Helen and Gregor's Wedding
Helen and Gregor's Wedding
General Tips
Here is some insider information about Austria that might be of use during your stay
Rules
Some rules to adhere to
Unusual things that are illegal in Austria and can get you in trouble:
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Crossing the street at any point other than a designated pedestrian crossing, or at a red pedestrian light. If any police officers see you will will be fined. It's annoying to wait, but it's safer and significantly less expensive.
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Driving on the Autobahn without a PRE-PAID toll sticker (Vignette). There is no way to pay for the toll after you have used it, it must be done in advance. These can be purchased in daily, or 10 day passes, and should be stuck to the windscreen during use. The 10-day is the best value, as it is not much more expensive than the daily pass! Also, please remember, this is not Germany. We do have speed limits.
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Road rage. Flipping other drivers off, swearing at them, or anything else you might be tempted to do after being cut off by an idiot, can get you fined. It's unlikely that a bad driver will report you calling him well-deserved names, but if a police office sees you you could be in trouble. Best to do it in Irish so nobody will know what you said.
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...Need we really mention it? Even if you are just joking, Nazi rhetoric and antisemitism will get you jailed here. Roman salutes, square moustaches, etc. might all seem hilarious when you have had a few, but this is no laughing matter, and the punishments are extremely severe.
Things that feel illegal, but are not:
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Drinking in public. In Austria, you are free to enjoy a beer with your hotdog on the side of the street, or a spritzer in the public park.
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Dogs in public places. Dogs in Austria are allowed on pubic transport, in restaurants, offices, and shops. Most supermarkets will even have a designated dog waiting area outside, so don't panic if you see a dog that looks abandoned, he most likely isn't.
General good advice
It can get very hot in Austrian summer; upwards of 35°c. Make sure to wear sunscreen and stay hydrated! This is especially important if you are walking a lot or drinking alcohol.
There are lots of water refilling stations in Vienna where you can refill a bottle for free, otherwise you can purchase bottled water in almost any shop or restaurant.
All of the Apotheke, Bipa, and DM stores will sell sunscreen in a pinch, but we recommend Lidl for a good value factor 50 that will last for hours.
Hats and sunglasses are also recommended, as are fans. We will have a few of these at the wedding venue for anyone who forgets them on the day, and we also plan to donate these to Caritas afterwards.
Bring cash! Lots of places outside of Vienna will not have card machines, and some that do will only accept debit cards, not credit cards. Keeping cash on hand is a very good idea, especially if you are visiting some of the Heuriger or hiking Hütte.
Sundays are quiet days in Austria, and all shops are closed. The only exceptions are petrol stations. But don't panic, restaurants, cafés, and heuriger etc. are all still open, so you won't go hungry. It's a day to relax and unwind!
Austrian people in general often speak decent English, especially in Vienna, however if you want to be able to scan and translate menus and other things, we recommend installing the Google Translate App.
Austrians are also generally quite friendly and have a good sense of humour. In fact, only this year Austria won Europe's friendliest country, which was a title previously held by Ireland. Just avoid the usual negative or depressing topics (religion, politics, money), and you will have a lovely time.