Travel tips for Vienna, Austria

12:00 AM PST, December 24, 2006

GETTING THERE:

From LAX, connecting service (change of planes) is available on Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, Swiss, British, United, American, Delta and Air New Zealand. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $742.

TELEPHONES:

To call the numbers below from the U.S., dial 011 (the international dialing code), 43 (country code for Austria), 1 (city code for Vienna) and the local number.

WHERE TO STAY:

Hotel-Pension Suzanne, 4 Walfischgasse, Vienna; 513-2507, www.pension-suzanne.at. I had one of the larger rooms at this pension, a stone's throw from the Staatsoper. My good-sized studio apartment with kitchen was $125 (starting price for rooms), including breakfast. It's quiet, comfortable and feels very old Vienna. Staff is helpful. The drawbacks are minor: no WiFi (although guests can use the computer in the office) and no one is on duty after 10 p.m.

Radisson SAS, 16 Parkring; 515-170, www.sas.radisson.com. On the Ringstrasse and across from the Stadtpark. It had only two advantages over the pension: WiFi and thicker towels. Doubles begin at $247.

WHERE TO EAT:

It's hard to go hungry in Vienna. Concerts begin at 7 or 7:30 p.m., which makes dinner afterward relatively easy. (Most restaurants serve until 10 or 11.) The streets are crowded with stands selling sausages, pizza and Middle Eastern food, some open 24 hours. Coffeehouses also beckon.

Café Schwarzenberg, 17 Kärntner Ring; 512-8998, www.cafe-schwarzenberg.at/en/. A favorite with concert-goers. Coffee (almost as many variations as Starbucks) from $3, pastries from about $4.50 and light meals, such as goulash, from $13.

Café Sperl, 11 Gumpendorferstrasse, behind the MuseumsQuartier, 586-4158. Hipsters and artists head for this irresistibly funky place. Coffee and pastries, of course, plus light meals (menu changes daily, about $10-$20).

Lebenbauer Vollwert Restaurant, 3 Teinfaltstrasse, 533-5556, www.lebenbauer.cc. Near the university. Uses traditional Austrian ingredients and pays attention to nutrition. Fixed-price meals about $32. Main dishes $12-$26.

Barbaresso, 17 Seilerstätte, 513-8648. At this Mediterranean Asian fusion restaurant, I got a Thai appetizer and an Italian entree and let the spices mingle as aftertastes. Main dishes $15-$26.

TO LEARN MORE:

Austrian Tourist Office, (212) 944-6880, www.austria.info/us" target="_blank">vwww.austria.info/us.

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