12 city trips that are easy-to-reach from Vienna by train that you absolutely must do

Where: Budapest, Hungary

How to get there: from Wien HBF to Budapest-Keleti (around 2h 39min)

Obvious reasons why you should travel there: the giant and beautiful gothic style parliament building, take a dip at the Instagram-famous thermal Széchenyi Baths, to sit at the Danube somewhere other than Vienna, take in the views of the city from the Fisherman’s Bastion, to try the tasty Hungarian cuisine, to enjoy the rough but grand vibe of the city

Less obvious reasons: munch on a delicious langós with various toppings at the central market hall, to take a ship as public transport instead of the metro, partake in endless games of pinball at the Flipper Muzeum, spend rainy days at a former aristocrat’s mansion that was turned into Szabo Ervin Library, to spend a night at one of the very cool hidden open air ‘ruin bars’ located in the courtyard of buildings (like Racskert, Szimpla Kert), enjoy the view from the 360 Bar

Where: Graz, Austria

How to get there: from Wien HBF to Graz HBF (around 2h 35min)

Obvious reasons you should travel there: catch some scenic views from the Schlossberg and the clock tower, visit an artificial island on the river Mur that looks like a giant shell, admire the beautiful buildings in the old town, take hundreds of pics in front of the outlandish art-museum Kunsthaus Graz that looks like a human heart

Less obvious reasons: build-your-own lunch at one of many Bausatz Lokale in the city, walk through Schlossbergtunnel, take in some modern art in a religious building at church St. Andrä, slide down the largest underground slide in the world at ‘The Slide,’ eat your way through the daily market, Kaiser-Josef-Platz Market

Where: Munich, Germany

How to get there: from Wien HBF to Munich HBF (around 4h)

Obvious reasons you should travel there: to drink beer in the beer gardens (obvious, right?), visit the Hofbräuhaus, to eat Weißwurst for breakfast with a Wheat beer in a place where both is socially acceptable, to check out the town hall at Marienplatz aka. the city’s most favourite postcard-building, to explore the multiple periods of art in the Neue Pinakothek, to experience a car-lover’s dream in the BMW Museum, Munich’s former Olympics Venue at Olympiapark, spend time shopping and walking around the so-called ‘bohemian neighbourhood’ of the city, Schwabing

Less obvious reasons: see the devil’s footprint at Munich’s Frauenkirche, walk a hidden stairway that leads to nowhere called ‘Umschreibung’, the pavement memorial of the nazi-opposing student group White Rose, to explore the nearby alps on nature day trips out of the city, to indulge in some heavy and hearty Bavarian cuisine, to watch (or join in yourself) the people surfing on the one wave in a stream known as the Eisbachwelle, go for a walk in West Park or the English Gardens, spends some thinking time in the NS-Dokumentationzentrum, go for a swim in the Müller´sches Volksbad

Where: NÜRNBERG in GERMANY

How to get there: from Wien HBF to Nuremberg HBF (around 4h 14min)

Obvious reasons why you should travel there: to explore the castle of Nuremberg, beautifully arranged fresh fruits and vegetables in the Hauptmarkt, see where renaissance-painter Albrecht Dürer lived and did his work

Less obvious reasons: Bratwurst at the last real “Bratwurstküche”, to let your inner kid loose in the Toy Museum, a medieval Holy-Spirit-Hospital turned restaurant, a rather grim interpretation of married life in the form of the fountain-sculpture Ehekarussel, the home of the city’s former executioner and some surprisingly beautiful views out his windows

Where: Prague, Czech Republic

How to get there: from Wien HBF to Praha hl.n. (around 4h)

Obvious reasons why you should travel there: to marvel at the astronomical clock in the main square, for strolls across the Charles Bridge, to take a scenic route to the Prague Castle, for some very affordable Bohemian cuisine and local beer, for the buzzing nightlife (including the likes of Chapeau Rouge , Roxy , Hemingway Bar), to enjoy the romance of its medieval streets

Less obvious reasons: ice-cream filled chimney cake, a huge graffiti wall in honor of John Lennon, to dance the night away in the five-story club, Karlovy Lazne, for pickled cheese, relaxing at the Beer Spa (just please don’t drink the bath water)

Where: Salzburg, Austria

How to get there: from Wien HBF to Salzburg HBF (around 2h 30min)

Obvious reasons why you should travel there: to binge on the original Mozartkugel chocolates to satisfy your sweet tooth, to check if the hills are actually alive with the sound of music, frolicking in a flower field between scenic mountain views, baroque architecture, to visit classical music’s most famous Wunderkind W.A. Mozart house, to catch impeccable views of the old town from the Kapuzinerberg, to explore the blissful nature surrounding the city, to climb up to the fortress and see the city from above, wandering through the narrow streets of the old town, do a kitschy skip in the idyllic setting of the Mirabell gardens

Less obvious reasons: beer with the locals at Augustiner Bräu, visit the stone dwarfs at the Zwerglgarten, five human-sized gherkins (unfortunately not edible), visit the Eagle’s Nest

Where: Bratislava, Slovakia

How to get there: from Wien HBF to Bratislava (around 1h 7min)

Obvious reasons you should travel there: it’s just a stone throw away from Vienna, cheap booze resulting in fun nights out, to check out the UFO bridge and enjoy the view up high in the Flying Saucer, the charming streets and squares to wander through

Less obvious reasons: enjoy Middle Europe’s renowned and very affordable cuisine, find out how closely connected the city is to Vienna, to go on a hunt throughout the city to find ALL the hidden human-sized bronze statues, listen to some music in an upside down pyramid or in a granary, lounge on the ‘Magio Beach’ on the Danube riverside, to get messy with the amazing racks of ribs in Meštiansky pivovar 

Where: Brno, Czech Republic

How to get there: from Wien HBF to Brno main train station (around 2h 11min)

Obvious reasons you should travel there: it’s very easy to reach from Wien, the cheap beer, the heartwarming bohemian comfort food, the mix of gorgeous Modernist and Medieval architecture

Less obvious reasons: it’s undiscovered by tourists, there’s plenty of Instagram-worthy buildings and spots to take pictures at, to climb the highest church tower and have a grand view over the city, to enjoy a vibrant city during summer, to experience the hip cafe scene

Where: Dresden, Germany

How to get there: from Wien HBF to Dresden (6h 40min)

Obvious reasons you should travel there: to visit one of the trendiest city’s to visit at the moment in Germany, to taste some quality German beer, to check out a historically important city that’s been rebuilt from scratch, to check out the halls of magnificent masterpieces by the old masters in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, visit the architecturally unique, Semperoper, to marvel at the plentiful architectural gems

Less obvious reasons: to really check out why it’s known as a living and breathing book of German history, to taste a glass of fine wine from the surrounding wine-growing region, to take a long stroll and check out the alternative scene of the city that tries its best to match Berlin’s vibe (and it’s doing a damn good job), for some serious bar-hopping

Where: Innsbruck, Austria

How to get there: from Wien HBF to Innsbruck (4h 14min)

Obvious reasons you should travel there: to visit the Goldene Dachl and the Bergisel Ski Jump stadium, to get that priceless Alpine feeling, to experience some epic hikes around the city

Less obvious reasons: to take the Hungerburgbahn funicular railway and the Hafelekar cable car all the way up the 2,556 metres mountain for the breathtaking views over the region, to rent a bike and explore the city and its surroundings, to check out the hip café and foodie scene in the old town, to see Innsbruck’s version of their own unique Ampelpärchen aka. Ampelskier

Where: Košice, Slovakia

How to get there: from Wien HBF to Košice (around 6h)

Obvious reasons you should travel there: to check out a former European Capital of Culture and enjoy some Central European charm

Less obvious reasons: to eat your way through town and try some Lokše (thin pancakes), or Bryndzové halušky (dumplings with sheep cheese – the national dish), to admire the historic buildings of the old town, to check out the nearby Spiš Castle which is the largest castle site in Central Europe

Where: Linz, Upper Austria

How to get there: from Wien HBF, or Wien WBF to Linz HBF (1h 14min)

Obvious reasons why you should travel there: to check out the rich cultural scene, take the steep Pöstlingberg tram up the Pöstlingberg for the great view over the city, the stunning old town

Less obvious reasons: to eat the famous Linzertorte, to check out the Hip Hop capital of Austria, to check out the local club and somewhat underground party locations such as KAPU, Stadtwerkstatt, Exxtrablatt or Solaris, to enjoy the summer breeze next to the Danube in summer, to eat and dance at the cafés/bar/art and cultural space mix on the ship that is the Salonschiff Fräulein Florentine, check out the Ars Electronica Center