Vienna - Practical Information To Know Before You Go!
- Helen
- Jul 1, 2019
- 10 min read
Vienna, home to world famous imperial sights, art, opera, coffee houses and of course the renowned Viennese charm...
For me, Vienna holds a very special place in my heart as it was a city I lived in for a few very happy years as a child and whenever I return as an adult I fall in love with this incredible city once again.
With house-sitting duties on offer in Vienna, who was I to say no - so I returned earlier this year to live like a local in a city I once called home and revisit old haunts, as an adult this time.
If you are planning a trip to Vienna then this post will give you practical information that it is helpful to know before you visit.
Just one thing first -
make sure you do visit....!!
I might be biased but I think Vienna is arguably one of Europe's most cultural and beautiful cities; a destination you cannot fail to be swept away in!
Vienna - Practical Information To Know Before You Go!
Where Is Vienna?
I am not trying to patronise my readers here but many do confuse Vienna with Venice...
No, Vienna is not in Italy but it is the capital city of Austria found in central Europe.
Vienna lies to the north east of the country, beside the Danube river.
Graz and Linz are the closest big Austrian cities to Vienna but the city is also very close to the borders with the Eastern European countries of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
The Austrian Flag
The Austrian flag is made up of three horizontal stripes of red, white, red.
When the flag is displayed by the Austrian government it also incorporates a black eagle to its centre.
Fact for the day - the Austrian flag is considered one of the oldest national flags in the world.
What Language Do They Speak In Vienna?
The national language of Austria is German, with a few regional variations in dialect.
Within the central tourist regions of Vienna you will find most people will speak some English.
It is considered polite, however, to at least attempt the basics in German when speaking to local people... familiarise yourself with some basic key German words before you go, such as:
Thank You = Danke;
Please = Bitte
Good Morning / Day /Evening = Guten Morgen / Tag / Abent
In Vienna you will also find many use the greeting, 'Grüss Gott', usually as a way to say hello, but occasionally also as a farewell.
What Is The Population Size of Vienna?
Within Austria the population is currently around 8.7 million.
Approximately 1.9 million (so nearly a quarter) of these people live within the city of Vienna.
What Time Zone Is Vienna In?
Vienna is on Central European Standard Time, which is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Time in New York.
What Is The Currency In Vienna, Austria?
Austria is a member of the European Union and so the currency is now the Euro.
The Euro officially completely replaced the old Austrian Schilling in 2002.
National Costume
One thing Austria is perhaps better known for is their national costume.
The costumes for men and women are based on the types of traditional clothing worn by peasants in the Alps.
For women, the national dress is a Dirndl... this is a white blouse, with dress or skirt and an apron.
For men, the national costume is the famous Lederhosen... short or knee length leather breeches, often worn with knee length wool socks and traditional shoes, alongside a checked shirt, and of course best finished off with a traditional hat!
The Weather In Vienna
Vienna tends to experience true seasons.
Winters can be very cold and snow is not unusual; summers can get quite hot and be dry. Spring and autumn (fall) tend to be good times to visit to avoid weather extremes, although these times of year can have more rainfall.
'Viennese Charm'
When you see or read anything about Vienna, you will often hear the 'Viennese Charm' spoken of.
This unique quality found of the people in Vienna, is perhaps one that is difficult to define or even understand at times and so the phrase, 'Viennese charm' is used and people who know, know exactly what is meant!
Some say Viennese charm is the unique friendliness found of the people of Vienna with the locals having a warm, comfortable, cosy feel to them which then plays out in the environment as a whole.
In contrast, however, others will define it more as a sense of humour which can have undertones of deep irony.
I think perhaps Viennese charm is a mixture of all this and more besides.. it is a unique quality that mixes with the charm and splendour of the city and the only way to really understand it is to experience it!
What Is Vienna Famous For?
Vienna is famous for many things... in fact I have written a separate post with full details on all that Vienna is famous for and why it is the city to visit!
Check out that post for much more, but for the purposes of this post a quick summary...
Vienna was the seat of the Habsburg Empire that ruled much of Europe for several hundred years and as a result the city holds many imperial features from that era.
During the Habsburg rule musicians, artists, architects and many other influential individuals of the time were drawn to Vienna to find their fortune.
The history Vienna's streets and buildings have known are found in all that Vienna is still famous for today....
- Rich imperialist architecture, art and history
- Composers, opera and music... Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and more...
- Coffee Houses with good coffee and cakes!
- Art - both historic and contemporary
-Food and drink that make Vienna famous include Sacher Torte (world famous Viennese chocolate cake!), Viennese Schnitzel, Frankfurter & other types of Würst (or sausage!), coffee and wine.
- Sigmund Freud
... and so much more!
Is Vienna Expensive?
Many think that Vienna is an expensive city to visit and returning to Vienna today I was expecting prices for every day things to be be higher than in other destinations I have recently visited.
The reality, therefore was a pleasant surprise!
Vienna is certainly no more expensive than any other large European city and compared to London or Paris, for many things, I would even say Vienna is more affordable.
Public transport in Vienna is very well priced - a fraction of what you will pay in London.
Food and drink is largely the equivalent cost to other parts of Europe or the States, or cheaper.
If you want a bottle of good Austrian wine from the supermarket then this is a very good price!
To visit tourist sights there is very little that you can enter for free and you do need to pay entry... the prices for these are on a par with other cities around Europe; and if you are sight seeing in Vienna over 2 or 3 days then there is the option of a Vienna City Card or City Pass which give discounted entry or free entry to sights respectively and can prove good value.
Within the city centre a coffee in one of the world famous coffee houses will cost you between €4 to €5 euros, and a piece of cake to accompany it is a similar price.
Outside the city centre you will find prices are less.
Certainly do not be put off visiting Vienna due to an expectation that it will be too expensive... I think you will be happily surprised!
Public Transport
Public transport in Vienna is certainly another of the city's strong points.
The public transport system is comprehensive, safe, affordable and covers a wide area.
As a ten year old child living in Vienna I would travel to and from school on public transport alone or with a friend due to how easy and safe the system is to use and I am happy to report that this is still the case with school children in the city today.
The public transport system in the city is made up of an underground system (U-Bahn) that covers 5 inter-linking lines, overground trains (S-Bahn), trams and buses.
Vienna's transport system also runs on an honesty policy.
There are a variety of ticket options depending on your length of stay and intended use of the transport system.
Tickets can be for a single journey or for a 24, 48 or 72 hour period (or longer) but there are no barriers to navigate entry to the transport systems and tickets are infrequently checked.
This is not to say that tickets are never checked... plain clothed inspectors do travel the networks and make spot checks so do make sure you have a ticket, and at the prices Vienna charges it won't set you back too much.
To buy a ticket for Vienna's public transport system either visit a Tabak in the city, purchase one at the machines in the stations, or to save the risk of losing a paper ticket you can download the Vienna transport system app (Wiener Linien) and buy your tickets through that, where they are then stored for you to show if you are asked.
For my trip I purchased a 7 day pass each week which was a very affordable €17.10 and covered a full week of travelling the entire transport network across the city!
Getting To And From The Airport In Vienna
Vienna airport lies 15 km outside the city centre and getting to and from the airport is quick and easy.
To get to and from the airport in Vienna you have a few options:
- A bus that connects the airport with various central train stations, including Hauptbahnhof and Westbahnhof. This costs €8 one way and can be pre-booked - Vienna Airport Lines.
- The City Airport Train is a popular but more expensive option... This is a frequent and fast connection from the airport to Wien Mitte station. This costs €11 one way - also bookable online - City Airport Train.
- A cheaper and also easy option is the main train line (S-Bahn) from the airport to Hauptbahnhof, using line S-7. This costs a reasonable €4.40 which includes the cost of any further travel you need to connect to within the city to reach your final destination - S-Bahn.
- If public transport options are not your preference then taxis are also available... If you do go by taxi then it is worth pre-booking as this will make it a considerable amount cheaper than just using the taxi rank outside the airport terminal. This website offers comparison of pre-bookable airport taxi services - Airport Taxis Vienna.
Tipping In Vienna
Service charges are not generally included in bills in Vienna.
Staff in restaurants, hotels, petrol pumps, hairdressers etc are usually not paid well and do rely on tips to boost their income. Therefore, although tipping is not obligatory, it is polite and in Vienna you might find a moody waiter if you do not tip at the end!
The level of tipping generally recommended is 5-10 %.
Emergency Services
112 is the common emergency number used throughout the European Union.
Within Austria though, the following numbers for emergency services are also used:
Fire - 122
Police - 133
Ambulance - 144
An emergency doctor (for less life threatening cases) can also be reached on 141.
Smoking
One thing that Vienna continues to surprise me with is their attitude to smoking.
For a city that is very environmentally and generally health aware, the number of smokers and lack of smoking regulations compared to most other developed countries today is noteworthy.
In fact, Austria has been referred to as the 'ashtray of Europe'.
In Vienna you will still find cigarette vending machines on the streets and people regularly using them.
It is said that 25% of adults in Austria smoke daily.
That said, smoking is banned in public government buildings, train stations and on public transport. You will not find yourself exposed to massive amounts of cigarette smoke as you enjoy the city.
Within restaurants and bars though, it is up to the owner as to whether they allow smoking or not. These establishments must by law indicate at their entrance signs to show if they have smoking and / or non-smoking areas.
Overall, most now are moving to be non-smoking and if they are not entirely smoke free then smoking areas are in separate rooms. There remain a few exceptions to this so it is worth checking if you are sensitive to smoke.
Shop Opening Hour Regulations In Vienna
If you are a fan of the western 24 / 7 culture where everything is available when and how you want it then Vienna might not be your happy place!
Austria is still quite behind the rest of the modern world when it comes to laws regulating when shops can open and for how long.
Generally, shops cannot open before 6 am or after 9 pm on a weekday and not after 6 pm on a Saturday (this law includes supermarkets).
Sundays and public holidays shops remain closed.
There are a few exceptions - souvenir shops can stay open on Sundays and slightly later.
If you do find yourself short of milk or bread on a Sunday then you will also find the supermarkets located in train stations are open (and usually very busy!).
If you are visiting Vienna though, don't plan a big shopping day on a Sunday as you will be disappointed!
For some, this opening hour regulation is seen as frustrating and old fashioned. In many ways, I quite like it - yes you need to be organised to shop when stores are open but it adds to the old-world charm and character of the city.
*Please note -tourist sights are open on Sundays.
How Safe Is Vienna & What Is It Really Like?
One thing many ask when visiting a new destination, particularly if travelling alone, or if you feel more vulnerable for another reason, is how safe the city is.
Vienna is a very safe city in the grand scheme of things.
Crime rates are low or very low, with violent crimes and assaults rare.
The main risks to tourists would be pick-pockets in the usual touristy areas, so the usual precautions are necessary when out and about but compared to other European cities the rates in Vienna are much lower.
One indication of the safety and general brilliance of Vienna as a city is evidenced in the fact that in 2018 / 19 two quality of life surveys both scored Vienna as the top place in the world to live.
Mercer Quality of Living Rankings were one of these surveys who have just found Vienna number one city in the world for the 10th year in a row. They are quoted as saying that Vienna offers it's residents,
"high security, well-structured public transportation and a variety of cultural and recreation facilities".
For similar reasons, the Economist Intelligence Unit Global Liveability Index also scored Vienna first as most liveable city in the world, knocking Melbourne off the top spot.
So, there is a complete guide of all you need to know before you go to Vienna...
I hope that you found this helpful and have been persuaded that Vienna is a city worth visiting!
Is there anything else you would want to have seen included here?
Please let me know if there is, either in the comments or by contacting me.
**To make my travels possible and affordable I do so through international house-sitting, using both Trusted Housesitters and Kiwi Housesitters**
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