VIENNA MOTORING CITY BREAK

Like many European cities, Vienna is changing. Soon the Viennese metropolis will probably impose congestion charges. And some of its most famous civic buildings are being sold off to be recreated as luxury apartments and hotels. Essentially though, this jewel of the Danube is much as it always was. And what it's always been is an ideal starting point for an Austrian motoring city break.

There is, after all, so much here to see, before you hit the immaculate Styrian highways. Take time to visit the impressive Schonbrunn Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage site). Or perhaps the Hofburg Palace, the residence of the Federal President of Austria and home to several of Vienna's top museums, as well as the famous Spanish Riding School.

You might want to take in the Vienna State Opera. Or perhaps sample the city's famous cafe culture, following in the footsteps of famous Austrians like Sigmund Freud and Lev Trotsky. For dinner, it's almost obligatory to try the most famous of the country's national dishes, wienerschnitzel. Followed of course by a healthy helping of apfelstrudel.

It's at this point that you might be tempted to leave your rental car collection for another day because there's so much to do here and the public transport system of trams, buses and metros is excellent - and cheap; €8 a day for a 24-hour pass. Stroll around St Stephen's Cathedral, whose tower offers views across the city. Lose yourself in the 18th century 'Museum Quarter'. Or in summer, if the day is warm, take a swim in the super-clean sectioned-off area of the Danube around whi...