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Question: Docking location in Vienna (Crystal)


skybluewaters
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We will be in Vienna for an overnight this October on the Crystal Mahler. Between our scheduled morning and evening excursions, we have an entire afternoon off. Can we walk from the dock to anything worthwhile? Would we need to take a taxi? Where is the docking location? Any suggestions on where to go during a free afternoon in Vienna would be greatly appreciated!

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The Danube canal is nowhere near downtown, but it is only a subway ride away. Without knowing exactly where you dock I can't tell you where the nearest stop would be.

 

Where you dock you are close to the Danube park. It is fairly easy to walk to; it is on an island just across from the docking locations. I actually took a bike from the ship and went for a ride in the park, which was a pleasant day to work off my jetlag on my arrival day.

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I posted the two docking locations in town here, post #18: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2600414

 

 

For Crystal I cannot tell you the answer, but it is likely that they dock in Nussdorf as they are new to the area and will not have their own landing stage, yet not certain, they might have been able to secure a place close to the town centre. It might be best to ask Crystal directly if a past cruiser of Crystal cannot not answer your question.

 

 

notamermaid

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Schobrunn Palace is worth the visit in Vienna. We took the ships tour but you can take the subway there if you want to DIY.

 

Many pax go to a concert in Vienna in the evening. Our ship Ama offered a free shuttle into town in the evening for those not attending the concert.

 

 

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We will be in Vienna for an overnight this October on the Crystal Mahler. Between our scheduled morning and evening excursions, we have an entire afternoon off. Can we walk from the dock to anything worthwhile? Would we need to take a taxi? Where is the docking location? Any suggestions on where to go during a free afternoon in Vienna would be greatly appreciated!

 

I've been in Vienna twice on the Crystal Mozart. Crystal provides a shuttle from their docking location to the center of town. It runs on a schedule and you will be able to determine when you need to meet it to get back to the ship on time. Based on excursions (I never used the shuttle), I'm thinking it's about 20 minutes from the center of town to the boat's location, possibly 30 minutes at "rush" hour.

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Thank you very much for your insights.

It's good to know that Crystal provides a shuttle into town.

I believe it is Crystal's policy, both on their ocean and their river cruises, to provide a free shuttle if the town center is not within a reasonable walking distance.

I'll contact Crystal and find out where they will dock.

Thanks again!

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I would certainly suggest you stay in town after the morning tour and do further touring OYO before returning to the ship for dinner and your nighttime excursion. That is what we did last year with Viking. Had lunch at one of the Viennese coffee houses. On the second day we left for Schonbrunn early on our own. We completed the tour of the castle before all the giant bus groups arrived. Had the afternoon to see more of Vienna.

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I have done two cruises on the Mozart now.

 

Crystal's shuttle will stop at the main/major bus stop on Vienna's ring road. This is at the very edge of the old town so it is not in the very centre of town. Crystal's shuttles are only during daylight hours. You have to take a taxi outside the shuttles hours.

 

If you get Crystal's reception to phone for a taxi if you wish (particularly if you want to go the Belvedere or Schonberg Palace. It is normally about a 10-15 min wait. You pay the taxi. Taxis can access many parts of the old town (cobbled street) but be prepared to put up with very slow traffic during the day. You really need to get the taxi to stop you near the Opera House. It is an easy 10-15 mins walk to main parts of the old town from there; the Sacher Cafe, the Royal Hapsburg Palace, The Spanish Riding School, the posh shops and all the wonderful cafes and restaurants.

 

In 2017, Crystal now docks in the main docking strip where Viking, Uniworld and other river cruise lines stop. Remember the dock number or finding the boat the will confusing. In 2016, Crystal was using the new more remote dock that was relatively deserted.

 

There is absolutely nothing near the docks. There is a metro station you can walk to but I have never considered it.

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We had a full day planned today in Vienna. After a quick breakfast, we were off the boat and heading out to the metro stop a little after 8:30. This map shows the route - it was incredibly easy.

 

From the boat (right hand side), walk inland and turn left following my red line; the stairs up the side of the bridge (Reichsbrücke) are impossible to miss (you can see them from the boat). Up the stairs, which lead you to a combined bike/walk path that runs along the side of the Reichsbrücke, but below the level of the pavement, so you're totally separated from any contact with car traffic.

 

Walk along the side of the bridge a few minutes until you pass UNDER the exit/entrance ramps, then the walking trail rises up an incline to join the sidewalk where my red line reappears. From here it's a few more steps to the Vorgartenstrasse stop. Stay on the right/North side of the road (don't cross) if you want the U1 into town. From here it's 4 stops to Stephensplatz.

 

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We bought our tickets (2-24h passes for €17 or thereabouts) at an automated kiosk and I was able to pay by credit card, using my PIN, without any problem. Don't forget to validate them! They had ticket checkers stationed at the exits of the Karlsplatz metro stop...

 



Here's a map that I posted a few years back. Boats dock north and south of this bridge, so depending on how far you are from the bridge, your walk to the U-Bahn may be longer. For us, it took about 5 minutes.

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I have done two cruises on the Mozart now.

 

Crystal's shuttle will stop at the main/major bus stop on Vienna's ring road. This is at the very edge of the old town so it is not in the very centre of town. Crystal's shuttles are only during daylight hours. You have to take a taxi outside the shuttles hours.

 

If you get Crystal's reception to phone for a taxi if you wish (particularly if you want to go the Belvedere or Schonberg Palace. It is normally about a 10-15 min wait. You pay the taxi. Taxis can access many parts of the old town (cobbled street) but be prepared to put up with very slow traffic during the day. You really need to get the taxi to stop you near the Opera House. It is an easy 10-15 mins walk to main parts of the old town from there; the Sacher Cafe, the Royal Hapsburg Palace, The Spanish Riding School, the posh shops and all the wonderful cafes and restaurants.

 

In 2017, Crystal now docks in the main docking strip where Viking, Uniworld and other river cruise lines stop. Remember the dock number or finding the boat the will confusing. In 2016, Crystal was using the new more remote dock that was relatively deserted.

 

There is absolutely nothing near the docks. There is a metro station you can walk to but I have never considered it.

 

Ken, in Dec. 2017, Jan. 2018 we were at the same dock as in Apr 2017. Never saw Viking, etc. It's the dock with one tall high rise across the river and the church that isn't as old as it looks across the street from the dock. Is that the "old" or "new" docking location?

 

 

Patty

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Not Ken, but your description fits what I remember of the Reichsbrücke pier (the "new" one described here). It's the one in my map above.

 

The church is just south of the bridge, but we docked just north of the bridge. The high-rises are the International Center. There's also an observation tower on that island, a little bit to the north of the high-rises.

 

We were on Uniworld but saw many other ships there.

 

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Not Ken, but your description fits what I remember of the Reichsbrücke pier (the "new" one described here). It's the one in my map above.

 

The church is just south of the bridge, but we docked just north of the bridge. The high-rises are the International Center. There's also an observation tower on that island, a little bit to the north of the high-rises.

 

We were on Uniworld but saw many other ships there.

 

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Thanks. Probably that I was there in April and Dec./Jan., so not as many other river boat lines there as during the high season. Also, we must have been south of the bridge, so that might be why I never saw many other boats.

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