I went to Vienna for the first time. 4 mistakes drained my energy and bank account.

• I visited Vienna for the first time during a two-week train trip through Europe in 2022.
• I spent 48 hours in Vienna and left with some regrets that cost me money and time.
• I booked the wrong room on a sleeper train and the wrong accommodation in the city center.

Picture this: Your train finally arrives in Vienna, and all you want to do is sleep. It’s 7 a.m., and it’s been 24 hours since your last snooze.

Part of you wants to spend the day exploring the city you traveled so far to visit for just 48 hours. But your body informs you of the reality that you simply can’t right now.

That was me in October 2022. My two-night stay in Vienna was a leg of a two-week train trip through four European countries, six cities, and two suburbs.

Vienna’s blend of fairy-tale flair and unconventional design made it my favorite city of the trip. But I could have saved money, time, and energy if I hadn’t made a few poor decisions.

My regrets kept me from making the most of my trip to Vienna.

Booking the wrong room on a sleeper train left me scrambling to find a hotel room at 7 a.m.

Back to my arrival in Vienna — I hadn’t slept because I booked a reclining seat on an overnight train from Berlin.

I could have booked a bunk in a shared cabin for the 12-hour ride, but I thought I’d save money by booking the OBB Nightjet train’s cheapest accommodation: a seat in a cabin with five other people for $40. I also thought I’d maximize my time by traveling through the night.

With minimal legroom, a backpack for a pillow, and a windbreaker for a blanket, I stayed up stirring in my head until morning.

Once I left the train station, I went to three random hotels nearby before finding one with an empty room. But to check in at 7 a.m. and leave later than the 11 a.m. check-out, I had to book the room for two nights.

Ultimately, booking a seat for an overnight ride cost me about $200 more than the train ticket. And napping all day left me with less time to explore the city.

“The quality of travel depends not only on the carriages, but also on the route,” OBB Nightjet wrote in a statement to Business Insider. “We recommend the sleeper or couchette car for night travel. There is enough space to stretch out. Seated carriages are recommended for shorter journeys.”

Next time, I’ll take their advice and book a bunk for overnight rides.

I wish I’d considered taking a high-speed train during the day.

Since I slept until roughly 5 p.m. on my first day in Vienna, I couldn’t help thinking I might as well have taken a morning train.

According to Austrian Railways, high-speed InterCity Express trains that run during the day get from Berlin to Vienna in under eight hours. The earliest one arrives in Vienna daily at about 2 p.m., which would have given me three hours back. Plus, I would have had a chance to see the views of the places in between.

Booking the wrong accommodation cost me energy and added stress to my trip.

As I scrolled through Airbnb for a unique accommodation in Vienna before my trip, the luxury Airstream trailer in the parking lot of the boutique Hotel Daniel stood out among the rest. I was surprised to find an accommodation I associated with camping on a busy street in a city.

Intrigued by the opportunity to easily explore the city on foot and have an unusual stay, I booked the Airstream for $300 for two nights.

On night one, I realized I’d made a mistake. Outdoor sounds bled into the Airstream past bedtime. Honking cars, passing footsteps, and strangers’ loud conversations kept me up too late.

I also struggled to sleep because I felt exposed. The Airstream was parked in front of the hotel, right next to the street. On the second night, I was startled by pedestrians taking photos in front of the trailer, banging on the door, and attempting to pry it open.

A representative for Hotel Daniel told Business Insider that the Airstream can be noisy throughout the night due to its location. A hotel manager added that this was their first complaint of strangers banging on the trailer door and apologized.

In the future, I’ll book a stay inside a building when staying in city centers.

I shouldn’t have tried to squeeze so many sights into a two-day trip.

I have to give myself credit — I covered a lot of ground in just 48 hours, especially considering how much I slept on day one.

I visited multiple 17th-century palaces, frolicked through hedge mazes, and admired street art along the Danube Canal. I traveled from north to south to see the city’s most whimsical buildings up close.

In the moment, I felt like I was making great use of my limited time, but in reality, I was missing out on in-depth experiences. Hopping from place to place, I didn’t have time to go inside any palaces, cathedrals, or museums — I merely viewed their exteriors.

Booking a longer trip would have solved this problem, but that’s not always possible.

If I could have a do-over on my first trip to Vienna, I’d pick one palace and book a tour inside. I’d travel to a couple of whimsical buildings and take time to explore the surrounding blocks. And I’d sit on a bench along the Danube Canal rather than rushing past.

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