Page 346 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

344  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

operator Österreichische Catholic churches; Protestants
Bundesbahn has informa- make up just 5 per cent of the
tion in English on barrier- population. There is also a fair-
free rail travel. sized immigrant population from
various national backgrounds
and following various religious
Travelling with faiths; probably the largest group
Children
among them are Muslims.
Many hotels offer a free In Vienna, there is a sizeable
stay or reduced rates for Jewish community, which has
children under the age of its own synagogues, while the
12 who share a room with cemeteries are communal.
their parents. Children up
to the age of 15 pay half
fare on public transport;
on Sundays, public holidays
and during the summer
vacations they travel for
free. They are also entitled
to reduced admission
when visiting museums
A range of foreign-language newspapers and historic sights. The
and magazines on street stands large supermarkets and
also chemists have a
Information for department with essential items
Disabled Visitors
for babies as do the Drogeriemarkt
Austria is better prepared to and Bipa Stores. Information board on a building
receive disabled visitors than in Innsbruck
most other countries, and
many trams and buses can Senior Travellers Language
accommo date wheelchairs. At Austrians are extremely Although all Austrians officially
train stations, ask about lifts when respectful of older people. speak German, in reality they
you get your ticket. Facilities vary Senior travellers are often speak “Austrian”. While this
at under ground stations, so it is given priority seating on public variety of Low German does
best to check first. In some transport and many theatres, not differ from High German
regions the facilities are fairly cinemas, attractions and as markedly as Swiss German,
basic, but concessions on tickets museums offer generous its pronunciation and even
are available for disabled visitors. discounts to travellers with some rules of grammar and
Special parking spaces are set senior ID. vocabulary may make it seem
aside for disabled drivers and are like a different language.
clearly marked as such; if your car Added to this are several
displays the appropriate sticker, Information Austrian dialects, which differ
for Students
parking is also free of charge. from province to province.
Most of the main sights Students holding an Austrians are the first to admit
have access ramps. Contact international student card that it would be impossible to
the museums in advance so and a valid college ID are learn them all in their countless
they can organize help with entitled to discounts on railways regional varieties. For instance,
wheelchairs if needed. and municipal public transport, visitors who know a little
Some of the larger 5-star as well as reduced admission German find Tirolerisch, the
hotels have special facilities for to cinemas, museums and dialect spoken in Tyrol,
disabled guests, including extra- sports events. They will also be completely incomprehensible.
wide showers that allow easy offered accommodation in a You will have few problems
wheelchair access. Just a few Jugendherberge (youth hostel) making yourself understood in
restaurants have access ramps at a lower price. Up-to-date English, especially in the larger
for wheelchairs. information on accommodation cities and main tourist centres.
For a directory of accessible in student dormitories and English is also spoken by most
travel services check the website youth hostels can be obtained young people who learn it at
of Europe-wide organization from any tourist office. elementary school.
Pantou. There is also information
on barrier-free travel on the Religion Etiquette
Austria National Tourist Office
website, as well as on each of Austria is a predominantly Peace and quiet are highly
the regional tourism authority Catholic country – as is apparent valued by Austrians who live
websites. The website of rail from the large number of outside the cities. They are

344-345_EW_Austria.indd 344 30/10/2015 11:08
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Practical template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.6)
Date 7th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm