Taking the Night Train to Vienna: A Green City Trip

Traveling internationally by train is sustainable and lets you see a lot of the countries you pass through. But it’s often complicated, too—except when traveling to Vienna. The overnight train takes you easily and directly to the heart of the city. Austria’s capital is a great place for a long weekend or a week. Here are the best tips for a green trip to the City of Love.

Vienna, the greenest city in the world

Vienna ranks among the top 10 greenest cities in the world. At least, that’s how it was named by the American-Australian research group Resonance on the 50th Earth Day on April 22, 2020. And it’s true: the city is very easy to get around by public transportation and has plenty of green spaces and public parks.

Thanks to historically sound and methodical urban planning, about half of the residents have an annual pass and primarily use public transportation to get around.

Just outside the city, you’ll find a true national park, the Donau Auen National Park. In June 2023, Vienna was once again named the best city to live in by The Economist Intelligence Unit.

18 Highlights in Vienna

1. Discover Vienna by bike with a guide

Vienna is a very bike-friendly city with many wide bike paths separated from the road. For example, rent a bike from Baja bikes.

2. Museum of Art History and Natural History

One of the most important and beautiful museums in Europe, with a collection featuring Venetian painters such as Tintoretto and Titian, as well as Rubens, Van Dyck, and Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Across from the Kunsthistorisches Museum stands the equally beautiful Natural History Museum. Here you’ll find, among other things, the world-famous Venus of Willendorf and one of the few complete dodo skeletons.

3. Explore the alleys of Vienna

The city has many hidden courtyards, alleys, and passageways. Take a stroll down Schönlaterrngasse, which literally means “Street of the Beautiful Lanterns.” The lantern at number 7 is a replica of the famous lantern that is now on display at the city museum.

4. Strudel Workshop and Tasting

At the café Residenz’s in-house bakery, you can watch as the most delicious apple strudels are made—and, of course, taste them.

5. A “Little Night Music” Concert

Listen to classical music masterpieces in the heart of the city at the Kapucijnerkerk. In addition to Mozart, the program also features works by Schubert, Bach, and Haydn. Concerts are usually held on Friday and Saturday evenings.

6. Sigmund Freud Museum

Discover the neighborhood where Sigmund Freud lived and worked, and visit the museum.

7. Museum Quarter

A cultural district featuring a mix of Baroque and modern buildings. Here you’ll find the MUMOK (Museum of Modern Art), the Leopold Museum—which houses works by Gustav Klimt, among others—and the Kunsthalle Wien, which features photography, video, and new and emerging art and media.

8. Neubaugasse

Small shops and boutiques on a side street off the popular shopping street Mariahilferstrasse.

9. Kirchengasse

In the creative Neubau neighborhood, with its charming fashion boutiques and restaurants.

10. Belvedere Gallery

It’s worth visiting just to see Gustav Klimt’s *The Kiss*.

11. Glacis Beisl

A restaurant in Vienna’s Museum Quarter with a beautiful courtyard and an interesting menu.

12. Volksgarten

A beautiful rose garden in a park on the outskirts of downtown.

13. Cycling along the Danube Canal

Bars, restaurants, and street art along the banks of the Vienna River, which flows into the Danube. A 17-km network of walking and biking trails along the canal, where you can also take a boat ride.

14. Hundertwasser Village, House, and Museum

The Hundertwasser Haus is a popular, fascinating, and colorful building on Kegelgasse designed by artist Friedenreich Hundertwasser. It is completely asymmetrical and features plenty of greenery, and is owned by the Austrian government. In the Hundertwasser Village, you can walk around freely and truly experience the Hundertwasser style. A short distance away is the museum, the Kunst Haus Wien.

15. Schönbrunn Palace and Zoo

This famous Habsburg palace is located just a few metro stops outside the city center. Its extensive palace gardens are particularly noteworthy, featuring a centuries-old zoo that has been named the best in Europe several times.

16. The Vienna Vineyards

Vienna is the city with the most vineyards within its borders. On sunny days, many locals head up one of the hills surrounding the city to enjoy a delicious glass of wine and a snack. Almost all Viennese vineyards sell food and drinks on site and offer the opportunity to enjoy them among the grapevines with a beautiful view of the city.

17. Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna

The gardens are home to no fewer than 12,000 plant species from 6 continents.

18. St. Leopold Chapel by Otto Wagner

Locals also call the Kirche am Steinhof “Lemoniberg” because of its beautiful golden dome, which resembles a lemon. A stunning modern church built on the grounds of a psychiatric hospital.

How long does the overnight train to Vienna take?

The train usually departs from Amsterdam between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. You’ll arrive at the Hauptbahnhof on time the next morning. The return trip is another hour shorter. You’ll depart around 8:00 p.m. and arrive back at Amsterdam Central Station around 10:00 p.m. In the Netherlands, you can also board the train in Utrecht, Arnhem, and ’s-Hertogenbosch. There’s also a daily overnight train from Brussels. There are also several trains during the day, but you’ll have to change trains once or more.

Comfort and Seats on the Night Train to Vienna

The most affordable seats are the standard seats in a 6-person compartment. You can also reserve compartments with reclining seats and more luxurious compartments with sleeping berths and a private bathroom. This includes breakfast and a made-up bed in a 4- or 6-person compartment. Ladies-only compartments are also available. Wi-Fi is available on most trains, and drinks and snacks are available for purchase.

New to the lineup are the compact single-seat mini-coupes. Ideal if you’re traveling alone.

TIP: You can push the seats in a seating compartment together to create a place to lie down. By reserving a private seating compartment for 2 or 3 people, you can sleep quite comfortably at a low price. Be sure to bring a pillow and/or your own blanket.

Can I take my bike on the overnight train to Vienna?

You CANNOT take your bike on the direct overnight train. You can, however, take it on the daytime trains or on the overnight train that goes via Zurich. You’ll have to change trains once.

Where can you buy tickets for the night train to Vienna?

You can book directat nightjet.com, the website for ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) night trains, or through the ÖBB app.

For a train ticket that allows you to bring your bike, check out Treinreiswinkel.

Walking in Vienna

There are no fewer than 15 parks in the city where you can enjoy a walk or a run. With the Ivie app, you can take several audio walking tours—in English—such as the Sisi Tour, the Otto Wagner Tour, the Modern Architecture Tour, and the City of Vision Tour, which takes you past international modern architectural highlights and gives you a glimpse into Vienna’s vision for the future.

Day trip from Vienna to the Alpine peaks via the Skywalk lift

Are you staying in the city a little longer? Then take a trip through some beautiful villages to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hallstatt. From the Skywalk, you’ll enjoy a breathtaking view of the town. You’ll find the Salzbergbahn right in the center of town. Once at the top, at an elevation of 838 meters, you’ll look out over the mountains, the lake, and the town. The structure hovers 360 meters above Hallstatt.

It is recommended to travel by public transportation because there is limited parking. The distance by train is about 200 km, and the trip takes just over 3 hours.

• Do the Skywalk on your own
• Skywalk organized

When is the best time to visit Vienna?

Of course, Vienna is a great place to visit all year round. Spring and September are usually the most pleasant in terms of temperature, but even during the winter months, the city center has a special charm with its Christmas decorations and Christmas markets.

Eco-Friendly Accommodations in Vienna

Eco-Hotels in Vienna

• Hotel Gilbert: Best Sustainable Hotel in Central Europe 2022

• Hotel Zeitgeist: Located near the central station, featuring sustainable materials and water-saving showerheads. Restaurant serving local dishes

• The Wood: A boutique hotel built entirely of spruce wood from sustainably managed forests

• Hotel Stadthalle: Boutique hotel. The first city hotel in Europe to achieve a zero-emission balance. A green oasis in the heart of the city with a rooftop lavender garden

• Umwelthotel Gallitzinberg: 25 minutes from downtown. The perfect spot for hiking, running, and bike rides (bikes available at the hotel)

Eco-friendly hotels in downtown Vienna

• Magdas Hotel: A social business hotel with staff from all over the world and interns with refugee backgrounds

• Hotel Henriëtte Stadshotel: A boutique hotel right in the heart of downtown. Breakfast featuring organic and fair-trade products.

• De Harmonie: Design Hotel. Sustainable luxury featuring local organic products

• Hotel Der Wilhelmshof: Minimal ecological footprint thanks to a CO2-neutral pump that uses no fossil fuels