Accommodations in Vienna: the best options | Travel Guide Vienna

1. What you have to know before coming to Vienna
2. How best to travel to Vienna
3. Accommodations in Vienna: the best options
4. What is there to see in Vienna
5. Means of transport in Vienna
6. Eating in Viennan
7. Evenings on the way in Vienna
8. Vienna and surroundings: which cities shouldn't you miss

You would think that since it is its capital city Vienna would be the most expensive city in Austria. Luckily though it isn't so. Firstly, Salzburg is much more expensive than Vienna because it yearly attracts over 2. 55 million tourists (which is impressive for such a relatively small city) and secondly Vienna is actually very reasonably even low priced in comparison to other capital cities in West Europe. So you really shouldn't worry, you'll find an accommodation quickly and without a problem.

Panoramic vies over Vienna and the Prater with its ferris wheel

Temporary accommodations

In the event that you don't wish to decide on a room or apartment early on, since you can't even view it in person yet because you're not yet in Vienna, then simply spend the first few days or weeks in a hostel or look for accommodation on Airbnb. You could spoil yourself and check into a hotel, but then that will be a bit expensive of course even if Vienna is, in principle, cheap. If you're travelling with someone it could be that a cheap hotel would pay itself off, but if you're travelling alone you'll definitely come off much economically staying in a hostel.

Are you really strapped for cash and can't even afford a hostel? Then simply contact a few people on couch-surfing. Im certain you'll find a lovely group and make your first few friends in Vienna.

Here are a few useful links to ease your search for a temporary accommodation:

• Airbnb
• Hostelbookers
• Hostelworld
• Couchsurfing

Accommodations for a longer period

You were accepted to Vienna for your Erasmus stay? Then its go time right away with the search for the perfect flat-share apartment in Vienna. You can of course keep an eye out for a private little place, but that's gonna cost you quite a bit more than a flat-share and besides is the point of an Erasmus to meet as many new people as possible, isn't it? So why would you want to close yourself all alone away in your own private apartment?

Things can often get chaotic in a flat-share, but actually its almost always quite funny!

The easiest option is to simply look on Facebook through Facebook Groups where you can find free room advertisements. After you can contact the people via messenger and make an appointment for a viewing of the flat (of course you can arrange this when you already know when you'll be coming to Vienna). If you're adventurous by nature you can accept the flat "online" already, in other words you don't go see the flat in person, but instead accept it even though you've only seen photographs of it. In principle that isn't at all problematic in Vienna, in the sense that you won't easily be ripped off die to strict rules and laws regarding tenant protection. Much quicker could it become a problem in a group looking for a certain or purpose flat-share that they will accept from a person they haven't yet seen. The majority of flat communities are after all on the look out for new "cool" and likeable flatmates with whom they can become close and good friends.

The simplest option would therefore be to book into a hostel or alike for the first 3-7 days and schedule all the viewing appointments in the timeframe. If you're originating from somewhere from where you can reach Vienna cheaply and quickly you perhaps consider visiting Vienna for a weekend beforehand to view a few flats and get to know the city a little better.

Here are a few Facebook Groups that advertise free rooms:

• WG-Zimmer in Wien Gesucht! (Flat-share rooms in Vienna sought! )
• WG-Zimmer & Wohnung in Wien - Suche und Biete(Flat-share rooms & Flats in Vienna - Search and Offer)

Put these names simply into your Facebook-profile so you can search for a flat.

Alternatively you can search through other online-portals and special sites that specialise in apartment and flat-share room search. So take a look at these sites as well.

• WG Gesucht (Flat-share Sought)
• Easy WG (Easy Flat-share)
• Studenten-WG (Student Flat-share)
• Wohnfrei (LivingFree)
• Wohnenbörse (The Housing Exchange)
• Schwarzes Brett ÖH (black bread official student representation)

Orlook up ads on Erasmusu! We have a separate area for Apartment/Room Search:

WG-Anzeigen direkt auf Erasmusu! (Flat-share room advertisements directly on Erasmusu! )

The areas

Vienna is divided into 23 districts wherein however the enumeration method is not completely linearly applied. From the 10. district on the logic becomes complicated, but until then its fairly simple. The 1. district, the inner city centre or downtown, is the old city or old city centre, so objectively viewed the most beautiful, but also most expensive part of the city. In the 1. district I believe it is almost impossible to find a hotel, at least I've not seen one yet or heard of one. The classiest most extravagant and most expensive hotels can be found in this part of the city (especially located on the Ring), but no ordinary person can afford to stay in one of these hotels. This is the hotel category in which international movie stars like George Clooney or Tom Cruise spend the night when they visit Vienna. So we needn't talk of flat-shares in this district! If you're extremely lucky you may find a room for 600€, but that is really expensive for Vienna.

The 23 districts of the Vienna municipality

Around the 1. district, districts 2 to 9 spread out in a clockwise manner, however the circle ends with the 20. district, Brigittenau, so take care not to get too confused. Districts 4, 7, 8 and 9 are particularly beautiful due to being very green and quiet (calm) despite its very central location, but the other districts on the circle are cool neighbourhoods for students as well. All of the districts are located within the Belt, one of Viennna's busiest main roads, which in addition means that there are very good connections to anywhere and in some of the districts its easy to get around by bicycle or even by foot. The rental rates average around 400 euro, but can be higher for very cool rooms. I would advise caution for 2. and 3. district (Leopoldstadt and Landstraße) because they can be quite lengthy, which means that parts of it can be a bit harder to reach.

It continues with the 10. district named Favouriten, located in the south-east of Vienna and where, on the eastern side, the 11. district, Simmering, joins in. These neighbourhoods are not the best in the city, but for as long as they are in the vicinity of a U-Bahn (metro) station (Simmering U3 and favourite U1) they are ideal for students. Due to the fact that these neighbourhoods are a tad ill-reputed rooms can be attained at a cheap rate (around 300 euros perhaps even cheaper if you're lucky). The reason for the notoriety of these city parts is that they are home to many foreigners. If that's actually a bad thing or not, I don't know (personally I don't mind), but if you're looking at a room there best you drive there and see for yourself!

The 12. district isn't exactly one of the prettiest corners of Vienna. Its about as dangerous as the rest of the city, which is barely. Of course there are no guarantees and anything can happen to anyone anywhere, but fundamentally Vienna is a safe city (one of the safest cities in the world) so I can put your mind at ease. You needn't fear. Let us just say that people living in this quarter are just a little bit "asocial". Not only foreigners, but Viennese and other Austrians live there as well, but it isn't the classiest community found in Vienna.

The complete opposite is the 13. district, Hietzing. There you can find the pompous snobbish-scene a la Ralph Lauren Polo and daddy's Mercedes. Oh well its not that bad really. The district is really beautiful and filled to the brim with imposing and wonderful family houses. In addition its one of the greenest districts in Vienna, but unfortunately one of the most expensive as well. Most of the flat-shared rooms are however still quite affordable (ranging around an estimate of 450 euro). Just pay attention to be near the U-Bahn (metro/underground) station because the 13. district can be quite long and if you're not a maximum of 10 walking minutes from the station you could find it difficult to reach.

One of the many quiet and forested streets of Hietzings

Penzing, the 14. district is somewhat lonely thus the number 1 and also because its the home of the football club Rapid Wiens. Yeah, ok, that doesn't actually factor in with the flat search (or shouldn't). The vicinity of an U-Bahn is always an advantage. Out near Hütteldorf the district becomes wonderful again, but somewhat sealed off.

I wouldn't really recommend the 15. district and 16. district. The situation there is similar to the one in 10. and 11. districts. Especially the 15. is completely central in its location (vicinity of Schönbrunn, Wienfluss, Mariahilferstraße), but here as well not the prettiest people are running around. Although as already mentioned that is a matter of taste. The prices here are therefore cheaper (300-350 euro) and if you've got the U3 in front of your door you'll be in the city centre in 10 minutes.

17. , 18. and 19. district are very nice areas, but also very extensive, which means the further you distance yourself from the Belt the further you go from the U-bahn (underground) and other connecting networks. Similar to the 13. these areas are home to many well-off families in their ostentatious houses. On the other hand if you're attending the University of Economics then these districts are, from a strategic point, ideal, because you'll be at the university building in no time.

20. , 21. and 22. are cool as well, but wait! They're lovely across the Donau river (except the 20. ). And for the Viennese the other side of the river Donau is a kingdom far far away. It's not actually that far to be honest, especially the 20. district is actually quite central (it borders on the 9., but isn't as elegant as the latter) and the 21. and 22. are through the use of the underground very well connected to the centre (all U-Bahn connections except the U3 go across the Donau river). Again everything comes down to the U-Bahn (underground), for example should you live 5 minutes away from Floridsdorf, the end station of U6, thats far away from the centre, but thanks to the U-Bahn (the underground) you could be anywhere in Vienna within just 20 minutes! Should you wish to live even further out things get a bit more complicated, but even here the prices are relatively cheap (around 300 euro).

The 23. district, Liesing, is located on the completely opposite side of the city, in the south, bordering on the 10., 12. and 13. I know that sounds rather complicated, but it really isn't! Liesing is a very lovely calm and green district, but really far away from the Centre. The U6 will bring you into certain parts of the district (Strecke Alt Erlaa - Siebenhirten), but other neighbourhoods are somewhat badly connected and only accessible by bus or Tram.

Finally I would like to say that as students (especially if you're an Erasmus student) you should be aiming to get accommodation in the central areas or should in any case pay attention to be in the vicinity of a U-Bahn (underground). That will make your life much easier! Vienna is a beautiful city and its outer districts are enchanting, but a young student its, in my opinion, simply cooler to live in the city and enjoy the city life. Time for a house with a garden will come soon enough!

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