Vienna

GETTING THERE

Flights to Vienna are available from most of the UK’s major airports, including Edinburgh, Manchester and London. You can usually find a flight for under £200. Rail is also a very valid option. You can jump on the Eurostar to Brussels at lunchtime in London and arrive in Vienna (via Cologne) for breakfast the next day.

GETTING AROUND

Vienna has one of the best public transport systems in Europe, with an extensive network of trains, trams, buses and subway trains (U-Bahn). Services are frequent and a single ticket covers the entire network (€1.70 per trip or €5.70 for a 24-hour pass). Driving can be a nightmare in the inner city, but taxis are plentiful and cheap by UK standards.

THE CONCORD CARD CASINO

As one of the world’s great seats of art and culture, it only seems fitting that Vienna is also home to a thriving poker scene. The city has not one but two 24-hour poker venues, the biggest of which is the Concord Card Casino. Until recently, the Concord billed itself as Europe’s largest card room (a boast that now belongs to the UK’s Dusk Till Dawn club), with 25 dealer-dealt tables and a busy roster of tournaments.

Cash games take in hold’em, Omaha, five-card draw and seven-card stud, while daily hold’em tournaments and sit&gos offer everything from €13 rebuys to €530 shootouts. The Concord also plays host to several major tournaments a year, including the Vienna Spring Poker Festival and this month’s Austrian Masters (13-21 June). Like most things in the Austrian capital it’s a clean, efficient and well-managed affair, and best of all, it never closes.

POKERWORLD

Just up the road from the Concord is another, slightly more informal, poker haven, also open 24/7. PokerWorld offers 22 tables along with slot machines, a restaurant and a sports bar with giant plasma screens and live betting. The poker action is very much in line with its rival, though with a slightly wider spread of cash games (including deuce-to-seven and Omaha hi/lo). The daily tournaments are also pitched a little lower, with buy-ins around the €10 to €20 mark.

EAT, SLEEP, DRINK VIENNA

Steeped in music and history, Vienna is one of Europe’s most popular tourist stops and offers a wide range of accommodation and dining options.

At the top end, classic hotels such as the Imperial and Sacher offer old-world luxury of a kind popular with royalty and the super-rich. More affordable options in the centre include the four-star Pension Pertschy (around €130 for a double) and the cosy Hotel Karntnerhof (from €102).

As for eating, the Viennese restaurant scene is a cosmopolitan affair, covering a lot more than just the famous schnitzel. A good place for cheap eats is the Naschmarkt, a large open-air food market surrounded by noodle bars and cafes.

For bars and nightlife, the Gurtel area around Nussdorfer Strasse is where the hipsters hang out, squeezing into fashionable bars and clubs such as Kaiko Club and Q bar. Vienna is also famed for its coffee culture, so make sure you take time out to visit some of the city’s legendary cafes.