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I just recently got back from a week-long trip in Austria with my wife and some friends. Three of us currently live in Philadelphia and the fourth in Washington DC. The following are some quick tips/notes that may help others traveling there.
1.) The Y and Z keys on the keyboard are switched
This is of course comparing their keyboard to the standard American version. Not sure if this is how it is throughout the European Union, but was frustrating.
Also, you'll find new places for symbols such as @, :, ', and other commonly used items. This was less annoying the the Y and Z keys, because most countries I have traveled will have different spots for symbols.
2.) Internet is expensive
Every computer I found in hostels and Internet cafes had a coin machine attached to it. It costs a minimum of one Euro to operate the thing (at the time of this writing, that comes about $1.30 in US dollars). Spots in Vienna had the cheapest prices at one Euro for 30 minutes. In other places like Hallstatt, there was a hotel charging five Euro for a half hour.
With prices like that, email can wait.
3.) Traveling in Vienna is easy and affordable
The subways, buses, and trams are all part of the same transportation system in Vienna. A 3-day pass cost only 12 Euros. You only need to verify the pass once and you're able to move freely throughout with no hassle.
We used the system extensively to get to all the museums and historic sites. Everything was accessible and we barely got lost with our little knowledge of German.
4.) Photos in Museums are a hit and miss
It's hard to tell when and where you can take photos in the various museums. Some museums strictly forbid any at all and clearly indicated so with a picture of a camera crossed out. Some allowed photos, but no flashes. Others allowed photos for a nominal fee of something like 1.50 Euros.
In other museums, we had no clue if photos were allowed. My wife took a picture of "The Kiss" by Klimt. She was quickly confronted and told to delete the photo. Stinking hall monitors.
5.) Portable devices are big
I have never once seen a restaurant in America where the waiters were equipped with PDA's to take orders. I saw at least six restaurants across the country utilizing these devices.
The long-distance trains also equip their conductors with devices that can print tickets on the spot. Again, I have yet to see this in America.
And let's not forget my favorite device - The Digital Audio Guide.
6.) Digital Audio Guides will revive dead museums
Possibly the coolest thing I experienced in the museums was the digital audio guides. These typically were free with admission. The usability of the guides varied.
The cooler versions had the ability to punch in a unique number for each exhibit and then hear details about it. Most of these things allowed you to pause, rewind, and fast-forward. One museum even allowed you to bookmark paintings so that you could then take those bookmarks and make small printings of the paintings for a fee.
The worst version was found in the Shonnbrun Palace. Even though it was digital, it was worse than a tape player. You could play and pause, but you could not fast forward. The thing moved from room to room telling you about the emperors who lived there. After each room, it stopped and you had to hit play again. When you got the emperor's bathroom, you were forced to listen to it in order to get to the sound bite of the next room.
Overall, the devices that gave me the most control equated to the best experience. I'm guestimating that I spent 1-2 hours more in each museum looking at the exhibits, because of these audio guides. Looking at a painting of a dead guy is cool, but learning why the painting was done is even cooler.
The museums in Philadelphia and other places could learn something from this.
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