Vienna (Opera) Waits For You

Travel to Vienna wouldn’t be complete without seeing an opera. But how to see one on a tight budget? I just learned how to get tickets to a world-class show, without giving up my right arm. The Vienna State Opera (pictured, above), the oldest German-speaking theatrical venue in Europe, has a variety of options to please the budget traveler.

• Between 25 and 100 tickets are reserved for every show for children under 14.Children’s tickets sell for €15 (about $22) for a seat anywhere in the house. Not bad for a parent who doesn’t want to pay full price to watch their restless kid squirm during a three-hour opera!

• The State Opera’s box office opens 80 minutes prior to each show. If you’ve got willing legs, get in line early to score standing room-only (“Stehplätze” on the seating chart) tickets for a mere €2-3.50 (about $2.90-5.00).

• Or bring binoculars and plenty of tissues and grab a seat in the nosebleed section. Balcony and gallery (balkon and galerie) tickets sell for only €7-18 (about $10-26). This is quite a steal, in my opinion. My legs would definitely appreciate the extra €3.50 spent on a seat!

Thanks for the tips, EuroCheapo!

Photo: Liam Delahunty via Flickr

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