Vienna or Salzburg

I will have time to visit only Vienna or Salzburg over a weekend late this spring. I thought of Vienna, but a friend recommended Salzburg instead. After reading geordieboy_9%26#39;s rant and the responses, I get the impression that Vienna is a large city with some interesting sites. Salzburg comes across as a smaller urban center, also w/ some cool things to see and do.

I%26#39;ve never been to Austria and will be traveling from Prague (which I%26#39;ve also never seen) - probably by train. Any thoughts? Much appreciated.

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Not an easy choice. You are basically right in your observation that Vienna is a biggish city with enough to detain you for several days whereas a couple of days in Salzburg will give you time to see most of what that city has to offer. If you have only limited time and you thought you may return to visit Vienna in the future then Salzburg may be the better option for a brief visit. But it could depend on where you were heading to next!

Geordieboy should be the last person to influence you.

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I agree you should disregard geordieboy%26#39;s comments. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. You need to look at the supporting thoughts behind the post though.

In one day, you will get to see most of Salzburg, whose historical center is very compact and has a small-town feel. Vienna is much more cosmopolitan. It is a minimal two-day exercise, with more days needed if you want to see museums or go on day trips.

Personally, I liked Vienna better because there are more options and variety. It depends on your personal taste and like Norman said, where you are heading next.

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I%26#39;ve lived in Salzburg and am currently living in Vienna. For a short visit, I think Salzburg has more bang for the buck. It%26#39;s very dramatic with its fortress, beautiful river, and quaint streets. Don%26#39;t get me wrong, I love Vienna too, but you will only get a tiny sample of Vienna%26#39;s offerings over a weekend. Salzburg is also super easy to navigate - you can walk everywhere.

For your train from Prague, pay attention to the number of transfers. Sometimes they are very close and I%26#39;ve had to run to make connections. I%26#39;ve never missed any though. The less connections, the better.

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There is a direct train from Prague to Salzburg in the morning - cost €19, you can book it here on-line: https:/…

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I have been to Vienna 3x and spent several months in Salzburg over a period of 30 years.

I prefer Salzburg for the physical beauty of the city, the cordiality of the residents, good restaurants (not in the tourist mainstream), and the wide range of things to see within a one hour or so bus ride.

Salzburg is welcoming and charming. Vienna is not a city that I would choose to return to and I do love big cities - just not a good experience for me or my husband.

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Thank you all for your input. GCEK, I had hoped to hear from you - you are so knowledgeable about the trains. I will be returning to Prague Sunday eve. I live in a very small town, so for so many reasons, Salzburg sounds like a great choice for a weekend. It just wasn%26#39;t on my radar as an inexperienced international traveler. I will use TripAdvisor to learn more before I depart. Happy travels -

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