Austria Travel Guide

• Tipping is customary in Austria. The average is around 10%, but it can commonly go up to 15%. Always check the bill as sometimes it is included in the charge. Say “Danke” (thank you) when paying the bill, and servers will know to keep the change. Don’t leave money on the table. Servers sometimes don’t receive tips on a credit card, so always try to tip in cash whenever possible. For bars, the norm is to round up to the nearest euro.
  
  Housekeeping and bellmen are often included in the bill, but it is still nice to leave 1-2 euros per night on top of that for housekeepers. Taxis round up to the nearest euro or 10%. Credit cards are used, but many restaurants and cafes in Austria still only allow cash payments. Carry cash, or be prepared to walk the streets cranky as you look for an ATM
  
• Clothing has been conservative and stylish. Appearance does matter. Presentation and dressing well are important to Austrians. Even when dressed informally, they are neat and conservative; their clothes are never ostentatious. There is sometimes a strict protocol for dressing appropriately in different situations: formal wear for the theatre or a concert and semiformal wear for better restaurants. High-level events may have a dress code and will turn away patrons who are not dressed appropriately. Most Austrian women dress up to go shopping.
  
• Driving in Austria was relatively easy, even in the Alps. The roads are excellent and well-maintained. We did not travel in the winter, but we expect roads to be well-cleared. Wearing a seatbelt is compulsory. Using your mobile phone while driving is strictly prohibited. People seemed respectful drivers and not aggressive. An international driver’s permit (IDP) is mandatory at all times. Austrian motorways are toll roads without toll gates. Instead, you buy a vignette that comes in the form of a windscreen sticker or a digital pass. Check with your rental car company if it comes with the rental. If not, get one at the local gas station. Lights are optional during daylight. Like most European countries, it’s compulsory to carry a warning triangle in the vehicle at all times, and it can not be in the trunk.
  
• Parking meters are pretty standard across big cities and small towns. We found some that only take coins. That can be problematic if you only have paper bills. Buy some snacks upon arrival at the airport to get loose change. Most parking was reasonable but, as expected, pricey in the big cities.
  
• In Austria, road rules are taken seriously, including at crosswalks. Wait for the green man, just like the locals do.
  
• Austria is home to cities with a high quality of life. It is a clean, safe, and respectful country of its environment. Garbage is rare anywhere, in the cities, on the roads, and even in the bathrooms. There is a strong sense of pride in this country.
  
• Public restrooms are easy to find, kept in good condition, and very clean. There were only a couple of times when there was no cost.
  
• If there is something that Austrians take seriously, it is punctuality. Being late shows disrespect. This applies to the trains, too, which are the epitome of punctuality; they’re always on time.
  
• The Austrians hold themselves to high standards in almost every aspect of life. They are very hard workers. In social situations, they value good manners and polite behavior.
  
• Greetings are formal. The traditional greeting is a quick, firm handshake. Maintain eye contact during the greeting. Some Austrian men, particularly those who are older, may kiss the hand of a female. A male from another country should not kiss an Austrian woman’s hand. Women may also kiss men, but men never kiss other men.
  
• Titles are very important and denote respect. Use a person’s title and surname until invited to use their first name.
  
• When entering a room, shake hands with everyone individually, including children.
  
• Compromise is a crucial ingredient in the Austrian lifestyle, which is why their Social Partnership practice is so successful. It is basically a cooperative arrangement between employers and their employees. Trade unions and business leaders work together to create policies and practices that benefit both sides.
  
• Dogs can go everywhere where. Dogs are an intricate part of their lives and are welcome in most places in this country – on the subway, at the office, at the airport, and most definitely in restaurants and cafes.
  
• Austrian customs are based on family values and traditions. Family is the foundation of the social system in Austria. At the end of the week, all the family members gather to spend time together and do outdoor activities. Moreover, Sundays are for visiting relatives and family. Austria gives great importance to the family. Eating dinner together in the evening is very much the norm.
  
• In Vienna’s golden age, there were many different coffee shops. Old coffee shops still exist, like 19th-century establishments Café Central and Café Landtmann. They were where intellectuals created, met, drank coffee, and exchanged ideas. Theirs is a famous Viennese blend—Wiener mélange —a must to try once while visiting. Around 90% of Austrian people drink coffee. There’s even a name for a 3 p.m. coffee break—jause.
  
• If Austrians ‘invite’ you to their birthday get-together. “I invite you” means that you’re treating them in Austrian. 
  
• Favorite outdoor sports among Austrians include skiing, soccer, hiking, water skiing, and sailing.
  
• Austrians are super friendly; however, you must get to know them first. Strangers are strangers, and social etiquette calls for more reserved social exchanges in public between two people who don’t know each other. Once you break down the friendship barrier, they are some of the warmest people you will meet.
  
• When you enter somebody’s home, don’t be surprised if you are politely handed a pair of slippers during your visit. Shoes are not acceptable in the house, and it is considered rude to wear them.
  
• Table manners are Continental, where the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating. Put your napkin on your lap as soon as you sit down. Do not begin eating until the hostess says ‘mahlzeit’ or ‘Guten Appetit.’ Cut as much of your food with your fork as possible since this compliments the cook by saying the food is very tender. Finish everything on your plate. Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel on your plate with the handles facing to the right.
  
• The host gives the first toast, and everyone lifts and clinks glasses. Make sure to look the person making the toast in the eye and say, ‘Prost!’. At the end of the meal, a guest offers a toast of thanks to the host.
  
• Austrians are generally conservative, prudent, and moderate in behavior. They are also regimented and compartmentalized, which are helpful ways of describing how they organize their lives.
  
• The people of Austria take much pride in their homes, keeping them neat and tidy. Only close friends and relatives are invited into the house, so more informal communication may occur there. Neighborly etiquette also has rules that must be observed. Common areas such as sidewalks, pavements, corridors, and steps must be kept clean at all times by all associated with them.
  
• When visiting someone in their home, it is customary to bring flowers or a small gift, such as chocolate, books, wine, or candy.
  
• Austrians deeply appreciate art, music, and history, as evidenced by the number of museums and classical music venues. They enjoy making and displaying art, whether in art galleries, opera houses, or museums.
  
• The cultural norm is for wealth to remain discreet. To manifest a demonstration of wealth is negatively valued.
  
• Traditional Austrian foods include Wienerchnitzel, Brettljause, Grostl, Klobe dumplings, Goulash soup, Kaiserschmarrn, Kkasedrainer, Kasespatzle, Viennese Einspanner, and Strudel.
  
• It is a safe country with low crime.

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