Built in the 1860s in the Neo-Renaissance style, the opera house itself is a treat. It dominates the southern portion of the “Ring” with its ornate facade, statues, and arched windows. And with 300 performances a year, it offers visitors a chance to treat themselves to a different performance every night of their trip.

Another reason to go this year is that 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of the Vienna State Opera which opened on May 25, 1869. And the performance that filled the stage on that historic night? Mozart’s Don Giovanni!

Advance Tickets

Ticket prices vary greatly depending on the performance, date of the show and, of course, seat location. Rates can range from around €7 for a spot in the top balcony to €500 for prime seats on opening night.

The safest bet is to visit the Staatsoper website before your trip to check on the schedule of performances and ticket prices. And fear not, budget travelers can book the cheap seats through the site. However, there are cheaper options…

Standing Room Tickets

Cheapos with a bit more flexibility and willingness to take a risk may opt for a €2-€4 standing room tickets, sold 80 to 90 minutes before the show starts from the western side of the Opera (the opposite side of the building from the gift shop). Keep an eye out for the sign that says “Stehplatz-Kasse | Standing Area”.

You read that right: Standing in the back of the auditorium will only cost between €2 and €4, depending on the show and the location of your standing “spot.” Spots are available in the “Parterre” (ground floor), higher up in the “Balkon” and all the way up in the “Galerie.”

The number of tickets is limited and given out in order of those lined up. For an 8 pm show, for example, tickets will be sold at 6:40 pm, but the line will most likely form well before that.

One final consideration: You do have to stand, although many spots offer a wall for leaning.

While these standing room tickets may sound risky or even exhausting, think about how exhilarating it will be to take in a world-class opera or ballet for less than you’d pay for a beer. Or coffee. Or würstchen.

And, as one local opera lover told us, “If you’re not into the show, you can leave at intermission. You only paid €3!”

Vienna hotels

For suggestions on affordable places to sleep while visiting Vienna, be sure to check out our guide to Vienna’s best budget hotels, all inspected and approved by EuroCheapo’s editors.

The post Buying cheap tickets to the Vienna State Opera House appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

If you’re planning a trip to Prague and are a fan of the performing arts, you owe it to yourself to check out performance schedules before you arrive, as you’ll want to consider all of your options. Of course, you could wait until you arrive to book last-minute tickets, but why limit your chances of securing a good deal?

Booking your seats online in advance directly with the performance halls gives you the most options for available seats, including the super-cheap seats. Also, when researching shows, consider choosing an afternoon performance, when seats can be less than half the price of an evening show.

Prague’s main performance halls

Prague has three main venues for opera, ballet, and concerts: The National Theatre (Narodni Divadlo), the Prague State Opera, and the Estates Theatre.

The National Theater

Located along the Vltava River, the National Theater produces dramas, ballets, and operas, and is the most important theater in Prague. The neoclassical building, its golden rooftop gleaming, was constructed between 1868 and 1881.

The Estates Theatre

The charming and regal Estates Theater was built in 1783 and produces ballets and operas. It was here that Mozart conducted his Don Giovanni in 1787, and still today the Estates produces mostly Mozart operas.

Tickets for the National and Estates: You can book tickets for both venues through the National Theater’s website. Click the “Tickets” link at the top to see the current season and check availability. Tickets are available in seven price categories. You will first need to create a free user account, before paying with a credit card or simply reserving the seats and paying for them in cash when you arrive at the theater. (Be careful: It’s so easy, in fact, that we accidentally reserved two seats for “Falstaff” in October while doing our research!)

You may also purchase tickets, without surcharge, through the Bohemia Tickets website. Tickets can be picked up at their offices in central Prague, emailed to you (for free), or they can send them to your hotel, for 200 CZK ($13).

The Prague State Opera

The city’s second most important opera house, the grandiose State Opera was built in 1888 and is situated just off Wenceslas Square. Opera performances here are often crowd-pleasers by the likes of Mozart, Puccini, and Verdi, in addition to special festivities around Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The State Opera performs ten months a year, with no performances during the summer.

Booking: Book tickets in advance directly from the State Opera’s website. There you can view performance schedules and click “buy tickets” to see available seats. The State Opera sells e-tickets directly through their site. When you buy an e-ticket, there is no need to exchange your email confirmation for an actual ticket at the theater.

As with the National and Estates, you can also book, without surcharge, through “Bohemia Ticket.”

Prices for all three theaters: Ticket prices vary, but can go as low as 100 CZK ($6.50) for the cheapest (and highest) seats. First and second-tier balcony seats are often in the 300-600 CZK ($19-48) range, while the most expensive orchestra (and prime mezzanine) seats normally cost 800-1,000 CZK ($51-$64).

A note about other ticket booking sites

In researching this post, we came across many other ticket booking websites. Put simply, we would always stick to the official theater websites or to their official partner “Bohemia Tickets.” Other sites often only sell the more expensive seats (not even bothering to offer the cheapies), then tack on “handling charges” and additional delivery charges. One site that we found would either deliver the ticket to your hotel or personally greet you with the tickets at the theater (holding a sign) for about $20.  Not so fast.

Have other tips for finding a cheap seat in Prague? Let us know!

The post Prague: Cheap seats at the opera or ballet appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.