Enticing hotels and budget hostels are all over the capital of Austria. But Airbnb in Vienna is another great source of accommodation. It offers up hundreds of self-catering apartments in the heart of the city, along with family-sized houses in the wooded hills on the outskirts. This guide has insights on the top neighborhoods and areas, along with some of the crème-de-la-crème of the Airbnb scene.
Airbnb itself is totally legal in Vienna. Travelers are free to search and book for all the chic penthouses they like between the Hofburg Palace and the Naschmarkt. As a guest, you are liable to pay a city tax that’s calculated per person, per night, but that’s usually handled solely by the host. The situation is a little different for landlords. Recent changes to planning laws mean that only 20% of a building’s total floor space can be used for purposes like Airbnb if it falls into a residential zone, which actually cover much of Vienna’s historic centre. That’s expected to lower the volume of listings across the city a little, but also doesn’t apply to individual room lets or room shares.Â
Where should I stay in Vienna Airbnb?
The Innere Stadt (1) of Vienna is the town you’ve seen on the postcards, the spot with the great Baroque wings and charming coffee outlets. It’s also the hub of the city, from which chilled Wieden (2), culture-rich Neubau (3), and sleepier Josefstadt (4) all radiate. The hip and boho quarter of Leopoldstadt (5), meanwhile, sits on the eastern edge of the capital with its cool drinkeries and creative dining options.
Also known as District 1, the Innere Stadt of Vienna is the epicentre of the capital. Flanked by the mighty palaces and equestrian statues of the Heldenplatz to the west, it then flows through the winding cobbled lanes of the Old Town, the home of the great opera houses and the famous cafes once frequented by Freud. Generally speaking, you’ll pay a premium for Airbnbs here, but you will get the main sights right on the doorstep.
The striking St. Francis of Assisi Church left of the bridge of the Danube canal.
Leopoldstadt
Pros
Cool bars and cafes galore
Close to the Innere Stadt sights
Great nightlife
Cons
Very gentrified
It’s pricy these days
The historic Jewish quarter of Vienna awaits over the bridges of the Danube canal. It’s now the capital’s creative hub, as testified by countless independent art galleries, art workshops, and hipster coffee joints with single-origin beans. The striking St. Francis of Assisi Church is one of the main landmarks, but it’s really all about hopping barge bars on the water, seeking out off-beat exhibits like the Vienna Crime Museum, and enjoying multicultural cuisine.
Wieden is bounded by the Naschmarkt area on its northern edge, which is a must for foodies and shoppers looking for pretzels and Austrian delicacies. The focal point of the district is the leafy Karlsplatz. Head there for some people watching in the summer, or for a taste of the gingerbread-scented Viennese Christmas markets during winter. Nightlife in this quarter consists of beatnik pubs and grungy clubs, all coalescing along Margaretenstrasse.
Rathausen or City Hall is one of the very close by attractions to Josefstadt.
Josefstadt
Pros
Young, student crowd
Lovely small parks
Good eating options
Affordable
Cons
Quite a far walk from the main sights
Josefstadt takes you off the beaten path of Vienna to an area that’s beloved by students and young creatives. Still under 30 minutes’ walk to the famous attractions of the centre, the neighborhood is awash with sourdough pizza places, Middle Eastern mezze joints, and underground cellar bars. Small green spaces like the Hamerlingpark and Schönbornpark are unexpected touches of nature between the streets, while Airbnb rentals here also tend to be a tad cheaper than their counterparts in the Innere Stadt.
This compact cabin-style home invites travelers to the fringes of the Austrian capital. Granted, that means you’ll be quite far from the Habsburg palaces and the museums. However, you will have the cascading pine groves and biking tracks of the Wienerwald right next door – those are actually the foothills of the Alps!
There are three double bedrooms, along with extra pull-out beds and floor mattresses if required in this large property on the edge of the Innere Stadt. You won’t have to venture far from the front door to show the little ones the top museums and the enchanting Christmas Markets. What’s more, the apartment comes with a spacious balcony overlooking a bustling square – hello, people watching!
Four bedrooms and a capacity for up to 10 guests makes this house on the eastern fringes of Vienna a great pick for larger groups. It’s got an alluring style that’s arguably more Bali than Central Europe. Wood-effect tiles ring around a large pool out in the garden. The inside has dangling egg chairs, L-plan lounges, and sumptuous suites with bright and airy bathrooms.
On the whole, an Airbnb in Vienna should cost less than your usual hotel. Not only are there attractive discounts – sometimes as much as 50% – up for grabs on long-term stays for a week or a month, but you can often reduce the cost by sharing with your whole travel crew. In addition, Airbnb rentals do tend to be a little more distant from sights like the Old Town and the Hofburg, which helps to cut rates even further.
If you’re keen to stay right in the thick of the action in Vienna, then a hotel might be a better option. They’re usually closer to the opera houses and the cobbled historic centre, and add on frills like daily housekeeping, buffet breakfasts, and in-house tour organisers. A prime example would be the highly rated Hotel Kaiserhof Wien. It’s wedged between the Innere Stadt and the Museum Quarter, has sumptuous suites up for grabs, and a grand exterior shell with a bit of Neo-Classical pizzazz.
Vienna brims with palaces and beer halls, with schnapps-sloshing bars and vibrato-rumbling opera houses. It’s among Europe’s best-loved capitals for loads of reasons, one of which is surely that fantastic array of hotels and Airbnb accommodation! Leaving Vienna? Check out our guides: Vienna to Hallstatt, Vienna to Budapest.
