5 Love & Hates of Austria
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- čas přidán 13. 02. 2024
- Are you heading to Vienna or Salzburg, perhaps Innsbruck or Graz in Austria? Well if you are there are some good and bad things you should know about visiting Austria. Honest tourist advice about Austria.
Filmed in Vienna, Austria
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As an American living in Austria . You don't need to tip ! Tipping is not required. Some people try to scam you when they notice you're a tourist. People make a livable wage as a restaurant worker. If you want to tip make it like 1-2 euros. People are very happy with that .
First time in Vienna last year, took my gf to probably a very touristy restaurant. The waitress was helpful but when I paid the cheque which was 43.7 euros. I gave her 50.7 expecting 7 back. She looked at me like I’m crazy and said the change is a tip and that Vienna its rude not to tip. I asked politely for my change and said where I’m from it’s rude to ask. She basically threw the change back at me and walked off in a strop. Got my brownie points from my gf for sticking up for my principles.
@@hammalamiri12 I know there are countries where giving coins to help the change is not working. Same in
Germany. If your bill is 50,10, don't give 100+10, they won't understand.
From this point of view, their service is very good. If you pay with large bill, it will be their problem finding change, not yours.
And that's why Americans might think Austrians are unfriendly...
@@hammalamiri12 Wow, sorry. But not giving anything if service is ok IS rude. Any Austrian or German would at least make it 45 euros. If food or service were terrible I would understand, but not if it was ok.
You can't say in general terms, that people are "very happy with that" ;-) Of course it depends on the overall amount of the bill, how many there are in the party and how many courses and extra wishes one had. We Austrians may not the best tippers in the world, but if we have a sit-down meal we do usually give at least 1-2 euros and up to 10% per person.
You don’t have to tip 10% .
It’s common to round up the bill or to give 2-3€ tip .
In general, tipping here is not mandatory although common .
I second this - tipping is not like in some countries where you leave a tip on the table after paying. It's far more common to state a figure to the waiter that's round up a little bit - and it's not expected to be 10 percent but something that makes the bill neat so, for example, 47 Euros becomes 50. Of course no one is going to complain about being given more but it's good for the budget to be aware of this.
Absolutely, as long as food and service were satisfying, we Austrians DO round up a little. If you only have a coffee, it may be 50 cent to 1 euro, but for a sit-down meal it will be 2-3 Euro or more for a bigger party.
I’ve been to Austria many times but never experienced bad service, they are always kind and helpful. See you in april Austrians, greetings from the Netherlands 😊
@@Elatenl I’ve visited more countries than just Austria, so my experience isn’t limited to just Austria and the Netherlands.
@@Elatenl do you know if I’ve visited Asia and the US?
@@Elatenl I have been to South America, US, some Asian, several European countries and had some not good experiences in about all of the countries. Thailand was probably the best country. Compared to Thailand all other countries have bad service. So the point you are trying to make when comparing countries to other countries with better service is nonsense because there is always a better country and all country compared to the best are worse by defintion.
Using comparison between countries of different continents doesn't make sense neither. You try to compare one country with a whole continent. If you say Austria is worse than Asia, I would say no because I will compare it with India (non-touristic places).
And US? Is big enough to greatly differ depending on where you are in US. My impression from Washington DC was, the service 'pretends' to be good as long as you look like money. Although even in an expensive restaurant the service was worse than what I experienced in some villages in Austria.
Your experiences may be different and that's absolutely fine but not all people share your experience.
The service is fine. I went to the most touristy place in Salzburg called Cafe Mozart (which is worth going to) and a less touristy cafe in Vienna and the service was fine. The waiters were actually friendly in both especially the cafe Mozart one when he found out we’re from Chicago because he has friends there.
The shade at the end lmao
Thank you Mark.
Appreciate this useful, thought provoking, video.
Great having some of the beautiful scenery included.
Definitely lots of points to keep in mind if considering a trip to Austria.
My family and I spent a few days in Salzburg this past June. We loved it! Sachertorte is amazing!
I was never so badly treated as a customer as I was in salsburg on a clothe store. So I agree with #1.
BUT, probably 1 of the best treatment i had was with a sports store in Vienna that the owner also had aa soubenir shop. Senior guy. VERY nice man!
"People that stand behind you when you do videos" **chuckle** :-)
As person from Czech republic, i found services in both Germany and Austria really good😊 Anyway - i dont go to restaurant for "service", but for food...
Insightful analysis! Thanks for sharing your experiences with Austria!
Servus Mark! The new videos have come a long way quality wise. I've been following you forever and I've always appreciated your content. But the new ones are a real step up!
I’ll be there in May! All of your videos are so helpful and much appreciated! Thank you!
Wishing you a wonderful trip and many memorable moments here in May! It's unusually cold here at the moment (after extremely warm weather in February and early April), but we have high hopes for next month! 🙂
Hey Mark, awesome video
Looking excellent Mark! You must be getting your steps in!
I have been subscribed and watching your videos for many years now. I have the travel bug like you but unfortunately don’t have the opportunity to travel as much as I want. Any time I’m going somewhere new I search your page. Thank you for being a great resource!
I love it when they say "G'day, mate. Throw another schnitzel on the barbie!"
I've had a lot of great experiences on Austria, including great service in shows and restaurants. When I was arounf 20 ( 50 years ago) I had no problems finding places to hang out with other young people. But that qas in the ski areas, where a lot was going on, even in summer.
Shops usually close between 6pm and 8pm. But that's completely fine, because the employees also have a life.
😊 I had to smile about that, to some extent you are right on about the friendlyness, I have been to Vienna and Salzburg but since I am born and raised German it didn't face me, we traveled on the metro in Vienna and I just struck up a very nice conversation with a person sitting by me, she first seemed hesitant to talk but that eased up after a while, then the waiters are tough but I understand the culture so it's ok doesn't bother me and my American family understand it since they have been dealing with me for many many years. 😂
Lived in Vienna for 15 years. My second home.
Always love your videos!!
As someone who lived for a long time in Austria, I agree with many of these, BUT I would like to add in one important tip to getting good service and meeting friendly locals.
And I know this goes for many places, but this really really goes a long way in Austria for sure
Just learn a couple lines on how to order food and a couple sayings/greetings. They will bend over backwards to help you - seeing how you’re trying to make an effort. I know people are supposed to do this everywhere. But this means way more in Austria than so many other countries. They really don’t like having to just speak English. Even though they know it well.
I couldn’t speak German at all when I first got there, but I tried to order in German, and they were so amazing and friendly. What a difference it made.
Also, Always always greet in German first. Always.
I met some of the most friendly down to earth people ever there!!
When you walk into a store, or a restaurant, always greet in German first. Even if it’s difficult to pronounce. Try and you will see what a difference it makes.
i was treated like a King in Vienna! Loved it.
I went to school in Austria in the early 70's and have been back regularly ever since. I haven't had BAD or UNFRIENDLY service ever, but occasionally have had a tough time getting the bill.I generally round up to some even Euro and don't worry too much about the %.
Living in a tourist town myself, I get the standoff-ishness since their whole country is inundated with tourists all the time. But I don't think of it as unfriendly, they just find us too pushy about being friendly.
As an Austrian I approve of this List
is it hard to make freinds in Austria?
@@pman1368 I dont think so, we Austrians are just not "fake" Friendly what like can come over as Unfriendly to Outsiders.
In Vienna is a bit Harder i would say then in Rural Areas but in General as the saying goes "Hard shell soft core"
@@pman1368 yes. I live here basicly austria is a racist backwards place with a villager mindset. If you like to be in a bad mood you will love it here
Absolutely loved Austria, i would go back in a heartbeat!
Vienna is a beautiful city and overall I found service was alright, not particularly friendly in some but not all places. As with Munich the younger generation are more welcoming. The fact that unlike Amsterdam or Prague it’s not a hot spot for drunken parties makes it a real plus for me being over 50.
10% tip is not mandatory. Tipping period, is not mandatory, however, a lot people round up.
I don't find the people unfriendly.
People told me the same thing about going to Alsace and yet I experienced nothing but very friendly and helpful people
The few people that I've met from 🇦🇹 Austria wete very nice
I would really love if you would bring back the background sound from the places you are filming
During my trip to Austria, I had only one bad service experience. It was in Salzburg. I should have had an indeal about the place because it was empty. The rest of the trip I had good service everywhere…
Visit Styria, I am Austrian was never in Salzburg because of high prices and Tourist hot spot.
I was just there and I agree with the list except I liked the people.
I think your dislikes are slightly exaggerated. I found them to be more true in Salzburg, which I consider to be the snootiest city I've visited in Europe, but less so in the other cities. I enjoyed my visits to Austria and would highly recommend it.
I like Austria and it gets most of my skiing gigs. I rate its hotels - and the food served in them - as better than Italy's. Bad service? Never noticed it. But I like your videos.
I agree about the service not only in Austria but often Germany as well. From downright rude to simply ignoring you. I just accepted that’s how it is.
The worst, dare I say most rude service I've had in Europe?--Durnstein, Austria.
Yet, the best experience?--Vienna airport. Had my head up my arse. Missing alot of info needed to make flight. Yet the kindest desk attendant from Austrian airlines gave me 15 minutes of grace and kindness--fixed my shortcomings and wife and I were able to make our flight back to USA.
Guess I must have got lucky when I experienced a café in Vienna recently, thought the service was fine there with the waiter smiling often enough. Then again, I may have a low bar when it comes to service generally lol
They do follow the rules and expect visitors to do likewise, and so we should! I agree with Mark, once you’ve been to the main tourist venues like Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck you’ll find the smaller towns and villages are the places you’ll return to. Luckily the three cities I’ve mentioned act like a magnet for the tourists and “fellow travellers” like us can enjoy the rest of the country in relative peace.
Service is fine and you DO NOT have to tip anywhere under any cicumstances . Tips in Austria are a show of appreciation, not to support a living wage.
Austrian speaking here: The friendliness of people here in Austria really depends on where you are. I've been in a lot of places here, in different provinces too, and it's really about where you are, I don't want to get specific, but most people are really friendly though, where others, and that's coming from an Austrian, are quite rude, even to locals. ;)
Also, the service: I work in gastronomy myself, being a chef, most service is friendly though and helpful, as far as I experienced, I think this also depends on where you are. maybe in bigger, with tourist crowded places, this happens I guess, but in smaller areas, we are happy to serve and also chat with you longer and give you advice where to go for example. Also, tipping is NOT neccesairly, usually, if the service was good, fast and friendly, you give 2-3 Euros, if you were not happy, you also are free not to tip. You are not obligated to tip. :)
i have only been to europe twice once in 2009 england sweden and denmark second time 2013 sweden denmark and france.
Im visiting Innsbruck from the UK in a few weeks time, I have saved up for this trip for a while, if the service is really bad I will not be tipping 10%, I cannot stand bad service and luckily in the UK it is pretty good, not always but the beauty of Innsbruck will probably make up for the bad service. I think in terms of friendliness, it can be pot luck in terms of who you meet and come accross. I did find the people in Denmark a lot more reserved and cold than people even here in the UK which Mark eluded to on hos Denmark video a few years back, I also found Switzerland the same, its such a beautiful country though so I would think people would probably be really happy and chirpy.
I think you will be fine in Innsbruck, it's a lovely city and very impressive (mountains, buildings)
Wolter is adressing mostly americans and they find european waiters "rude" because they are not fake smiling, and checking on you every other minute (which i would see as annoying and rude)
I Always round Up the bill like 1-3 euros If service is normal and fine, when over the top i give 10% and If service is shit - 0
This happens like once in 10 years or so, so i think you will be okay with waiters :-)
Please keep in mind that a lot of austrians can't speak english or are too shy to do so.
I went to the UK quite a lot, and service was quite similar to ours, professional, friendly, quick.
@@chrislstahl4239 Hey man, thanks for the heads up. To be honest, Im more afraid of going up the Nordkette Cable car to the top of the mountain overlooking Innsbruck than any local being rude to me as Im terrified of heights!
Just saw your post and I do hope you did not come visit now during this cold period in the second half of April. We already had the most beautiful spring weather before.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy(ed) Tyrol and the spectacular view down from Hafelekar. Once you survived the cable car ride it's rather fantastic!
In Vienna we found that treat them like your are treated and it worked out just fine.
This is in the main tourist areas but out further in the more residential areas it was a completely different mind-set with the service providers.If you are in Vienna a really recommend Fromme Helene Restaurant out in the 15th in the Josefstader, the best goulash we haver had anywhere!!!! If you are a purest, rich pappericky( not a word but...) really amazing. I still measure all by her's.
The other thing that was great fun was a bicycle/rickshaw tour. The guy was super fun and friendly and he took me to neighborhoods off the beaten path.
I will also say that I had a taxi driver that helped my track down another taxi to retrieve my camera that I have accidentally left in this other cab. This guy got totally into helping me find this other taxi, he was wonderful!
So good friendly people are there its just a little bit harder to find them!
Oh, and we did get my expensive 35 mm camera back. My cabbie actually went up to the other cabbie and said give it back. Totally was there for me.
The Halstadt, servers rude as hell! Go up the mountain and do a paraglide tandom flight over the lake and town. The most beautiful ride anywhere hands down.
I'm glad you had good experiences in Vienna and yes, "Fromme Helene" on Josefstaedter Strasse in the 8th district is a good tipp when you are looking for well cooked, classic Austrian cuisine.
Why hundreds to thousands of tourists per day flock to the little village of Hallstatt is beyond me, there are so many beautiful villages to be visited in the lake district of Salzburg / Upper Austria / Styria. Nowadays, this place is so run-over and crowded that I really feel sorry for every guest who does not experience the lovely, idyllic day at the lake they dreamed of and the good service they hoped for. But honestly, we feel sorry for the people who live and work there. Many tourists think it's an open door amusement park and they can just walk into private gardens or around houses to take photos wherever they please. Rules and guidelines are often ignored, cars parked everywhere they fit as the official parking lots are crammed already early in the morning. The last time I was there I just wanted to get out again asap!
Have you visited Wolfgangsee or Attersee by any chance? A train ride up to the peaks of Schafberg and the view above the lakes and mountains is spectacular!!
@@inLmgb Yes, we have visited both, the Wolfgangsee and Attersea.
For my money the way to see Halstadt anymore is from a tandem paraglide that takes off from the mountain top on the other side of the lake. Halstadt has become a zoo, shame that.
Also worth the trip is the hike up the Dachstein. Beautiful hike up the mountain.
@@janetskitchengarden2038 Paragliding above the Hallstatter Lake truly sounds wonderful! And kudos for hiking up Dachstein! I have to admit we chose the cable car to go up ;-)
I found in the hyper tourist places service could be diabolical, outside of those kinds of places all good.
❤❤❤
Austria is good for couples looking for a dirty weekend 😊
You really sold it to me with the 5 hates 😅
When I saw the thumbnail I was like wooohooo mark and his family have finally come to Australia 🇭🇲🇭🇲🇭🇲😂😂😂then looked again and re read it 😂😂😂😂😂 I still live in hope Mark that one day soon that you'll bring the family here😂😂😂😂,can't wait till you do eventually come back,
HA! I was hoping you'd point out the rude people who felt their shoot was more important than yours. Couldn't wait their turns. But that exemplifies your point. Well done, sir!
Hmm, which point exactly is exemplified when tourists fight each other for the best photo and video shoots?? 😉 You are aware that those were other tourists, and not "rude Austrian people", right??
rule of thumb about the question wether a city/place is exciting: the higher up it is on one of those "most liveable city in the world" lists, the more boring it is ;-)
What airline did you take to fly to Austria? My mom and I have credit with Delta and would love to go, but we noticed there's not that many flights through Delta to Austria.
Not too many. I usually end on a codeshare via paris or amsterdam
@@woltersworld Thank you for replying! What is a codeshare?
Another alternative to consider is flying into Munich and take the train to wherever you are going in Austria. Not far from Salzburg or Vienna. Delta has flights to Munich.
@@gracemackenzie5780 delta air france and delta klm. My students flew direct from chicago yo vienna with austrian air
Fly to Germany and connect. Train or cheap ticket on Austrian air. I've done both. Both good.
Sorry to say but every piece of Sachertorte we had was dry. All the Schlag on the side couldn’t save it. Luckily I had the best cup of coffee of my life at the Hotel Sacher to wash it down. Other places not so much.
I absolutely agree with you! Unfortunately, the Sacher Torte at Hotel Sacher is not the best in town. I am very sorry for all the tourists queuing up only to get a dry and overly expensive piece of cake. I myself would rather recommend Café Demel or Kurkonditorei Oberlaa, but I prefer other cakes or Strudel at those cafes as well.
In my opinion, the best Sachertorte is homemade - it has to be moist and chocolaty for me, with a thin layer of apricot jam in the middle 😄
40+ Austrian here - most of the Sachertorte you get is very dry, one of the worst is the original one from Hotel Sacher. If you want to get the best one I know of then you need to go to Krems to the "Konditorei Raimitz". The Sachertorte there is fluffy and juicy. Thats mostly because they are using one additional layer of (original Wachauer) apricot jam.
If you are able to try it - you are welcome :)
Havent had any issues with service workers. But then, I'm originally from Bavaria. Maybe its a language or cultural issue?
And 10% .. well, lets get the fact in your head: A lot of waiters etc. working in the gastronomy industry make their main income from tips. A lot of part-time workers, eg. students, multi-jobbers etc. Thats just how it is. Ever since I realized that (esp. thanks to friends working at restaurants and bars), I always tipped well, even - or esp. - when people felt out of place, like newbies or totally overwhelmed in the job.
cu, w0lf.
Oh Mark, you're not usually so mean! Were you having a bad day? 😁
How could I move to Austria to retire?.
Some comments below you are stating that you are austrian...
I loved Vienna. The staff at my hotel were great - one woman at the front desk in particular went out of her way to be helpful. (that hotel has sadly since gone out of business). Only one negative thing to say.. and I will name and shame.. and that is the restaurant Plachuttas Gasthaus zur Oper. Strongly recommend you AVOID.
How difficult is it to move to Austria to live?
Depends on whats your eduction where are you from.
Just because people don't seem as friendly as in some places, doesn't mean "they're not the best people". If I were Austrian, that would be wounding, & possibly unfair. Maybe if Wolter's home town was a tourist hotspot he might exhibit a bit of tourist-fatigue or intolerance, even. An unfortunate & IMO uncharitable choice of words. I have been to Austria a couple of times.
4:38 "Austria wasn't really that scarred from the second world war." Excuse me? Vienna was a pile of rubble. Even St. Stephen was destroyed (not the tower though).
These "hates" seem quite subjective for an European. But i understand that your videos are mostly for American tourists. Still , it might be helpful to mention that in your video titles. Just constructive criticism. Safe travels for you and your family, Mark.
The sights and architecture kind of make up for the bad service and unfriendly people if you can get past that you're on a winner
Holy smokes Wolters! *"piss poor"* service? I honestly had to rewind that bit, thinking that I misheard you. Nope.
it is a bit harsh, but compared to many other countries (especially USA) it is bad service. I lived here my whole life and got used to it, but for foreigners it must be quite unusual
I wouldn't call the shops closing at 18:00 early. I'm from the UK and that's about normal here although a lot close at 17:00 or 17:30. I don't really see why you would want to shop later than that.
Item you might hate number four, is a thing to love for me. I can't stand places that have 'night life' either at home in the UK for anywhere else and that's was true even when I was young. It's a matter of personal preference though.
Ah yes screw anyone who works for a living. The mindset of "why would you want to shop after 6?!" blows my mind!
@@enda1ie I worked as software support and as a developer for decades, including shift work. I never had a problem with shopping hours.
Certainly as a tourist (which is what we are talking about), in the UK and the rest of Europe, including in Austria and including self-catering, I never needed to shop that late.
Other people will differ no doubt.
@@Elatenl Personally, I do not want to live in a society where people don't clearly differentiate between the working day and the evening. Yes, I know some people have to work later shifts, but non-stop activity and a lifestyle that sees shopping and the like as the be all and end all of life is anathema to me and to a great many people.
The day is for working and shopping and other business activity and the rest of the day is for real life; time with family and friends and for relaxing; perhaps going for walks, or playing or watching cricket or bowls etc.
Here in the UK there is a disturbing trend towards longer shopping and business hours. The very regrettable changes in the law to allow Sunday trading is damaging the country and making people forget what real life is about and it isn't shopping or business. Even if, sadly, people don't see Sunday as a day for prayer etc, there is the necessity to have a day (at least) where we can forget about the stresses and strains of weekday cares. We need a similar break each day after the working and business hours are over. After all, we work and shop because we have to in order to have real life afterwards; work, shopping and business are unfortunate things that we have to put up with.
Obviously there are people who prefer an endless day of work, business and shopping at all hours. It's one reason why I don't like cities, as they often never seem to stop. However, most of us are not like that and I hope such things never come anywhere near where I live.
I am just wondering: You have travelled to Austria so many times (maybe even outside of the classical tourist hotspots like Vienna and Salzburg) and you can generally say, "the people" are all unfriendly, not helpful and service is nothing but "piss poor"?? Honestly? Sorry, but I would have expected a more nuanced rating from an educated and well travelled person like you. These are insulting generalizations, Prof. Wolters. Of course I won't claim that you will never meet unfriendly people or servers that are moody or disregard you; but I cannot believe that you never experienced friendly service in all those years.
I am glad many of the comments below and hundreds of other travel videos tell another story.
Germany/Austria are not known for sense of humor and friendliness. Very regimented and cold
You cannot compare humor and friendliness of Germans from the North or South, nor the East or West, and what is said about the "typical Berliner" is a whole different story.
Now you want to throw in Austrians from all parts in the same pot?? 😉 That's nonsensical.
Even the generally accepted prejudices regarding differences in character and temperament are enormous.
Hate: the service, the weather, the people, the food, shops closing early.
Like: It's not far from Italy
Love Italy!
Austria is not Vienna, Salzburg and Tyrol. Visit the other Bundesländer.
Als Österreicherin muss ich sagen das es unglaublich ist in meiner Heimat schlecht bedient zu werden 😢😢😢❤❤❤❤🇦🇹🇦🇹🇦🇹🇦🇹🇦🇹🇦🇹
The food is more like what you get in the US. I'd rather go to France. As for amazing food you should visit China and Japan more often. 🙂
Visiting Japan for the food? Yes, but China? Come on..
@@brunolima7402 The food in China's way better than this country. The food in this country is a joke.
You became fat after going to Austria? 🤔 Idk if i believe this...
If expensive, unfriendly, bad service, why go there in the first place. I believe there are some other better options
Hey Mark, awesome video