Munich or Vienna?

[Rosie]

mmmm, Sacher Torte ...


an enduring memory from a trip to Vienna about 20 years ago in the middle of winter

 

[jcfradio]

Why go when everybody and his brother/sister are there? I've also read that you can get ONLY full liters of beer in the beer gardens during Oktoberfest. I'm a solo traveler and a lightweight and was grateful in May of 2022 to be able to get a half-liter, especially since it was at the end of a Mike's Bikes Tour and we had to cycle back to their office. I highly recommend them, BTW, weather permitting- mostly level paths, frequent stops, interesting commentary with a sense of humor, and it ends in a beer garden by the Chinese Tower.

I have been to Munich at least 10 times over the years for work and vacation and I can confirm that you can get liters of beer in the beer gardens any time and not just during Oktoberfest. My favorite Munich biergarten is the Augustiner garden near the Hauptbahnhof. I found it less touristy than the Haufbrauhaus. If you want to experience Oktoberfest, but not go broke, perhaps consider doing it in a smaller city and not Munich (I don't have first hand experience, but i have been told that the Munich Oktoberfest tanks are a real drunkfest - not my style). I did a weekend in Constance once during Oktoberfest and it was a smaller, much more enjoyable experience - only 5000 people in the tent...LOL!

 

[audreyh1]

I’ve been to that Augustiner biergarten near the Hauptbahnhof and my eyes just about popped out with all the empty liter mugs sitting on the tables. Way more mugs than drinkers. Just blew my mind!

 

[jcfradio]

I’ve been to that Augustiner biergarten near the Hauptbahnhof and my eyes just about popped out with all the empty liter mugs sitting on the tables. Way more mugs than drinkers. Just blew my mind!

Audrey, honest, none of those empties was mine....

 

[audreyh1]

Audrey, honest, none of those empties was mine....

I think after that I looked up the per capita beer consumption in Bavaria. It’s impressive!

 

[GaryInCO]

That said, in terms of visitor destinations, Vienna is really in a different league compare to Munich. Much more history (remember, Vienna used to be the capital of the vast Austria-Hungarian empire and as such one of the "centers of the universe"), much larger, more impressive buildings, churches, cultural centers, and the list goes on).

+1. ESPECIALLY if you are a fan of classical music. My brother and I visited right after college, 45 yrs ago. He had just graduated with a music degree and he was in heaven.

 

[audreyh1]

Not a cheap hotel, but worth the cost, right in the heart of everything. That's where I always stay.

And yes, because of Oktoberfest, which is always the two weeks before the first Sunday in October.

One important thing about the Hotel Platzl, it’s in a busy area, so if you want a quiet room you want to face the courtyard. It’s a large courtyard but quiet.

 

[cyber888]

Planning a return trip to Switzerland for mid 2024 that will include Salzburg, Austria but I'm looking to fly into either Vienna or Munich first before making our way to Salzburg and eventually Switzerland.

Airfare costs aside, has anyone been to both of these cities and prefer one over the other? Never been to either city so I'm trying to decide which we might enjoy the most. On the plus side, the train ride to Salzburg is shorter from Munich. This would probably be for 3 nights in either city.

Thanks

DW and I are flying to Munich April-May - we will be visiting Germany, Austria and Switzerland for 15 days.

 

[Chuckanut]

How about Budapest? I like it better than Vienna or Munich.

Really you can’t go wrong with either of them.

If you go to Vienna do try their unique potato salad. It’s excellent.