I will be traveling with my mother to Vienna in December for a week - neither of us have ever been there and we would love some suggestions. We definitely want to visit the Christmas market and ideally go to a Vienna Philharmonic concert (we're both big classical music buffs). What are the other must-sees? Any other tips/suggestions about what to see, the weather, the city in general, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

I used Rick Steves' guidebook for my recent trip to Vienna and Salzburg and found it to be an excellent source of information for a first-time traveller. I'd suggest buying a copy.

If nothing else, you will want to familiarize yourself with the subway (U-Bahn) and Tram routes and stops, as I suspect you will find this a convenient way to get around. Taxis are also very convenient and easy to find.

I did document my trip experiences in a Trip Report, read on if you have a few minutes to spare...

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=448474

There is a music museum there called the Haus der Musik. It was really interesting. I enjoyed it last October. If you are looking for a good deal on a room I had some good luck on Priceline, but you can never guarantee two beds. The public transportation is easy to use there. Make sure you buy the Vienna Card. It gets you good discounts and free use of public transportation. Have a great trip!

If you are classical music buffs, I would also suggest the opera. A tour of the opera is also very interesting. They also offer tours of the Musikverein (where the Philharmonic plays.) I have never taken this one, but I'm sure it is interesting as well. You will be approached by many "Mozarts" trying to get you to go to their concerts - they are ok, but I would stick to the "real" concerts.

Other interesting sites are the two palaces - the Hofburg and Schoenbrun. You should spend an afternoon at a coffee house - Demel is my favorite, but you should also visit the Sacher Hotel for an "original" piece of Sacher Torte.

December will most likely be cloudy and cold, but not unbearable.

Vienna is a wonderful city, and you will have a blast! Let me know if you have any other questions, or need any additional recommendations.

Josh

Vienna offers several christmas markets, the best known and most crowded is the one on Rathausplatz (in front of city hall). A very neat market is placed in the 7th borough in the "Spittelberg" district. Mood in Vienna is awesomely nice (although most residents and car owners hate it) if the city gets covered by snow. Unfortunately snowfall has become a rare event, but January and February often bring the white gold to Vienna.
Markets are mainly visited for hot beverages like mulled wine or glogg (with much rum!) leading to weird actions in the late evening.

December is perfect to visit museum or concerts, weather can be very dull.

Visiting my aunt in Vienna from time to time. Wonderful city, although she does her best to complain about Viennese mentality. Museums, Habsburg palaces, the Beissl with their buffets but also progressive gourmet places, coffeeshops to linger in, church concerts...And Austrian wine is second to none, please try some of the (red) Zweigelt.

What are your (proposed) dates? The Philharmoniker has limited dates in December (8th, 10th, 11th, 12th and the warmups to the neujahrskonzert on the 30th and 31st). They are on tour to Germany and the UK in the middle of the month.

The Philharmoniker Association also provides members of the Staatsoper's orchestra. The level of playing can vary a bit, but, depending on the conductor, it can be very high indeed. In December, they are doing a number of works, including Mozart's "Figaro" with Riccardo Muti conducting and "Falstaff" with American baritone Thomas Hampson in the title role and a strong supporting cast.

If it fits your budget (or Starpoints balance), the luxury Imperial Hotel is across the street from the Musikverein. A good selection of other hotels are nearby as well.

Thanks for your suggestions! We already have flight and hotel, so that's taken care of. We saw a Philharmonic concert on the 8th that we will be trying to get tickets to as soon as they become available. Are they difficult to get - do they sell out quickly?

I'm even more excited about the trip now! It sounds like a lovely place.

Tickets can be tough, as most are sold on a subscription basis.

If you haven't already, check the web sites of the Philharmonkker and of the Musikverein. Tickets are not sold by the Philharmoniker itself, but rather by the organizer (the Musikverein company itself, in this case). On the latter's website, it states that tickets for non-members go on sale three weeks before the event date.

You could also, of course, let your hotel's concierge obtain the tickets for you (a surcharge above face value will apply).

There are two concerts on the 8th, both conducted by Mehta. The roster of singers for the Mozart Requiem in the evening concrt looks good.


http://www.wienerphilharmoniker.at


http://www.musikverein.at

Be advised that the 8th December is a public holiday in Austria (Maria Empf�ngnis) with the exception that all retailers open their doors. Maybe some Viennese attempt to acquire concert tickets as well.