Vienna Christmas Market Day Trip: What the Whole Day Costs

£135. That's the lot. Flights, the train in, lunch, a proper dinner and a mulled wine on Rathausplatz, then home to your own bed the same night.

Vienna gets more UK searches for its Christmas markets than almost anywhere in Europe, and most people assume it's a long weekend job. It isn't. Here's the day, and what every bit of it costs.

What are the flights?

The cheapest one we've checked is Monday 16 November from Stansted with Ryanair. Out at 06:05, landing in Vienna at 09:15. Back at 20:55, landing at Stansted at 22:15. £67 return, checked on 13 October.

That gives you about 8.8 hours in the city once you take off the time getting in and out of the airport. Plenty for the big markets and a sit-down meal.

• Mon 16 Nov, Stansted: £67, about 8.8 hours in Vienna
• Thu 19 Nov, Stansted: £70, about 9.2 hours
• Sat 14 Nov, Stansted: £74, about 8.4 hours
• Sat 14 Nov, Manchester: £89, out 08:25, back 21:50, about 7.2 hours

All checked between 8 and 13 October. Fares move, so see the live price for 16 November before you book.

What does the rest of the day cost?

Our estimate for one person, done sensibly but not on a shoestring:

• Railjet from the airport to the centre and back: £10
• Getting around town: £8
• Lunch: £16
• Dinner: £34
• A coffee or a pint: £5

That's £68 on the ground. Add the £67 flights and you're at £135 for the whole day. Mulled wine and a sausage at the stalls come out of the lunch money if you're smart about it.

Which markets are open on 16 November?

All the main ones. Rathausplatz, the big one in front of the city hall, runs from 13 November to 26 December, 10:00 to 22:00 every day. Am Hof and Karlsplatz open on 13 November too, and the Altwiener Christkindlmarkt on the Freyung opens on the 14th.

One catch on a Monday: Spittelberg only opens at 14:00 on weekdays. So do Rathausplatz and the Freyung in the morning, have lunch, and save Spittelberg for the afternoon when the lights come on.

How do you fit it all in?

Land at 09:15, train into town, and you're on Rathausplatz before 11. Freyung and Am Hof are a short walk from there. Lunch, then Spittelberg once it opens at 14:00, then back to Rathausplatz after dark, because that's when it's at its best.

For the 20:55 flight, aim to be heading back to the airport around 19:15. It's a tight-ish finish but it's a Monday, so the airport's quieter than a Friday night.

Is it worth it for one day?

For £135, yes. A Vienna Christmas weekend with a hotel runs to a few hundred quid easily. You'll miss the late evening, but you'll see the markets at their best, eat well and be home before midnight.

Every Vienna market, with opening hours and the day on 24 December, is on our Vienna Christmas market page.