It’s a staple of many tour companies, the all-in whistle-stop tour or a country where you can see the main sights. It sounds incredible on paper. See the world, maximise your trip time, and have lots of fun! As I needed a holiday, I booked a 4-day, 3-night trip around the beautiful Czech Republic. One Monday in May I set out with my better half on my first holiday since the Pandemic. Was it a good idea?
The Klimaticket is a travel ticket like no other in Austria. For just €1095 a year, you can travel anywhere in Austria. This covers not just trains, but all public transport, and private operators throughout the country. The price works out at just €3 a day, for unlimited 2nd class travel anywhere in the whole of Austria. Naturally, we were interested.
Summer is the perfect time to get out and get some wandering done. The sun is out and I fancied taking a trip. Now living in Austria you’re never short of a destination or two. Salzburg, Innsbruck, Linz and Graz are all fantastic destinations, but you can miss so much of Austria heading to these tourist destinations. I came up with an idea that was going to mean I’d avoid the tourist traps and instead experience the countryside for myself. Yes, I’d be hitting up the S-Bahn and heading to Absdorf.
Sweden is my ‘Goto’ destination when I want to unwind, relax, and recharge. I’ve been there many times, the last of which was back in Autumn 2018. While Stockholm does have its charms, good coffee, and the royal family who live in the city, it’s Uppsala that calls to me on almost every visit. A University city, Uppsala is a great place to relax, even on a cool autumn day.
Having itchy feet is a terrible thing. Despite copious amounts of wandering around Austria, sometimes wanderlust can become all-consuming. In truth, I need a vacation. After moving from the UK to Vienna nearly two years ago, neither of us (I include my better half Lynda in this) have had a holiday together since May 2016, when we spent her 40th birthday with friends in Sweden. So we are in desperate need of a change of scenery. Just a little getaway for the weekend. So shall it be done? May in Austria is a confusing time as all sorts of bank holidays and days off can crop up. This year has brought with it a bumper crop, thanks to an early Easter. The weekend of the 12th of May has Thursday and Friday off, just in time for Lynda’s birthday. So armed with time off and the OEBB app, let’s see where we can go. As it happens, there was a special on over the Christmas break and we’ve bagged two return tickets to the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana. Total price for us both, €36! That’s just €9 there and €9 back each. Bargain. Sure it takes just over 6 hours by train, but it a trip through some of the most beautiful countryside in the world. So let’s get going.
With the arrival of spring, I decided to strike out and hit the rails running. Christmas brought a present in the form of new train service to Prague and Brno. Regiojet is the Czech Republics number one budget rail and bus provider, offering cheap fares to all parts. Their arrival in Vienna offers direct competition to the Czech’s main rail provider on the route. RegioJet’s prices are incredibly competitive, offering free coffee, water, magazines, wifi and a full in-seat entertainment system. Best of all, it now stops at Simmering, saving me a trip into Hauptbahnhof. Prague is still 4 hours away and way beyond a day’s wandering. Brno however is barely an hour and a half’s journey time. Why not?
For this wander, I’m taking to the rails once more and heading west to the Medieval town of Melk. Melk is one of those ‘must see’ areas. Situated on the Danube, Melk’s main reason to visit is the imposing Abbey that sits above the town.
The day begins early. Stupidly early. Let’s call it stupid o’clock. At Stupid o’clock, everything is kind of quiet. Vienna is just waking up. For that matter, so am I. This also holds true for the driver of the U4 U-Bahn. The Train to Klosterneuburg goes every 30 minutes, and as I get off the train, I can see the S40 pull away from Heiligenstadt station. If the U-Bahn had arrived just 30 seconds sooner, I’d have made it. Bugger it, let’s grab a coffee. I need a coffee. It’s stupid o’clock after all. I sit drinking my coffee outside the station, opposite Karl Marx Hof. Karl Marx Hof is known for being the worlds longest apartment building, stretching a full kilometre and then some. It’ll appear again in a later wander. Today I’m heading just a few minutes north, to the town of Klosterneuburg. As its name somewhat suggests, Klosterneuburg is home to a large cathedral. Its also home to some great little Vineyards and offers great views out over the Danube and Vienna. I’m looking forward to getting there.
Anyway, I’m on the move and heading north to the Medieval town of Eggenburg. The day has not gone terribly well. I appear a bit rusty this morning as I grab my gear to go. My camera’s battery was a bit low and I don’t have time to charge it.
To the north of Vienna, around the bend of the Danube, lies the town of Tulln an der Donau, or Tulln for short. I know absolutely nothing about the place bar for the military airbase that sits to the east. Oh and the VOR turning point for flights into Vienna international. That’s it. Of all the places I could see, this one excites me. As it turns out, Tulln is quite an interesting place. The Viennese newspaper ‘Der Standard’ is printed here, and the town narrowly lost becoming the Niederösterreich Capital to Nearby City, Sankt Pölten.
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