Munich or Vienna?

[Drake3287]

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

 

[Teacher Terry]

In April I took a 11 day trip that started in Zurich, then Lucerne, Munich, Vienna, Salzburg and Prague. It was an amazing trip and I loved every city we visited.

 

[audreyh1]

Yes, I have been to both and they are each wonderful. Salzburg is fabulous.

I would suggest Munich because it’s much closer to Salzburg and has more direct flights from the US.

 

[target2019]

We've been to Vienna and Munich, but did not fly in to either city.

You'll enjoy either city. Vienna is what I'd choose. From what I recall the center had many more large attractions within walking distance.

YMMV of course. Like Terry mentions, you'll love every city.

 

[braumeister]

I've never flown into Vienna, but into Munich many, many times. It's an easy airport to deal with, and an easy train ride into downtown. I find both cities wonderful, but kind of prefer Munich for its central location in that part of Europe. Easy to get so many places from there by train.

 

[Onda]

Vienna is cheaper and absolutely beautiful.

 

[athena53]

The writer John Irving once called Vienna "a museum housing a city". I've been to both (last trip to Vienna was 10+ years ago, Munich in May of last year). Totally different vibes. I felt the history more in Vienna- the ghosts of dead Hapsburgs, reminders of Strauss, Mozart, Beethoven.. Munich felt more modern. That's partly because so much had to be rebuilt after WW 2. Both had a great assortment of museums. I was also really impressed with the food in Munich- in an early business trip there (around 2005) the restaurant menus were mostly meat and potatoes and a WIDE assortment of organ meats (calf's lungs, heart, brain, liver..). They now have plenty of ethnic restaurants and many focused on healthier foods with more vegetarian options and multiple gelato options on every block!

You can't go wrong with either one.

 

[Lsbcal]

We enjoyed Vienna a lot. More so then Munich. Vienna has some Klimt art. You can take a trip to tour Melk Abbey and return by boat on the Danube. See the Rick Steves book for details of that full day do-it-yourself idea.

 

[SecondCor521]

I've been to both. I love Vienna and Munich is perfectly adequate. YMMV.

 

[Drake3287]

Thanks for all the suggestions and thoughts. Just as I expected, both cities are well liked as a vacation distention. I'll keep doing my homework as to which we might enjoy more. Thanks.

 

[DrRoy]

For visiting 3 days I would pick Vienna.

 

[HarveyS]

Vienna would be my choice. Smaller footprint so you can see everything downtown on foot. 15 minute metro ride to the Schönbruun Palace. Pandas in the zoo. Tip: Buy tickets to any events you want to see ahead of time.

I'd also consider flying to Budapest, spending 3 nights there, then train to Vienna and 3 nights in Vienna, then head to Salzburg. Buy your train tickets at least 15 days in advance for best prices. Ride in first and you can use the OBB Lounge at major train stations.

 

[foxcreek9]

Vienna would be my choice. Smaller footprint so you can see everything downtown on foot. 15 minute metro ride to the Schönbruun Palace. Pandas in the zoo. Tip: Buy tickets to any events you want to see ahead of time.

I'd also consider flying to Budapest, spending 3 nights there, then train to Vienna and 3 nights in Vienna, then head to Salzburg. Buy your train tickets at least 15 days in advance for best prices. Ride in first and you can use the OBB Lounge at major train stations.

+1 Loved Budapest

 

[audreyh1]

IMO Munich is better for shorter stays if you have never been there before. And I consider 3 nights to be a shorter stay. Two full days you’ll be very busy.

Vienna you can easily spend a week.

We plan to return to both cities this year.

By the way, we loved Platzl hotel in Munich and plan to return. Great location. Really neat hotel with the most impressive breakfast buffet and a spa area recreated like a King Ludwig Arabian fantasy. We just toured the spa.

 

[Tetto]

Vienna is beautiful, but So is Munich. I’ve been to Munich many times, and every time that I went there, I would take the Flix bus from there to Hauptbahnhof in Zurich. 4 hour ride and it’s beautiful way to get to Zurich. Once there, rent a car and drive to everywhere. Vienna is too far to drive from Zurich however, but there’s lots to see from Zurich. Trains are excellent too if you don’t want to drive.

 

[euro]

Munich is MUCH closer to Salzburg and Switzerland and has better and more frequent overseas flights.
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). Nothing wrong with Munich at all, in fact, I grew up not too far away and I like it quite a bit, but in my opinion, you can't compare them. It's like NY, LA, SF or Chicago compared to Orlando, Pittsburgh, Kansas, or something. Nothing wrong with any of them, but just not comparable.
I hope I didn't offend anyone from Kansas or Orlando.....

 

[Drake3287]

IMO Munich is better for shorter stays if you have never been there before. And I consider 3 nights to be a shorter stay. Two full days you’ll be very busy.

Vienna you can easily spend a week.

We plan to return to both cities this year.

By the way, we loved Platzl hotel in Munich and plan to return. Great location. Really neat hotel with the most impressive breakfast buffet and a spa area recreated like a King Ludwig Arabian fantasy. We just toured the spa.

Thanks for the tip regarding the Platzl Hotel. We ended up booking 4 nights there so hopefully we can find enough to keep us busy for 3 full days. The Hofbrauhaus beer hall next door is a nice perk in staying there!

 

[audreyh1]

There is lots to do in the city center including extensive gardens, some museums like the Residenz, the Viktualien Markt an extensive outdoor market, and just walking the streets seeing the sights such as Marienplatz.

With more time you can go farther afield. We really enjoyed the Nymphenberg palace which is an easy bus ride from the city center. Particularly the extensive grounds/gardens and the small palaces scattered about the grounds were terrific.

Some folks visit the BMW museum.

This trip we plan to do a day trip to the famous Andechs Monastery and Brewery out of town up towards the mountains. It’s a short S-Bahn train ride and then bus up the hill, or you can hike up the hill. We’re mostly for the excursion and scenery, but folks also claim great schweinshaxe. They have a couple of pubs there. https://curiositysavestravel.com/day-trip-from-munich-to-andechs-monastery/

We kept passing by the Haxengrill on the way to and from the Platzl hotel. There were these huge rotisseries of pork knuckle displayed in the window. I didn’t know about the Bavarian specialty schweinshaxe (pork knuckle) at the time otherwise we would have popped in. Other places come up as better such as Augustiner am Platzl which is close to the hotel and the Hofbrauhaus. If you like pork you’ll be in heaven in Germany.

We walked around inside the Hofbrauhaus sight seeing, multiple levels. Crazy place! Well worth checking out.

You will see Germans and tourists drinking beer a liter at a time pretty much everywhere - eine mass.

 

[braumeister]

This trip we plan to do a day trip to the famous Andechs Monastery and Brewery out of town up towards the mountains. It’s a short S-Bahn train ride and then bus up the hill, or you can hike up the hill.

The hiking path through the woods is wonderful and usually pretty sparsely traveled. I always do that, and when you reach the monastery/beer garden at the top you feel that you have definitely earned your beer and meal. The Andechs beer is unbeatable.
But the bus is certainly a good option if you're not up to that, and you can always walk down the hill afterward if you like.

Before getting back on the S-Bahn back to Munich, there is also a great area along the lakeside at Herrsching, with loads of restaurants and a nice place to walk.

 

[JoeWras]

Thanks for the tip regarding the Platzl Hotel. We ended up booking 4 nights there so hopefully we can find enough to keep us busy for 3 full days. The Hofbrauhaus beer hall next door is a nice perk in staying there!

Woah! I just went directly to their website and scanned a direct booking and my eyes popped out of my head. Of course, I realized I chose a date near the end of September. Oktoberfest?

Adjusted the date a week earlier and it cut the price in half.

Maybe my dream of going near or in Oktoberfest is still a dream. Or blow that dough?

How did you book?

 

[braumeister]

Woah! I just went directly to their website and scanned a direct booking and my eyes popped out of my head. Of course, I realized I chose a date near the end of September. Oktoberfest?

Adjusted the date a week earlier and it cut the price in half.

Maybe my dream of going near or in Oktoberfest is still a dream. Or blow that dough?

How did you book?

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.

 

[athena53]

Maybe my dream of going near or in Oktoberfest is still a dream. Or blow that dough?

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.

 

[audreyh1]

Maybe my dream of going near or in Oktoberfest is still a dream. Or blow that dough?

If Oktoberfest in Munich is a priority for you, then clearly BTD is required.

Personally I don’t attend any Oktoberfests as I am extremely crowd averse.

 

[braumeister]

I've been to Oktoberfest probably at least a dozen times, and I think it's something most beer aficionados should have on their bucket list, at least once in a lifetime. The crowds are welcoming, not overwhelming, and the fun is truly infectious. Watching even introverts get up on a table and sing at the top of their lungs is an experience you won't have anywhere else.

That said, my visits to Oktoberfest have always been as a guest of one of the breweries, so I'm upstairs in the VIP section of one of the tents, which is a bit different experience, although the food and beer are the same as in the main part of the tent.

https://www.oktoberfest.de/en

 

[JoeWras]

The 1 L minimum sounds good to me too!