Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
UK
(
0800 200 209)
USA
(AT&T;
0800 200 288)
Mobile Phones
ROAMING
The
Handy
(mobile phone) network works on GSM 1800 and is compatible with GSM 900 phones; it is not compatible
with systems from the US unless the mobile phone is at least a tri-band model that can receive one of these frequencies.
Japanese mobile phones need to be quad-band (world phone) to work in Austria. Roaming can get very expensive if
your provider is outside the EU.
PREPAID SIM CARDS
Phone shops sell prepaid SIM cards for making phone calls or SIM cards capable of being used on smart phones for
data (ie surfing) as well as making calls. Typically, you pay about €15 for a SIM card and receive about €10 free credit.
To use one, your mobile phone should be without a SIM lock.
WI-FI
Make sure your data transfer capability is deactivated while roaming. Austria has lots of wi-fi hot spots which can be
used for surfing or making internet calls such as on Skype using smart phones with wi-fi capability.
Time
Austria has summer and winter time.
Sommerzeit (
daylight saving time) begins on the last Sunday in March and all
clocks are put forward by one hour. On the last Sunday in October, normal Central European Time begins and clocks
are put back one hour. Note that in German
halb
is used to indicate the half-hour before the hour, hence
halb acht
means 7.30,
not
8.30.
Time Differences
When it's noon in Vienna (outside daylight saving time):
Berlin, Stockholm & Paris
noon
London
11am
Los Angeles & Vancouver
3am
Moscow
2pm
New York
6am
Perth
7pm
Sydney
9pm
