Vienna

From the airport

Train: catch the CAT (City Airport Train) to the centre. trains leave every 30 minutes

Bus: Vienna Airport Lines Buses provides a service every 30 minutes to Schwedenplatz, where there are metro connections.

Swot up on Austrian history or pick up some pulp fiction at the British Bookshop, bang in the centre of town. 

At Loden Plankl you can dress up like Archduke Franz Ferdinand on a wild boar chase. Expect horn buttons, lederhosen and loden by the cart-load. Plenty of Sound of Music kits for ladies too.

The majestic Rathausplatz becomes an ice-skating rink for the duration of February. The perfect place to practice your Anna Karenina moves.

With summer starting to wind up, aquatic adventurers should pay a visit to Krapfenwaldbad. Vienna's best loved outdoor pool commands a spectacular view over the city. Take bus 38A northbound.

The Liechtenstein Museum is a princely treasure.

Day trip

Modling. The pretty town of Modling is a perfect base from which to explore the Vienna woods. Beethoven spent a couple of summers here, and Sconberg was a longtime resident. The town is just 20 minutes from Vienna by S-Bahn.
Langenlois. A picturesque town with an otherworldly wine centre that seems to have landed from outer space. The winery's hotel enables visitors to make the most of the sparkling sekt and other wines. A relevation.