LANGUAGE
German
CURRENCY
Euro
BEST TIME TO VISIT
April to May or September to October
NEAREST RAILWAY STATION
Wien Hauptbahnhof
NEAREST AIRPORT
Vienna Airport (VIE)
Bratislava Airport (BTS), Slovakia
EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBER
122 Fire brigade
133 Police
140 Mountain rescue
144 Ambulance
INTERNET ACCESS
Virtually all hostels and hotels in Vienna offer free wi-fi, called WLAN (pronounced vee-lan) in German. Many cafes, coffee houses and bars also offer free wi-fi; check locations at www.freewave.at/en/hotspots.
The city has more than 400 free hotspots, which are mapped on www.wien.gv.at/stadtplan. Search for ‘wien.at Public WLAN’, accept the terms of use and connect.
Alternatively, if your phone is unlocked, you can purchase a pre-paid SIM card with a data allowance from phone shops, kiosks and tabakladen (tobacconists).
VISA
Generally not required for stays of up to 90 days (or at all for EU nationals); some nationalities need a Schengen visa.
Visas for stays of up to 90 days are not required for citizens of the EU, the EEA (European Economic Area) and Switzerland, much of Eastern Europe, Israel, USA, Canada, the majority of Central and South American nations, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia or New Zealand. All other nationalities, including nationals of China, Russia and South Africa, require a visa.
The Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration & Foreign Affairs (www.bmeia.gv.at) website has a list of Austrian embassies where you can apply. For some nationals a biometric passport is required. Austria is part of the Schengen Agreement, which includes all EU states (minus Britain and Ireland) and a handful of European countries including Switzerland. In general, a visa issued by one Schengen country is good for all the other member countries.
HOTEL
The Ringstrasse circles Vienna’s old city center, replacing the walls that once enclosed it. Most of the major attractions are inside or along this ring, with major museums surrounding the buildings of the former Habsburg Palace, the Hofburg. As you might expect, most hotels in this compact center are in the luxury range. Budget hotels are found farther outside the ring or in the attractive neighborhood around Schönbrunn Palace and the zoo.
LUXURY
Hotel Sacher Wien
Hotel Sans Souci Wien
Park Hyatt Vienna
MID-RANGE
Hotel Das Tyrol
Hotel Am Stephansplatz
Best Western Premier Kaiserhof Wien
BUDGET
Star Inn Hotel Wien Schönbrunn
Austria Trend Parkhotel Schönbrunn Vienna
Hotel Pension Bosch
COST OF LIVING
Vienna is one of Europe’s great cities and definitely the grandest city in the German-speaking world, but all of that gorgeous architecture and culture doesn’t come cheap. The cultural and historical opportunities here are rivaled by few others, and things are quite tidy and organized too, so be prepared to spend some money to really enjoy it all.
Most of the most famous attractions in the city are cheaper than they are in, say, Paris or Rome, but those who want to hit all the main highlights will still find it fairly expensive. Fortunately the public transportation is efficient and reasonably priced, and there are plenty of interesting things to see and do that don’t cost anything. If you want to see all of the city’s top sights in 2 or 3 days, see our Vienna Pass review as it might be your best bet.
Hotels in Vienna are rather expensive at the mid and upper ranges of things, but some bargains do exist in the lower reaches. You’re likely to be staying outside of the main ring road area, so you’ll sacrifice some time going back and forth, though it does keep your budget more intact. Vienna hostels can be good bargains, however, as can private rooms at those hostels.
For food and drink this is a typically expensive European capital, with sit-down meals costing quite a bit, and cheaper offerings often being hard to find. The exception is the sausage stands and noodle stands, which are all over town, where a filling meal can be fast and fairly cheap.
