According to watchtutorials, Austria (German: Österreich) is a country in Europe bordering Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy and Slovenia. The capital of Austria is Vienna. A number of major cities in Austria are: Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt and Wels.
Austria is known as one of the best winter sports countries in the world. During the winter months you can go skiing, cross-country skiing, tobogganing, ski jumping and ice skating in the many ski areas. The landscape of Austria is often characterized by vast mountain areas, many lakes, hot springs and waterfalls. In addition, the country has a number of National Parks. Austria is also known for yodelling, the Tyrol winter sports area, the historic city of Vienna and the Wienerschnitzel. The country’s economy is largely based on agriculture and winter sports tourism. See watchtutorials for Austria destinations.
Federal states of Austria:
Burgenland, Carinthia (Kärnten), Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), Upper Austria (Oberösterreich), Salzburg, Styria (Steiermark), Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Vienna (Wien).
Where is Austria?
Travel information of Austria
Official name: Republic of Austria
Continent: Europe
Area: 83,858 km²
Capital: Vienna (Vienna, Wien)
Country code: AT, AUT
Population: 8,859,449 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Federal republic
Highest point: 3,798 m (Großglockner)
Distance (Amsterdam – Vienna): 936 km
Flight time: approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Austria that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs in Austria, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Austria. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Austria?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Austria at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Austria has a continental climate in the lowlands and a high mountain climate above 1500 metres.
– Low area:
In the winter months around -5 to -15 degrees and in the summer months around 0 to 5 degrees.
– High area:
In the winter months around 10 to -5 degrees and in the summer months around 10 to 25 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Austria can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Austria can be found at Climate info.
Current snow depths in Austria can be found at Winter sports enthusiasts.
Best time
June, July, August and September are the best months to travel to Austria. In these months you have the best chance of good weather.
January, February, March and December are the best months for a winter sports holiday in Austria.
Language
German is the official language in Austria. Croatian, Hungarian, Turkish, Slovenian and Serbian are also spoken.
Would you like to translate from or into German for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Austria: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Austria in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Consulates of Austria in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Austria.
Money and Currency
In Austria, payments are made with the euro (EUR).
An overview of all ATMs in Austria can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Austria are slightly lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -1% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (18% cheaper), food (18% more expensive), imported beer in catering (0% more expensive), cigarettes (20% cheaper) and public transport (22% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Austria it is not customary to tip everywhere. In general, tipping is 5-10%, but tipping is not accepted everywhere.
Time difference
There is no time difference with the Netherlands.
Summer time in Austria is the same as in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone for Austria can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Austria you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Austria.
A toll vignette is mandatory on most Austrian motorways and motorways.
The vignette can be purchased at a number of Austrian border crossings and petrol stations near the borders. You can also purchase the vignette before you reach the Austrian border via Wegenvignetten.nl.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Austria.
Electricity
In Austria the same plugs and sockets are used as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity in Austria can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112
– Fire Brigade: 112
– Ambulance: 112
– Alpine Rescue Service: 140
Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Austria can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Austria can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Austria end in.at.
Austria’s official website: austria.info.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Austria is 0043 or +43.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Austria? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Austria Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Austria.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Austria.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Austria.
Holidays and school holidays
Austria’s national holiday falls on October 26.
An overview of all other public holidays in Austria can be found on Beleven.org.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in Austria in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Austria, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Austria?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Austria. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and World Heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Austria can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Austria can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Austria? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with Austria, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Austria, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in Austria? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, accommodation, scholarships, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Austria.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 16. In tourist areas from 18 years.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5 (0.2 for novice drivers up to 2 years old).
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 16, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Only 32% of Austria is below 500 metres?
…The Eisriesenwelt Werfen is the largest ice cave on earth?
…The Austrian flag is more than 800 years old?
…Austria is the only EU country that is not a member of NATO?
…The oldest zoo in the world is in Austria?
…Adolf Hitler was born in Austria?