Where to stay in Vienna: lodging tips. Vienna (and Austria) has a very developed tourism sector, so accommodation is not a problem at all. Decisions on where to stay in Vienna will depend on several factors: your budget, the purpose of your stay, if you are traveling alone or in a group, etc. Depending on the above, you might choose different accommodations to best fit your needs.
Let’s see how we can help you with some lodging tips for Vienna.
Location, location, location
You should choose the location of your accommodation based on the purpose of your visit to Vienna. If you are coming for a business trip, book something near the place of your business, or if you are there for a city break of a couple of days then it’s best to book something smaller in a central location.
If you want to save money you can always rent something outside of the city center and commute daily by excellent public transport. All this will depend on your own budget and personal preferences.
Location is also crucial for a number of people traveling: if you are traveling alone, you might choose to be closer to popular points of interest, museums, galleries, and shopping areas. At the same time, if you travel with your family and with small children, you might want to be a bit far from the city buzz and next to one of Vienna’s wonderful parks.
On the other hand, traveling with a large group of people, we recommend either renting a large apartment(s) which can accommodate a large number of people or trying with hostels.
Here is a list of the best areas/districts to stay in while in Vienna.
The best areas/districts to stay in Vienna
1st district – Innere Stadt
This is the heart of the old city where everything is happening. Many attractions and landmarks are within walking distance, there are plenty of pedestrian areas, many bars, and restaurants, and you can enjoy shopping as well. Understandably, this is also the most crowded area, so if you want peace and quiet, this district is not for you. Also, this district is the most expensive one for short-term accommodation.
2nd district – Leopoldstadt
This is a district next to the city center and it is recommended for families. It is a bit outside of all the buzz of the city center, yet it is easily reachable both on foot and with public transport. The most popular attraction in this district is the Viennese Giant Ferris Wheel.
3rd district – Landstraße
Another district close to the city center and with many attractions to offer. Famous Belvedere Palace is there and with several museums, including Kunsthaus Wien. This district has a diverse setting and you can find a wide variety of accommodations, restaurants, and bars in the area. This district has a quite affordable lodging.
6th district – Mariahilf
This district is popular for its bohemian vibe, many art galleries, art shops, and cafes. It is very lively, especially around Mariahilfestrasse and its surrounding streets. It is also popular for shopping, along the main street. Accommodation in this district varies based on location, but you can find good deals throughout the year.
7th district – Neubau
This district is also bordering the first one, so it is very near to the city center. It is home to the famous MuseumsQuartier, where several museums are set, together with lively bars, cafes, and frequent public art performances. This district is popular with the younger population.
Other districts are more of a residential type and don’t offer many touristic attractions and amenities. But, if you want to explore, please check out our district guide.
Types of lodging
Each type of accommodation has its ups and downs. For example, hotels can be more expensive for a long-term stay but they have housekeeping and breakfast included, while Airbnb or other types of private rentals can be cheaper in a long term but then it requires you to maintain the place regularly and also pay in the end the cleaning fee or clean it yourself.
If your visit to Vienna will be purely touristic, to explore attractions and see as many things as possible, then we recommend not to spend too much money on accommodation, since you won’t be spending too much time there anyway. Why pay for an expensive hotel room or luxurious apartment if you are coming just to sleep? When you return back to the accommodation you probably want to just relax have a coffee or tea and rest until your next adventure.
If your preference is a classic hotel there are plenty of hotels with various star ratings around Vienna that can provide you with decent accommodation for your stay. Otherwise, you can go with other options such as booking through Airbnb, Booking.com, or any local agency for short-term rentals.
For a short-term stay of a couple of days, it will probably be the most convenient to book a hotel to avoid service charges and other expenses in Airbnb (cleaning fee, etc.). If you’re planning to stay longer – several weeks or a month there are other options to rent an apartment for prices that are lower than the AirBnB.
Many agencies and individuals are advertising their property in several places and Airbnb so prices and availability might vary between them. Pricing of AirBnB accommodation varies based on the location, time of the year, or popularity of the place.
The main tip for booking your stay in Vienna is the same as with any other place: book on time when you are certain you are coming! This way you will make sure that you have accommodation already booked and also get a decent price, otherwise last-minute booking might not give you too many options and it might be more expensive.
So, anyway, here is a list of possible lodging options in Vienna.
Hotels
Classic hotels of a different class, from simple bed and breakfast, through managed apartments and standard hotels to high-end luxurious hotels, everything is available in Vienna. There are about 1,500 of these options available in the Vienna metropolitan area. When searching for lodging this way, you need to pay attention to the user rating of the hotel and read a few reviews to determine if they are true as some hotels have paid reviewers that might leave misleading remarks.
The good thing about Vienna is that even if you stay in a 5-star hotel, you will not break the bank, you can find great offers for under $200.
We have started loading our website with hotel reviews here and you can search for hotels from our partners through the form below:
Airbnb.com
This popular online booking system has many options available and at any time you can find accommodation as cheap as 30 euros per day (without services). This online service enables you to search by many criteria, such as pet-friendly places, accessibility options, parking on premises, etc.
It is important to read a review of places by previous tenants because you might find out some information that will be important for you. The most common is that the property is advertised with WiFi, but its quality is very bad, and this might be the reason not to book the place.
One of the downsides of Airbnb is that you deal directly with the owner of the property that is being rented and they might be not as hospitable as advertised. But, still, Airbnb is ranking very high in our recommendations about where to stay in Vienna.
Short-term rental agencies
They work similarly to Airbnb.com, but you deal with an agency, which gives more credibility and trust for online booking. It is recommended to use this option for a rental of about a week or two, for a shorter stay you should use hotels (or hostels), and for longer (3-4 weeks), Airbnb might be a better option (there is a discount for these lengths of stay).
Renting an apartment or a house for a month or longer, you should also use these agencies and we will be looking into lodging tips in our Moving to Vienna category.
Here are some recommendations for agencies:
They all provide excellent service and a wide range of accommodations.
Hostels
Hostels are very popular with younger people traveling in groups, they are cheap, good enough, and safe to stay in and a large group of people can share the same dormitory and have fun together.
There are more than 30 hostels available in the Vienna area and you can check them out from the following provider:
https://www.hostelworld.com/hostels/Vienna
Conclusion
Vienna has many options for accommodation and with the few lodging tips listed above, we believe you will be fine to go and book your stay with confidence. We hope we gave you a few ideas about where to stay in Vienna. See you soon!