Resource Guide for Expats in Vienna

Famous Viennese Schnitzels

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:16:00 +0000

The famous Viennese dish is the "Schnitzel". Schnitzels from Vienna are famous for their size, bigger than the dish :-) There are a few restaurants which are known for their schnitzels, but actually most restaurants do serve schnitzels. Figlmüller (www.figlmueller.at) is the most touristy schnitzel restaurant, probably serving the best in town. They don't look so impressive but delicious! Try them ;-)

Vienna Expat Community of Internations

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:54:00 +0000

Check out the Vienna Expat Community of Internations @ http://www.internations.org/expats/home/austria/vienna

You'll be able to build up valuable contacts with other expats, find some reliable information and trustworthy tips about the expat life in Vienna, and join InterNations events to meet fellow expatriate members in town!

Furnished Apartments in Vienna

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:32:00 +0000

Additionally to the other links in previous posts, here is another one for furnished apartments in Vienna near the city center (4th district): www.cityhomes.at

Highways in Austria

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:25:00 +0000

To use the Austrian highway network, you have to pay fee like in some other European countries (e.g. Switzerland). Highway stickers can be bought in most petrol stations. Always carry your driving license, vehicle registration document and certificate of motor insurance.

When entering Austria with a rental car, ensure that you have such a sticker ;-) Austria permits drivers to purchase an "Autobahnvignette" for various periods of time, from ten days to a full year. The so-called Mautvignette (toll sticker) must be affixed to the inside of the front windshield. The stickers come in varying colors in different years, making it easier for the police to spot an invalid Autobahnpickerl, Austrian slang for “autobahn sticker”.

Calendar of the Viennese Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:56:00 +0000

For finding the calendar of the balls in Vienna, visit this site http://www.ballkalender.info/. Search engine well done!

Christmas Markets in Vienna

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:16:00 +0000

Enjoy the Christmas Markets in Vienna starting from around mid-November and running through Chrismas Eve (December 24th)! You can find "Christkindlmarkte" on nearly every corner of most Austrian cities :-) The small huts provide you with small Christmas presents, food and most important hot punch and Glühwein... The most traditional Christmas markets in Vienna are the ones of Rathausplatz, Schoenbrunn Castle and Spittelberg (the nicest).

Parkings and Garages in Vienna

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:28:00 +0000

Find more information about parkings and garages in Vienna, look at http://www.parkeninwien.at/. Useful guide (in German and English) on the short-term and permanent parkings and their regulation in the city.

German Websites

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:21:00 +0000

For looking at information on websites in German, try this
Google search: Google translates your query into German and find German web page results, then finally it translates the German web pages results back into English for you. Quite useful!

Vienna Metro System

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Mon, 28 May 2007 13:01:00 +0000

Useful unofficial website, available in English, on the metro system in Vienna: http://homepage.univie.ac.at/horst.prillinger/metro/. You'll find information on the maps, timetables, orientation in the city, tickets and fares, airport connections... Very useful!

Public Holidays in Austria

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Tue, 15 May 2007 19:53:00 +0000

The public holidays in Austria are the following:

1st January (New Year's Day)
6th January (Epiphany)
Easter Monday
1st May (Labour Day)
Ascension Day
Whit Monday
Corpus Christi
15th August (Assumption)
26th October (Austrian National Holiday)
1st November (All Saints' Day)
8th December (Immaculate Conception)
25th December (Christmas Day)
26th December (St. Stephen's Day/Boxing Day)

Traffic Information

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 21:23:00 +0000

For traffic information in Austria, and especially in Vienna, visit the following website which provides real time data (incl. maps and webcams...): http://www.verkehrslage.at

Weather in Vienna

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 22:12:00 +0000

For the current weather in Vienna, few useful links:
- http://www.wetter.at/wetter/oesterreich/wien/wien
- http://wetter.orf.at/wie/

Costumes for Carnivals

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 12:11:00 +0000

For all your costumes for carnivals, parties..., visit the shop "Witte" on Nashmarkt (Linke Wienzeile 16, 6th district) or www.witte.at. Great stuff!

Health Links

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:57:00 +0000

To search for doctors/specialists in Vienna, visit this search page: http://www.aekwien.or.at/997.py. For an overview of the open pharmacies, you should check this very useful link: http://business.geolook.at/apothekerkammer/index99.asp. Although the doctors' search function allows you to specify foreign language skills (Fremdsprache), neither website is available in English Thanks Peter for these links :-)

Goldene Kugel

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 12:57:00 +0000

Very convenient shop "Goldene Kugel" (www.goldenekugel.at, 1040 Wien) to find most of the things related to kitchenware, glassware, cookware, household article and garden needs...

Free City Bike System in Vienna

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 12:18:00 +0000

Find more information on the free city bike system in Vienna at www.citybikewien.at. Quite convenient: You can hire our bikes at 50 bike stations across Vienna and return them at any station, independent of where you started your trip, it's 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

International Video Store

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 15:29:00 +0000

For DVD in English (and plenty of other languages), visit Alphaville, the main international video store in Vienna, located in the 4th district: www.alphaville.at. Enjoy!

Car Rental with Lauda Motion

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 15:38:00 +0000

I heard about the nice offers of Lauda Motion for renting a car in Vienna: 1 Smart, 1 Day, 1 Euro... www.laudamotion.com. It's worth trying it :)

Timetable Information

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 19:14:00 +0000

Useful website for finding timetable information: Verkehrsverbund Ost Region (www.vor.at).

Cinemas in Vienna

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:24:00 +0000

For information (in German) about cinemas and movies in Vienna, go to www.film.at. This site contains links to all the cinemas, the movies programmes, the trailers...

There is a number of cinemas in Vienna showing films in English (or in their original language). To find the right version, you need to look for the following abbreviations in the cinema programme: OV (original version), OmU (original version with subtitles) and OmeU (original version with English subtitles). Two main cinemas showing English movies: www.burgkino.at and www.haydnkino.at.

TBE/FSME Vaccination

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 14:17:00 +0000

It seems that the TBE/FSME (Tick Borne Encephalitis) vaccination is recommended in Austria (and mainly in Central and Eastern Europe). You can get more information on this website: www.tick-victims.info (available in many languages). FSME is a viral disease transmitted by ticks that attacks the nervous system and can cause both mild and severe illnesses. Ticks live in forest clearings and meadows.

For vaccination in Vienna, Travel Doc (www.traveldoc.at) is located in the 4th district (Favoritenstrasse 32, 1040 Wien) and open on Saturday till 4pm.

Registration in Austria

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 20:57:00 +0000

As mentioned in more details at HELP.gv.at (see previous post), persons establishing their residence in Austria, changing residence within Austria, or changing their primary residence must register by filling out and submitting a Residence Registration Form (Meldezettel) to the responsible authority. In Vienna, you need to go to the Municipal Authority (Magistrat) of your district.

The documents to be presented (based on Help.gv.at) are (1) Travel document (e.g. passport), (2) Birth certificate, (3) Residence Registration Form (Meldezettel), and (4) Documentary Proof of Academic Degrees. It seems that, in reality, only the Meldezettel and the Passport are needed.

Service for Foreign Citizens

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 20:57:00 +0000

Help.gv.at is a website with links to a large number of public authorities, which provides information on all interactions with Austrian authorities required in the most frequent life situations such as relocation, housing, pregnancy, childbirth, marriage..., and permits the electronic processing of some of these procedures. You will find all the information which is necessary for living and working in Austria.

Route Planner and Maps

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 19:34:00 +0000

Following my former post (Maps of Vienna, Feb 06) mentioning three useful websites for finding an address in Vienna, here is another one which is really good too: http://www.at.map24.com.

Another Online Dictionary

noreply@blogger.com (Karim El-Khazen) — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 19:45:00 +0000

Another very useful online translator between German and English, German and French and finally German and Spanish: http://dict.leo.org. Note that LEO offers also a dictionary version specifically designed for handheld devices with small screens (e.g. phones, PDAs...), using this address: http://pda.leo.org. Very convenient!