Austria

The Sound Of Music & The Alps

The home of Mozart, the home to the Wienerschnitzel, the home of rolling green hills, castles, palaces, ski slopes and of course, The Sound of Music! A country that has so much to offer with a great variety of history and landscapes.

Austria in the Eastern Alps is a landlocked country in the south of Central Europe. Vienna is its capital and the largest city. Graz and Linz boast historic old towns, nostalgic cafes, and Salzburg is a picturesque Baroque city close to mountains and lakes.

To truly appreciate its uniqueness, immerse yourself in its history and culture and if visiting in the snow season, enjoy the vastness of the ski slopes for a genuinely picture-perfect experience.

THE BEST TIME TO VISIT

The best time to travel is the Shoulder season, April and May, September to October, so that you can enjoy lots of outdoor activities with the least amount of crowds.

Spring usually has light showers, and in Autumn, the mountains become covered in red and golden hues as the leaves change, becoming a beautiful time of the year to enjoy the landscapes.

The High season is June through August and another good time to visit, but the weather can get quite hot.

Low season November to January, the winter period is cold but spectacular to walk around the Vienna Christmas market or go skiing in the Austrian Alps.

Climate:

Austria enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Temperatures in summer average around 25 – 30 °C

The climate varies from region to region in Austria.

In Vienna, the climate is similar to that of East-central Europe, with cold winters and warm to hot summers, sometimes sultry.

Other major cities like Salzburg, Graz, Linz and Innsbruck, located in higher altitudes Alpine regions, have cold winters and warm summers but with major thunderstorms average temperatures, winter -3.5 °C to summers 25/26 °C.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Language: The official language in Austria is German, together with Croatian, Slovenian and Hungarian.

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Banks & ATMs:

Below are a few well-known Austrian banks:

Addiko Bank (retail banking)
Allianz Investmenbank (investment banking)
Bank of China (corporate and investment banking)
BNP Paribas (retail and corporate banking)
Citibank (corporate and investment banking)

ATMs are widespread in Austria, particularly in retail centres of larger cities such as Vienna and Salzburg.

Plugs and Sockets:

There are two associated plug types for Austria, types C and F.

Plug type C is the plug that has two round pins.

Plug type F is the plug that has two round pins with two earth clips on the side.

Austria operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.

Highly recommended to carry a universal adaptor

Safety:

Austria is considered a safe country to travel but be aware of your surroundings for petty crimes like pickpocketing.

Flight Connections:

Many major international airlines fly into Austria, including Lufthansa, United Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Turkish Airlines, Air France, American Airlines, Aeroflot, Qatar Airways – to name a few.

Out of London, EasyJet UK has some great fares, and other international destinations, search Skyscanner.