I've visited the opera in Vienna a few times. The State Opera offers standing room seats for a laughably low sum - Parterrestehplatz is located at the back of the stalls, in the first ring. When I did it, before the Euro, the standing room cost 20 schillings, while the person sitting right next to the standing room paid over 1,000 schillings. And right above you is the Royal Box. There's also standing room available at the back of the top tiers but these aren't as good.

The catch is that to get a good spot you need to queue very early - at lunchtime on the day of the performance. The locals were equipped with folding stools, rugs and thermoses. There's an excellent baker opposite the queue on the other side of the street - if you are with someone one of you can nip over to grab a snack. At 4 pm the door opens and the head of the queue moves to a corridor inside (the far end stays out in the cold though!) Once the final door opens an hour before the performance it's a matter of *running*. Once you have your ticket you will be packed into the standing room like sardines. There are rails to lean on which you will get if you are early - the last people in get to stand on the steps with no rail to lean on. Once everyone has been packed in you can mark your spot by tying a scarf to your rail and then walk around the opera house.

One warning: last time I was in Vienna was more than 10 years ago and I don't know if the procedure has changed.

Audrey