Vienna Travel Guide
Austria Snapshot
Country
Austria
Language
German
Currency
Euro
Phonecode
+ 43
Emergency
112
Timezone
GMT + 2
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Learn before you go
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Electricity
- Plugs have two or three round prongs
- Power sockets are type F
- Standard voltage is 230V & 50 Hz
Driving Rules
- Drive on the right and pass on the left
- Seat belts are mandatory for all passengers (front and back)
- Using a mobile phone while driving is prohibited
- You should always carry a red warning triangle and the fluorescent waistcoats
Speed Limits
Motorway: 130 Km/h (80 mph)
Regional roads: 100 Km/h (60 mph)
National roads: 90 Km/h (55 mph)
Urban areas: 50 Km/h (30 mph)
Opening times
Shops
Monday-Saturday (9am – 1pm & 3pm – 7pm)
Supermarkets
Monday-Saturday (9am – 11pm)
Post offices
Monday-Friday (8.30am -5pm)
Pharmacies
Monday-Friday (8.30am – 7.300pm)
Banks
Monday-Friday (8am – 4pm)
Entry requirements
- Austriais a Schengen area country
- Passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned date of departure from the Schengen area
- Two pages required for entry stamp
- Tourist visa: not required for stays up to 90 days in any 180-day period
- You may be asked for proof of sufficient funds and/or a return plane ticket
- Exchange restrictions on entry or exit set at 10,000 euros or equivalent
Weather Seasons
Spring (April – June)
Good time to visit with mild weather
Summer (June – August)
Warm or even hot occasionally with temperatures reaching 30°C (86°F) some days
Autumn (September – November)
Mild weather with an average temperature of 16.0°C (61°F) in September
Average temperatures
Minimum / Maximum (°C|°F)
Dec – Feb (-4°/2° | 25°/36°)
Mar – May (3°/17° | 37°/63°)
Jun – Aug (15°/24° | 59°/75°)
Sep – Nov (4°/17° | 39°/63)
Cost Seasons
High Season
June – August
Christmas, New Year and Easter
Shoulder Season
September-November
Low Season
January – May
Airplane Tickets & accommodation
The cheapest months are November and January through March.
Public Holidays
1 January: New Year’s Day (Neujahr)
6 January: Epiphany (Heilige Drei Könige)
10 April: Easter Monday (Ostermontag) 1
1 May: Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit)
18 May: Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt)
29 May: Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag)
15 June: Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam)
15 August: Assumption (Maria Himmelfahrt)
26 October: Austrian National Day (Nationalfeiertag)
1 November: All Saints’ Day (Allerheiligen)
25 December: Christmas Day (Weihnachten)
CAT
- Departures every 30 minutes
- From 05:37 a.m. to 11:38 p.m. (daily)
- Single ticket: 12,00 € | return ticket: 21,00 € | children under 15: free
- Non-stop 16 minutes ride
- Airport > CAT terminal at Wien Mitte station (10 minutes walk from St. Stephan’s Cathedral)
- Flight check-in for it’s possible at the CAT terminal
- Possibility to Check in luggage up to 75 minutes before departure at the CAT Terminal Wien Mitte and continue travel with hand luggage only
- Lockers available at CAT terminal to be used by CAT customers free of charge
Vienna City card : discount
Express Suburban Train S7
- Departures every 30 minutes
- From 04:15 a.m. to 00:18 a.m. (daily)
- Adult ticket: 4,30 € | Children (6-14) ticket: 2,20 € | children under 6: free
- Airport > Wien Mitte and Vienna Praterstern stations
- 25 and 30 minutes ride
- Vienna City card holders – Adult: €1.90 | € 1.00
Bus
Vienna Airport lines
- Adult ticket: 8.00 € | Children (6-14) ticket: 4.00 € | children under 6: free
- Tickets can be purchased from the driver (subject to surcharge)
- Vienna Airport <–> Morzinplatz/Schwedenplatz : 20-22 minutes
- Vienna Airport <–> Vienna Westbahnhof (Europaplatz): 40 – 45 minutes
Air-Liner (Blaguss)
- Adult ticket: 8.00 € | Children (6-14) ticket: 4.00 € | children under 6: free
- Tickets can be purchased from the driver (subject to surcharge)
- Vienna Airport, bus terminal 3, bus stop 9 <–> Vienna International Busterminal (Erdberg U3 station): 15 minutes
Taxi & similar services
- Located in front of the arrivals
- Fixed price of €36 ( maximum of 4 passengers)
- Specify you want an airport taxi when making a booking
Rent-a-car
U-Bahn
- The U-Bahn is safe, fast, comfortable, and reliable.
- Trains run roughly every 5 minutes from 5am to midnight Monday to Thursday and Sunday.
- Validate your ticket before boarding at one of the blue machines.
- All stations have elevators and escalators
- There are five lines: U1, U2, U3, U4, and U6.
- U4, U2, and U1 converge at Karlsplatz
- Trains run 24 hours a day on Friday and Saturday.
- Tickets can be bought at machines or at stations
By Tram
- Trams run every day from 6am to midnight.
- There are 29 tram lines in Vienna.
- Trams are labeled with a number or letter (eg 1, 2, D).
- Validate your ticket before boarding at one of the blue machines
By Bus
- Buses operate daily, including at night.
- You can buy tickets onboard from the driver or at a Tabakladen.
- Most bus lines run from 5am to midnight (services may be limited at weekends)
- Night buses (marked with na “N”) run every 10 to 30 minutes.
- Major stops for night buses are Schwedenplatz, Schottentor, and Kärntner Ring.
By Bicycle
- Vienna has over 250km of bicycle paths
- There are several rental stores in Vienna (Lime’s e-scooters are also available)
- Bicycles can be carried on S-Bahn and U-Bahn for free or for half-ticket price during certain periods.
- Instead of using cars, many Viennese choose bikes during the summer months.
Greetings and farewells
- Hallo (hah-loh) – Hello
- Guten Morgen (goo-ten mor-gen) – Good morning
- Guten Tag (goo-ten tahk) – Good day
- Guten Abend (goo-ten ah-bent) – Good evening
- Auf Wiedersehen (owf vee-der-zayn) – Goodbye
- Tschüss (tshooes) – Bye
Basic phrases
- Bitte (bit-teh) – Please
- Danke (dahn-keh) – Thank you
- Entschuldigung (en-tshool-digen) – Excuse me
- Sprechen Sie Englisch? (shpreh-ken zee ing-lish) – Do you speak English?
- Ich spreche kein Deutsch (ikh shpreh-keh keyn doytsh) – I don’t speak German
- Wo ist…? (voh ist) – Where is…?
- Wie komme ich zu…? (vee kom-eh ikh tsoo) – How do I get to…?
- Ich habe mich verlaufen (ikh hah-be mikh fer-lah-fen) – I’m lost
- Kann ich helfen? (kahn ikh helfen) – Can I help you?
Restaurant phrases
- Ich hätte gerne… (ikh heh-te gern-eh) – I would like…
- Die Speisekarte, bitte (dee shpeis-kahr-teh, bit-teh) – The menu, please
- Kann ich bestellen? (kahn ikh be-stel-len) – Can I order?
- Eine Rechnung, bitte (ine rehk-ning, bit-teh) – The bill, please
- Das war sehr lecker (dahs vah zehr leh-ker) – That was very delicious
Other phrases
- Ja (yah) – Yes
- Nein (nine) – No
- Gerne (gern-eh) – You’re welcome
- Vielen Dank (feel-en dan-keh) – Thank you very much
- Auf Wiedersehen! (owf vee-der-zayn) – Goodbye!
January
Key events: New Year’s Markets, Vienna Ice Dream at Rathausplatz (ice skating rink), New Year’s concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
February
Key events: Carnival, Opera Ball at the Vienna State Opera, Valentine’s Day, International Orchid Show
March
Key events: Spark Art Fair at the Marx Halle , Photo Wien
April
Key events: Argus Bike Festival, Vienna Blues Spring (through May), Vienna Marathon
May
Key events: Vienna Bier Festival, Vienna Blues Spring, Vienna Shorts (short film festival), Vienna Wine Festival
June
Key events: Vienna Festwochen (music,theatre, performance arts, dance) Vienna Jazz Festival, Danube Canal Festival (music), Fesch’Market (design)
July
Key events: Film festivals (Frameout Film Festival in MuseumsQuartier, Dotdotdot Film Festival, Town Hall Square Film Festival), Popfest (music), Youth Music Festival for Choirs, Bands and Orchestras
August
Key events: Seasonal Strandbads, Vienna Classic Days
Enjoy the several seasonal river beaches and pools
September
Key events: Waves music festival at the cultural center WUK, Wiener Wiesn Fest (similar to the OktoberfeKeyin Munich)
October
Key events: Vienna Design Week, Long Night of The Museums
November
Key events: Comic Con, Wien Modern Festival (music)
December
Key events: Christmas Markets (Christkindlmärkt), Vienna Ice Dream at Rathausplatz (ice skating rink) , New Year Fireworks
See & Do
Frequently Asked Questions
about Vienna
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The best time to visit Vienna is from April to May or September to October when the weather is mild and the crowds are not as intense as in the summer months. However, be prepared for occasional rain and pack warm clothes during the winter months.
Some of the must-see attractions in Vienna include the Hofburg Palace, Schönbrunn Palace, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Vienna State Opera, and the Belvedere Palace.
Vienna has an extensive public transportation system that includes buses, trams, and metro. You can also rent a bike, use a taxi, or walk around the city.
Some of the best places to shop in Vienna include the Kärntner Strasse, Graben, Mariahilfer Strasse, and the Naschmarkt.
The currency used in Vienna is the Euro.
Vienna is famous for its cultural events, including the Vienna Opera Ball, the Vienna Festival, the Vienna Jazz Festival, and the Vienna International Film Festival.
The emergency number in Vienna is 112 for police, fire, and ambulance services.
It is recommended to plan at least three to four days to explore Vienna and see its major attractions, but ideally, five to seven days would allow you to discover into the city’s culture and explore its hidden gems.
The currency used in Vienna is the Euro.
Tipping is expected (around 10% for a good service) in restaurants and bars since service isn’t included in the bill. It is customary to indicate the total amount that is intended to be applied (including the tip) when delivering payment instead of leaving the tip on the table after receiving change
Yes, you have the Vienna Pass (free entry to over 60 attractions, hop-on hop-off bus & cruise) and the Vienna City Card (free transports and discounts at museums, tours, shops & restaurants).
Tips & Etiquette
General conduct
- Smoking indoor spaces & transports > Prohibited
- Dinner Guest > Bring small gift (E.g. wine bottle)
- Pointing at someone > Impolite
- Late for a dinner reservation > call ahead
- Photo ban > Usually signed
- Churches during ceremonies > Don’t visit. If you do enter, stand in the back by the door and do not take pictures
Tipping
- Usualy not automatic or included in the bill
- Taxi drivers are rarely tipped (you may round to euro)
Some phrases
Hello – Olá / Bom dia
Goodbye – Adeus
Please – Por favor
Thank you – Obrigado
Do you speak English? – Fala inglês?
I don’t understand – Não percebo