You’re off to see where Swarovski crystals were first cut, you are on the way to the land of Karl Landsteiner (Discovered how to transfuse blood with little to no damage to the patient) then going to hear the music of Haydn, Mozart or Shubert played in the hills where they were born all whilst drinking the locally made energy drink, so much to do and how to do it whilst still keeping in good form with the locals.
- It is known for many things, Austria is a land of many arrows and should be treated as such, although the beer is great and the schnitzels are the size of dropped sponge cake they too have some of the finest musicians ever to have graced this earth so festivals like Salzburg festival and Bregenzer Festival are perfect ways to tap into this rich history.
- Drinking is fine, the legal age for drinking in Austria is 16 for beer and 18 for hard liquor so don’t be alarmed when you see young ones downing pints and laughing it off, the legalities don’t stop there you can also legally drink in the street but remember that these are the laws they live by so if you wish to then make sure you can handle it as well, don’t be that tourist.
- Driving safe, it’s a grand old windy mountainous country so you will want to get into the car and head on out through the picturesque hills, it’s why you came, remember they drive on the right overtake on the left and must have the required reflective jackets (for accidents not driving), warning triangle, first aid kit, helmets for motorcyclists but no dashboard cameras as they are forbidden. Grab yourself a good deal with a comparison site like Enjoy Car Hire to avoid overpaying.
- Tipping is OK, if you wish to tip the restauranteurs that’s fine however the Austrians make a good living wage and do not expect it….still a nice thing to do, I highly doubt they will throw it back in your face. The main point here is that taxes are included.
- So many cities, there are numerous wonderful parts of this varied country, it doesn’t all have to be Vienna, the beauty stretches from mountains to rivers to lakes that live out their fantasy as movie backdrops, there are 10 international airports and more for shorter domestic flights so don’t just stick to Vienna, surprise your friends with tales of Klagenfurt.
It’s a veritable wonderland of food, history and music so enjoy it all and although English is widely spoken learning a bit of the language always goes a long way, the language being German but the people are not.
