Tourist Scams in Austria
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- Опубліковано 3 чер 2024
- Are you heading to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck or any other Austrian city and were wondering about safety advice on visiting Austria? Well we go through a few tourist scams, tourist traps, and tourist safety advice in Austria here. Be a prepared tourist for your Austrian vacation.
Filmed in Innsbruck, Austria
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About souvenirs:
Don't buy Austrian sweets like Morzartkugeln or Mannerschnitten at some random overpriced museum or souvenir store, just go to a local supermarket like "Billa" or "Spar" instead. All that stuff is so much cheaper there.
still overpriced
@@SalamanderS337 Food usually is more expensive in Austria than in Germany or the US.
@@christapulmon8443 im am from salzburg i know that but there are cheaper more tastyer options still
Buy the cheaper Mozartkugeln, because they taste a lot better.
Mozartkugeln at Fürst are delicious tho.
Especially for the Americans watching: Regarding "Sound of Music" be prepared for the fact that 99% of us have never seen that movie 🙂
But, why? I'm Italian and since I was a child, I watched it many times on TV , especially during the Christmas period and I'm 59 years old. Is there any particular reason?
@@gio7799 Do you know the original movie "Die Trapp-Familie" (1956) and the sequel "Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika" (1958)? They were both very successful in Austria and Germany, so there was not much interest in a more fictionalized american copy of the story.
@@mario27171 that's interesting, I didn't know the existence of a German version and unfortunately I have never seen those films, only the American version arrived in Italy but I imagine that the German language one is better than the American version, often American remakes of European films are cold and soulless as was the case with the French film" Intouchables" or the Italian one "Incompreso" vs "Misunderstood".
@@gio7799no particular reason, a mix of it being branded for foreigners and not getting popular enough. He exaggerates too. Glad that you liked it, I‘m sure most who saw it did :)
@@gio7799 I never even saw it on TV. At school we discussed musicals like cats or west side story, but never the sound of music.
Video title: "Tourist Scams in Austria"
Video content: There are none, some things are just expensive or unusual.
police shuts down scams real quick. unless its the "free rose scam". but if you know anything about europe tourism you probably know about that already.
i dont trust you anymore since you said austrian beer is bad
Austrian beer is very divierse. Every village has its own beer. Kaiser and Gösser are bad, but there is good beer, too.
@@katzensindweich3505 I agree, kaiser and gösser are not good. 😅
Freistädter all the way. Haha
Gösser not being good is a myth. In fact I prefer it as my daily driver over Puntigamer, Stiegl, Murauer,...
@@agenttank Tell me where you are from without telling me 😂
@@katzensindweich3505 well, it is very obvious - so not funny :-P
Be aware that the 3 day ticket (72 Stunden Wien) for Vienna's public transportation is exactly the same price as a ticket valid for 7 days (7 Tage Wien). Both are 17.10 EUR.
The 3 day ticket has other things included not only Public Transport as far as I know at least.
I might very well be wrong*
@@Jetlef_B_Toast I think you confuse it with the (way more expensive) Vienna City Card Wolter doesn't recommend.
The 72-hour ticket used to make more sense when you could only buy weekly tickets that were valid from Monday. However, you can now choose a flexible start date if you purchase the ticket online.
@@to_loww oh yeah that should be what I thought about
you forgot the mozart guys trying to sell you overpriced concert tickets. no Austrian would go to those
By St. Stevens ? From what I know, thats not a scam. They are employees of the Viennese Opera House and are selling tickets at the same prices are you can get them online. The same guys some times stand right in front of the Opera House too, selling tickets.
They're not a scam, exactly. They're just concerts entirely geared toward tourists. I'm a musician and have colleagues who played in those orchestras. They're not bad, but they "only" play crowd favourites, which is a practice frowned upon by classical music nerds. They play in costumes that are not quite historically correct but look like a Hollywood version of Mozart era dress, and the tickets are generally neither cheap nor really expensive. Normal concerts have cheap tickets in the back, two or three medium categories and a few rows of premium seats where you get the best experience. These tourist concerts generally have 2 categories in the medium price range, because it's not really about the best sound, but the overall experience. It's not a scam because you get what you paid for, but it's not something locals would do because it's so obviously made for tourists.
@@kathilisi3019 Thats correct! I dont know how someone can name it a “scam”.
A "kinda" tourist trap in Vienna are those guys in Mozart-like livery selling classic concert tickets. Those tickets either can often be found cheaper elsewhere (also, many places like the State Opera or the Musikverein offer last-minute tickets for dirt cheap), or they are for "no name" orchestras (not necessarily bad, but maybe not what you'd expect).
Yeah, thank you for that! I was wanting to bring that up, too. Vienna is known internationally for its traditional classical music education and entertainment. You can find very high quality concerts everywhere in the city. Highly recommended Musikerverein, Staatsoper, Konzerthaus or the many events produced by Jeunesse, for example.
ive seen the concert 10 years ago because my grandparents from france wanted to see it. yeah.. it was just a no-name small orchestra playing very average and forgettable music in a rented room at castle schönbrunn. nowadays they might not even play at schönbrunn, idk
Most of the time, it's the latter. It’s a no-name orchestra playing one earworm after another at a very fancy location. I don’t think it’s a scam per se, but it’s fair to say that it’s not very authentic. I feel it falls into the same category as watching a tango show in Buenos Aires or a tourist dance performance in Bali-just not very authentic. On the other hand, attending a performance by a much more renowned Austrian orchestra playing only two very specific symphonies by Bach or Haydn, it also isn't to everyone's taste.
@@georghauer7811 Most of these orchestras are comprised of students which make these concerts for some side money. They mostly play some pieces by Mozart or Strauss which everybody knows in some small rented rooms of historical buildings, but these concerts are way overpriced.
As a native Austrian I can say you are right, but that is the job of these people from the agency to sell the tickets. Btw the sellers who are dressed are all foreigners and not Austrians.
Incredibly safe. Love Austria
Its high in corruption 😂, but I couldn't think of a more safe country atm. Greetings 🇦🇹
@@metalslegend In corporate corruption, not in everyday corruption.
@@fairphoneuser9009 Corporate landscape, politics all the good stuff
@@metalslegend Yeah, but it's not like you have to bribe a cop on the street...
@@metalslegend Dont mislead people or they might try to bribe police or government workers and get in trouble for it. Never in my life did I have to or had the chance to bribe anyone.
As an austrian: we may look a little bit grumpy, but we're mostly friendly and always helpful 😉
As an austrian also: that is not true. we are grumpy and often not willing to help
I've got a nice story for ya:
some 15 years ago I was on a delivery run in the inner city and had to check some documents before going to my next waypoint. Because of that I was "parked" in a loading zone not far away from St.Stephen's when a little old lady came up to my small 'van' and asked me through the open window if I could give her directions to her hotel (don't remember which one it was). I remember that I knew exactly where she needed to go and because I knew that I didn't need any detour to get to that hotel I offered to drive her.
It honestly didn't even occur to me to get something in return for this (it's even forbidden by law to take any kind of compensation for driving someone without having a taxi license, which I learned later) and I was somewhat speechless when she asked me how much money I wanted to have for this kind of service. When I recovered and told her "free of charge" she was the one who was speechless. Afterwards we took this seven minutes ride to her hotel and had a really nice chat. To this day I can only guess where this person came from and we didn't even exchange names.
@@nesnimu The Viennese especially
taxi drivers in vienna are born grumpy. waiters in restaurants in vienna sometimes as well. depends. this is their own kind of character.
I'd recommend just walking around Vienna if you're there for the day - super walkable city, and you can see all the great sites in just a few hours
Very little supermarkets
There is (or was) something called "Einkaufskarte" at the ticket machines for the U-Bahn. It was a city card for the day between 08:00 and 18:00 or so and cost less than a day-card.
The subway is easy to navigate in vienna, and for anything that needs too much time to walk to, it's fast and easy.
@@TheOshman4 😅
@@TheOshman4 wait fr? thats little for you?
As an Austrian, I have never tried the CAT. However, there is one feature - in addition to your video - that makes the CAT practical and justifies the extra charge: you can drop off your luggage at the station and check in for your flight.
Except when I was last there the line was horribly long as tourists did not know about S7 and then they closed that feature suddenly. Only a good deal if you have MUCH luggage. For a trolley even a larger one it is not worth it.
1. There are affordable lockers everywhere. 2. Literally any accommodation lets you store your luggage for free before you go to the airport... CAT is and always has been a SCAM!
@@PascalGienger Absolutely!
@@PascalGienger Just wanted to add that there is also the faster REX7 line and several Railjet connections from Wien Hauptbahnhof (Hbf).
Yes, for parents with small kids this is very convenient. I take it since I have babies/toddlers
The biggest tourist trap in Vienna is essentially the entirety of the first district, although it's certainly worse the closer you are to Stephansplatz.
Do take walk and look around there, do take your time and enjoy everything, but when it comes to you wanting to go somewhere to grab a drink or some food, just don't do it in the immediate area.
Schwedenplatz for drinks is fine. It's still super close, about 7m from Stephansplatz if you walk, but there are a lot of locals there too and its not a trap, rather a hotspot where there are a lot of bars, and prices there generally are actually reasonable. But when it comes to eating cakes like the mentioned Sachertorte (or really anything else), or buying souvenirs or traditional sweets like, just don't do it in the close vicinity.
Whenever I pass Hotel Sacher and see a huge crowd of tourists standing in front of it, I am kind of amused, because from what I have heard (never been there myself, as have most of my friends who live in Vienna) the prices there are ridiculous. The original version of the cake isn't even the best one as there is only one layer of apricot jam in the middle, and there are versions of it out there with 2 layers of jam (which most of the people I talked to actually prefer), and even if you don't want the extra layer of jam, any café in Vienna I've ever been to has had Sachertorte on the menu, so there certainly are a lot of other places where you can eat it, if you are fine with it not being "the orginal" (and therefore costing a fraction of what Hotel Sacher might charge).
Enjoy your stay, cheers!
One thing worth mentioning is, that if you have the ticket for public transport in Vienna, it is not enough to get to the airport in Schwechat. Schwechat, the city, is included. The airport of Schwechat is not. I sometimes work at the kiosk in the train stations, and tourists don't seem to realize that they have to pay for the one additional station.
Also, if you have the ticket for the public transport in Vienna, a ticket with a train that goes outside of Vienna might cost a bit less (depends on the train). At the kiosk, you can just click on a box that says "Ab Stadtgrenze" ("from city border", or something similar), top-right on the screen after you chose a destination, and you will only pay for the part outside of Vienna. It's only 2,40€ saved, but still. Especially useful when you go to the airport, because the one station then costs only 2 €, I think.
Also, fun video. Kinda funny, that it's not even scams, just some stuff that is somewhat overpriced. And the essence being: Yeah, there are no scams.
Austria is absolutely lovely. We’ve visited a few times and would go back again in an instant.
Glad you experienced a nice time over here :)
I completely agree with you about the airport train (CAT - green color), you should rather take the normal train (ÖBB - red color). Depending on the type of ÖBB train, it will take you between 30 - 60 minutes to get to the city for much less money than with the CAT. That's how we locals do it too ;)
As a native Austrian, I can say that almost all pickpockets come from Eastern Europe and are organized groups. Unfortunately, every year at Christmas time we are flooded by these people in the cities and Christmas markets. The same applies to the beggars at the markets. Please do not confuse this with real Austrians, we appreciate tourists and want to make your stay as pleasant as possible.
I got one tourist trap: the ,,Wiener Christkindlmarkt“ at the Rathausplatz in Vienna. It‘s crowded with lots of tourists, very expensive and there are some pickpockets. Visit smaller christmasmarkets in Vienna (Spittelberg, Am Hof, Maria Theresienplatz, Karlsplatz), Salzburg (Hellbrunn) or visit the Salzkammergut Christmasmarkets instead. They are wonderful! ✨
St Wolfgang for the win!
We were at Vienna's Spittelberg Christmas Market on the first Friday it was open last November and it looked nice but was extremen;y overcrowded to the point of being unpleasant. Also, a stall keeper deliberately tried to short-change me when I was buying a couple of Wurstl (sausages). Fortunately I notice as she was handing me my change and demanded my missing euro!
How do you know it was deliberate?@@DeannaAllison
all of the x-mas markets in Vienna are crowded. Viennese love them and all of them are expensive and Gluehwein is usually diluted haha. It's not a tourist scam though.
@@fridaytax St. Wolfgang used to be nice but unfortunately it's become completely overcrowded in the last few years!
Hi Mark, thanks for the tips. Me and my kids love Austria, we’ve to Salzburg and Innsbruck loads of times and your videos are super helpful 😮
I am from Greece and live in Vienna. Your videos about the places I already know, are the ones that convinced me to seek your advice for my other travels! Because I couldn't agree more! :) We are also visiting Sevilla and Barcelona soon, so your latest videos had incredible timing! Thank you!
Sevilla is beautiful!
@@platinum11110 We have been to Spain twice already and absolutely love it! We keep getting back and explore!
My advice: Do not queue up in front of some famous (or prominent in traveler guides) cafés or restaurants. There are so many other places in Vienna offering good food or cakes. There is absolutely no need to stand in line for half an hour:)
Me and a friend had an unfortunate incident in Vienna outside the Opera house. A chap came along with a leaflet selling tickets to the opera show while showing us a little dance in which he said twirled around my friend and next minute he was gone and so was my friend’s wallet. We tried to chase him to no avail and then went to the police who were Fairly friendly. a couple of months down the line did actually even catch hold of that person and sent my friend mugshots to recognise him
Thats sad but glad they caught him eventually
One tourist trap common in a lot of tourist destinations, not just in Austria are the Euronet ATMs that charge fees and have high exchange rates which can really cost a lot of money if you’re not careful. This is especially important to know since Austria still uses cash very often. I would recommend avoiding these, they are mostly either labeled with „ATM“ or „Cash“. Instead use one from a bank like Erste Bank, Sparkasse, Bank Austria, Bawag, Raiffeisen or at the post offices, they don’t charge any fees except your bank‘s conversion fees.
If they have a B-shaped sign in green and blue they are fine.
Yes, those Euronet ATMs do have very high charge fees, I consider them being a scam. They popped up everywhere in the last few years (even in my small hometown). Use the normal ATMs at the banks and not the Euronet ones at the "Spar" Shops and you are fine.
Huh? What Spar exactly has a Euronet ATM? I've only ever seen legit ones there by Bawag or Raiffeisen for example...
@@juulian1306 The ones in my Hometown. They are privately run Markets, and have EuroNet ATMs in Front. They are not exactly scam, but you pay like 2€ everytime you withdraw money. Did not check if you pay those 2€ already if you only want to look up your account.
Yea, although the government already knows about them and put some restrictions on it, last time i HAD to use on and didnt get charged although im Austrian so maybe its diffrent for other countries banks
The first time i used them i did get charged like 2€ and it got charged back so i didnt have to pay👍
Thank you for posting this. I am visiting Vienna and Salzburg later this year. This is very helpul.
Wonderful video from beautiful Austria. I always enjoy my time throughout Austria:): Thanks Mark. :).
Thanks Darion!
In both Salzburg and Innsbruck, my wife and I have invested in 3-day city cards and found that after visiting a couple of museums (and the Nordkettenbahn in Innsbruck), the cards had virtually paid for themselves on the first day! I am not so sure about the 'value for money' of the Graz card but we will be certainly be investing in the Bodensee Voralpen Freizeit card when we visit Lindau and Bregenz in June - the card not only gives you free-entry to 50 museums and a trip on the Pfanderbahn, but also is valid on rail and buses in the Voralpen district as far as the border stations at Lindau (Germany) and Buchs (Switzerland) (I am told it is also valid in Liechtenstein). Although not relevant to this video, if you are visiting the eastern end of Bodensee, bear in mind that guests at Hotels in Lindau get the benefit of being given the Echte Bodensee Card (it's paid for out of the Kurtax, the local guest tax that all guests have to pay) for the duration of your stay which gives you free public transport along the northern (German) shore of the lake and free or discounted admission to a lot of attractions.
Hej, i don't know if that would be something for you if you only wanna visit the "Voralpen"region but if you would like to experience the alps in its beauty I would recommend going to the "Lünersee" for a day, its a visually astonishing site! The only thing that I would recommend to do is check first if the trail around the lake is opened - i checked last week because i plan on going there with a friend in june as well and as of right now it's still closed because there's too much snow. (The lake is situated at about 2500m above sea level)
Only downside for you if you are staying in Lindau is that I don't know how accessible the "Lünerseebahn" is via public transport and by car it already is about an hour from there. But with the "REX" (the faster train with less stops) I think that should be manageabele as well. Anyways I think that could be a cool trip if you would enjoy seeing the alps :)
Regards from the Voralpenregion, I hope you will enjoy your stay!
This is so interesting! Thanks for the tips!!
The appeal of the Sachertorte is its long shelf life. Unfortunately that's also the reason why it cannot really compete with freshly made cakes or pastry featuring cream or fruits. So while I (and any other person living in Vienna I know) would always prefer something else when visiting a cafe, it is common to recommend Sachertorte as a souvenir or to take one with you as a gift if you're visiting friends abroad.
It's a problem of expectations, compare it to fresh cakes or pastry and it just doesn't hold up, compare it with prepackaged cakes from the supermarket and it is a very good competitor in that league, maybe the best.
The shelf life is the only reason its famous because you could ship it per train in the 19. century
Sacher actually has delivery to the US. When I spent a few months near San Francisco for an internship, my mother sent me a cake for my birthday.
Its nice to see austria from a tourist perspective :) !
Greetings from Vienna.
Thank you, always appreciate your wisdom!
I spent months in Salzburg in 2017 and 2018 and visit there once or twice a year now. Totally safe, nothing to be worry about.
One legit scam are ATM fees on some private ATMs in Vienna and other tourist hotspots.
Thanks, Mark! Valuable insights for a safe and savvy visit.
I really enjoyed visiting Austria. Didn't feel scared or anything. A lot of the things you mentioned, as you said, aren't really scam because the price is upfront. So a little bit of comparison, analysis, and planning is involved, but it's all good. At this point, I don't even consider pickpockets anymore. The reason is that there were people going around the local grocery store stealing things from shoppers in my USA hometown! It only happened one time and it was a group of traveling criminals. But my point is, people should be vigilant (but not stressed, there is a big difference between the two!) no matter where they are. The criminals are very good at reading people. They are more likely to stay away from you if they realize that you are aware of your surroundings and keep track of your belongings.
Hey nice to recognize views from my Daily workplace town Innsbruck, Hope you had some nice days here in Tyrol.
Thats my hometown! Hope you had a fun time and enjoyed it here :)
Great video! We were in Innsbruck Austria 2 years ago. I a 125# 66 year old woman was body slammed intentionally by a big man in an uncrowded walk way. He clipped my front shoulder hard. I checked by back pack on my back & it was unzipped. Nothing of value..so nothing taken. But caught off guard to have it happen in such a safe country.
Lots of useful information that might be not as obvious, Mark. Thanks for the video.
one very specific scam is a new ticket they introduced in Schönbrunn Palace, the "State Apartments", where you just get to walk through 3 rooms (including the great ball room, but still not what most people expect for 22 Euros)
Yesss this was so bizarre .... Austria in general was so weird ... It looked like a Hollywood movie set where one facade of a building looked one way and you turned a corner and it was whole different aesthetic on the other side ... But the palace was completely empty but for a few rooms ... Although we did see a fabulous concert in the ball room ... They do take their music seriously and they ended with the blue Danube which in Austria is green lol but hey I live in Chicago and it's all green here too
@@user-pz7vl1pu9fAustria in general? Sounds like Salzburg, Hallstatt and tourist Vienna.
@@user-pz7vl1pu9f when you've seen a concert, it was probably towards the end or after the opening hours for standard visitors, so that could've been a reason why it was empty
@@fairphoneuser9009 yes tourist Vienna sorry
The higher priced ticket to see everything is mostly a ripoff.
Me and my partner are from Austria and we LOVE your videos!! :)
I'm missing one rip-off, those are the Mozarts who offer tickets for concerts on Kärnterstrasse and Stefansplatz.
it depends what you consider rip-off. like I read from some music critic, that the musicians of those concerts are very skilled, it's more the choice of music they have to play that is nothing for real fans of classical music, because they play like the 3-4 real famous songs from Mozart & other Austrian composers which don't really fit together well. if you just want to hear those and are happy to pay the price, it's not really a rip-off
These chaps sell unauthorized tickets which are even more expensive than the original ones. I heard it's a gamble if they allow you in with these tickets, you may get lucky ... or not.
@@petevandijckstra3720 Not really. They usually play their own (much smaller) concerts. They aren't just worth their price compared to the reputable (and subsidized) ones.
@@petevandijckstra3720Thats not true. You can even get good dicount on tickets by these guys. Try it out and compare it with prices from your Hotel.
Just some tips from me, no touriststraps found.
*beggers we have been to Austria every summer for the last 12 years in a row (never in Vienna) and I think I've seen 5 of 6 in total. Innsbruck & Salsburg had them but that's it. The free public toilets are usually very clean and the country overal is very clean. Good roads.
Visit tirol in summer (most ppl don't speak English there but are friendly enough to help you using hands and feet)
One tip from me, don't visit hallstat the locals hate all tourists, there's plenty more beautiful cities in that big country. (Edit 😂 didn't see the full video, luckaly you agreed)
Final note, don't be an idiot while hiking or doing snow stuff. Wear proper clothes etc. Read the weather forecast. And pls don't talk to loud in nature.
I've never felt unsafe.
Yes, really don't underestimate the alpine hazards and do your research. UV light frys you. Cows are silent killers. You overconfidence can kill you too. And rescue helicopters cost you at least an arm and a leg.
I've done a lot of traveling and I can't stress this enough. When you get to a new city or place start out by taking a day tour and follow along with a map. It's a great way to quickly get orientated with a new place and meet people from all over the world....and learn a lot quickly. Many day tours just don't go to tourist areas and you can always go back to the places you liked. I always get to know the guides because they have helpful tips and know the good restaurants where to locals go. Well worth the time and money.
People who say they don't want to take any tours because they don't want to be a tourist are only fooling themselves and missing out. Good video.
Holding a map infront of you is the same as holding a sign that says "rob me"
@@Colki12 The scammers and pickpockets can spot the tourists at a glance. If I can spot them I'm sure they can. Following along with a map on a day tour bus is a great way to get quickly oriented with a new city.
Looking forward to your video about Rotterdam. I saw you taking notes.
We love mustard and the sausage is not called "wiener wurst" its called "Frankfurter". Everywhere else its wiener wurst.
I love it, thanks and liebe Grüße aus Österreich ❤
As for Vienna Airport trains I also recommend the Railjet express trains, don‘t just use the suburban trains which usually are more crowded. They stop at Hauptbahnhof and Meidling, so it depends where in Vienna you want to go. Tickets are the same for regional and express trains (everywhere on ÖBB) - just be aware that the airport is not in the city zone - so you will have to get an extra ticket for the part outside of the Vienna core zone if you have another ticket for city transport.
Hey Mark, great video and very important tips
Thanks T O
We Austrians know,that tourists are ripped off here,but yet,they always keep coming back!
I took The Sound of Music tour in Salzburg some years ago. I was alone, but I still loved it! We did go out in the countryside. It was October so the leaves were changing, but there was also snow and it was beautiful. The Sound of Music sites were a little disappointing, but I still liked it, and I usually hate hokey stuff. I even went along with the “Doe a Deer” sing-along! In conclusion, yes it was touristy but if you like the Sound of Music, it’s a fun little romp.
You make me want to visit there! ❤
As an Austrian I have to say, spot on as always! 😀
And I completely agree about the Sacher Torte!
Most overrated cake ever!
There are at least a dozen Austrian cakes that are much better.
thank you so much for the good words about my country, much love to you my friend
The whole 1st district is a tourist trap, with a few exceptions, to me. Generally speaking the prices of products are double and the quality is half of what the city usually has to offer.
Spots with good restaurants, bars, shops and such are: the 5th district around Schönbrunner and Margareten Straße and around the Margareten Platz. Yppenplatz and the surrounding areas. Most of the 7th and 8th district. Meidlinger Markt. Just all the places that got heavily gentrified over the last couple of years basically. This is where you will find all the interesting hipster, BoBo and "in" places, mostly. The area between the Main University, Währinger Straße, Porzellangasse and Spitalgasse is kinda ok too.
Regarding "mustard/bird sh..."-scam - Unfortunately THAT one can happen to you in Austria, particularly at train stations and/or other public transport stations (particularly underground in Vienna). I myself (as a native Austrian) fell for that one about 15 years ago, when arriving with the airport bus at "Westbahnhof"... - The guy who pulled that one on me was from Romania....
Wow thanks!
Thanks ...
Good video and interesting to watch from a local perspective 🙂Regarding cakes, I can recommend the Linzer Torte in all the variations if you like raspberry and are not allergic to nuts, but to be fair, it's like in many countries, there is a lot of great stuff for sweet-tooths.
I kinda agree on the Sachertorte. I like to have one every so often. There is no outstanding one of all that I have tried, so you can get it where it's cheap. They are quite variable, though. For some, the chocolate forsting is pretty hard and for others it's more of a dense cream. The more "authentic" one would be the first variant. Generally, I've been to a few of the more traditional Kaffeehäuser and some of them seem to have forgotten how to make the traditional cakes (Esterhazy with a wrong cream, Dobos with not enough layers and so on.) in spite of being expensive.
A similar thing to the Sacher Torte would be the Wiener Schnitzel. You can get it almost everywhere, if you don't insist on the meat being veal. And even if you do, you don't have to go to the fancy restaurants in the first district to get a "proper" one.
I also agree about the horse drawn carriages in Salzburg and Vienna. I so hope that they will be abolished one day. They smell bad, they hold up traffic (even cyclists sometimes) and I feel bad for the horses, especially on hot summer days.
Hi Marc, greetings again from Vienna!!! 😍😍
Pickpocket 'bumped' into me at Hbf in 2015. I shoved him off before I got robbed, but they're definitely there.
In Vienna ("Wien") you call the sausages "Frankfurter". In Frankfurt you would call them "Wiener".
Beggars are normal in tourist spots around the world. Since people get basic money, if they can't finance their life by work (since they find none or since they can't work), you finance more likely their drug abuse or professional beggar gangs, when giving money to beggars. It is by the way legally allowed to beg, when begging passively (e.g. by a sign), but it is forbidden actively.
Not a tourist trap but a warning, if you plan on going to the Opera House know that the "obstructed seats" can actually be absolutely no view of the stage. We picked those seats because we weren't sure that the better seats (at 3x the cost) would be worth it for us as opera newbies. It was our biggest regret as even without a view it was a magical evening and I can only think how wonderful it would of been in the better seats!
Ha! I lived in the red building behind you. It used to be a student dormitory before it got renovated
those poor residents of Hallstadt, way too many tourists.
Halstadt put up a removable fence where the Frozen selfies are taken. 10000 tourists vs 800 people town. Yeah locals getting tired of tourists. I get both sides. Beautiful town without Frozen hooked into it already.
There are so many nice towns in salzkammergut - vistit those
The biggest problems for the locals are tourists that don't respect privacy and property.
At the height of the east asian tourist mania to Hallstatt (before the pandemic) there were incidents where some of the tourists entered houses that weren't locked or took pictures looking through windows of private homes.
They behaved like this was a filmset they could go anywhere, not an actual place where people live.
@@nirfz geez. Not good. Some Asian places are now blocking tourists themselves.
Most locals live off the tourists tho, since there isnt really any other jobs there. Exceptions being a few retirees. Young people have left already for job reasons.
@@AndyGraumann1 That's not entirely true... Tourism might be the number one, but only because of the MASSIVE overtourism (up to 10.000 and more tourists daily in high season, in a town with 700 residents!!!). That doesn't automatically mean that 'most' locals profit from that, usually it's the hotel and cafe owners. Hallstatt is actually known for it's salt mining, which comes right after tourism. So, it's not like there aren't any jobs, but the younger generation probably doesn't feel like working for a saltmine company. And even if most are living off of tourism, that doesn't make this situation justifiable. It's the locals who are getting tired of being overrun and of tourists being disrespectful.
Vienna is one of my favorite cities, I spent a week there in 2019 and thoroughly enjoyed everything the city has to offer. If you are a classical music fan don’t hesitate to buy a ticket to one of the many concerts at the Musikverein or one of the churches, these are generally high quality and entertaining and the venues are spectacular. I was scammed by an olive vendor at the Naschmarkt, it wasn’t a big deal but watch out for those guys. Planning a trip back to Austria this summer for a week in Salzburg and a week of hiking.
Yes- those olive vendors at Naschmarkt rip you off.
If you want to see a more authentic market with good prices go to Brunnenmarkt (especially on Saturday there is also a farmers market)
CAT Train: only Advantage is that you can check in your flight luggage in the city. Might be good If you wanna have a stroll in your day of departure and you have some time between Checkout and your flight.
(Please Double check that before you do it!)
7:06 austrians do have their würstel with mustard, almost always
if you ask for mustard in Austria they will ask you "siaß oder schoaf" (sweet or hot) :)
As someone who works at ÖBB, I like the Focus on railway gorgeous video scenes from Innsbruck/Salzburg. Also most American still thinks there are kangaroos here and the other half thinks everything is like in the film sound of music which isn't guys. Thanks for the video 😊
Quite right, i am from Innsbruck, the same all over the country you can say. And normally in Germany too, except in the big cities sometimes.
going there for first time in 2 weeks! austria, german, and italian alps!
The thing about the Sachertorte is that it's a genuine Austrian favourite that morphed into a tourist trap. I know a lot of people who love Sachertorte, but most people make it themselves or buy it at a café that has their own recipe, because the Hotel Sacher one is not the best. I heard that it was purposely adjusted for a longer shelf life so they can export it, but it made the cake a little drier than the original. Café Demel has a better recipe, and that used to be a proper Viennese café, but it's morphed into a tourist trap in the last 20 years. It was a normal café when I was a kid, with one shop counter in the front room and seating in all the back rooms. Now it has 5 "shop" areas downstairs with overpriced chocolate, and the seating area is only upstairs. The upstairs café area still looks pretty traditional, but you have to queue to get a table.
As an Austrian, I agree that the Sachertorte is not the best Torte there is! It’s good, but there are so many more!
Very good review in my opinion.
Also the original Sacher Torte from Hotel Sacher is one of the worst ones you can get, they use way too much chocolate imo
My favourite in die Anna Torte from Demel.
Wohnst du in Wien? Dann bitte nicht so einen Schwachsinn verbreiten
Na, wohn i ned. Is aber wurscht wo i wohn. Sachertorte is nirgens mei lieblingstorte. Red anständig mit mir oder garned!
@@katrinarthur7790 sonst was?
) The Mozart guys selling concert tickets should be on here. Not a scam, but definitely a tourist trap
) I live in Vienna, so I don't need it, but the good thing with the CAT is that (with most airlines) you can check in your luggage at their city terminal and they have lockers for your carry ons. So for people who have an afternoon or evening flight on their last day in Vienna it is quite convenient to go there once after leaving the hotel or apartment and then spend the rest of their time in Vienna without needing to worry about the luggage. (Of yourse that's only a thing for the trip to the airport))
This Austrian is delighted about such a sweet description of her country. :)
If you are going to take a cable car or funicular in Austria, you can check if there is no alternative bus route. Buses will be significantly cheaper and you can still get the same view from the top anyway. More money will be saved for bangs and other experiences. Locals will take buses for sure.
I wouldn't say that we locals don't use cable cars and funiculars if there is an alternative. Maybe not if we need to go to a place frequently, like for work, but if we are visiting places on a weekend or during the holidays, we sure like the fun experience and special views as much as any other visitor.
If you find a "Sorger" (Bakery Buisness), tread youself with a "Messeschlagrolle"(only available from Semptember to April). Its overprized as well but way better than a Sachertorte.
And that is a speciality specific to Graz, and the Graz fair.
Won't get anywhere else in Austria.
As someone who lives in a city with horse drawn carriages, I think are very pricey everywhere
As they were when they were a normal thing.
Best Sacher Torte in Austria: Go in SPAR, its a supermarket, to the freezer, there are a Sachertorte for 5,99 Euro its the best! Real! Nice greetings from Vienna
Some people complain about austríans are not friendly! Its because we dont beat around the bush! We say whats going on! That safes time!
Germans are even more "efficient" in that regard.
Nah, we Viennese are just a grumpy lot. But we mean it in a really nice way.
If we wouldn't complain all the time, things wouldn't get better.
We were recently in Austria for about 3 weeks I high recommend the Salzburg card its a great value but when we were in Vienna we did not get Vienna card. The Vienna card is kinda expensive and you need to visit three museum or palace a day to get your value and line can be kinda long at some of the palaces. Do your own research but for us the Vienna card was not worth it. But with said Vienna is a extremely beautiful city and that it is really easy to get around in. Cheers and happy travels.
I generally spend way too much time at each museum etc. plus a lot of time walking around to make any of the various city cards pay off.
Be aware that if you need a train from the vienna airport to vienna, you have to buy a extra ticket because two stations (Mannswörth, Flughafen Wien) are not includet in the Vienna Zone 100 ticket
Dürnstein, where you can go by boat from Vienna. It is a nice tour for a day, but Dürnstein really has only tourist shops open with a bit inflated prices. It is not terribly bad, but you can get similar stuff elsewhere much cheaper.
Trying to decide if we should get one of the Vienna cards. My problem is when I buy those cards (London, Copenhagen) I feel the need to get my money’s worth and do all the things! I see Vienna has an option for just a certain number of places but not so time limited so I may go that route and just eat more dessert 😁 and I LOVED doing the sound of Music tour! I did it in college with 3 girls I met in a beautiful hostel in Salzburg. We sat in the back of the bus and sang all the songs! (They play them in the bus😂)
I cant just let the trash talking of the Sachertorte pass.
It's simplicity is a strength ; not a weakness.
The best Sachertorte is from the Supermarket
I was born and raised in Austria. And the first time I heard about "The Sound of Music" was when I visited the U.S. 😄
The movie is based on a Broadway show which was a very fictionalized version of their story. The traditional folky sounding song "Edelweiss" is even original to the show, not a traditional song.
If you want to go by Taxi from the Airport to the City (ca. 25min) you should get a Taxi from the bigger local taxi companies (e.g. "40100") and ask for the fixed airport-transfer price. It doesn't matter how far your destination in Vienna is, you will pay 42 Euro (or vice-versa from vienna to the airport), while all the other Taxis will charge you the normal rate per minute, which is usually much more expensive. You find the Taxi Counters at the airport right after the exit.
First: CAT has the advantage to check in your luggage with most of the airlines.
Second: 24h tickets are sometimes cheaper even for locals. I bought it once when I didn't had a yearly ticket
Third: I had only one time when somebody tried to steal a purse out of my mother's bag. And I spent half of my life in Vienna. I never ever got my bike or purse stolen.
It's still fine even compared to other places in Western Europe, but sadly it's not "super safe" anymore.
Just be cautious at larger train staitions in the main cities and in Vienna also in the subway stations.
Not that it's actually dangerous, but there are more sketchy people around.
The Carriage is not expensive! The price is for one! If you more people, it’s cheap, if you are alone, than it is.
Halstatt is so beautiful 🥰
At least a few years ago, you could get the Hotel Sacher to deliver a Sacher Torte from the hotel to where ever you live. A friend did this one Christmas when he visited the hotel and it arrived perfectly intact here in Australia -yum- I don't think it came via the regular mail. (There are no Edelweiss in Australia, and no wild kangaroos in Austria)
😀
The deliciousness of the Sacher tort lies in how simpel it is
At the Öbb ticket machines there might be helpers working officially for Öbb (no scam here!) that will happily assist you buying the right ticket especially around holidays. They are wearing some kind of uniforms like a bright red coat or white shirt that says Öbb on it. Not everyone offering help is a potential beggar or scammer.
As for the CAT you are right: not needed but convenient and sometimes quicker depending on departure times that are available for you. Plus it is the train that is travelling between the airport and the city exclusively... so that train runs on time. As for trains of Öbb, they could be delayed just because they come from somewhere else (Germany, Hungary or other parts of Asutria) and therefore more can happen on the way. Depending on where you are the S7 is also an option getting to the airport without changin trains. What makes the CAT convenient though is the possibility to check in your luggage right at the train station and you don't have to it at the crowded airport.
BTW: There are actually a lot of locals in the CAT as airport and airline employees may use the trains too.
The CAT is not interesting for time saving but because you can check in your Lugge at the station so you dont have to do it while at the airport. Agree on the Sacher Torte, I live in vienna and I really dont like it, its just not that great at all.
Hallstadt I am really sorry for the locals really.
Austria has amazing cakes and pastries! be sure to sit in a nice café or "Konditorei" and order a coffee with sth sweet.
I love Sachertorte but home made (make sure to use the right glaze recipe!) or from several other Konditoreien or bakeries is usually better than what I had from Hotel Sacher, that one was indeed a disappointment
A huge tourist trap that wasn't mentioned: Schloss Schönbrunn or just Schönbrunn. I mean, the maze is actually quite nice but it's not that amazing and mind-altering to fly across an ocean just to see it. Also, there are a lot of tourists there. There are many other beautiful castles in- and outside of Vienna, like Burg Güssing, Schloss Wilheminenberg, Stift Klosterneuburg, Burg Kreuzenstein, the list goes on. But yes, Austrian Castles are wonderful. And another spot is Karlsplatz. Yeah, it might be nice and clean, and the Wien Museum is actually pretty nice, but the opera section really isn't the best. I gotta say, as someone born and currently living in Vienna, I would recommend trying out trams. Perhaps start at the Prater Hauptallee with the line 1, a nice park in the middle of the city, and proceed to see the ring, a pretty famous street in Vienna. What people often like to forget is that Vienna actually has nature too, especially the Lainzer Tiergarten in the west.
as a guy from vienna who actually worked on a sacher project ... the original sachertorte is way overhyped. you can get the cheap clever sachertorte for 5€ at the supermarket and its not as dry as the original ^^
S-Budget is way better.
The two countries where I feel most safe and comfortable are perhaps Austria and Japan.