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Lowest Point: Lobau (151 m)
Highest elevation: Hermannskogel (542 m)
More famous are Kahlenberg (484 m) and Leopoldsberg (425 m) in the 19th district.
Districts: 23
River:
Danube; The Danube Island (21 km long) was built to protect the city against floods and is a popular
recreational area, for swimming, surfing, rowing, biking, skating, ball games, cross country skiing in winter
and more. A lot of restaurants and bars can be found at the "Copa Cagrana" next to the UNO-City and under Reichsbrücke Bridge.
Travel Distances:
Eisenstadt 50km, Wr. Neustadt 53km, St. Pölten 66km, Linz 189km, Graz 190km, Budapest 265km, Salzburg 299km,
Prag 300km, Klagenfurt 316km, München 430km, Dresden über Prag 444km, Innsbruck 480km, Berlin über CZ 650km,
Bregenz 670km, Zürich 740km, Frankfurt/M 830km, Rom 1130km, Hamburg 1238km, Paris 1250km, Amsterdam 1260km,
London 1570km
Languages:
German is spoken as a first language by 99% of the Austrian population.
English is by far the leading second language in the educational system and is
consequently understood widely, and spoken fluently by most people working in
tourist-related jobs.
Climate:
At a latitude of 47 North, the climate is moderate and generally agreeable.
Temperatures depend largely on altitude.
Summers can be hot, with temperatures reaching more than 30ºC, summer
evenings are usually cool. Precipitation is quite evenly distributed over the entire year, but
May, September and the first half of October tend to be the driest, April and November
the wettest periods.
Clothing:
Warm clothes and shoes or boots with slip-proof soles are essential in winter.
In spring and autumn a few warm pieces and a warm jacket or raincoat are advisable. In
summer, a sweater and an all-purpose raincoat will serve well.
Money:
The Austrian unit of currency is, like in the other European countries, the EURO. For further information
please contact the Austrian National
Bank (Österreichische Nationalbank).
Slight fluctuations occur from day to day. All banks apply the same official rate of the
day, exchange counters at railway stations and airports charge an additional commission;
stores, hotels and restaurants accept payment in foreign currencies
to a slightly lower rate of exchange.
Banking hours in Vienna are generally 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:00
p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30
p.m. to 5:30 p.m. only on Thursdays. Banks are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Exchange
offices at Vienna airport and major city rail terminals are open seven days a week from 8:00
a.m. to 8:00 p.m., in Vienna.
Shopping hours:
The stores tourists find interesting generally open at 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. and close at 6:00
or 7:00 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. On Saturdays the stores close at either 12:00 noon or 5:00 p.m.
In all major rail terminals some stores keep limited weekend hours.
The credit cards most widely accepted in Austria are: Visa, American Express, Diners Club,
or Master Card. Oil company credit cards are not accepted. Travellers checks are
accepted almost everywhere.
Electricity:
Austria uses 230-volt AC current at 50 cycles/second.
Electric appliances such as tape recorders, hair dryers or
electric shavers can be used without risk of damage only if they are designed for 230
Volt AC - 50 Hz.
Frontier Formalities:
For detailed information contact the Austrian Embassy or consulate in your country.
Tourists arriving from Europe and the Western Hemisphere are not subject to any
health restrictions.
For nationals of EU member states the customs regulations of the European Union are
valid when bringing goods into Austria. Citizens of non-EU countries may
only import the following duty free items:
200 cigarettes (or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tabacco) 2 litres of wine, sparkling wine or
alcoholic drinks with less than 22%vol., 1 litre of distilled spirits.
Other merchandise to be consumed or left behind in Austria can be passed without duty
up to a total value of EUR 175,--; on entering Austria via the borders of the Czech and
Slovak Republics, as well as Slovenia and Hungary up to a total value of EUR 72,--.
Telephone:
For telephone calls within Austria, a zero (0) has to be dialled before the respective area
code. The domestic area code for Vienna is (1). So you can call Vienna within Austria
by dialing (01) and from foreign countrys by dialing (+43-1).
Every Austrian telephone is connected to the direct dialling system.
International calls also can be put through by direct dialling to all European countries and almost
all oversea-countries.
Automobile travel:
The following rules apply:
- Documents required: International Driving License.
- Third party insurance is obligatory.
- The wearing of seatbelts is compulsory.
- Children under the age of 12 or smaller than 150cm are not allowed on front seats.
Austrian traffic regulations are similar to those in force in other European countries
(right-hand traffic !!!). For driving in Austria during the winter months,
winter tyres are essential.
Motorcyclists: The wearing of crash helmets is compulsory for rider and
passenger. Dipped headlights must be used at all times.
Speed limits: On overland roads 100 km/h, on motorways 130 km/h and in built-up
areas 50 km/h unless otherwise stipulated.
Drunken driving: (permissable alcohol limit 0,5 per mille) is punishable and can lead to
confiscation of driving license.
Toll: Is payed on a number of mountain roads and road tunnels.
Parking: Short-term parking zones (blue zones) with a maximum parking time of one and a half or two hours are clearly
marked as such in Vienna. The whole inner districts (1st - 9th district = enclosed by "Gürtel"-road and Danube) and the 20th
district are pay and display short-term parking zones!
In the 1st district you have to pay for parking from Moday to Friday (on weekdays) 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
You are allowed to stay 1,5 hours at most. In the districts 2 to 9 and 20, with a parking voucher, you can park you car for a
maximum of 2 hours from Moday to Friday (on weekdays), between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Parking vouchers can be obtained from most tobacconists, from banks and some petrol stations;
they must be clearly displayed on the inside of the windscreen.
Car hire: Facilities are available at Vienna airport and in most of
the major railway sations (both Westbahnhof and Suedbahnhof). Reservations
for the pick-up of a rental car at any of these stations can be made through any railway
ticket office in Austria or a travel agency.
All major international car-hire firms have offices in Austria.
Taxis:
City taxis are equipped with officially sealed meters; extra charges apply for luggage carried
in the trunk, but these are clearly posted in the cab. There is an additional charge for
journies to the Vienna Airport which is located out of Vienna.
Rail Traffic:
The Austrian Federal Railways have a total length of about 5,800 rail-kilometers. There
are rapid and frequent direct connections with all European countries. Seat reservations
are possible (AS 30,-). For EuroCity and SuperCity trains a supplement is charged in the
first class. The Austrian Federal Railways have introduced and hourly or two-hourly
intercity service of all major routes.
Various fare reductions are granted, such as:
SparCard, cross-country rail pass, rail passes for the individual provinces, discounts for
senior citizens and groups as well as reduced return tickets for distances up to 51 kms.
Children up to 6 years of age travel free of charge as long as no seat is claimed for them.
Children aged 6-15 inclusive pay only 50 % of the full (or reduced) fare.
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