Vienna Austria 2 Day Itinerary (Day Trips)

Two days from Vienna means one hotel and one real day trip. Settle in on day one, then spend day two an hour outside the city in the Wachau Valley rather than cramming in another museum. Got a third day to spare? Add Bratislava with the 3-day version .

Book these before you go

Day 1: Land and settle into Vienna as your base

Vienna International Airport (VIE) sits about 18km southeast of the center. Skip the City Airport Train unless you’re checking bags at Wien Mitte or traveling at a brutal peak hour: it charges close to three times the S7 suburban rail fare to save under 10 minutes. The S7 covers the same route in about 25 minutes for a 2-zone fare around EUR 5.40. Check in near Hauptbahnhof or Westbahnhof, since one of those stations matters tomorrow, then spend the evening walking the Innere Stadt and having a real dinner. Save the museums for our full Vienna city guide on a future trip; this plan is built around leaving the city, not touring it.

Day 2: The Wachau Valley and Melk Abbey

Direct trains from Wien Westbahnhof reach Melk in about an hour. The ÖBB Wachau-Ticket bundles that train, Melk Abbey admission, and a Krems-Melk river boat leg into one ticket, roughly EUR 59 for a standard adult and valid 36 hours. The boat, run by DDSG Blue Danube , skips some weekdays in spring and autumn 2026, so confirm the sailing calendar before you build the day around it, or use the Wachaubahn local train along the valley floor instead. Tour the abbey in the morning, walk the Danube path into Dürnstein for lunch, and take the direct train back into Vienna by early evening.

Should you do Vienna or the Wachau Valley first?

Do a light Vienna evening on day one, not a full sightseeing day: you’ll be tired from travel, and the Wachau Valley rewards an early start on day two more than an extra museum does. Save the deeper Vienna sightseeing, Schönbrunn included, for a trip built around the city itself rather than squeezing it into a two-day day-trip plan.

Do you need a car for the Wachau Valley?

No. Direct trains from Wien Westbahnhof reach Melk in about an hour, and the Wachaubahn local line covers the valley floor between the smaller villages. A car adds parking costs in Melk and Krems for zero time saved over the train, and you’d have to navigate back into central Vienna at the end of a long day instead of just getting off at the station.

The day trip, in numbers

Day trip Distance from Vienna Train time One-way cost
Wachau Valley + Melk Abbey roughly 90km west about 1h direct EUR 15-20 by rail, or roughly EUR 59 for the Wachau-Ticket bundle
Bratislava, Slovakia roughly 55km east 56min to 1h EUR 6-15
Salzburg roughly 300km west 2h15 to 2h32 from EUR 19.90 in advance
Graz + the Semmering railway roughly 200km southwest about 2h40 varies by fare class
Hallstatt far southwest, indirect route 3.5 to 4h plus a ferry EUR 19.90 advance to roughly EUR 59.60 walk-up

Buy the Wachau-Ticket or your rail tickets the moment day two is locked in. Sparschiene-style advance fares on Austrian routes get more expensive, not less, the closer you book to departure.