages & take the next train back. Ideal time is to spend an entire

day (2 hours train journey one way). So plan your day accordingly. 11am to 2pm is the

best time to be on top depending on the weather forecast.

c. Hostel:

Accommodation facilities are only available in Interlaken and are expensive (min. 22

Euros per head). You could plan to stay in Zurich (2 hours away) or get in touch with

some of your old friends in Swiss & stay with them.

Mt. Titlis & Interlaken

Jungfraujoch

2. Zurich, Lucerne

a. Places to check

Lucerne: A very beautiful town an hours ride away from Zurich.

Weggis: This is a small island village and rated one of the most beautiful villages on the

planet. You can reach it from Lucerne and is about 40 mins away by ferry ((Free with

Eurail)

Zurich: Zurich has many things to do to keep you occupied for a day. You can visit the

multiple clock towers, some of them the oldest in Europe. The chocolate factory, the free

boat ride on Lake Zurich, shopping on Bahnofstrasse etc.

3. Other free things to do

Free boat rides in Switzerland (free with Eurail): There are 3 free boat rides in

Switzerland - Lake Lucerne, Lake Zurich & Lake Thun.

Golden Pass Panoramic Railway (free with Eurail): This is one of the best ways to see

Switzerland. It is a train journey which takes you through the most scenic locations in

the North & West of Switzerland. Originating in Zurich & terminating in Montreaux

(near Geneva) it covers places like Lucerne, Meiringen, Spiez & passes through

multiple lakes. There are multiple trains (once every 2 hours) on this route & you can

choose to get down at one of the villages (we got down at Meiringen has the falls

where Sherlock Holmes fights Moriarty), spend a few hours & then continue on the next

train. Ideal time is to spend an entire day. Reach Montreaux/Lausanne in the evening

around 6pm, take a fast train (3 hours) back to Zurich.

Norway

1. Oslo

a. Access

Oslo is best accessed via Stockholm/Gothenberg by train. If you are based in one of the

southern European countries, it would be most economical & efficient if you travel by

flight - Ryanair or Easyjet. There are regular flights from Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt &

other capital cities. The flight charges one-way (booked well in advance) would be

around 15-20 euros. From the Ryanair airport, there are free shuttle services (twice an

hour) to the Oslo Airport train station. From there you can board the train (free on

Eurail) to reach Oslo S main station which has a lot of food & refreshment outlets.

b. Hostels/Apartments

Hostels are costly in this part of the world. Do your research.

c. Food

Nothing specific

d. Places to check

Oslo City tour: There is a tourist information counter outside Oslo S station where you

can get maps & know about things to do in Oslo. We travelled the city on foot but one

might have to walk a lot. You might want to buy a bus/tram pass.

Vegaland Erotic Park: This is a huge park & is full of erotic sculptures.

Nobel Peace museum: If you want to learn about Mahatma Gandhis works & life, you can

visit this museum. It has a 10-euro entry fee.

2. Bergen/Fjords Tour

a. Access

Bergen is a beautiful city in the western part of Norway. It can be reached by an 8-hour

train journey from Oslo. The Bergen-Oslo route is one of the most scenic train journeys in

the world, especially during winter. There are also overnight trains between these cities.

Even though Bergen is the 2nd largest city in Norway, it is not very well connected to

other parts of Norway. If you want to travel to the pulpit rock or northern part of

Norway, you most probably will have to go via Oslo.

Thousands of people visit Bergen because it is the starting point for the legendary

Norway-in-a-nutshell Fjords tour. This place is has reflection photography at its best. It is

the #1 thing to do in southern Norway. The different legs of the tour are (do on your

own, pay for each journey separately. DO NOT BUY PACKAGE TOUR; the train journeys

are free on Eurail): BergenVoss (Train, Free), Voss-Gudvangen (Bus, 69 NOK),

Gudvangen-Flam (Ferry, 138 NOK), Flam-Myrdal (Special Train, 180 NOK), Myrdal-

Bergen (Train, Free).

The tour starts at 08:40 from Bergen & you will be back to Bergen by 17:52 if you do not

miss any connections in between. The tour is well planned in the way that as soon as you

get down at Voss, a bus will be waiting for you to take you to Gudvangen etc. Tickets for

each journey can be bought on the bus/train/cruise & no prior bookings are required.

b. Places to check

Bergen City tour: Bergen is a very beautiful town & best covered on foot. There is a short

trek (1-hour) to the top of a hill from where you get a birds eye view of the city of

Bergen. There is a famous souvenir shop on top of this hill where you can buy gifts for

your loved ones.

Norway-in-a-nutshell Fjords Tour: Even though they try to sell it to you as a package, DO

NOT BUY THIS PACKAGE. The total cost quoted for this package includes the train

journeys which you dont have to unnecessarily pay for if you are carrying a Eurail pass.

So do each leg on your own. There are discounts for groups/students/groups. The price

quoted above is the one after discounts.

3. Tromso/Narvik

a. Access

Tromso is beyond the Arctic Circle. Period. It is the 3rd largest city in Norway & one of the

northern most cities in the world! Yes, the world. It is most famous for the heavenly

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) which is visible here more often than anywhere else in

the world. Tromso is at the epicentre of the magnetic circle around the earth & so the NL

is visible here up in the sky rather than at the horizon. You might want to check the

weather & Aurora forecasts before you plan your trip.

By train, it is best reached from Stockholm (Sweden). There is a 19-hour train journey

from Stockholm to Narvik (Reservation 3). The train reaches Narvik around 2pm. From

Narvik, it is a 4-hour bus ride (37 one-way, after discount) to Tromso with buses

leaving at 6am, 10am, 3.30pm (check the schedule). It is the same schedule while

returning back from Tromso (leave Tromso by 10am bus which reaches Narvik at

2.10pm, take the 2.40pm train to Stockholm). All trains here need prior reservations.

You can also travel the Oslo-Trondheim-Bodo by train (free) & then Bodo-Tromso by bus

(25). Totally, it is a 31-hour journey on this route. You can also choose to fly from Bodo

or Oslo by Norwegian Airlines for 55 or 69 respectively.

b. Hostels/Apartments

At Tromso, you can stay at a camp site (http://www.tromsocamping.no/ book in

advance on the website, pay on arrival) called Tromso Camping. Most economical are the

4-person cabins here for 80. It is one of the most amazing places as you can the

Northern Lights very well at the camp site itself (from you room!)

c. Food

McD or Bruger King Meal here costs 12!

d. Places to check

Tromso City tour: Buy a 24-hour bus pass (90 NoK). Tromso is a big city & cant be

covered on foot. There is a tourist information counter at the city centre which closes at

4pm.

e. Northern Lights hunt

Northern Lights are the most amazing natural phenomena on this planet

(http://vimeo.com/21294655). If you plan to visit Norway, experiencing the Northern

Lights MUST be on your list-of-things-to-do. But it is very uncertain & highly highly

dependent on the weather (rain, snow, clouds, lack of magnetic activity). So, even the

best of your plans might fail. There is a Aurora Forecast app which you can install &

continuously monitor before you plan your Scandinavia trip. It will be visible in Northern

Norway during October-March with highest intensity during December & January. If you

are on a mission to see the Northern Lights, you can see it at 3 places (most common).

http://www.tromsocamping.no/http://vimeo.com/21294655

i. Kiruna (Sweden) this is one of the intermediate stops on the Stockholm-Narvik train.

You can find 10-euro hostels in this town. It is very cold here as compared to Tromso.

Kiruna also has the Original Ice Palace (open during winter). Kiruna would be the

most economical option on the Northern Lights hunt. The NL is visible here on the

horizon, not as majestic as in Tromso.

ii. Narvik (Norway) is on the Sweden-Norway border and is the northernmost point of

train connectivity in Norway. You can find 10-euro hostels in this town. This is also a

very economical option on the Northern Lights hunt. There are large open spaces

here for viewing the Northern Lights, but they are not as majestic as in Tromso.

iii. Tromso (Norway) is the best place to experience the Northern Lights as it is seen up

in the sky rather than on the horizon. But everything here is very expensive from

food (min. 12) to accommodation (min. 20 per night). The bus journey from

Narvik costs 37 one-way. So, just going to Tromso, staying for a night & coming back

the next day will burn a 125 hole in your pocket. And you are not even certain of

experiencing the northern lights due to weather uncertainty. In Tromso, you can see

the Northern Lights from the end of the city (up on the hill) or from your camping site

itself as described above.

Sweden

1. Stockholm

a. Access

Stockholm can be reached via Copenhagen/Malmo. It is known as the capital of

Scandinavia. It is a beautiful city with lots of historical museums & works of art. You can

cover the city in a day. Stockholm is a very well connected by train. If you are based in a

southern European country, you can also fly to Stockholm by Ryanair or Easyjet for as

low as 15 to 20. Stockholm is also the starting point for many Baltic Cruises to

Helsinki (Finland) or Tallinn (Estonia) or Riga (Latvia).

b. Places to check

Stockholm City tour: You can buy a 8-journey pass for 12 and cover the city well. It is a

huge city with many things to see Change of guard, Small island of Gamla Stan, Viking

Ship Museum etc. Check with the tourist information for more info.

Cruise to Finland: Viking Line (http://www.sales.vikingline.com) offers economical

overnight cruises to Finland. If booked well in advance, you can book a to-and-fro cruise

(2 nights) for 50 Euros (4 people). Yes, thats 12.5 per person! It leaves Stockholm at

5pm on Day1, reaches Helsinki at 10am on Day2. You have until 4pm to look around

Helsinki. The cruise leaves Helsinki at 4.30pm on Day2 & reaches back to Stockholm at

9am on Day3. If you plan to book single journeys, it is very expensive.

Another strategy is to take a cruise to Helsinki (Finland), spend a day there, then a cruise

from there to St. Petersburg (Russia), from there to Tallinn (Estonia), spend some time

there, then by road to Riga (Latvia), then through Lithuania, Poland and towards

mainland Europe. You can cover 4 more countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and

Russia) this way. But check Visa requirements before travel. Mostly Russia doesnt need

Visa if you travel by boat to St. Petersburg. Please check before travel, otherwise you

might never get out of KGB custody

http://www.sales.vikingline.com/

Andorra

a. Access

Andorra is a small country on the French-Spanish border. It can be reached

via the French border town of LHospitalet. There are two main towns in the

hilly Andorran territory Pas de la Casa & Andorra la Vella.

Pas de la Casa is a small town at the top of the hill (amidst the famous

Pyrenees mountain range.) and has ONLY duty free shops. It is a paradise for

shopping enthusiasts. French & Spanish people travel to Pas de la Casa for

their shopping needs mainly gasoline. Chocolates, Alcohol, Cigarettes are

available duty free & the prices are around 20% cheaper than other duty free

facilities across Europe.

There are frequent trains from Toulouse to LHospitalet. But from there, the

connectivity to Andorra is very bad. There is only one bus (at 9am) which

takes you to Pas de la Casa & onwards to Andorra la Vella (for 6 Euros). There

is only one bus for return from Andorra back to LHospitalet (at 1pm). There

might be taxis available (25 Euros), but dont count on it. We tried

hitchhiking unsuccessfully for 3 hours (around 350 cars) & then one old lady

offered to give us a ride to Pas de la Casa.

b. Hostels/Apartments

None

c. Food

None

d. Places to check

- Shopping street at Pas de la Casa

- Small town of Andorra la Vella

Austria

1. Salzburg/Werfen Ice Caves

a. Access

Salzburg is just 2 hours away from Munich. It is one of the most beautiful cities in

Europe. You can do the Sound of Music tour (overhyped) or just enjoy the walk along the

streets, riverside in this beautiful city. You can also buy cheap winter wear if you have

not carried them from India.

Werfen Ice Caves (Closes by End of September)

The worlds largest Ice cave at Werfen is about 40 mins away (by train) from the Salzburg

and receives darshan from all IIM students when on exchange. While travelling from

Salzburg, get off at a train station called Werfen. From there you need to take the 15-min

bus ride (6.1 Euros, every hour) to the bottom of the caves. From the bottom of the caves

you take a cable car (5.5 Euros one way, 4.5 Euros with ISIC Card) to the top of the caves.

Once you get off the cable car, you have to walk for 20 mins to reach the Cave entrance.

The temperature inside the cave is sub-zero. So carry adequate winter wear. There is a

free guided tour inside for about 45 mins. While returning back you can either choose to

take the cable car down (5.5 Euros) or trek down (2 hours, level: difficult) to the bottom

of the hill.

b. Hostels/Apartments

Hostel prices range from 15 to 20 Euros per person. Not aware of any apartments on

rent.

c. Food

Nothing specific

d. Places to check

Salzburg tourist spots (check with tourist info), Werfen Ice caves

2. Vienna

a. Access

Vienna is in the western part of Austria & is also famous for its music. It is also one of the

costliest cities in Europe.

b. Hostels/Apartments

Hostel prices range from 15 to 20 Euros per person. Not aware of any apartments on

rent.

c. Food

Nothing specific

d. Places to check

Vienna City tour (check with tourist info)

Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra It is one of the most famous orchestra performances in

the world & is a must do for anyone even remotely interested in music. They play notes

of Beethoven, Mozart & other famous musicians. The performances are conducted at the

Wiener Musikverein. A standing seat (last row of the hall) costs 5 Euros. You can buy

your tickets in advance on their website (www.musikverein.at). Book at least 4 or 5 days

in advance to get a 5 Euro ticket.

Vienna Opera This is also among the best experiences one can have in Vienna. The

performances are held the Vienna Opera House.

http://www.musikverein.at/Europe EssentialsEastern EuropeSwitzerlandNorwaySwedenAndorraAustria