Checklist

» Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months past your arrival date

» Make sure you have a visa if you need one (Click here)

» Arrange travel insurance, and medical insurance if needed

» Check airline baggage restrictions

» Check your credit/debit card can be used with ATMs internationally

» Make copies of all important documents and cards (store online or in hard copy)

» Set mobile phone and apps so phone doesn’t data roam (Click here)

What to Pack

» Comfortable walking shoes for exploration (with profile for ice in winter)

» Umbrella or rain jacket

» Decent shoes and jacket for going out – the Viennese dress up

» Day pack

» Electrical adaptor if needed (Click here)

Top Tips for Your Trip

» Walk in the central neighbourhoods. The Innere Stadt is deceptively small and most places are a short walk from Stephansplatz. Save time outside the centre by taking public transport, using a public transport pass. It’s easy to cross town on a tram or metro and then explore a neighbourhood hub.

» Spend time in the coffee houses and Beisln (bistro pubs), which are unique to Vienna. Build them into your daily routine; seek respite from bad weather in a coffee house, read the paper and get a feel for the city.

» Explore areas in the evening or at night – it gives you a different feel for Vienna.

What to Wear

Winter can be cold and the ground icy, so several layers of warm clothing and good shoes are essential, along with gloves, scarf and a woollen cap or a hat. In summer, wear layers you can peel off and make sure you have something for occasional rain showers. The Viennese tend to dress up well in the evening or at good restaurants, but smart jeans are fine even for upmarket clubs and restaurants if combined with a good shirt or blouse.

Be Forewarned

Vienna is a very safe city and generally women and men will have no trouble walking around at night.

» Karlsplatz station and Gumpendorfer Strasse can be populated with off-their-head lingerers late at night.

» The Prater and Praterstern can get dodgy at night. Ausstellungsstrasse is best avoided due to street walkers and kerb-crawlers.

» The Gürtel has a heavy sprinkling of red-light clubs. North of Westbahnhof along the Neubaugürtel has a very high density (but gets better around Thaliastrasse), and directly south to Gumpendorfer Strasse is plain seedy.

» S-Bahn and tram stops along Margareten and Wiedner Gürtel can be seedy.

Money

ATMs are located all over the city, though not all are open 24 hours. Travellers cheques are generally no longer accepted and credit cards are not as widely accepted as in many other European countries – not even in some midrange restaurants (and sometimes not in budget hotels). You can change money in banks or post offices, but the cheapest method is using credit cards in ATMs.

For more information, Click here.

Taxes & Refunds

Austria has a consumer tax of 20% on most items, 10% for goods such as foodstuffs. This is always included in the price but almost always listed separately on a formal receipt. Visitors from outside the EU can claim back the tax for individual purchases over €75.01. After processing fees, the deduction is usually around 13% of the consumer tax.

Tipping

Tipping is usual in Vienna but not an essential part of a person’s income as it is in countries such as the USA. About 5% to 10% for service is usual if you are satisfied, done by rounding up a bill, or €1 or €2 in good hotels for porters.

Etiquette

The Viennese may be laconic and ironic wits with a morbid bent, but they’re polite about it unless you catch one on a big grump.

» Stick to the polite Sie (you) form unless you know someone well or are of a similar age in a young-ish scene. Never use du with shop assistants or waiters.

» Give your surname at the start of any telephone call (it’s rude or brusque not to), especially when calling to reserve a room or table.

» Grüss Gott or the less formal Servus! are the usual forms of greeting; Guten Tag is also common.

» When entering a breakfast room, it’s usual to acknowledge others by saying ‘Guten Morgen’ when you walk in and ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ on leaving.