With its successful blend of imperial tradition and contemporary creativity, the Austrian capital has established itself as a major player in the global tourism market.  Vienna has traditionally accorded the arts great respect, and over the centuries has never ceased to foster creativity and attract people from all over the world. Vienna boasts 50 theaters, including four opera houses and several stage musical theaters, 150 museums, numerous galleries, and renowned drama, music and dance festivals. All this ensures an extraordinarily rich cultural program throughout the year, making the city one of Europe’s leading cultural centers.

For more information about Vienna, please visit www.wien.info

Banks and ATM

Most banks in Vienna are open from Monday to Friday from 8.00 am to 12.30 pm and from 1.30 pm to 3.00 pm, and until 5.30 pm on Thursdays. In the city centre (1st district), almost all banks are open over lunchtime. There will be ATMs (Automatic Teller Machine) in the Reed Messe Vienna and all over the city of Vienna. At the airport and main station and along the main streets you find currency exchange offices as well.

Churches, Synagogues, Mosques

Although Vienna (like the rest of Austria) is basically catholic, all religions are allowed and practiced by many citizens. Please contact your hotel concierge for current times of services or nearby churches.

Climate

Vienna has a mild continental climate. Even if the occasional winter day is icy and some days in high summer can bring sweltering heat to the palaces of the old city, most days of the year the weather matches the residents of the city: friendly, mild and moderate in every respect.

Credit Cards and Cheques

All major credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, Diners and American Express are accepted in most of the establishments as restaurants, hotels and shopping-centres and stores.

Travel checks can be cashed in most of the banks and exchange offices.

When paying by credit card for your shopping, you will be asked to show identification. Please have your ID card or passport with you all the time, otherwise they may refuse to accept your credit card as payment.

Currency and Exchange Bureaus

The official currency in Austria is Euro (EUR). You can exchange your currency without any limits for total amount at all banks as well as many exchange offices in Vienna. When you are exchanging your currency, you need your passport or official ID card. If you don’t have it with you, the bank may refuse to exchange your currency.

Electricity

The typical mains voltage for households (as well as hotels) in Vienna is 230 volts (alternating current). Most electric outlets adhere to the continental standard (Schuko). Appliances from North America require a transformer and British ones an adaptor for the two-pin sockets in use in Austria.

Hotels

ECCO has officially appointed Kuoni Congress as a partner for accommodation. Kuoni Congress has reserved a large number of hotel rooms in various hotels in different price categories. For further information please have a look at the hotel list or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Insurance

The conference fee does not include insurance. All participants should arrange for their own insurance. Health and accident insurance is recommended and has to be purchased in your country of origin.

Museums

Most of Vienna's museums open their doors daily. Some are closed once a week, often either on Monday or Tuesday. The daily opening times vary from museum to museum, but you can generally assume that a museum will be open between 10.00 am and 5.00 pm. Some of the large museums offer art lovers one late evening per week and stay open until 8.00 pm or 9.00 pm.  For prices and exact opening hours please refer to the hotel reception or any tourist information.

Restaurants & Nightlife

Most restaurants in the city centre are open daily. Hot food is generally offered from 11.00 am - 2.00 pm and from 6.00 pm - 10.00 pm. Many restaurants also serve hot food throughout the day. Some restaurants, often outside the city centre, are closed on one day each week, sometimes on Sundays as well.  Night-owls can silence late or even early hunger pangs at a typical Viennese sausage stand.

Shopping

Shops are usually open Mon - Fri from 9.00 am - 6.30 pm, Sat until 5.00 pm or 6.00 pm; some shopping centers are open until 8.00 pm or 9.00 from Mon-Fri. Shopping is available on Sundays and holidays at the large railway stations, at the airport and in the museum shops.

Telephones

The telephone prefix for calling Vienna from other countries is: + 43 1

Time Zone 

Vienna is in the Central European time zone (CET = GMT / UCT + 1). Daylight saving time applies from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October (CEST).

Visas

Who does not need a visa

Citizens of all countries of the European Union, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Israel, most North and South American countries, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and some other countries require only a valid travel document to enter Austria. (In some cases, passports that have expired within the last five years are also acceptable, as are national ID cards issued by EEA countries and Switzerland.)

If in doubt, please make sure to contact the Austrian Consulate or Embassy before departure. Under the Schengen Treaty, regular passport controls are generally no longer in effect at the borders between Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary; you must nevertheless carry a valid travel document with you when entering another Schengen country.

Who needs a visa

Travelers who need a visa can be provided with a Schengen Visa (type C: travel visa), issued by all Schengen countries, valid for all these countries for up to three months. A Schengen Visa issued by Austria, for example, permits entry to Germany and Italy as well (and vice versa). Generally, the visa is issued by the country that constitutes the principal destination of the trip. In these cases entry may also be via another Schengen country than the one that issued the visa. If there is no principal trip destination (e.g., when visiting several countries), the first state via which a Schengen country is entered, is responsible for issuing the visa.

The “Schengen countries” are currently Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

PLEASE CHECK THE CURRENT VISA REQUIREMENTS WITH THE NEAREST AUSTRIAN CONSULATE/EMBASSY IN YOUR COUNTRY BEFORE YOUR DEPARTURE TO VIENNA. 

All congress participants with a pre-paid registration fee can obtain a visa invitation letter for the congress. Visa invitation letters which have to be signed and stamped by ECCO must be requested from the congress registration office no later than January 2, 2020!