tourism in austria - Europäisches Verbraucherzentrum Deutschland

European Consumer Centres Network
TOURISM IN AUSTRIA
This brochure will provide you with information on shopping in Austria. You will find
practical advice and important information covering different topics. We tried to include
all relevant information; however the information provided is not fully detailed on all
points and should be considered as a guide and not as a verbatim statement of the law.
Shopping in Austria
Opening hours:
•
Legally permitted opening hours:
Monday till Friday from 5 a.m. till 9 p.m.
Saturdays till 6 p.m.
Actual opening hours vary from 9.a.m. till 6 p.m. (groceries usually open
at 8 a.m.), on Saturdays till 1 or 5 p.m. There are special regulations
on longer opening hours in tourism centres. Shops at railway stations and
airports are sometimes open until 11 p.m. during circulation time.
•
Tobacco products are avialable at original prices at tobacconists (Tabaktrafik), and
with a surcharge at hotels, restaurants and coffee houses.
Favoured souvenirs:
•
Costumes and costumes’ decorations, loden clothes from Salzburg and Tyrol,
embroideries from Vorarlberg, oven wares, china wares, glasswares, crystalwares
and lovely woodcarvings.
•
Tirolean Shale Oil, Mozart chocolates, famous Vienna Sacher cakes, Zauner-Stollen
from Bad Ischl, delicious wine sorts from Burgenland and Lower Austria
(Niederösterreich) and many kinds of schnapps and brandies.
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Refund of Value-Added Tax (VAT):
•
Foreign tourists with their place of residence outside the EU territory can obtain a
refund of the VAT on the products they buy in Austria provided that the purchase
amounts to more than Euro 75,--. They have to complete certain customs formalities
directly at the store in which the products are bought. Afterwards the goods have to
be taken out of Austria within 3 months, which has to be confirmed by a stamp form
the EU border customs office. The VAT refund voucher that allows a tax refund upon
leaving the EU market, is available at all stores displaying the signs “Global Refund
TAX FREE SHOPPING” or “Premier TAX FREE”.
•
Please note that the refund of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) is not possible for tourisits
having their place of residence within the European Union.
For further information please contact:
Global Refund Austria GmbH
Zetschegassse 17
1230 Vienna
Austria
Tel: +43 1 798 44 00
Fax: +43 1 798 40 44
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.globalrefund.com
Premier Tax Free GmbH
Invalidenstrasse 1/6
1030 Vienna
Austria
Tel: 0043 1 718464611
Fax: 0043 1 718464640
Email:[email protected]
Website: www.premiertaxfree.com
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Currency
•
As a Member of the European Union Austria is part of the Economic and Monetary
Union, which implicated launch of the Euro as a common currency within the
European Union.
•
1 Euro = 100 Cent
•
The following Euro-banknotes and Euro-coins are in circulation:
Banknotes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 Euro.
Coins of 1 and 2 Euro and of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 Cents.
•
Banknotes und Coins of the former Austrian currency – Schilling – can be exchanged
without a time limit and free of charge to Euro-banknotes and coins at the Austrian
National Bank.
•
For any other foreign means of payment the current exchange rate is valid.
•
When entering or leaving the European Union with € 10.000 or more in cash or its
equivalent in other currencies or easily convertible assets (bonds, shares, traveller’s
cheques) the sum has to be declared at the relevant customs control point.
More information can be found on the following website:
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_controls/cash_controls/index
_en.htm
http://www.bmf.gv.at/Zoll/InformationenfrReisende/AnmeldepflichtfrRei_6863/_start.ht
m
•
Opening hours of banks (in general)
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 8 a.m. till 12:30 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m.
till 3 p.m. , Thursday from 8 a.m. till 12:30 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. till 5:30 p.m.
•
Outside opening hours money can be taken at any time at one of the 3.000 cash
machines in entire Austria. National and foreign Maestro-cards (cash cards) are
accepted. In addition the following other cash cards can be used: national and foreign
MasterCards, American Express-cards, Visa cards und Diners credit cards and (as a
part of this payment system) Cirrus cards and Visa-Plus-cash cards.
•
Credit cards are accepted widely by hotels, restaurants, shops and petrol stations in
cities, towns and tourism centres. Card logos displayed on the entrance doors
indicate if and what kind of cards are accepted.
Source: www.austria.info
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Taxi
•
Cabs in the bigger Austrian cities are provided with an official taximeter. The costs
are calculated with regard to the driven distances and time. There is no extra amount
for luggage transport for taxi services in Vienna.
•
Regarding taxi drives from Vienna to the airport an additional amount of about 10
Euro can be charged by the taxi driver for his return from the airport to the city.
Besides special Airport-taxis intended only for drives from and to the airport do exist.
These taxis have to be booked in advance. They charge a fixed price (including
luggage) without additional charge for an empty drive.
Source: www.austria.info
Postal services
Postal services – opening hours:
•
Opening hours of post offices: 8 a.m. – 12 a.m. and 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
•
Some of the post offices – in bigger towns – also offer limited services during nights
and on Saturdays, Sundays und holidays.
Postal rates:
•
There are two types of dispatch for abroad correspondency:
Priority (the fastest transportation of letters)
Economy (is cheaper than Priority but the delivery takes longer)
•
There are 2 distance zones: Europe and World
•
Standard letters (up to a weight of 20 grammes) are usually send by Priority without
any additional fee.
Postal rates for standard letters and post cards:
Priority
Up to a weight of 20 grammes:
0,55 Euro for European correspondency, 1,25 Euro for worldwide correspondency.
Up to a weight of 50 grammes:
1,10 Euro for European correspondency, 1,75 Euro for worldwide correspondency .
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Economy
Up to a weight of 50 grammes: 1 Euro for European correspondency, 1,25 Euro for
worldwide correspondency
•
There is no differnce between “Priority” and “Economy” for national correspondency.
National postal rates:
•
Ordinary letters und post cards (up to a weight of 20 grammes): 0,55 Euro
•
Stamps are available at every post office.
•
Austrian letter boxes are yellow, red stripes on it indicate additional collections on
Sundays and holidays.
Source: www.austria.info
If you, as a foreign consumer, are feeling mistreated by an Austrian professional, the
European Consumer Centre- ECC-NET Austria - will be pleased to help you to find an
amicable settlement of the dispute.
Europäisches Verbraucherzentrum
Zentrale Wien
Mariahilfer Straße 81
A-1060 Wien
EUROPA - HOTLINE 0810 - 810 225
Mo - Fr 9.00 -15.00 Uhr
(zum Regionaltarif von max. € 0,0727 pro Minute aus ganz Österreich)
Tel: ++ 43 / 1 / 588 77 0
Fax: ++ 43 / 1 / 588 77 71
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web: www.europakonsument.at
You can find further information and a complete list of all
<http://europa.eu.int/comm/consumers/redress/ecc_network/index_en.htm>
ECCs
under:
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