From Vienna to Zürich: A Journey Through Austria and Switzerland
Trip Planning - 24 February 2025 - Planning for the Trip
I don't usually start my travel journals by talking about the planning process, but for this trip I thought it might be useful to share how I prepare.
About six months before I decide to go on a trip, I start tracking flights using Google Flights. This helps me monitor prices for my destination so I can book when the rates are best. Once I find a reasonable price, I book the flights.
Four months before the trip, I go through my itinerary, which I keep as a bullet-point list. This helps me figure out what I want to see and do. I also use a travel bot I set up in ChatGPT to match my travel style and priorities. From there, I spend the next two months fine-tuning the itinerary and researching hotels. I prefer hotels over Airbnb because they offer more services, and many European cities are now limiting Airbnb rentals due to housing concerns. Once I pick a hotel, I monitor prices and book when I find a good deal.
About two months before the trip, I start looking into admission tickets for museums, historical sites, and art galleries, and I check which options are the most cost-effective. For Vienna, the Vienna City Card made the most sense. It covered public transportation and gave me discounts on attractions. Since I was only spending a day in Salzburg, I got the 24-hour Salzburg Card, which included free admission to select sites.
For traveling around Switzerland, I decided on the Swiss Travel Pass. It covers trains, boats, and buses, making transportation easy. In Zermatt, I booked the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Ticket through the Swiss Travel Center. In Luzern, the Swiss Travel Pass included the Mt. Rigi Railway and the Luzern Boat Service. For Zurich, I got a 72-hour Zurich Card to cover my time exploring the city and my airport transfer on departure day. To keep things economical, I bought a four-day Swiss Travel Pass and used the Zurich Card for my last day.
This planning approach ensures I get good deals and don't have to stress about tickets and transportation once I arrive. It takes some time upfront, but it makes the actual trip much smoother.
Travel Day One - 27 April 2025 - Leaving BNA
The trip started with a smooth ride to the airport. The Lyft driver and I chatted about places we'd been in Europe. Once at the airport, I printed my boarding pass, which turned out to be a good call. When boarding at BNA, there was just enough space for my bag in the overhead bin since other passengers had already filled nearby compartments.
We flew to ORD and landed all the way at the far end of Terminal B. I made the long walk to Gate B1, with a short restroom stop along the way. At the connection shuttle, they checked my printed boarding pass. The Apple Wallet and United app versions were missing the date, which was an issue that day, and another traveler mentioned that printed passes were recommended due to technical problems with electronic ones.
Eventually, I boarded the shuttle to Terminal 5. A short walk from there to the gate, and while waiting in line, someone else mentioned that passes might need reprinting due to a technical issue. I boarded with Group 3, and the seat next to me was empty. The food in Premium Economy on Austrian Airlines was pretty decent, and the flight attendants were friendly.
Day One - 28 April 2025 - Arrival and Exploring Vienna
We landed at 8 a.m. and got off the plane quickly. I cleared passport control and made my way to the train headed for Wien Mitte. From there, I took the U3 to Herrengasse and walked to my hotel. After checking in and dropping off my bags, I headed to the Museum Quarter and visited the Leopold Museum. I spent some time in the square and then visited the architecture museum.
Lunch was at Glacis Beisel. After that, I visited St. Stephen's Cathedral and took the elevator up to the north tower for a view. Then I went back to the hotel, picked up my room key, and stayed in for the rest of the evening.
Day Two - 29 April 2025 - Palaces, Gardens, and Cake
After breakfast at the hotel, I took the U-Bahn and Tram 10 to Schönbrunn Palace. It was crowded, but the rooms were filled with interesting art, statues, and décor. I had lunch at Brandauer Beer Garden: Wiener schnitzel and a mixed salad.
Then I rode the tram to the Upper Belvedere. The gardens were impressive, with fountains and sphinx statues. Inside, I saw Gustav Klimt's “The Kiss,” which was incredible to see in person. After exploring the museum, I picked up two large water bottles at a nearby grocery store and returned to the hotel to rest.
Later, I went to Café Central. The line was long, but it was worth the wait. I had two slices of cake: Tonka Wonka and Vanille-Erdbeer-Rhabarberschnitte, and a hot chocolate.
Day Three - 30 April 2025 - Museums, Art and Torts
After breakfast, I visited the Imperial Treasury. The crown jewels and royal regalia were impressive. Next was the Sissi Museum, which I found underwhelming: dark rooms and large crowds made it hard to enjoy.
The Austrian National Library was a highlight. The old-book smell was strong, and a lot of people were sneezing, but the room and sculptures were beautiful. It lifted my mood. From there, I went to the Albertina, where I saw works by Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Dürer, and others.
Lunch was at l’Osteria, where I had a massive and tasty pizza. Then I stopped by Café Sacher for their famous Sacher-Torte and another hot chocolate. Later, I checked out MUMOK, the modern art museum, but wasn't too impressed. I grabbed two scoops of ice cream at the Veganista stand and picked up more magnets before heading back to the hotel.
Day Four - 1 May 2025 - Train to Salzburg (May Day)
After breakfast, I double-checked that everything was packed and ready. I checked out around 9:40 a.m. and took the U-Bahn to the train station. While waiting, I grabbed a berry, orange, and apple smoothie from a juice stand.
My spot was near platforms 7 and 8. The train car ended up being at the far end, so I walked quickly to board. Once on the train, I stored my bags and settled in. The train left at 11:28 a.m. and got to Salzburg at 1:53 p.m.
It took about ten minutes to figure out the bus system at the station. Once I got off the bus, I still had about a kilometer to walk to the hotel. After checking in and settling into my room, I went to dinner at Gasthof Alter Fuchs: bratwurst, a Caesar salad, and a large mineral water. After dinner, I grabbed two scoops of strawberry ice cream and walked to the Residenzplatz area. Many souvenir shops were closed for May Day, a public holiday and spring festival in Austria. I returned to the hotel for the night.
Day Five - 2 May 2025 - Exploring Salzburg
After a solid breakfast (I don't usually eat much in the mornings, but with all the walking, I make an exception on trips), I headed up to Hohensalzburg Fortress via funicular. I took my time, enjoying the views and snapping lots of panoramic photos.
Next, I visited Salzburg Cathedral: beautiful paintings, statues, and architecture. Then I walked through the Altstadt to the Franciscan Church and its nearby contemplative garden. There was even a gray and white cat hanging around.
I passed through a local market, picked up a magnet, and stopped briefly in the Collegiate Church, which was under renovation. I grabbed a Käsekrainer and a roll from a food stand, followed by frozen yogurt.
Afterward, I visited Mozart’s birthplace, wandered more through the old town, and picked up another magnet. I stopped at St. Sebastian's Graveyard, where I found Paracelsus's grave. Then I swung by a Spar grocery store for water bottles and headed back to the hotel to rest.
Later, I visited Mirabell Gardens and had dinner at Pizzeria Il Centro II: just a plain cheese pizza labeled as margherita. Then back to the hotel.
Day Six - 3 May 2025 - Journey to Zermatt
Packed up, checked out, and caught the 120 bus to Salzburg's main train station. The train toward Zürich left on time, but the connection from Buchs was canceled. Rerouted via the IR13 to Sargans, then the IR35 to Zürich HB, then the IC8 to Visp, and finally the RE41 to Zermatt. Arrived around 5:17 p.m.
Checked into the hotel and went to Restaurant Schäferstube for dinner: a lamb burger with raclette, a green salad, and dessert. The meal cost about 70 CHF (~$84 USD). Zermatt is definitely on the pricey side. After dinner, relaxed at the hotel.
Day Seven - 4 May 2025 - Matterhorn and Meeting a Friend
After breakfast, I walked around Zermatt and stopped by a souvenir shop for magnets. I also scoped out where the luggage lockers were at the train station for the next day's trip.
Later, I met up with a friend who arrived at 11:19 a.m., and we headed to the Matterhorn Express Valley Station. We took the gondola up to Glacier Paradise. It was incredible being up there at over 12,000 feet, more than twice the elevation of Zermatt.
We had lunch at the café near the top and started to feel the altitude, but it wasn't too bad. We went to the panoramic viewpoint, and for a short time, the clouds cleared just enough to see the Matterhorn and Breithorn. Worth the altitude headache.
Day Eight - 5 May 2025 - Gornergrat and Travel to Lucerne
I started the day with breakfast, packed my bags, checked out, and stored my luggage at the Zermatt train station. Then I took the Gornergrat Railway up to the top. The view was mostly clouded over, but for a minute, one of the peaks peeked through.
I went to the ZOOM interactive exhibit about the area, then took the train back down to Zermatt. I grabbed a pre-lunch at McDonald's and bought another souvenir: a bandana with Gornergrat on it.
At 12:37 p.m., I left for Visp and then transferred to trains heading to Bern and finally Lucerne. I arrived around 4:01 p.m., checked into my hotel, and went out for dinner at Zunfthausrestaurant Pfistern in Lucerne's old town. On the way, I saw the historic Chapel Bridge and several other old buildings. Dinner was good, and after eating, I returned to the hotel to relax.
Day Nine - 6 May 2025 - Mt. Rigi, Luzern, and Train to Zürich
After breakfast and one last check of my luggage, I stored my bags at the train station and walked to the boat dock. I boarded the 9:12 a.m. boat to Vitznau. It was packed with Viking River Cruise passengers, but I found a seat and enjoyed the ride.
At Vitznau, I got on the cogwheel train to Rigi Kulm. It was almost full, mostly tour groups, but I found a seat alongside a solo traveler from Florida and a couple from Singapore. Once at the top, the Florida traveler and I walked to the summit despite the freezing 36°F (2°C) weather. We couldn't see anything because of the fog, but getting up there was still worth it.
We went back down to the bistro, he had a beer and I had a sparkling water, and waited for the next leg of the trip. We then took an overcrowded gondola down to Weggis and boarded the boat back to Lucerne. After docking, we went our separate ways.
I explored Lucerne's Altstadt, visited the Lion Monument, and picked up a few more souvenir magnets. At Migros, I bought a veggie wrap and a berry smoothie, then grabbed my luggage from storage and took the train to Zürich.
The Zürich train station was huge and a bit overwhelming. I got turned around trying to find the right exit but eventually made it to my hotel.
Day Ten - 7 May 2025 - Exploring Zürich
After breakfast, I waited until places started opening and then walked to Lindenhof for a great view of Zürich. I wandered over to Grossmünster Church, took some photos, and bought a few more magnets.
Then I visited Kunsthaus Zürich, where I saw a mix of classic and modern artwork, including a Miró painting. For lunch, I went to Da Raffaele-Pizza & Panuozzi and had a really good margherita pizza. After that, I got pistachio and strawberry gelato from Dieci Gelateria.
In the afternoon, I went to the Natural History Museum at the University of Zürich: tons of dinosaur skeletons and taxidermy animals. Then I visited the Swiss National Museum before picking up water and chocolate at Migros. After dropping everything off at the hotel, I went to Läderach to buy three more bars of chocolate to bring home. I finished the day by packing up and resting before my flight.
Travel Day Two - 8 May 2025 - Heading Home
I was on the platform by 6:09 a.m. and caught the train to the airport, arriving at 6:44 a.m. After security, I made it to the gate. The short flight to Frankfurt had me in an exit row with great legroom. Then, on the Frankfurt to D.C. leg, I got a surprise upgrade to United Polaris: definitely appreciated.
The flight was delayed by 25 minutes, and when I arrived in D.C., TSA flagged my bag to swab the chocolate bars I'd brought back.
The final flight to BNA was cramped. We sat on the tarmac for thirty minutes waiting for a gate. Then the ride-share pickup area was a complete mess, with drivers from different services driving recklessly. BNA used to be a decent airport, but at peak times it's become a headache. Most international arrival connections seem to come in right during the worst hours. Calling it a “shit show” would be generous.
Summary
No trip ever goes perfectly. If 97% of things go well, that's a win. You can plan all you want, but airlines, hotels, Google Maps quirks, delayed trains, or travel illnesses can throw things off. I ended up catching Flu Strain B on this one, though the symptoms didn't show up until I got back home. Still, things like that don't have to ruin the trip.