Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tourist Information
Any town or village that tourists are likely to visit will have a centrally situated tourist office and at least one of the
staff will speak English. They go by various names -
Kurort
,
Fremdenverkehrsverband
,
Verkehrsamt
,
Kurverein
,
Tourismusbüro
or
Kurverwaltung
- but they can always be identified by a white 'i' on a green background.
Staff can answer enquiries, ranging from where and when to attend religious services for different denominations, to
where to find vegetarian food or wi-fi. If you need a hotel with wi-fi in an isolated area, for instance, they can usually
help you find one. Most offices have an accommodation-finding service, often free of charge. Maps, often also some
great hiking and cycling maps, are available and usually free.
Some local tourist offices hold brochures on other localities, allowing you to stock up on information in advance. If
you're empty- handed and arrive somewhere too late in the day to get to the tourist office, try asking at the railway
ticket office, as staff there often have hotel lists or city maps. The tourist office may have a rack of brochures hung out-
side the door, or there may be an accommodation board you can access even when the office is closed. Top hotels usu-
ally have a supply of useful brochures in the foyer.
National & Regional Tourist Offices
Austria Info
(
www.austria.info
)
Burgenland Tourismus
(
www.burgenland.info
)
Kärnten Information
(
www.kaernten.at
)
Niederösterreich Werbung
(
www.niederoesterreich.at
)
Oberösterreich Tourismus
(
www.oberoesterreich.at
)
Salzburgerland Tourismus
(
www.salzburgerland.com
)
Salzkammergut
(
www.salzkammergut.at
)
Steirische Tourismus
(
www.steiermark.com
)
Tirol Info
(
www.tirol.at
)
Tourist Info Wien
(
www.wien.info
)
Vorarlberg Tourismus
(
www.vorarlberg-tourism.at
)
Travellers with Disabilities
The situation in Austria for travellers with disabilities is good in Vienna but outside the capital it is still by no means
plain sailing. Ramps leading into buildings are common but not universal; most U-Bahn stations have wheelchair lifts
but on buses and trams you'll often be negotiating gaps and one or more steps.
For distance travel,
Österreichische Bundesbahnen
(ÖBB, Austrian National Railways; 24hr hotline 05 1717;
www.oebb.at
) has a section for people with disabilities on its website. Change to the English-language option, then go
to 'Planning your trip' and submenu 'Barrier-free travelling'. Use the 05 1717 number for special travel assistance
(you can do this while booking your ticket by telephone). If you've already got a ticket, call the number and press '5' at
the end of the recording for special services. Staff at stations will help with boarding and alighting. Order this at least
