Austria: The Don'ts of Visiting Austria 

as an austrian, i can guarantee you that wolter is pretty spot on with this video!

1. Don’t eat at the overpriced Five Guys at Graben, 2. Don’t wait in line more than 10 minutes to grab a cake and coffee. There are more than 2 Cafes in Vienna 3. Don’t drive, take the train or trams 4. Don’t bunch up in small streets with large groups 5. Don’t expect to understand Vienna by visiting the first district (city center) only.

good manners never get old.

As an Austrian who lives in France it always strikes me how similar etiquette is in these two countries. The smokers, the greeting when entering, the quietness, even the waiters...... :-)))

As a local let me add a don't for Vienna: Don't queue in front of one of the famous coffee houses - that takes the idea ad absurdum. How can you enjoy your visit there if you know somebody else is standing outside waiting for you to leave? Just go to a less famous coffee house. The Sachertorte or Apfelstrudel there taste better, because they can't relay on an endless stream of one-time-tourists.

As a Finn i feel right at home with the cold and quiet Austrian people, as somebody who enjoys nature and lives around flat farmland all year i would recommend to anybody who wants to visit Austria to just head to the Tirol region and explore that, you will not regret it

Hi Mark. Thank you for your very fitting video about Austria. As somebody who lives now in Vienna for arround 10 years I hope you don't mind if I add some additional points (especially with regards to Vienna) (For all (espacially austrian) readers, this is just my personal opinion, trying to be objective, so don't be upset if one or more mentioned points contradicts your opinion. Thank you! 1. Don't stay an the left side of the escalator! Viennesse people are very relaxed when it comes to going out to eat & drink or similar but don't expect people at public transport stations to be this calm, since vienna is a big and busy city and vienesse people really hate it in particular when they are in a hurry (e.g. for work) when you are standing in their way. 2. Don't stick just to the most known viennesse dishes, espacially when it comes to desserts and sweets. Vienna (but also other austrian cities like salzburg) is known in europe to be one main capital for cake and coffee. A lot of austrian people even say the "Sachertorte" which you get in the cafés is the worst choice you can make on dozens of other cake choices and really marks you as a tourist. 3. If you are the type of person, which loves to get lost: Don't just stick to the 1st district. (I don't want to say that the 1st district is not beautiful and worth a visit, but vienna is not just its 1st district) You also will get very beautiful architecture and also often way more authentic shops, cafés and cuisine in other districts. Every district in vienna is worth a visit and a discovery on its own, which makes vienna (at least for me) one of the most interesting cities in europe. But if you come the first time to vienna, try at least to "get lost" in some of the districts ranging from the 3rd to the 9th. 4. My biggest "negative don't" in vienna. Don't expect vienna to be a party city. Of course there are more than enough possibilities to go out and have fun. But if your main goal is to "party hard", vienna can't compare to cities like Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid, London and so on. 5. My biggest "positive don't" in vienna. Even if vienna has the reputation to be a very unpolite city, don't stick to that cliché. Of course like in every other metropolis, there are some really rude people living in Vienna. But in general, viennesse and austrian people in general are very friendly and welcoming. I have been to a lot of other countries in Europe and even if I personally think its nuts to judge a whole country's friendliness after just being 1 or 2 weeks there, I personally had way worse first time impressions in other countries compared to my first time(s) in austria (as a tourist). Just keep Mark's advice in mind and don't compare or confuse austrians with germans (or australians ;) ) and you'll be fine. Hope I could help somebody out there.

👍👍👍 ich liebe deinen Kanal ich habe mir schon einige Videos von dir angesehen muss sagen du magst das sehr sehr gut ich als Österreicher und Wiener liebe es wie du unsere Stadt und unser Land erklärst. Da ich selber im Tourismus arbeite und viel mit Gästen zu tun habe freue ich mich immer wieder auch wenn amerikanische Gäste kommen und die Kleinigkeiten beachten die das Leben hier so wunderbar wunderbar machen.

if you're gonna do a "don'ts of Vienna" please mention the CAT train to the airport. it's just like 5 minutes or so faster than the regional train, but costs more. the only plus side is that it's really made for tourists with big signs so you can't miss it and don't have to look up the local train connections

Best chocolate we have ever had was in Vienna. Dear lord, it is indescribable... just, amazing. Sample box from the little shop in Ferstel Passage. Worth it!

As an Austrian I'll completely agree on most points you mentioned, just wanted to add some things. In terms of service it's true there are restaurants, cafes etc. where you get treated badly, especially in Vienna, but times are changing and the variety and number of places where u can go eat and drink is bigger than ever. There are plenty of great places with excellent service and food, not only the more pricy ones. My advice: don't pick too touristic places for lunch and dinner, if you have time, visit the districts around the inner district (2.-9.). Also the younger locals tend to be more friendly and welcoming to foreigners.

I visited Austria while on a Danube river cruise. I enjoyed Salzburg, it's a fascinating little town and I'm not a big sound of music fan. I spent a day in Vienna and instantly fell in love with the city, it has a wonderful vibe to it. I would also recommend wachau valley, which we visited on the river cruise ship but you can also do by bicycle or ship or train and it's a beautiful region with great wine and food.

I did notice several of the Austrians in the background giving you a bit of side eye as they walk by. Thanks Mark! Good stuff. Austria is great for marionettes too.

I love it, when you talk about the country I live in. 🙂 every time

lived in vienna for 3 months, full of history and architecture! miss the schnitzels and also miss skiing in the austian alps

As an Austrian/Viennese it's heartwarming to see how much you like our country. Great to have someone that positive here. We are way to grantig all the time 😬

I was in Austria last year, and thought all wait staff were really friendly, and fantastic.

Vienna looks incredibly beautiful and clean. That's one thing I know about Austria - very high standards. I do love their Wiener Schnitzel, Apfel strudel and of course the bratwurst in a bun with sauerkraut.

As an austrian myself i gotta say, you covered all the big topics pretty well. Though there is still something i'd like to add regarding the "Don't think it is just amazing cities" @ 5:00 ; It's great you mention the beautiful nature in our country and also all the various, regional museums that are worth visiting, but there is more to just that. What i personally want to specify on is all the neat little towns all around, the "every day" kind of towns. Like the state Salzburg for example doesn't only consist of the city of Salzburg, Steiermark of just Graz, and so on and so on... There are many many more places worth seeing, visiting, and most importantly, worth staying at. All those "hidden gems" sorf of places. I feel like a lot of people fail to ever mention them, whether because they've never left the cities vicinity or think they are not worth talking about. But for a true Austria experience i'd advice leaving the big time cities for a while. The changes in nature, people, cuisine, prices, history, attractions, etc are massive. Rural tourism is a real thing here and it really displays our country the best in various ways, especially if you spend your time in one of the many picturesque farm resorts/farm stays.

Gruesse aus Melbourne, Australien!! Gutes Video Mark. Ich bin dreimal in Österreich gewesen. Österreich ist mein lieblings Land in Europa! Die Landschaft ist unglaublich. Die Leute sind nicht immer nett aber sie sind trotzdem hilfbereit wenn du eine Frage hast.. Deine Videos sind toll und ich freue mich auf mehr Videos von dir!!

I would love to visit Austria someday.

One major "don't" I'd love to add, regarding "local" pubs, "local" restaurants, those "hidden gems you must try": don't waltz into those places like you own them: you're a _guest_ , not their patron. A very important distinction. They'll welcome you to stay, it's not you gracing them with your credit card's presence. There's plenty of other places sprung up all over town to cater just to that attitude over the past decade if you're into that. Literally, in German, a "Gast", a guest, is someone who's invited, be it at your fireplace in the woods some 4000 years ago, your house, café, restaurant, dinner party. "be my guest" in the truest sense. While 'patron' has different meanings in English (what a surprise): is it a customer, maybe even a regular one? At the store, at the bar? Or is it a patron, as in latin 'patronus', a supportive and/or kindly figure looking out for my (and/or their) well-being? Sponsoring my arts? Telling me what to do as they're my better? Bottom line: don't patronize waiters in Vienna and you'll most probably enjoy your time as a Guest ;)

I agree with you!😀But don t forget the amazing east part of Austria, Burgenland. Here were Joseph Haydn and Franz Liszt born. And you get really the best wine in this area!

This is great advice!! I am going on a trip to Austria and Germany in May, and I can't wait!

My favourite place! The Christmas markets in Vienna are always incredible, went on a "pilgrimage" across all of them in 2021, no regrets!

I loved Austria, my don’t is don’t forget to admire the fantastic and beautiful architecture in the cities

On our second trip to Vienna, with a river cruise, we took the U-Bahn (he subway) from the river to St Stephan's Cathedral, and back. Easy!

I am looking forward to spending several weeks in Austria next summer! I want to move to Alto Adige (Italy) or Austria by the end of the decade but if I can make it work out, I am leaning more to settling in Austria, maybe around Linz. I love Mark's videos and find them educational, especially regarding the culture.

Don’t expect to be able to avoid sugar. The desserts must be sampled frequently.

On spot 🎯, Mark! Greetings from 🇦🇹🇦🇹🇦🇹

Some information is a little out of date. In Austria, smoking has been banned in cafés, restaurants and pubs etc. since January 2019.

skiiing is free. the cost of downhill skiiing comes from the lift only. but cross-country skiiing is free.

Strange, I made a lot of conversations starting with small talk. Mainly in Salzburg, people there are so nice and kind, they are open to talk about everything and even about themselves. I even got a photo from a cinnamon shop owner, she took photo of animals as a hobbie and gave me one, it was so cute and nice. Made friends with the hotel staff and we ofter had long conversations. Shared my pizza with a guy waiting for his pizza. I just keep thinking about all the good talks that started with small talk.

As an Austrian, this was pretty wholesome. ^^ Especially the friendship part. Yeah, Austrians are naturally grumpy/hard to crack, but even we can be sweet. xP And overall, the video was very respectful, informative and thoughtful. Lot of truths in there. And he even undermined that we are our own country and not Germany 2.0, which was nice. Shout out also for mentioning Wiener Wald. People usually come to Salzburg for the scenary and Vienna for the culture. But every place in Austria has both. I live in Vienna and it's got so many beautiful places for a walk. I recommend hiking (or walking really, it's not that high xP) up Kahlenberg with the vineyards and such a great view of the city! Also has some nice (and sometimes expensive, watch out!) "Heurigen", kinda the Austrian version of pubs, only that they focus on wine and not beer.xP

Skiing in Austria? I go most years. Even at high-end resorts, like Lech, it's cheaper than North America. Good guide.

Nice video, as always. I already know Vienna and Salzburg, both beautiful, and next summer I'm visiting Hallstatt and Salzkammergut (and also some wonderful nearby places in Germany). Can't wait for it! ❤

I agree, we aren't overly friendly. This is because we value sincerity and we don't like fake friendliness.

Spot on! Speaking as an Austrian I can only recommend you stick to these recommendations during your visit and you'll have a grand time with us :)

Line from a nonfiction book I am listening to:- Upon their release, they were given the choice of which Germany to return to, most chose Austria

Mark, I am glad other people like Hot Chocolate instead of Coffee like I do. I have yet to go to Austria, but I look forward to going I especially like that they are quiet since I tend to be quiet also.

I am taking my son to Austria in May. This video is gold. Thank you!!!

Went to Austria a few years back and I would love to go back again.

By the museums: Dont forget Stübing!!!

Greetings to you, I came across your video by another youtuber commenting on another video of you. I was born in Vienna and live now a little bit outside of the city in the "Wienerwald", and that´s a "don ´t miss" - especially if you like to do walks in nature, or visiting the more than 1000 years old cloister "Heiligenkreuz". A second "don´t miss" in Vienna is not going to a "Heurigen", the traditional wine - houses. They are are some in the center of Vienna, but they are more frequently situated at the outskirts like in Grinzing or Nussdorf in the North of Vienna on the foothill slope of Kahlenberg, or at the south like in Mauer or - just outside of the city - in Perchtholdsdorf. Most often they are wine producers selling their own local wine. In former days you brought your own things to eat, today there is always a buffet - but the main scope is to sit together, drinking your wine and listening to Vienese Music songs (do not mix that with classic music like Mozart!). And don ´t miss to go up to Kahlenberg / Leopoldberg, you have the best view over the city and the danube river. And dont´t miss to go to the "Donauinsel", its an artifical iland in the river Danube sporting a many kilometers long recreation area in the middle oft town - once in the year housing the famous "Donauinselfest", where 10000+ people get there for the party and music....

I enjoyed my time visiting Austria. I like the formality and punctuality. Great beer 🍺

The Goldentime Sauna Club is a great place to go as well.

We're heading to Vienna in a few weeks...we have reservations to have a white-tablecloth dinner with friends on the Riesenrad, the giant 1897 Ferris wheel in the Prater Park. We'll have a 3-course dinner in one of the enclosed cars...they change the course every 2 revolutions. How cool is that?

I do have to say I only had one bad waiter during my stay in Austria. This was in Salzburg. It’s wasn’t that he was rude, but every time I needed him ( paying the bill , etc ) he was nowhere to be found . And I was the only customer there . The rest of my stay , the waiters were friendly and helpful..

In Germany and Austria being on time means being 5 minutes early. Also instead of fawning in your face service you get efficient professional service without the server whoring for a big tip.

As an Austrian ,you are quite right 😊

Hey Mark, great video

Thank you for sharing valuable information 😊

Thank you, Mark. Another helpful video with lots of advice to consider when planning a trip. Always appreciate your insights.

Simply beautiful! Great video!😊❤

this was fantastic and very insightful thank you i appreciate everything you shared

Appreciate the video. Thank you.

Thank you 🙏🏼

I just planning my trip to austria an I found your vid very helpful! Thank you!

Wolter.. 👍🏻 great video 🤝 big greetings from Graz/Austria

Glad to see you've visited Zell am See, my favorite town there. I hope you didn't miss the ice cave in Werfen.

Perfect timing as heading to Vienna again next week :-)

As an English woman living in Austria for over 5 years, I must say you have given a lot of good advice in this video! By the way, if you do need to shop for something on a Sunday you might get lucky if you go to a railway station - for example, I live near a small city in Upper Austria and the station there has a Resch (bakery and café) which is open on Sundays, and the MPreis supermarket at Innsbruck station was open when we passed through recently. It was doing a lot of trade!

And you will get an earful if you're boisterous outside of say a sports bar or nightclub where loud is the norm. Oddly enough, they played "Climb any Mountain" in the Salzburg Cathedral on Rupertikirtag in 2011.

I loved my visit to Austria last year. I really want to go back and explore more. It was so beautiful, but I feel like I missed out on a lot. On my list for another visit at some point in the future.

great video love it you should do tours of Vienna I am heading over shortly in June

Thank you

For those people that aren't religious, you can also formally greet people in Austria by saying: "Grüß Sie!" 😉

Good Day !

Dont rush. Austria has so many great things to do and see. Its the polite country that doesnt talk itsself up. Eg Car trip to Gross Glockener. Obertraun and the ice caves.

Love the way Mark's voice goes up when he says "I feel a bit better about it" 😛😉

Visit any of the Cafe Oberlaa if you want to have a nice cake, you dont have to stand in line at the hotel sacher forever

nicely done, all true

Love that bit with the people that walk past @ 14:50 😁

😃 Kick-Ass videos !

Another really important DON'T is: When you roam the city centre of Vienna, you probably are going to bump into guys dressed up in Mozart costumes trying to sell you concert tickets. These concerts are overprized and performance is terrible. The musicians are not highly skilled professionals, a large number of them are just students trying to make a quick buck. "Hot seat swapping" is common practice, so the musicians coming together first time for a one-time rehearsal in the afternoon before the performance is pretty much the standard.

Love love love austria and vaviera

I went to Austria in the summer. Cool place (Especially Hallstatt) ✅

Haha spot on!

I've only been in Vienna one week, but I would like to add another Don't; As a pedestrian, do not cross the cross-walk unless the light is green -- even if it's a short distance, and there's no traffic within site. It seems the locals are sticklers about this..

I was in Vienna in 2019 as a tourist. I can verify that the public transportation is excellent. There are trains, buses and trolleys that go everywhere. We were able to figure out the system within the first day of being in the city, and we took it everywhere, including the Zentralfriedhoff, Schoenbrunn and the airport.

So nice, that we Germans are not the only ones, that use cash, like to be on time (except the long distance trains) or be friendly, but in a professional manner, not over the top.

Hallstatt is amazing 😍

In Vienna some of the waiters are the most unfriendly ones in the whole country. So if you can handle them, the ones in the other cities are a breeze. If you are uncomfortable with "Grüß Gott", a "Guten Tag" (have a nice day), or Hallo if more informal is okay in the specific place you are, works too for a greeting. A good bye is a "wieder schauen" (see you again) here, that is what he forgot.

As an Austrian I am impressed by the accuracy of this list. Although... I know plenty of Austrians who are almost always late and it is getting worse... The service personnel has become way more friendlier with their customers than they used to in the past - at least on average. The older, experienced and well trained waiters are retiring and being replaced with young kids who act more friendly but also lack the training and experience. Therefore do not expect the high quality of service as a given thing anymore... Also: If you are a female and need a haircut, make sure not to go to a barber-shop that only displays pictures of males in the window. Women will not be served there since such establishmments are operated by Muslim immigrants. As a female be prepared to not get any service at some "Döner"-Shops. Your presence in the shop might be tolerated but you will be ignored - happened to both my wife and also my stepdaughter occasionally in Vienna. Avoid certain areas in the larger cities after dark! If you want to enjoy the nightlife check with your hotel concierge where the safer tourist-areas are located. It is not as bad as many places in Germany already are - but we're catching up. Tourist traps are huge in Austria (as in every country relying heavily on tourism). Do not buy show or admission tickets from vendors in the streets dressed in classical costumes! If you're lucky the tickets are extremely overprized. If you're less lucky the tickets aren't valid at all! Don't give money to panhandlers! They are usually members of organized Romanian gangs and your money encourages organized crime to carry on.

Austrian here. Its Stelze, not Stezle. Yes, I have to point out this minor detail, because I cant find any major mistakes in the video ;)

I am from Vienna and I can also confirm Wolter's points are pretty accurate. If you don't want to say "Grüß Gott" you can also use "Guten Tag" (Good day!). Fun fact #1: Most of the Austrians I know (me included) have never seen "The Sound of Music" :-D Mindblowing fact for americans: Vienna is ruled by a social democratic (socialist) government for the past 100 years.

Don’t expect any vegetables on the menus except potatoes, or a meager portion of salad, with potatoes.

Great video, also keep small change hand 50 cent or 1 euro handy if you need to use a public bathroom. They are clean and manned 24/7. Even Mcdonalds charges to use the bathroom. Also ask for the nicht-raucher (non-smoking) section in a resurant.

"You can go skiing there". No. It's THE place to go skiing, at least according to my fellow Dutchies 😂 O, and another don't: don't mistake Austria for Australia. Apparently this happens so much that the Austrians started selling souvenirs with "sorry, no kangaroos" on them 😂

An outstanding guide for visitors to Austria. First class. I love the country and have visited many, many times and this is the best thing a tourist to this wonderful country can watch in advance of visit. As an aside, Imperial Torte (served in the Hotel Imperial coffee shop - and the Bristol - is, for me, a much better cake than that served in the Hotel Sacher or Demel).

Hey @WoltersWorld, since you live (or have lived) in Austria, I assume that you ... mich verstehst 😉. Die Österreich-Werbung sollte dir ein Gehalt zahlen für diese fantastische Werbung. Das hat selten jemand so auf den Punkt gebracht. Super.

Thx for pointing out the difference to Germany ;-) like Christop Walz also did 🙂 but we never say "tschüss" that is pure German :-) but "Auf Wiedersehen" oder Pfiati oder Servas....

The picture of Starbucks is very wrong, after over 40 years in Austria I never been to one. Main reason is that there are so many better options to get good coffee and snacks.

My dream is to have a house near this city

Mr. Wolter is being polite when he says "don't expect American-style over-the-top friendly service". This is correct, as far as it goes, but as an outsider who lived in Vienna for two years, let me be less polite and more frank: you're going to be treated rudely, brusquely, and with suspicion. Austrians just don't like outsiders. Now, I get this--they have a VERY good thing going and they understand that in order to keep that going they need to keep things for them and by them, which means keeping outsiders out. In a sense, this is healthy. But, if you are one of those outsiders (and why Vienna volunteered to serve as the HQ for a huge UN office given their attitude is beyond me), you're going to feel it. All the time.

hi love your videos from all your experience travelling the world id love your opinion whats the best countries and places to live im from the uk so id love an experts opinion thanks mark.

I disagree with smiling. I live in Vienna and smile at people a lot. The small talk thing is true-except when there is a nuisance to bond over, like a train being late or halting between stations, people being rude, etc. Complaining is part of the culture in Vienna :D All the other things are spot on, though!

I would be very curious whether you prefer Austria or Germany 😀

Austrian here...one thing i dont agree. We dont mind small talk to strangers...as long its not small talk

Tourists need to have passport or ID when checking in. Usually hotels in Europe doesn't care that much about documents.