Austria Travel Guide

Some facts about Austria

The hills in Austria really are alive with the sound of music. It's the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn and Franz Schubert, was home to Ludwig van Beethoven, and capital Vienna boasts one of the finest concert halls in the world – the Vienna State Opera.

But it's not just about the music in Vienna. You'll find extravagant baroque palaces, the stunning Stephansdom Cathedral and iconic coffeehouses. Viennese coffehouse culture has been recognised by UNESCO as part of Austria's cultural heritage, and these grand institutions are not just for grabbing a quick coffee. They're where people go to socialise, read newspapers and enjoy a leisurely experience drinking a unique style of coffee.

Practical Info

Culture and etiquette

Religion

Christianity is the largest religion in Austria, and lots of other religions are practiced too. Over a fifth of the population describe themselves as non-religious.

Tipping

Tipping in Austria isn't as common as in other parts of Europe, but a tip of around 10% is always appreciated in restaurants. A service charge is often added to the bill.

Smoking

Smoking is banned in most indoor public places including bars, restaurants and public transport.

Jabs, visas and other advice

For up-to-date advice on jabs, visas and other foreign advice, we recommend following the government's website.

Emergency numbers

For ambulance or rescue call 144, for fire call 122 and for police call 133. In an emergency you can also call 112, the European emergency number.

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Getting to Austria

Flying is the fastest way to get from the UK to Austria. It takes 2 hours 10 minutes to fly from London to Vienna, and around 1 hour 50 minutes to get to Salzburg and Innsbruck.

You can also catch the train all the way to Austria, but it'll take a fair bit longer. To get to Vienna, take the Eurostar from London to Brussels, then the high-speed ICE train to Frankfurt. From there you can take a second ICE train to Vienna.

Getting around Austria

The roads in Austria are excellent, so hiring a car is a great option if you wanted to explore different parts of the country. You'll need to pay tolls to drive on Austrian motorways and S roads – you can buy 10-day, two-month or one-year passes at border crossings, newsagents, petrol stations and post offices.

You can also travel around Austria by train – services between major towns and cities are usually reliable. River cruises along the Danube are popular too, which can take you from southern Bavaria, through Vienna and all the way to Budapest.

If you're staying in Vienna, there's a metro, buses, trains and trams to get you from A to B. Or why not be fancy and travel through the capital by horse-drawn carriage? Most other major towns and cities have buses, and you'll find trams in Linz, Innsbruck and Graz.

What's the weather like in Austria?

Austria has four distinct seasons. Summers tend to be quite hot, with temperatures ranging between 20°C and 30°C, while winters are usually frosty – the Christmas markets are often covered in a festive layer of snow.

Spring and autumn tend to be somewhere between these two extremes weather-wise. Head there in spring for blooming flowers or autumn when the hills take on lovely shades of red.

Of course the weather does vary a fair bit depending on where you are. Alpine regions get particularly cold in winter, making them perfect for winter sports like skiing.