Tour Bus?

Any opinions on taking a bus tour of Vienna and then out to Schonbrunn Palace? There is one tour that is 3 1/2 hours long that drives you by the major city attractions and then out to Schnobrunn. We%26#39;re planning on seeing the city attraction up close on our own but thought this might be a nice way to see the city and Schonbrunn. Any experiences or opinions?

I%26#39;m here in Vienna right now and having a great time! I plan on posting about some of the restaurants I%26#39;ve visited so far.

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I haven%26#39;t done the bus tour - but I don%26#39;t really think it%26#39;s worth the expense because the major sites in Vienna are all pretty much clustered in one area you can walk round anyway, apart from Schoenbrunn and rather than spend an afternoon being bussed around assorted sights you will see anyway you could spend the 3.5 hrs exploring the palace and park! It%26#39;s very easy to get to on the U4 subway line (unsurprisingly, the Schoenbrunn stop!) and it really is lovely just to wander about in there at your own pace ... plus most of the other nice things in Vienna are hidden away in nooks and crannies of the old town while the bus will only take you along the high roads, as it were.

I would suggest an independent trip to Schoenbrunn, and for a nice orientation ride to see the major sites, hop on the number 1 or number 2 tram and go for a ride round the Ring. If you buy a travelpass (24 or 72 hr cards are a good bet) you can get on and off at your leisure when you see something that catches your eye- so it%26#39;s a lot like a tour bus only cheaper!

Hope you enjoy Vienna!

rol

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We%26#39;ve only been in Vienna once, but (as usual) completely endorse Roley%26#39;s knowledgeable advice. We%26#39;d add only (1) the U-bahn trip to Schonbrunn takes only about 15 minutes from Stephansplatz, and (2) once there, if you%26#39;d like a break from all that walking, there%26#39;s a horse-drawn wagon ride around the gardens for only 7 Euros or so -- holds about 10 persons, takes about 30-40 minutes, and is cheaper than hiring your own personal horse-drawn fiaker for a similar circumnavigation. It leaves from directly in front of the Palace -- if he%26#39;s out on a trip when you show up, just keep checking.

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To clarify: The wagon leaves from the front door of the main palace building itself, at the rear of the enormous courtyard

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I can only agree. if you%26#39;ve got the time - explore by yourself.

from some of my guests I heard that it%26#39;s just too fast and not very comfortable to be urged on with a whole busload. especially the time during schönbrunn.

if you prefer to hear some commentary on the sights you see I%26#39;d recommend the Hop on/Hop off bus. there is one line which stays around the 1st district and another route goes to Schönbrunn and Belvedere.

you can get off at any stop, explore the site and get back on when the bus arrives again.

if you buy the day ticket (20,00 EUR) it would even grant you some reductions at some sights.

I%26#39;m pretty sure that every hotel/bed%26amp;breakfast hast the brochure for that bus, otherwise just stop by at the Opera. the buses (yellow double-decker) leave from there and employes are there every day during working hours.