Arriving by Plane
Your plane will come down in Vienna International Airport located about 20km (16 miles) east of Vienna.- Taxi - The most easiest way, but also the most expensive...
- Express Bus -
Every 20min. to Vienna airport terminal Landstrasse-Hauptstrasse (near Hilton Hotel)
and from there by subway, tramway or taxi.
From the airport are also connections to the main railway-stations available. - Train - The cheapest way by rapid transit (S-Bahn) to Wien Mitte
- Car Rental - all main car rental companies are available.
- Mobil-Phone Rental - you can rent your "handy" for the time of your stay.
- Hotel Booking -
There is a tourist information, which can find you the
"in the moment-available" rooms. - Money Changing -
Usually there is a opened bank as long as regular flights are arriving.
But you will find also currency-change-machines and machines accepting creditcards.
Arriving by Train
The main railway-stations are "Westbahnhof" (arriving from west), "Süd- & Ostbahnhof" (arriving from south and east), and "Franz-Josefs Bahnhof" (arriving from north). You will find bus-connections to the other main railway-stations and to the airport, and you can reach your hotel by taxi, tramway or subway.- Hotel Booking - There are tourist informations, which can find you the
"in the moment-available" rooms. - Money Changing - Creditcard-machines or banks, if you arrive at office-time.
Arriving by Car
Entering the Vienna area look for a green sign showing a "i" - this means:"Tourist Information", where you can get a map or a hotel room info.
Or try to find a main railway-station ("Bahnhof"). If you are parking your car, take care if this is a short-time parking zone. You will have to fill out parking-tickets, which you can buy in a socalled "Trafik" (small shop for newspapers, cigarettes, postcards, etc.). For using austrian highways you have to buy a "Vignette" (using-permission).
General
Exchanging cash and travellers' cheques is rarely a problem in Austria. Changing cash attracts a negligible commission but the exchange rate is usually 1% to 4% lower than for cheques.Hotel and restaurant bills include a service charge, but hotel porters and cleaning staff usually expect something for their services. It is also customary to tip in restaurants and cafes. Round up smaller bills and add an extra 5% to 10% to larger ones: simply say the total amount you want them to take when handing over the money (it's not usual to leave the tip on the table). Taxi drivers will expect around 10% extra. Tour guides, cloakroom attendants and hairdressers are also usually tipped. Bargaining is not common except in flea markets, but you can try for a discount if paying for major purchases in cash instead by creditcards and it never hurts to haggle for a better hotel rate in the low season if you're staying for more than a few days.
Summer sightseeing and winter sports make Austria a year-round destination. The summer high season is in July and August, when crowds will be bigger and prices higher. It can be uncomfortably hot in the cities over summer and many famous institutions close down. Consequently, June and September are also busy months. During winter you'll find things less crowded in the cities and the hotel prices lower (except over Christmas and Easter). Winter sports are in full swing from mid-December to late March with the high season over Christmas, New Year and February. Alpine resorts are very quiet from late April to late May and in November. Spring in the Alps is in June, when the Alpine flowers start coating the mountains with colour.