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Tucson, Ariz.: Since we'll only have about 1 1/2 days in Vienna (while our ship on the Danube is docked), what's the best way to spend the time? We have been offered an "excursion" to hear a concert and drink champagne, but that seems awfully touristy. We like walking and we like art and music, if that helps. Thanks.

Robert Fisher: Good and interesting question, if only because you need to pick your Vienna carefully. Or actually find it. To tell the truth, perhaps overwhelmed with delusions of grandeur, red velvet, and crystal chandeliers, I found Vienna to be surprisingly lacking in charm and old-world ambience. Heresy? Perhaps. Even the fabled coffee-houses were either falling apart and very dour or too Trumply renovated. Nearly every building is now covered in tacky neon signs, every other facade is covered in construction cloth (whole streets look like Christo sculptures), but perhaps I was wrong in thinking of Vienna as an open-air museum. It is a living, thriving city. But if you're out for old-world charm, you need to hunt for it. As for top time-traveling, go to St. Stephan's cathedral right in the center of town, then head a block southeast to find the old Blutgasse quarter that was once Mozart's home. In fact, visit the Mozarthaus at Domgasse 5, then explore the quiet streets and alleys to the south. Heading southwest you come to the Museum quarter, where pride of place goes to the Kunsthistoriches Museum, fabled for its room of Pieter Brueghel the Elder paintings (including the Hunters in the Snow, one of the ten greatest paintings ever); try to catch the evening buffet served in the spectacular central rotunda, perhaps before you do an opera or concert at night at the nearby Musikverein, a truly splendid 19th-century concert hall. For your afternoon, I would suggest making a tram ride out to Furstengasse and take in the "new" Palais Liechtenstein--a few years ago the Princes of Liechtenstein restored their 17th-century palace to full pomp and wallpapered it with their great old master paintings, so this is a full blast of Viennese grandeur. For more splendor, check out the Prunksaal--the Grand Hall of the National Library in the Hofburg, right in center of town; next door is the Spanish Riding School (but who knows if they treat those Lippanzers right?). For a real blast from the past, the most atmospheric restaurant remains the Greichenbeisl (Greeks' Tavern)--everyone from Mark Twain to Wagner ate here. It's on the Fleischmarkt, now unfortunately a horror of neon signs. But not far away is Schonlaterngasse, the Street of the Beautiful Lantern, lined with historic mansions and post-card Vienna pretty.

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Easto, Pa.: How can we take a train from Vienna to Salzburg then Salzburg to the Danube for a boat excursion down to Vienna? We are two mid-60's aged travelers attempting to develop an itinerary for trip in late spring (no arrangements made as yet).

Robert Fisher: Trains for Salzburg leave from Vienna's Westbahnhof (West Station) on Europaplatz. Most days there are nearly hourly departures for Salzburg's Haputbahnhof (on Sudtirolerplatz), which is then a 20-minute walk from the Old Town. Heading in the other direction, to the Danube region from Salzburg, is not difficult: take the trains going to Krems/Donau on the northern banks of the Danube, a trip of about 150 miles. Krems is the famous gateway to the Wachau Valley region of the Danube, and its Old Town (Altstadt) is an 17th century jewel. Visit the Weinstadt Museum Krems, a wine museum, then head down to the piers to take the famous boat cruise back to Vienna; most people opt to train to Krems from Vienna, then boat back, because the return trip is longer, thanks to fighting the river currents. There are two main companies that offer this trip. Blue Danube Schifffahrt/DDSG (ddsg-blue-danube.at) and Brandner Schifffahrt (brandner.at). The first usually has boats returning to Vienna at 4:30 PM (getting back to Vienna at 8:45 PM); one way is 19.50 euros. However, since Krems is just downriver from two of the most beautiful sights along the Danube, why not investigate using a Brandner Schifffahrt boat (leaving at 1 PM) to pay a quick trip to the spectacular, clifftop Melk Abbey and the once-upon-a-timefied town of Durnstein. This may be packing too much in one day, so perhaps you should add in a lovely overnight stay in either Krems or Durnstein.

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Heber City, Utah: After 13 road trips through Austria, we took a break for about a decade. When we were ready to return, I asked their Tourist Info office to send a copy of the most useful booklet we had ever found on our many car trips around Europe--the annual complete list of gov rated hotels in the country that listed address, prices & amenities & the gov star rating system for every hotel. They sent some mini brochure of high priced hotels designed to appeal to Americans (not the kind of place one should stay). Do they still produce the complete list?

Robert Fisher: The Austrian Tourist Board now advises me that for for consumer requests, they now offer a 1-to-3 star hotel guide (moderately priced) and a separate 4-and-5 star hotel guide. Also, in their Austria travel magazine, they include a smaller selection of hotels through categories 3-to-5 throughout Austria. Their travel information telephone number is 212/944-6880 and their main web site is: wien.info.

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Portland, Ore.: We're traveling to Austria for a week in mid-September--never been there before--focusing on Salzburg and Vienna. We don't know classical music very well but would love to enjoy some inexpensive venues. Recommendations on where to look for the programs and what would you suggest for the novice or first timer to these beautiful cities? Vocals and dancing are not of interest to us, only classical music. Thanks so much!

Robert Fisher: What other national say with words, the Austrians say with music. Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Strauss, Bruckner are just a few of the geniuses that helped make music an indispensable part of everyday life--not just "entertainment"--shared alike by countesses as well as shopkeepers and janitors. While the latter often took their music in the little rustic Heurige wine taverns tucked among the hillsides of the Vienna Woods, many listened to peras, symphonies, and oratorios in magnificent settings, and you can still do this today in Austria--one of the wonders of an Austrian trip. I'll start out with the smallest and probably the oldest venue. My favorite place to hear Mozart in Vienna (and the world) is the exquisite 18th-century Sala Terrena of the Deutschordenskloster (Singerstrasse 7, 01/911-9077, mozarthaus.at. Here, in a tiny room--seating for no more than 50 people--a bewigged chamber group offers Mozart concerts in a jewel box overrun with Rococo frescoes in the Venetian style. The concerts are scheduled by the nearby Mozarthaus. Said to be the oldest concert "hall" in Vienna, the Sala Terrena is part of the German Monastery, where, in 1781, Mozart worked for his despised employer, Archbishop Colloredo of Salzburg--just outside is the courtyard where Mozart received his infamous kick in the pants when he was fired by the majordomo of the palace complex. Concerts are usually scheduled for Thursdays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m. Of course, there is a plethora of period-era, chocolate-box, jeweled concert salons in Vienna. Perhaps the most opulent is the Schlosstheater Schonbrunn, Schonbrunner, on Schloss-strasse, 01/71155-158, mdw.ac.at, built for Empress Maria Theresa in the Valerie Wing of the palace, with glittering chandeliers and a gigantic mural painted on the ceiling. Students of the Universitat fur Musik und Darstellende Kunstand and other troupes give concerts here during the fall to spring season. Built in 1754, the Orangerie Schonbrunn, Schonbrunner, on Schloss-strasse, 01/8125004, imagevienna.com offers Mozart and Strauss concerts in the Orangerie "greenhouse" of the palace. Here, legend has it, Mozart and Salieri once battled it out in their only head-to-head musical competition. On special occasions the orchestra moves into the palace's Great Gallery. For a grand evening of Strauss and Mozart in imperial surroundings, head to the Wiener Hofburgorchester concerts given in the Hofburg palace auditoria of the Redoutensaal (enter this one, once destroyed by bombs, now rebuilt, using the Josefsplatz) and the mammoth 19th-century Festsaal on the Heldenplatz, 01/587-2552, hofburgorchester.at. The concerts are offered Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, May until October.