Practical information Austria

32378  sq.mi

Duration of London-Vienna flight: 3 hrs. Vienna is 766 mi from London. The low cost airline easyJet operates a daily service to Vienna from London Luton and three flights a week depart from Leeds with the low cost airline bmi.
The low cost airline Flyniki flies to Vienna three times a day (twice on Saturdays and Sundays).
Daily return flights are also offered by British Airways and Austrian Airlines from Vienna to London, Manchester, etc. See http://www.viennaairport.com).

Paznaun valley is home to the winter sports resorts of Ischgl, Kappl, See, Galtür and Wirl in the Silvretta mountain range of the Austrian Tyrol. The budget Austrian airline company Intersky lands right in Friedrichshafen next to Lake Constance in Germany, after a 1 hr 45 min flight. A 2-hr bus journey though Vorarlberg then takes you to the the slopes of the Austrian Tyrol. On the way you are sure to take Europe's longest road tunnel, the Arlberg Road Tunnel, which is 8.7 mi in length! When you reach Paznaun valley, the road passes close to Schloss Wiesberg castle and the famous Trisanna bridge, which takes the railway across the valley at a height of 282 ft. The bridge takes its name from the river that flows into the Inn.

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8263000 hab.

In Austria, the main airports are Vienna (12 miles from city-centre), Linz (12.5 miles), Graz (9 miles), Innsbruck (3 miles) and Salzburg (3.2 miles). For Vienna, the taxi drive is approximately £28, £12 by bus, and £5 for the "S Bahn" train. At Linz, you need to allow £28 by taxi and £1.50 by bus, in Graz £20 and £1.50, Innsbruck £9.50 and £1.50 and in Salzburg £11 and £1.50.

The authorities and certain xenophobic journalists warn against the rise in criminality and petty delinquency since the opening of the borders with the previously Eastern countries. According to them, this phenomenon is encouraging the resurgence of Neo-Nazi organisations and discontent amongst the population. It is, however, recommended not to leave your wallet, photographic apparatus or video camera on sight in the very touristic places where the pickpockets operate.

German language Several minorities, Czechs and Slovaks in Vienna, Hungarians and Croats in the province of Burgenland, and Slovenians in the south of Carinthia, have preserved their mother tongue. English and French are widely spoken in the large cities.

You must hold a valid British passport to enter Austria. EU citizens can travel to Austria up to the expiry date of their passports. Other citizens need at least three months' validity. Driving: If you use Austrian motorways (?Autobahn?) and "S" roads you must display a Motorway Vignette on the inside of the wind shield of your vehicle as you enter Austria. Failure to have one will mean a heavy, on-the-spot fine. Motorway Vignettes are obtainable at all major border crossings into Austria and at larger petrol stations.

88% of the population is Catholic, and 6% Protestant.

The Euro is the currency used in Austria.

Driving in Austria: Only persons over 18 years of age holding valid driving licences may drive in Austria. The only exceptions to this rule are under 17 year olds who drive for practice reasons under supervision and have met the required legal conditions. When driving in Austria, you should always carry a full British licence, ownership documents and insurance details. In 2006 there were 730 road deaths in Austria (source: BMVIT). This equates to 8.8 road deaths per 100,000 of population and compares to the UK average of four road deaths per 100,000 of population in 2006 (source: DfT). The legal limit in Austria is 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood (and/or 10 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood for beginners, coach and HGV drivers) and penalties for driving under influence are strict. High visibility warning vests are required for all drivers. They need to be stored within reach of the driver and must be worn day or night when exiting the vehicle on the hard shoulder or in the event of breakdown. Only "hands free" mobile telephones can be used whilst driving. From 1 January 2008, it will no longer be compulsory for cars to be driven with headlights switched on throughout the day all year round. If you use Austrian motorways ("Autobahn") and "S" roads you must display a Motorway Vignette on the inside of the wind shield of your vehicle as you enter Austria. Failure to have one will mean a heavy, on-the-spot fine. Motorway Vignettes are obtainable at all major border crossings into Austria and at larger petrol stations. All vehicles above 3.5 tonnes maximum permitted laden weight and using the Austrian network of motorways and express ways are required to attach a small device - called the "GO-Box" - to their windscreen. Note that this includes larger private vehicles such as motor caravans that are above the weight limit. If your vehicle is close to the weight limit you are advised to carry documentation confirming the maximum permitted laden weight. If your registration documents do not clearly state this, you will need to produce alternative certification e.g. from a weighbridge. The GO-Box uses the high frequency range to communicate with the around 400 fixed-installation toll points covering the whole of Austria, making it possible to effect an automatic toll deduction without slowing down or stopping the flow of traffic. The on-board devices can be obtained for a one-off handling fee of Euro 5.00 at approximately 220 sales centres in Austria and in neighbouring countries, or via the Internet. For further information, visit the website at: http://www.go-maut.at. (Ref. FCO)

There were a number of confirmed cases of infection in migratory birds in Austria in 2006. There have been none in 2007, or in 2008. No human infections or deaths have been reported.

220 V. No need for an adaptor.

Over 802,000 British nationals visit Austria every year.

Service is included in prices and tips are optional.

To call Austria from England, dial 00 + 43 (country code) + 1 (Vienna) + 732 (Linz) + 316 (Graz) + 512 (Innsbruck) + 662 (Salzburg) + the number of the other party.
To telephone from Austria to England: 00 44 + n° without initial 0.