 Pack your suitcases and come to Austria, the number one for family holidays. Out into the magnificent outdoors, into the refreshing water and up the mountains—Austria provides you and your children with fun, adventure and relaxation. Be it on foot or by bike, with a rucksack or a beach bag, Austria guarantees pure adventure in all directions.
Austria is a popular travel destination for guests from all over the world who appreciate its beautiful landscapes, rich culture, delicious local cuisine, hospitality and safety. Quality is Austria's top priority!
Visit “On Holidays with your Kids” on www.austria.info to find out about the abundance of attractions, activities and holiday options the whole family will love!
Capital
Vienna, Austria’s capital, is fun for both young and old, and is a welcoming destination for families. As a very family-friendly city, over 80 hotels and pensions in Vienna offer family rooms at special rates, and on Sundays, public holidays and during school holidays (July & August and between 24 December and 6 January), children under 15 travel free on Vienna’s subways, trams and buses. There is always a lot to do for the whole family—be it a visit to the world’s oldest zoo or to Austria’s Children’s Museum, “Zoom”.
Saving money in Vienna is easy with the Vienna Card, which costs only €16.90 and allows you to over 200 discounts (sightseeing, restaurants & cafes, shopping…) and unlimited free travel on Vienna’s public transport for 72 hours. And with each Vienna Card, one child under 15 can travel free on Vienna’s buses, trams and underground as well! Vienna even has a separate area on its website www.vienna.info and a special brochure dedicated to family holidays. The family brochure can be ordered at the Austrian National Tourist Office in Sydney on info@antosyd.org.au
Where is it?
Austria is located in southern Central Europe. It has common borders with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The total size is 84,000 square kilometres (approx. 1/3 of the size of Victoria or New Zealand).
How do I get there?
Austria is located in the Heart of Europe and can easily be combined with almost any European itinerary.
By Air: Direct flights connect Australia with Austria. In addition, there are many connections from European gateways and regional airports to Vienna and other major Austrian cities. Major airports with daily national and international connections include Wien-Schwechat, Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Linz and Salzburg.
There are daily internal flights between these airports.
For flight information please visit the website of Austria’s national carrier Austrian Airlines: www.austrianairlines.com.au
Airport-Shuttle-Service: The City Airport Train goes directly from Wien Mitte to the airport in 16 minutes.
By Rail: The excellent Austrian Federal Railway network has a length of about 5,700km and connects superbly with all major national and international cities. Information on schedules and rates can be found at the Austrian Federal Railways website: www.oebb.at
By Bus: The public bus transportation network in Austria includes more than 2,800 scheduled routes. Almost all places relevant to tourism can be reached by bus. Austria’s bus network also connects conveniently with all major cities in neighbouring countries.
When to go/Weather
Austria is located in a temperate climatic zone with a Central European climate influenced by the Atlantic. The four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter) each have typical temperature and climatic characters.
According to the topographical diversity and altitude, temperatures vary across the country. The winter season starts around December and ends in March. In higher regions it may last until May. Austrian summers can be very hot with late-afternoon thunderstorms likely in mountain areas.
Where to stay
Family Friendly Hotels
Be it self-catering family apartments or all-inclusive hotels, Austria’s two associations for travel with kids provide best price-service ratios for your family.
 In the Kinderhotels (Children Hotels) everyone gets pampered—young and old! There is a full range of services and equipment that is included in the price in all the properties. For the very little ones, for example, there is a full range of baby equipment from bottle warmers to baby baths. In many Kinderhotels, you don’t even need to bring baby food—you can help yourself to food for your little one at the “Baby food buffet”. Even bibs and various types of child seats are provided in the hotels that specialise in catering for babies. All equipment—including baby alarms, bathroom footstools and toilet seats for toddlers—is childproof and available at any time. The dining rooms have non-smoking areas and are equipped with children’s cutlery. There is at least half-day childcare and, in addition to that, baby-sitting service available at any time—only to mention a few of the main features of the Kinderhotels! Independent inspectors ensure that standards are maintained, and family magazines also dispatch testers to perform their own family-friendliness checks anonymously. This ensures that our high standards of child and baby care are maintained.
www.diekinderhotels.com
Email: office@kinderhotels.com
Family Apartments & Hotels offer tailor-made holidays for young guests, adults and families!
Therefore, Family Austria created a number of specialized family programs ideal for parents and kids, guaranteeing an ultimate holiday experience and truly relaxing days for the entire family. Family Austria puts emphasis on activities for all family members. Fifty-two family specialists from across Austria devised a great choice of activities and fun programs made to measure for young families. In Salzburg, for example, the lodging providers offer a free Salzburg Card including admission to some 190 sights and attractions within the entire SalzburgerLand holiday region. Other accommodations offer free rental bicycles plus useful tips on scenic tours and unforgettable routes. Other highlights include BBQ afternoons, torchlight hikes, trekking tours and horse riding adventures.
Family Apartments & Hotels in Austria - Family Austria
Both the Kinderhotels and Family Austria ensure that young and old have a great time, as a family or individually. There are things to do for the entire family— and the adults don’t have to get bored either when the kids take part in one of the numerous kids’ programs. When the parents have some time for themselves, they can enjoy their time and relax in one of the spas and pool areas or be pampered in a beauty center.
Another popular option for families is to have a holiday on a farm—3400 family-run farm businesses have joined together in a special network and all farms have been subjected to rigorous quality tests to guarantee that you will experience a holiday as relaxing and satisfying as it is supposed to be. The farms offer individually tailored holidays for families, packages and themed holidays (such as “Horse farm holidays” or “Bio & Health”).
Family Austria: www.familyaustria.at
Email: info@familyaustria.at
Farm holidays: www.farmholidays.com
Email: office@farmholidays.com
In general, Austria, the land of tourism, has a high quality hotel trade in all categories. The classification of the hotels 5 star (Luxury), 4 star (First Class), 3 star (Premium Standard), 2 star (Standard) and 1 star (Tourist) is subjected to strict regular controls.
There are also a large number of private rooms for rent. For the peak tourist seasons (especially July, August, Christmas and Easter) booking in advance is highly advisable.
Food and Drink
The classical Austrian set meal consists of nutritious soup (usually with noodles or dumplings added), a main course of a meat dish with a side dish and salad, and a dessert (cake or soufflé).
Much of Austria's cuisine is meat-based. The most popular icons obviously being the wiener schnitzel and the tafelspitz (beef). A variety of dumplings in all sizes and tastes, as well as sauerkraut (cabbage), are popular side dishes.
Some of Austria's specialities which are known all over the world include delicious pastries such as the apfelstrudel or the sacher torte, which are best enjoyed with one of the many different kinds of Viennese coffee.
Shopping
Opening hours for stores: Monday to Friday 6am to 7:30pm and Saturday to 5pm. The actual opening hours for stores may vary. Exceptional regulations with longer opening hours exist in tourist areas; shops at railway stations and at airports are open during the travel time schedules (in part until 11pm).
Popular souvenirs include items hand-crafted of ceramic, welded iron, glass and enamel (especially jewellery); woodcarvings; and traditional dress items. Augarten porcelain also makes a lovely and unique Viennese gift.
Refund of Value-Added Tax (VAT): Foreign tourists with residence outside the EU may obtain a refund on the VAT they pay on single purchases totalling over €75.00 by completing certain customs formalities when taking the goods out of the country. The relevant form is issued directly at the store, and the goods must be taken out of the country within 3 months and must receive a stamp from the EU border customs office as confirmation. The ”Global Refund Cheque”, with which you receive a tax refund upon leaving the EU internal market, is available at all stores with the sign ”Global Refund TAX FREE SHOPPING”.
Airports
Vienna’s Schwechat Airport is Austria’s major airport and is located about 16km southeast of the city.
Transfers from the Airport
The quickest and easiest way to get from the city to the airport is on the new City Airport Train CAT. It departs every 30 minutes from 6:05am to 11:35pm from the airport to the city and takes just 16 minutes. Cost: €9.00 for adults and €5.00 for children.
The S7 railway runs at 20-minute intervals between the Airport and Vienna’s Central Railway Station (Wien Mitte) and takes 30 minutes. Cost: €3 for adults.
Airport buses link the airport with the major train stations Westbahnhof (West Train Station) and Südbahnhof (South Train Station). Fares are €6.00 for adults. Buses take approx. 20 minutes for the trip and run every 20 minutes from 4:30am to 1:00am.
Public transport is much cheaper than a taxi, which costs around €30 for a ride into the city centre and takes approx. 30-45 minutes.
Getting around for families
Public transport in Austria is a convenient way to travel around, especially in the cities. Special fare discounts are often available for families. In Vienna, children under 15 travel free on underground, bus and tram on Sundays, public holidays and during school holidays (July to August and 24 December to 6 January).
Trains are an ideal way to travel between Austria’s cities and towns. Comfortable trains provide frequent service on an extensive rail network that links the country with all of Europe. Up to two children under 6 years old travel free on Austria’s rail network, and a third child under 15 pays only half fare. There are discount cards called “VorteilsCard” which offer special discounts for families travelling together.
Driving in Austria is uncomplicated and offers the greatest flexibility—you explore at your own pace. Roads are well maintained, whether you choose a motorway or a small country road. Australians require an international driving licence together with their Australian licence.
Important: if you are using the motorways, toll stickers are required on the windscreen of your vehicle. They need to be purchased before using the motorways. These window stickers, called ‘Vignette’, are available at petrol stations, tobacconists, automobile associations, post offices and border crossings.
Driving regulations:
- Minimum driving age is 17
- Right-hand side traffic
- Seatbelts mandatory
- No children under 12 in front seats
- Drink-driving limit: 0.05 percent
- Speed limits (unless posted otherwise): 50 km/h in towns, 100 km/h on the open road, 130 km/h on motorways
 What to wear
On excursions in altitudes above 1800 metres it is essential to carry proper protection against cold weather, including sturdy walking boots. During winter season (December to March), warm clothing is absolutely necessary, as are water-resistant shoes. In spring (March to June) and autumn (September to November) a topcoat, sweater or jacket is advisable. Summer in Austria can be very hot!
Population
Of the approximately 8 million inhabitants of Austria, 98% speak German. The six ethnic groups officially recognized in Austria (Burgenlandic Croatians, Roma, Slovaks, Slovenians, Czechs and Hungarians) are concentrated in the east and south of the country.
Culture/Religion
Austria's diversity does not only shine through its landscape but through its population as well. Due to its central location in the heart of Europe and its vibrant history, a cross-section of cultures flow together and are combined in Austria. Austrians are friendly people and share a similar sense of humour to Australians and New Zealanders.
Austria is a federal republic state with a parliamentary democracy.
Approximately 78% of Austrians are Roman Catholic, 5% are Protestant and 4.5% belong to other faiths.
 Language
German is the official language in Austria. English is widely understood and spoken fluently by most people working in tourism-related jobs. Here are a few German basics, with pronunciation:
| Hello |
Guten Tag |
Gooten Tahg |
| Goodbye |
Auf Wiedersehen |
Owf Veeder Zane |
| Please |
Bitte |
Bee Tah |
| Thank you |
Danke |
Dahn Kah |
| Yes |
Ja |
Yah |
| No |
Nein |
Nine |
| Do you speak English? |
Sprechen sie Englisch? |
Sprecken see English? |
| What time is it? |
Wieviel Uhr ist es? |
Veefeel oor ist es? |
| How much is that? |
Was kostet das? |
Vas kostet das? |
| Where is/are...? |
Wo ist / sind...? |
Vo ist / sint... ? |
| Excuse me |
Entschuldigung |
Entshool-digoong |
Time
Central European Time = GMT+1, daylight saving during European summer.Time difference between Sydney and Vienna: 8 hours during European summer, 10 hours during European Winter whilst daylight saving in Australia is effective. Example: 8am in Vienna during August = 4pm in Sydney.
Time difference between New Zealand and Vienna: 10 hours during European Summer, 12 hours during European winter.
Click here for more on time zones.
Currency
Austria is a member of the Economic and Currency Union—the common currency is the Euro (€).
Euro banknotes come in denominations of €5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500; and there are coins for €1 and €2. One Euro is broken up into coins worth 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents.
National and foreign currencies can be imported and exported in unlimited amounts.
Banking Hours are usually from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Some banks, especially in rural areas, may have a lunch break from 1:30pm to 3pm.
One Euro equals approximately $1.70AU. For and up-to-date currency conversion, click here.
Automated Teller Machines (cash dispensers):
Outside of banks, cash can be withdrawn around the clock at some 2,900 cash dispensers in all of Austria. National and foreign Maestro cards (cash cards) are accepted. Other automated teller cards are national and foreign MasterCards, American Express cards, Visa credit cards and Diners Club cards as well as the Cirrus and Visa-Plus cash cards that belong to this payment system.
Credit cards are accepted in cities and tourist centres by numerous hotels, restaurants, shops and gas stations. Accepted credit cards are indicated by the logos displayed on the exterior facade of the respective business (usually on the entrance door).
 Electricity
220V alternating current. Connector plug/outlet correspond generally to the Euro-norm, but as a precaution you should still bring along an adaptor.
Health precautions
No vaccinations are required to enter Austria.
Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink and of a very high quality.
Passport and Visa
Holders of an Australian or New Zealand passport do not need a visa if their stay in Austria does not exceed three months.
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