Contrary to popular perceptions, Austria is not all about mountains. In fact, the Alps only occupy about half of the country. A diverse mix of landscapes is packed into a relatively small area. Glaciers, meadows, alpine valleys, wooded foothills, gently rolling farmland, vineyards, river gorges, plains and even semi-arid steppes can be found in Austria .

One quarter of of Austria 's population lives in Greater Vienna, located where the Danube meets the Easternmost fringe of the Alps , not far from the border with Slovakia . Virtually all government, financial and cultural institutions, as well as national media and large corporations are based in Vienna . Thus, the capital dominates Austria 's cultural and political life.

How to Get In

Visa

People from countries within the EU (incl. new EU states), Liechtenstein , Iceland , Norway and Switzerland do not require a Visa for entry into Austria . Nationals of the following countries may enter and remain in Austria without a Visa for up to 3 months - United States , Canada , Israel , Japan , South Korea , Malaysia , Singapore , Australia , New Zealand . People from African/Arabian/South-American countries as well as people from the CIS states generally require a visa.

By air

The most important international airport is Vienna which has connection to all major airports of the world. Other international airports include Graz , Linz , Salzburg , Klagenfurt and Innsbruck which provide domestic flights as well as connections to some European countries. Those airports are particularly popular with cheap airlines such as Ryanair. The most common airport to visit Vorarlberg are Altenrhein (Intersky), Friedrichshafen (Ryanair) and Zurich (Swiss)

By bus

EUROLINES [1] has bus schedules from Austria to all major European countries and back. If you make use of special offers and/or book in advance, travelling by plane or train is normally cheaper than by bus, however, the bus may be the cheapest option if you want to travel at short notice or if you have large amounts of luggage.

By car

Austria has numerous border crossings to its neighboring countries. Be aware that border crossings to Hungary , Czechia and Slovenia can be congested at the beginning of national holidays. For using highway toll has to be paid ("Vignette"). Costs are approx EUR 70 for one year and €10 for 4 weeks

On some Saturdays in July and August expect traffic jams on the motorways between Germany , Austria and Italy when millions of German tourists head south at the beginning of school vacations. A delay of about 2 hours is not unusual. The motorway A10 between Salzburg and Villach is especially notorious. It's best to avoid those Saturdays.

From Germany

* Motorway A8 from Munich to Salzburg .

* Motorway A93 from Rosenheim via Kufstein to Innsbruck , Tyrol .

* E43 (A96) from Leutkirch via Wangen to Bregenz, Vorarlberg.

* E56 from Regensburg to Passau , Upper Austria .

From Italy

* Motorway A23 to Villach , Carinthia .

* E54 via Brenner to Innsbruck , Tyrol .

From Slovenia

* E652 to Villach , Carinthia .

* E57 via Spielfeld to Graz , Styria.

By train

Austria 's connections with neighboring Germany are excellent, and all other neighbors are connected by at least two trains per day. Check out the so-called Eurocity trains, which are the fastest trains available as well as the trains connecting the bigger Austrian cities called Intercity.

Get around

By train and bus

Trains are the best way to get around if you're visiting cities. Comfortable and moderately priced trains connect major cities and many towns; buses other towns and lakes. The two forms of transport are integrated and designed to complement each other, so intercity coaches (long distance buses) are hard to find in most of Austria .

VorteilsCard. If you are under 26 and plan to spend more than 40 EUR on rail travel get a VorteilsCard (photo needed) for EUR 19,90 and have 45% discount on all trains in Austria and 25% abroad in Europe . If you have a Vorteilscard you can get a further 5% discount if you buy the tickets at the ticket machines, which sell national as well as regional tickets. The Vorteilscard is also available for those over 26 but costs 100 EUR.

By air

Although you'll miss out most of the stunning Austrian Landscape, it is possible to travel by plane within Austria . Domestic flights normally cost in the region of €300-500 return, and since the country is small, the total journey time is unlikely to be shorter than by rail or car. In other words, don't bother flying unless you are on a business trip.

Following domestic Airports are serviced by airlines like Austrian Arrows, Intersky, Sky Europe, Welcome Air:

* Vienna (Schwechat), servicing Vienna and Lower Austria

* Linz (H?rsching), servicing Upper Austria

* Salzburg (Wals), servicing Salzburg and Berchtesgaden ( Bavaria )

* Graz (Thalerhof), servicing eastern Styria and southern Burgenland.

* Klagenfurt (W?rthersee-Airport), servicing Carinthia

* Innsbruck (Kranebitten), servicing Tyrol

Non-domestic airport servicing western Austria :

* Altenrhein Airport ( Switzerland ), servicing Vorarlberg , Liechtenstein , Northeastern Switzerland , and Lake Constance Area

* Friedrichshafen ( Germany ), servicing Vorarlberg, Baden-W?rttemberg and Lake Constance Area

Ski in Austria

Winter sport tourism has become a billion euro industry in Austria and helped some towns to attain formidable wealth. Most Austrian ski resorts are former farming towns that have grown into many times their original size, but often retaining some of their charm in the old town core. A handful of ski resorts such as Obertauern were built completely from scratch in the 1960s and 1970s. In recent years global warming has resulted in warm winters and poor conditions for skiing at lower elevations. Many resorts have responded by investing heavily in artificial snow generation. Some resorts are now so well-equipped that they're capable of offering excellent skiing conditions on most pistes even if the natural snow cover is just 5cm, as long as cold weather prevails during the night. All of this comes at a price of course, both environmental and financial . Ski pass prices have risen sharply during the last decade.

When to go

The ski season lasts from early December to late March. A small number of ski resorts keep their lifts open all year on glaciers.

The best conditions for skiing are in mid-January, the coldest time of the year. Late February is a good time for sun-seekers.

The most crowded time is the period from December the 25th until January the 2nd. Advanced skiers may want to avoid this time as slopes can be too congested to be enjoyable. All of February is also rather crowded because of school and university vacations.

The least crowded times are early December, mid-January and late March.

How to go

Package holidays are normally more convenient and often cheaper if you plan on skiing for a week only. Airport transfers, flights and accommodation are usually included.

However, they have the disadvantage that they mostly run from Saturday to Saturday, they feature few resorts outside the mainstream, and there is a distinct lack of self-catering accommodation or rooms in private houses in most brochures. These types, however, make up the most popular forms of accommodation in the country.

The increase in low-cost carrier flights to Salzburg , Munich and Friedrichshafen has meant that an increasing number of visitors arrange their own transport and accommodation.

What to do more

Cycle Touring

Austria is famous for its scenic cycle routes along its largest rivers. Though Austria is a mountainous country, cycle routes along rivers are flat or gently downhill, and therefore suitable for cycling. The most famous route is the Danube cycle path from Passau to Vienna , one of the most popular cycle paths in Europe , drawing large crowds of cyclists from all over the world each summer. Other rivers with well-developed cycle routes are the Inn , Drau , Moell and Mur . Most routes follow a combination of dedicated cycle paths, bridleways, and traffic calmed roads.

Music

Many visitors come to experience Austria 's musical heritage. Salzburg and Vienna offer world renowned opera, classical music and jazz at moderate prices, but performances of high standards are also widely available throughout the rest of the country. There are dozens of Summer festivals for all tastes, the most famous being the avant-garde Salzburg festival (Salzburger Festspiele) but because they're aimed at tourists prices can be high. Austria 's strong musical tradition is not confined to classical music alone. Austrian folk music (Volksmusik) is an integral part of rural Austria , and is said to have influenced many of the nation's big composers. In the Alps almost every village has its own choir or brass band (Blasmusik), and you'll often see groups of friends sitting down to sing Lieder in rural pubs. Traditional Alpine instruments are the accordion and zither. In Vienna a type of melancholic violin music known as Schrammelmusik is often performed in Restaurants and Heurigen.

Hiking

It is normally safe to hike without a guide in the Austrian Alps, as there is a dense network of marked trails and mountain shelters. However, a few lethal incidents do happen every year as a result of carelessness. Walkers are strongly advised not to stray off the trails and hike in bad weather or without suitable equipment. Before setting off, always check with the local tourist office whether the trail corresponds to your abilities. Also check the weather forecast. Sudden thunderstorms are frequent and are more likely to happen in the afternoon. A rule of thumb is that if you haven't reached the summit by noon it's time to give up and return to shelter.

Though the scenery is by all accounts majestic, don't expect an empty wilderness. The Alps can be very crowded with mountaineers, especially in high season (there are even traffic jams of climbers on some popular mountains). Littering is a no-no in all of Austria , but especially in the mountains, and you will enrage fellow walkers if you're seen doing it. If you really want to show respect pick up any litter you happen to see in your path and dispose of it at the end of your hike (it's a bit of an unwritten rule). Long distance trails are marked with the Austrian flag (red-white-red horizontal stripes) painted onto rocks and tree trunks.

Most trails and mountain huts are maintained by the Austrian Alpine Club. Some are run by other equivalent organizations, such as the German, Dutch and Italian Alpine Clubs. Mountain huts are meant to be shelters, not hotels. Though they are normally clean and well-equipped, standards of food and accommodation are basic. Don't expect a high level of customer service either. A sleeping bag is not required as blankets are provided. During the high season (August) it's a good idea to book in advance. Mountain huts will not turn anyone down for the night but if they're full you'll have to sleep on the floor.

Detailed hiking maps showing the location of marked trails and shelters can be purchased online from the Austrian Alpine Society

What to Eat

Austrian food is distinctive and delicious, and is traditionally of the stodgy, hearty "meat and dumplings" variety. Wiener Schnitzel (a bread-crumbed and fried veal escalope) is something of a national dish, and Kn?del are a kind of dumpling which can be made either sweet or savory according to taste. In Vienna the Tafelspitz (boiled beef with potatoes and horseradish) is traditionally served on Sundays, and is normally accompanied by clear broth with dumplings and herbs. Apart from these, Austria is renowned for its pastries and desserts, the most well-known of which is probably the Apfelstrudel.

What to Drink

Vienna is famous for its caf? culture, and there are coffee houses all over the city, many of which have outdoor terraces that are popular in the summer. Visit them for coffee (of course), hot chocolate and pastries. Most famous is Sacher-Torte. Most likely you will find the "top" coffee houses at the Ring, the K?rnter Strasse, Graben, and some other (maybe difficult to find) places in the first district (Innere Stadt). There are also very nice old coffee houses a little outside of the Ring at the districts within the G?rtel. Please do never just order "coffee" as you find dozens of different sorts from Kleiner Schwarzer (small black coffee) and Gro?er Brauner (big coffee with cream), Melange (coffee with milk) to specialties like Kapuziner (small black coffee and a drip of cream) and Kaisermelange (coffee, milk, egg yolk and cognac) on the menu and the Viennese Ober (the "senior" waiter) takes pride in this variety.

Stay Safe

Austria is one of the safest countries in the world. Violent crimes are extremely rare and normally confined to Vienna . Small towns and uninhabited areas such as forests are very safe at any time of the day.

Beware of pickpockets in crowded places. Like everywhere in Europe they are becoming increasingly professional. Bicycle theft is rampant in bigger cities. Always lock your bike to an immobile object.

Racism can also be a problem and make your stay an unpleasant experience. However, levels of racism are comparable to other Western nations and it is almost never seen in a violent form. In more remote parts of Austria people of non-white origin are a rare sight. If you see locals giving you strange looks here don't feel threatened. They are probably just showing curiosity or a distrust of foreigners and have no intention of doing any physical harm. A short conversation can often be enough to break the ice.