Austria

Practical Information

Below are some helpful bits of information for you to plan your holiday with.

Currency
The local currency is the Euro (€).

Exchange rate
£1 = €1.35 (approximate at October 2007).

Time Zone
Austria is 1 hour ahead of GMT.

Calling Home
Remember to add 00 44 and to remove the ‘0’ from the start of the local area code.

Electricity
Austria operates on 220 or 240 volts AC, the same as the UK but plugs and sockets are different which means you’ll need a continental adaptor.

IMPORTANT - Travelling With Children
Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that Austria requires documentary evidence of parental responsibility (eg a consent letter) before allowing lone parents/adults to enter or in some cases, to leave the country with children. UK & Austrian authorities recommend carrying a letter of consent (downloadable from the British Embassy at  as a precautionary measure. For further info please contact the Austrian Embassy.
   
Saunas
Be aware, sauna areas in Austria tend to be naked zones. It is frowned upon to wear swimming costumes for hygiene and health reasons so be brave and wear your towel instead.

Some Useful Phrases
Hello - Hallo (halloh)
Goodbye - Auf Wiedersehen (auf-weeder-zane)
Please - Bitte (bitter)
Thank you - Danke (danker)
Yes - Ja (yah)
No - Nein (nine)
Good morning - Guten Morgen (gooten morgen)
Good afternoon - Guten Nachmittag (gooten nack-mittag)
Good evening - Guten Abend (gooten aahbend)

Some useful tips

• 'Austrian twin' beds comprise of two separate mattresses and bed linen on one large bed frame with a shared headboard.

• As a predominantly Catholic country, Austrian villages are home to some beautiful churches, typically with an onion-domed bell tower that resonates early every Sunday morning - not a bad alarm call to get you on the slopes.

• Be aware, sauna areas in Austria tend to be naked zones. It is frowned upon to wear swimming costumes for hygiene and health reasons, so be brave and make sure you take a towel!

• Cuisine is hearty and delicious, a local favourite being 'Tiroler Gröstl', a tasty combination of potatoes, onions, bacon and cheese, cooked slowly and served in a heavy pan.

• In some resorts, ski hire shops classify child and youth skis by length of ski. A rough guide to working out what length of ski your child requires is to take the height of your child and minus 30cm. We have given an approximate age range based on the height of children in that age bracket. Once in resort, if your child requires a longer length of ski than you have booked, you may be rquired to pay a supplement locally.