Austria Information
Joined: 11 Oct 2006
Posts: 20
Home Country: austria
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 Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:15 am Post subject: AUSTRIA TRAVEL INFORMATION / AUSTRIA TRAVEL GUIDE |
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AUSTRIAN TRAVEL INFORMATION
Travel Tips
Travelling to a foreign country is always an experience.
To avoid any difficulties, always check the following in advance:
* if you need a visa to go to Austria
* if your passport is valid
* health: generally, no particular vaccinations are needed for visiting Austria but do bring a first-aid kit
* health insurance: medical care is expensive, get health insurance esp. if you plan to stay longer
* find out about local etiquette, Austria's dos and don'ts
* if you need an adaptor (electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz)
* pack carefully: Austrian weather is not the most reliable, be sure to bring clothing for all types of weather.
* Austria follows the metric system, online metric converter
* currency: Euro!!
* time zone: 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Medium Time (+1 GMT)
Don't forget!: Austria observes Daylight Saving Time from March to October
Getting There
Vienna Schwechat is Austria's main airport, but you can also fly to Linz, Salzburg, Klagenfurt or Graz. Austrian Airlines (AUA), is a holding company that includes Lauda Air and Tyrolean Airlines as well, flies to numerous international destinations.
The Austrian rail network is comfortable, modern and reliable. International bus connections are cheaper but also slower and less comfortable.
The network of streets and highways is excellent and well maintained. You can cross the border 24 hours a day at major crossing points.
Austria's Dos and Don'ts
There are many clichés about Austrians, some are contradictory: they are said to be laid back ('gemuetlich') and also a bit grumpy and both at the same time. As a rule, people will tell you when you slip up: So if you cross the street when a traffic light is red, those who disapprove will make their disapproval clearly noticable.
Generally, Austrians are very approachable and glad to help.
* Formal vs. informal pronoun ('du' and 'Sie'). Use the formal pronoun when talking to people older than you. At universities however, 'du' is fairly frequently used even with teaching staff. Observe Austrian students for pointers.
* Title and last name: Using someone's title is important, though more so in business communication rather than in private meetings
* Shaking hands is the established form of greeting. Take the other hand out of your pockets and look into the person's eyes
Say 'hello', 'Guten Tag' ('Good Day') or 'Grüß Gott' (typical Austrian greeting) when you enter a (small) shop
* Punctuality: This cliché is true, try to be punctual or apologise if not - though some people believe in being a tad late (max. 5-10 minutes depending on meeting point) for dinner invitations.
* Dinner-invitations: Be punctual and bring a small gift (flowers or a bottle of wine) when dining at somebody's home.
* Table manners: Say 'Mahlzeit' or 'Guten Appetit' before eating. Keep your hands but not your elbows on the table.
In restaurants and bars service is not included in the bill. Staff will expect around 10%.
Generally, people will be understanding if you make a mistake. Don't worry, they have been abroad themselves.
However, if you are in Austria to do business it might pay to do some extra research.
Communication & Media
Telephone
International phone calls are obviously cheaper if you use private phone companies. You can also use one of the many international call centres or prepaid cards. Costs vary greatly, it certainly pays to do some research.
In emergencies dial 133 for the police, 122 for the fire service or 144 for emergency medical care. The call itself is free, however there are serious penalties for abuse of this system.
Access to internet
In Austria, internet access is often available via university or school. If not, all major cities have numerous internet cafes. Some pubs and coffee shops also offer internet access.
Austrian newspapers
Austria's major national papers include 'Der Standard', 'Salzburger Nachrichten' and 'Die Presse' covering politics, arts, economics and sports from liberal to conservative viewpoints. 'Die Kronen zeitung' is influential and popular. 'Krone' also runs a private radio station. 'Der Kurier' covers a broad spectrum.
'Nachrichten' have a national section but are especially liked for their in-depth coverage of regional events varying from federal province to federal province. 'Kleine Zeitung' (Styria), 'Tiroler Tageszeitung' and 'Wiener Zeitung' are some of the more regional newspapers.
Especially published for Vienna 'Der Falter' offers excellent information on events, culture and politics. It is comparable to London's "Time Out".
Many Austrian coffee shops offer a large selection of (international) newspapers for customers to browse.
Some kiosks, esp. at train stations, offer a wide range of international newspapers to purchase.
Austrian magazines
'Profil', 'Format', 'News' and 'trend' are weekly high-gloss magazines covering politics, sports and culture alike.
There are many special interest magazines. However, many of them are imported from Germany. If you browse you are sure to find something to your interest!
For those visiting Vienna 'Der Falter' is a vital tool. Published on a weekly basis it features an virtually complete guide to what's on in Vienna with interesting articles on politics, arts and culture. It's event database is accessible via the internet, too!
Austrian TV & radio
ORF is the national public broadcasting organisation featuring two channels (ORF 1 and ORF 2). ATV and TW1 are two up and coming commercial broadcasting outfits.
Commercial German channels like Sat1, 3 Sat and RTL or Arte with its focus on high-quality films, arts, lifestyle and documentations are popular as well.
Cable is widespread in Austrian households.
There are 4 public radio stations: OE1 focuses on high-quality information, the arts and classical music, OE2 features local news and folk and popular music, OE3 offers the usual blend of hits and entertainment and FM4 caters for young people with an interest in independent scenes varying from rock to hiphop.
Lately, liberalization in media laws has opened up the market to various private stations from almost pirate status to commercial outfits. Most radio stations feature live streaming services so you can tune in from abroad as well!
Radio Austria International (ROI) is a short-wave radio station which presents Austria related news in various languages all over the globe. |
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