Page 352 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Austria
P. 352
350 SUR VIV AL GUIDE
Media and Communications Reaching the
As an industrialized European country, Austria has a highly Right Number
sophisticated communications system. Mobile telephone • The international dialling
coverage extends to all areas, even ski slopes and remote code for Austria is +43.
villages, and reduced or non-existent EU roaming fees now When calling from abroad,
make it more cost-effective to use your phone. In spite of the omit the initial 0 from the
area code.
popularity of mobile phones, public telephone boxes are still • For directory enquiries, dial
widely found, and in an emergency, international phone calls 118877.
can be arranged at a post office. Most urban areas have high- • Railway timetable
speed fibre-optic broadband and free Wi-Fi access is offered information: 05 17 17.
at most tourist attractions, cafés and bars, and public spaces • Road conditions and
snowfall: 0800 400 12 400.
and buildings. The postal system, run by Osterreichische Post, • Central Post Office
is very efficient and reliable. Newspapers and magazines, Information (Zentrale
both hard copy and online, are readily available – many, Postauskunft): 0800
particularly in Vienna, have excellent listings sections. 010 100.
• To ring home from Austria,
International and Mobile Phones dial the appropriate
Local Telephone Calls country code, followed by
Mobile phone coverage is the number and omit the 0
Despite the dominance of generally excellent throughout from the local area code.
mobile phones, public tele the country and Austria has a • For the UK dial 0044.
phones are easy to find. Called number of mobile operators, • For the Irish Republic dial
Telefonzelle, they accept either the main ones being A1, BOB, 00353.
coins or prepaid cards, known Tele.Ring and T-Mobile. Before • For the USA dial 001.
as Telefonwertkarte, which can travelling, it is advisable to check • For Australia dial 0061.
be purchased in roaming rates with • For New Zealand dial 0064.
shops, at post offices your mobile provider.
or from kiosks. Coin EU roaming laws
operated telephones brought into effect in such as 0180 and 0190, may
accept 10, 20 and 2016 mean that visitors actually incur charges. A phone
50 cent as well as 1 T-Mobile logo to Austria from within call to a “tollfree” international
and 2euro coins – the the EU can use their number, such as 0800 in the
minimum charge for a phones at minimal United States, will be charged at
local call is 30 cents. The cost; coverage varies from the normal international rate.
cheaprate calling time for provider to provider, so check
inter national calls from Austria before you travel, and those that
is between 6pm and 8am and exceed their data allowance Internet
at weekends; for domestic calls, will still incur additional charges. Vienna has a smattering of
it is between 8pm and 6am, For those outside of the EU, dedicated Internet cafés, but,
and weekends. Diall 1611 for roaming can still be expensive. as elsewhere, these are a dying
directory assistance for calls Alternatively, regular or breed as just about every café
inside Austria, and 1613 for longterm visitors are advised or coffeehouse now has WiFi –
help with international calls. Be to purchase a prepaid SIM card, which you are free to use
warned that calling from a hotel or an Austrian mobile phone yourself, just so long as you
can be prohibitively expensive. with a prepaid card – such make a purchase. Where you
phones can be bought for do find an Internet café, expect
under €50. A SIM card typically to pay around €3–6 per hour.
costs around €15 and includes Increasingly, many public areas
around €10 credit; you can then in the bigger towns and cities
purchase additional credit from offer free WiFi; in Vienna, for
phone shops, supermarkets and example, there are hotspots all
the post office. Note, though, over the city, as well as the train
Emergency phone that your phone will need to be and subway stations – a full list of
sign unlocked; visitors from North these is available at freewave.at.
America may find that Austrian Many tourist offices offer WiFi
SIM cards are not compatible and/or a terminal, though you
with their phones. may need a password from
Austrian mobile numbers the staff. Otherwise, nearly all
are identified by the range hotels (and many hostels) have
0650 to 0699. Some numbers WiFi, and often a terminal for
Coin-operated phone Sign for cardphone that are advertised as tollfree, guests to use.
350-351_EW_Austria.indd 350 12/09/17 2:46 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Practical template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.6)
Date 7th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm
