Some thoughts after a Vienna weekend

Thought I might post some observations after a Vienna weekend...

- The Vienna Pass was handy from a transit perspective, though we bought it right away and ended up not really using it to its full potential. Be sure you know which places you%26#39;d like to visit and how much you really need transit before buying the pass.

- In my first visit to Austria (we also went to Innsbruck) I was absolutely flabbergasted to see how everyone spoke magnificent English without the slightest reservation. My language skills haven%26#39;t extended to German and I was humbled by how everyone spoke so confidently, regardless of age or occupation.

- Restaurants (1): I have another post up about cafe and restaurant culture, but to be brief, waitstaff are not of the overly-friendly, check-in-to-see-how-you%26#39;re-doing variety. Expect to be ignored to some extent and don%26#39;t get worked up by it.

- Restaurants (2): there is smoking. Be prepared if you%26#39;re a non-smoker.

- Restaurants (3): the food is delicious!

- Currently there is a lot of constuction going on around St Stephansplatz. Our hotel wasn%26#39;t in the area, and it doesn%26#39;t seem to be going on in the evenings, but if you%26#39;re a late sleeper, a jackhammer might be in your wake up call.

- The concert touts outside St Stephan%26#39;s are relentless....We didn%26#39;t ever book through them, just kept walking...

- There is no Sunday shopping. If your weekend trip ends on a Sunday, be sure you%26#39;ve done all the shopping you intend to do before then. The museums and galleries are open, so makes for a perfect way to spend your Sunday.

- The Airport - wow. What a crazy system. Once your baggage is checked, your boarding card is checked at a desk and you are through to shopping and duty free. I was perplexed because we hadn%26#39;t been through security. Then you go through passport control. Turns out, you only go through the metal detectors and x-ray as you go to the gate - each gate has its own. You can take through anything you%26#39;ve bought in duty free, but everything you%26#39;ve brought in from the outside is subject to the 100ml rule. But the real tip here is to go through those metal detectors at the gate as late as possible. We were all herded into this very small gate and had to stand there for over half an hour without enough seats or even space to stand. Not a pleasant experience. You%26#39;re best off remaining in the %26#39;shopping%26#39; area for as long as you can.

Hope this helps!

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Great report; a lot of it (waiters etc.,) would also apply to neighboring countries.. I hope you%26#39;ll visit this forum often, now you can advise too!