Austrian Flights from Vienna, Austria (VIE) to Chicago (ORD)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Austrian, which operates a non-stop flight Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays from Vienna, Austria (VIE) to Chicago (ORD), regularly scheduled to depart at 11:00am and arrive at 2:30pm. Usually a Boeing 767 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Vienna, Austria to Chicago, IL is 10 hours and 30 minutes.
During your Chicago vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Chicago Children's Museum
Since the Chicago Children's Museum moved to Navy Pier in 1996, it has become one of the most popular cultural attractions in the city. The museum has areas especially for preschoolers as well as for children up to age 10, and several permanent exhibits allow kids a maximum of hands-on fun. Dinosaur Expedition re-creates an expedition to the Sahara, allowing kids to experience camp life, conduct scientific research, and dig for the bones of Suchomimus, a Saharan dinosaur discovered by Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno (a full-scale model stands nearby). Face to Face: Dealing with Prejudice and Discrimination is a multimedia display that helps kids identify prejudice and find ways to deal with it. There's also a three-level schooner that children can board for a little climbing, from the crow's nest to the gangplank; PlayMaze, a toddler-scale cityscape with everything from a gas station to a city bus that children under 5 can touch and explore; and an arts-and-crafts area where visitors can create original artwork to take home. Allow 2 to 3 hours.
Chicago Historical Society
At the southwestern tip of Lincoln Park stands one of Chicago's oldest cultural institutions (founded in 1856), but one that has successfully brought its exhibits into the 21st century. Inside the Historical Society's lovely redbrick and glass-walled building, you'll find well-designed displays of significant objects, artifacts, and artwork -- but the overall effect is instructive rather than interactive (this isn't the place to bring young children).Casual visitors can get a good overview of the highlights in about an hour; history buffs will need more time. The must-see permanent exhibit is A House Divided: America in the Age of Lincoln, which explores the institution of slavery in America and the devastation of the Civil War (items on display include the bed that Lincoln died in and an original copy of the 13th amendment abolishing slavery, signed by Honest Abe himself). Another highlight is the CHS's costume collection, which includes clothing worn by George Washington, John Adams, and, of more current vintage, one of Michael Jordan's uniforms, along with numerous gowns by contemporary fashion designers (pieces from the collection are displayed on a rotating basis). Other worthy stops are the Charles F. Murphy architectural study center, featuring one of the nation's largest collections of architectural working drawings; the decorative and industrial-arts collection, including stained-glass designs by Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan; and We the People, a permanent exhibit that explores how "ordinary people" founded the United States. (After your visit, head a few blocks away to North Ave. Beach, the best beach in the city, and or wander the neighboring residential streets of the exclusive Gold Coast.)The Historical Society also sponsors lectures, symposia, and seminars; film screenings; family programs; historical reenactments and performances by local theater companies; and music concerts on the beautiful plaza overlooking Lincoln Park. On the ground floor of the museum, past the gift shop, is Big Shoulders Cafe, entered through a flora- and fauna-decorated terra-cotta arch removed from the old Stockyard Bank and reassembled here. The museum's website is worth checking out before your visit, especially the impressive online "exhibit" on the Great Chicago Fire. Allow 1 to 2 hours.
Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield is the Chicago area's largest zoo. In contrast to the rather efficient Lincoln Park Zoo, Brookfield is spacious, spreading out over 216 acres with thousands of animal residents -- camels, dolphins, giraffes, baboons, wolves, tigers, green sea turtles, Siberian tigers, snow leopards, and more -- living in naturalistic environments that put them side by side with other inhabitants of their regions. These creative indoor and outdoor settings -- filled with activities to keep kids interested -- are what set Brookfield apart. One of the newest exhibits, The Living Coast, explores the western coast of Chile and Peru and includes everything from a tank of plate-size moon jellies to a rocky shore where Humboldt penguins swim and nest as Inca terns and gray gulls fly freely overhead. Other impressive exhibits include The Swamp, which re-creates the bioregions of a southern cypress swamp and an Illinois river scene and discusses what people can do to protect wetlands, and Habitat Africa!, a multiple ecosystem exhibit that encompasses 30 acres -- about the size of the entire Lincoln Park Zoo. The thrills here aren't always high concept: Some of my favorite exhibits are the Australia House, where fruit bats flit around your head, and Tropic World, where you wander at tree-top level with monkeys. The dolphins at the Seven Seas Panorama put on an amazing show that has been a Brookfield Zoo fixture for years. If you go on a weekend, buy tickets to the dolphin show at least a couple of hours before the one you plan to attend because they tend to sell out quickly.The Hamill Family Play Zoo is a wonderful stop for kids, a place where they not only get to pet animals, but also can build habitats, learn how to plant a garden, and even play animal dress-up. The only catch: You will have to pay a separate admission fee ($3 adults, $2 children). Allow 3 hours.
Wheeler Mansion
This grand Italianate building had fallen on hard times -- until Debra and Scott Seger saw its potential as a bed-and-breakfast. Today, completely restored and refurbished, the Wheeler Mansion is one of the city's most charming small hotels. The Segers kept intact whatever was salvageable, including the mosaic tile floor in the vestibule and some of the dark walnut woodwork and fixtures. But they added good-size private bathrooms to each room (some have only shower stalls rather than bathtubs). The rooms -- which are spacious enough to include armoires and armchairs -- feel even larger than they are, thanks to the high ceilings. Antique furniture that the Segers found in Europe fills the house, and guests dine on bone china and sleep on goose-down feather beds. A continental breakfast by the resident chef is served weekdays. On weekends, the buffet features a more elaborate array of dishes.
Homewood Suites
An excellent choice for families, this hotel offers both fresh, clean rooms and some nice little extras. Because all of the rooms are suites with full kitchens, you can prepare your own meals (a real money saver) and there's plenty of room for everyone to spread out at the end of the day. Housed just off the Mag Mile in a sleek tower above retail shops, offices, and a health club -- and adjacent to ESPN Zone -- the hotel's decor is described as "Italian Renaissance meets Crate & Barrel." Distressed-leather sofas, Mediterranean stone tile, wrought-iron chandeliers, and beaded lampshades adorn its sixth-floor lobby. Rooms -- one- and two-bedroom suites and a handful of double-double suites, which can connect to king suites -- feature velvet sofas that are all sleepers, and the beds have big, thick mattresses. Each comes with a full kitchen, a dining-room table that doubles as a workspace, and decent-size bathrooms. The hotel provides a complimentary hot breakfast buffet as well as beverages and hors d'oeuvres every evening; there is also a free grocery-shopping service and free access to an excellent health club next door.
Hotel 71
The city's newest hotel is actually a complete renovation of a rather drab 1950-era high-rise. Don't let the boring exterior fool you. Hotel 71 is too big to be considered a "boutique hotel" (with more than 400 rooms spread over 30-plus stories), but it is filled with unique touches that reflect the boutique sensibility. The rather-cramped lobby has a nightclub look, with black curtains covering the walls and atmospheric trance music wafting from the stereo system. The rooms, by contrast, are bright and cheery -- and much larger than average. Everything is brand new, from the yellow-checked linens and curtains, to the spotless white bathrooms. Rooms have well-lit work desks and minibars stocked with gourmet treats from Dean & DeLuca. Rooms on the north side of the hotel (overlooking the Chicago River) have the best views; if you can, snag one of the rooms on the west end of the building, which have views in two directions. Suites come with either a living room or meeting room and a bedroom down the hall (but the bathrooms are actually smaller than those in the regular rooms). The hotel's gift shop is well worth a look; a step above the usual aspirin-and-candy store, it features upscale bath products and unique travel accessories. But the real draw at Hotel 71 is the spacious rooms -- especially those with a view.
