A Vienna Christmas Market Weekend, the Opening Weekend Done Properly
Fly out of Stansted at 06:10 on Saturday 14 November and back at 20:30 on Sunday 15 November and you get Vienna for the first full weekend of its Christmas markets. Two days on the ground come to £102.60 each, before your bed.
Vienna is the one Christmas market city I'd say is better over two days than one. There are so many markets, and they're so spread out, that a day trip ends up feeling like a checklist.
So here's a weekend instead. Two days, one night, and the timing lands on the first full weekend the markets are open.
Why 14 and 15 November
The big one, the Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz, opens on Friday 13 November. Am Hof, Spittelberg and Art Advent on Karlsplatz open the same day, and the Altwiener market on the Freyung follows on Saturday 14th. Schönbrunn's has been going since 6 November.
Go that weekend and everything is open, it's all fresh, and you're ahead of the December crowds.
Getting there and back
Out. Ryanair from Stansted at 06:10 on Saturday 14 November. From Manchester, Ryanair leaves at 08:25 the same morning.
Back. Ryanair from Vienna at 20:30 on Sunday 15 November, landing at Stansted at 21:50.
Two early-ish starts aside, that's almost two full days in the city. If you'd rather test the water with a single day first, Saturday 14th works as a day trip too. Vienna from Stansted on 14 November or from Manchester.
What the weekend costs on the ground
Our trip pages put a day in Vienna at £56.30 on the ground. That's £10.00 for the Railjet in and out, £8.00 for getting around, £12.80 for lunch and £25.50 for dinner.
Over a weekend you only pay the Railjet once each way, so it works out like this per person.
- Railjet to the centre and back, £10.00
- Getting around for two days, £16.00
- Two lunches, £25.60
- Two dinners, £51.00
£102.60 for the weekend, plus your flights and your bed. We don't price stays yet, so shop around for that bit. Mulled wine at the markets isn't in there either, so add a bit if that's your plan.
One thing to know before you land. Until the end of October 2027 the S7 stops at St. Marx, short of the centre, so take the Railjet to Hauptbahnhof instead. It's 15 minutes and €5.50.
Weekend or day trip?
Fair question, because the day trip is the cheaper way to see Vienna. Saturday 14 November from Stansted is £127.00 return and £183.30 for the whole day. From Manchester it's £101.00 return and £157.30 all in.
The catch is you get one evening at the markets, and on a day trip that evening is also your dash back to the airport. If Vienna's been on your list for years, give it the two days. If you just want a taste of the markets, the day trip does the job.
Saturday
Morning. Drop your bag and head to the Freyung. The Altwiener Christkindlmarkt is opening that day, it's been running since 1772 and it's the most traditional of the lot.
Am Hof is a short walk away and it's smaller, with more of a local feel. Two markets before lunch is a good start.
Afternoon. This is the bit people skip on a day trip. Pick one proper sight. The Kunsthistorisches Museum is €22 and the Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments are €20. Or keep your money and do the Ringstrasse on foot, it's free and it takes you past half the city's big buildings.
Sunset on Saturday is at 16:20, which is exactly when you want to be heading to Rathausplatz.
Evening. The Christkindlmarkt in front of City Hall is open until 22:00. Go after dark when the lights are on. This is the photo everyone wants and it's worth it.
Sunday
Morning. Get the U-Bahn out to Schönbrunn. The palace itself is €42, which is steep, but the park and grounds are free and so is the Christmas market in front of the palace. On a crisp November morning it's lovely.
If you were thinking of Naschmarkt, it's closed on Sundays, so do it Saturday or not at all.
Afternoon. Spittelberg opens at 11:00 at weekends. It's arts and crafts in narrow cobbled lanes and it's the prettiest of the markets in my book. Good place for presents that aren't tat.
The Belvedere gardens are free too if you want one last walk. The Upper Belvedere is €23 if you want to go in.
Evening. Your flight is at 20:30, so aim to be on the Railjet from Hauptbahnhof by about 18:00. Have your last meal in the city first, then a slow walk to the station.
Weekend trips are coming
We're building weekend trips into BudgetBro, with flights and stays priced the way we price day trips now. It's not live yet. Until it is, our weekend trips guide has the cities we think work best for two days, and you can still check each day's flights on the day trip pages above.
Prices and times were checked on 30 October. Fares change, so check the trip pages for today's.
If you like how we price things, founders get every day trip priced six months ahead for £19.00 a year, and it's what pays for us to build weekends. Become a founder
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