"My adopted homeland" Austria by morgenhund

Austria Travel Guide: 18,625 reviews and 49,901 photos

How did I end up in Austria?

My first visit to Austria was on a package tour in 1988, at the tender age of 11, and I spent a week in Söll with trips to the surrounding areas - the Grossglockner route and Salzburg were two such trips I can remember doing. Then, when it came to doing a year abroad when studying my degree in French and German at St Andrews University, I plumped for Austria - the assistantship was remarkably well paid and there was never a problem getting a place. Other assistants thought I had the bum deal, as I ended up in Judenburg, a town which a lot of Austrians describe as a real non-entity. I had 9 very happy months there - travelling along the Murtalbahn to Murau where my second school was. In 2000, having seen a job in Brussels fall through, I returned to Austria - this time to Vienna. Many dismissed whether I would still be in town six months later - well I am now approaching five and half years of living in Vienna and have bought my own flat - I think I am safely here in Vienna for the long-term.

Pros and Cons

Pros:A great standard of living, mountains, lakes and culture
Cons:A risible higher education system and appalling non-celebrities
In a nutshell:Until recently the last place on earth where there were 20 s(c)hillings to the pound!

Last visit to Austria: Dec 2004
Intro Written Nov 15, 2005
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Reviews (10)

Vorteilscard: an extra bonus Transportation (5)

If you hold a Vorteilscard from the ÖBB, then you can capitalise substantially on long-haul routes by booking second... more travel advice

Buy your tickets elsewhere... Transportation (5)

From personal experience, buying a train ticket for onward travel at Vienna's Westbahnhof or Südbahnhof can sometimes be... more travel advice

Austrian Federal Railways are now... Transportation (5)

From 1st September 2007, all Austrian Federal Railways (Österreichische Bundesbahnen) trains are smoke-free - hurray!!!... more travel advice

Martinigansl Local Customs (2)

In November a lot of restaurants in Austria and Hungary advertise Martinigansl - St Martin's Goose. The official day to... more travel advice

Favorites (2)
See All Austrian Beer

Warnings and Dangers (1)
Speeding - Payment of Fines

Comments (4)

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Vienna0815 Oct 20, 2011 at 7:59 AM

the original €35 fine soon became €20 as soon as I requested a receipt - and he quipped that he was doing this so we didn't think he was going to pocket the cash himself. haha, a typical austrian explanation ! ;-))))
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BillNJ Apr 27, 2008 at 6:12 AM

Thanks for the great tips on Austria. I especially like the tip on Martinigans. Best from New Jersey, Bill
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globetrott Apr 24, 2005 at 1:09 AM

good infos about Austria ! The <26 ticket is certainly a good way to save money and you even may use it right away with a seperate ticket, valid for 2 months
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XenoHumph Apr 21, 2005 at 1:35 PM

All these new pages on the mountainous country!! Great practical tips!