Austria's capital and heart of the Habsburg empire: Schönbrunn and Hofburg palaces, St Stephen's Cathedral, Klimt's 'The Kiss' at the Belvedere, world-class opera and coffee-house culture. Clean, safe and with excellent public transport — good for families too, with the world's oldest zoo and the Prater. No direct flights; connect via Frankfurt, Istanbul, Seoul or Beijing. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 13h☀ Best months: April, May, June, September
#palaces#classical music#museums#coffee houses#Christmas markets#Schengen visa
The Habsburgs' summer palace — UNESCO: see the rooms of Maria Theresa, Franz Joseph and Sisi with an audio guide. Entry is by timed ticket, so buy ahead on imperialtickets.com. Walk up through the park to the Gloriette for city views; the maze and children's museum are great for kids.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goAustrian visa decisions are made in Beijing, so lodge your application as early as possible — this matters most.+
1
Schengen visa: VFS Austria centre (UB)
Mongolian citizens need a Schengen short-stay (C) visa. Austria has no embassy in Mongolia: VFS Global's Austria visa application centre in Ulaanbaatar (Embassy One building, 13th floor) takes the application and the Austrian Embassy in Beijing decides. The German Embassy does not represent Austria. Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) plus the VFS service fee. Apply between 6 months and 15 days before travel; decisions usually take 15 days and can take up to 45.
Tip: Files take time to travel to Beijing and back, so the embassy itself advises applying 'as early as possible' — don't count on the 15-day minimum.
Medical insurance valid in all Schengen states, including repatriation, with cover of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Attach flight and hotel reservations (a paid ticket is not required), bank statements and an employment letter. Your passport must be under 10 years old, valid for more than 3 months after the visa ends and have 2 blank pages.
Book your appointment online on VFS Global's Austria page; the centre moved to the Embassy One building in September 2025. Bring the completed, signed form, an ICAO-standard photo and copies of previous Schengen visas. You collect your passport from the same centre after the decision.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityVienna Airport lies south-east of the city; trains and the CAT bus get you to the centre quickly and cheaply.+
1
REX7 / S7 — the cheapest
Because of rail works, until the end of October 2027 the REX7 runs from the airport to Wien Hauptbahnhof (U1) in ~20 minutes, while the S7 only goes as far as St. Marx. The ticket is €5.50 (ages 6–14 €2.80), covering both the airport-to-city-boundary zone and the city zone. Buy it from an ÖBB machine, counter or the app and validate before boarding.
Tip: With a Vienna multi-day ticket or Vienna City Card you only need an extra ticket from the airport to the city boundary.
During the works the City Airport Train runs as premium coaches: non-stop from the airport to Wien Mitte (U3/U4) in ~21 minutes, every 12 minutes in the daytime. One way €14.90, return €24.90; children under 15 free. There is a CAT counter in the arrivals hall.
If your phone supports eSIM, install a Europe-wide travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave: it works as soon as you land in Frankfurt and equally in Austria and Germany. No registration hassle.
Tip: Download Vienna in Google Maps and German in Google Translate for offline use.
2
Austrian prepaid SIM
Austrian law requires A1, Magenta and Drei prepaid SIMs to be registered with your passport — in store or by online video verification. Worth it for a long stay or if you need an Austrian number; for a short trip an eSIM is enough.
🚇Getting aroundU-Bahn, trams, buses and the S-Bahn within the city all share one ticket. There are no gates but frequent inspections — no ticket means a fine.+
1
Tickets and prices
A single ticket is €3.20 (children €1.60), valid for 80 minutes from validation in one direction with transfers. A 24-hour ticket is €10.20 and a 7-day ticket €28.90 (paper). Validate paper tickets in the blue machines at station entrances; tickets in the WienMobil app are valid at once.
Children under 6 always ride free. Under-15s ride Wiener Linien free on Sundays, public holidays and during Vienna's school holidays — worth factoring in for a family trip.
The Vienna City Card adds museum and tour discounts to public transport — worth checking if you will see a lot. The centre inside the Ring is compact and most sights are walkable; Ring trams 1 and 2 pass the imperial buildings. Rent bikes by app.
💳Money and taxes+
1
Card or cash
Most shops and restaurants now take cards, but cash is still common in Austria: small cafés, sausage stands (Würstelstand), markets and the Stephansdom ticket desk may take cash only. Withdraw euros from bank ATMs; tourist ATMs such as Euronet charge high fees.
Tip: If an ATM or card terminal offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.
2
City accommodation tax (Ortstaxe)
Since 1 July 2026 Vienna's accommodation tax is 5% of the room price (excluding VAT and breakfast); it rises to 8% from July 2027. If it is not included in your booking, the hotel adds it at check-out.
Non-EU visitors who spend more than €75.01 on one receipt can reclaim part of Austria's 20% VAT. Ask the shop for a Tax Free form, get it stamped by customs at the airport where you leave the EU, then collect the refund.
🍜FoodViennese food is hearty and delicious: schnitzel, pastries and coffee. Plenty for children to like.+
1
What to eat
Wiener Schnitzel — thin breaded veal; Tafelspitz — boiled beef; goulash; Käsekrainer sausage from a Würstelstand. Desserts: Sachertorte, apple strudel, Kaiserschmarrn. With children, schnitzel, pizza and bakeries are everywhere.
Tip: In restaurants, round the bill up by 5–10% as a tip and say the total when paying.
2
Coffee houses and Heuriger
In a coffee house nobody hurries you if you sit for hours over one coffee and a newspaper — that is the culture. In autumn, the wine villages on the city's edge (Grinzing, Nussdorf) open Heuriger taverns with new wine and cold platters. Buy cheap groceries at Billa, Spar and Hofer.
From mid-November to late December, Christmas markets fill Rathausplatz, Schönbrunn, the Belvedere, Spittelberg and more: hot punch, roasted almonds, gingerbread and rides for children. Crowds are big, so mind your pockets.
Police 133, ambulance 144, fire 122, EU-wide number 112 — free, 24 hours; 112 answers in English. For non-emergency illness call the out-of-hours doctor on 141.
Vienna is very safe, but pickpockets work Stephansplatz, Karlsplatz, Praterstern station, crowded U-Bahn trains and Christmas markets. Don't leave your phone on a café table and carry your bag in front. Avoid street petition signers.
3
Hospitals and pharmacies
AKH (Vienna General Hospital) has a 24-hour emergency department. A pharmacy is an 'Apotheke'; a duty pharmacy is open at night and at weekends. If you lose your passport, report it to the police and contact the Embassy of Mongolia in Vienna.
Say 'Grüß Gott' or 'Guten Tag' entering a shop or restaurant and 'Auf Wiedersehen' when leaving. Austrians are polite but value formality: use the formal 'Sie' and people's titles.
2
In public
Keep your voice down on the metro and trams; hot, smelly food is banned on the U-Bahn. Don't cross on a red light or walk in bike lanes. Most shops close on Sundays — only station shops stay open. Don't sightsee in churches during services, and cover your shoulders.
3
Opera and concerts
Dress neatly for opera and concerts (sportswear is out even in standing room). Switch off your phone and don't take photos during the performance. In standing room, people 'reserve' their spot by tying a scarf to the rail — don't move someone else's.
📱Useful apps+
1
Transport
WienMobil — routes for all Vienna transport, phone tickets and bike hire. ÖBB — the airport REX7 and trains to Melk and Bratislava. Google Maps works very well in the city.
Genuine Schönbrunn and Sisi Museum tickets are sold only on imperialtickets.com, and Kunsthistorisches Museum tickets on shop.khm.at — don't buy from fake sites. wien.info covers events, Christmas markets and the Vienna City Card. Google Translate's camera translates German menus on the spot.
From Hauptbahnhof the REX7 takes ~20 minutes (€5.50), or the CAT from Wien Mitte ~21 minutes (€14.90). If you connect to MIAT via Frankfurt, your Schengen EES exit check happens in Frankfurt — leave enough time for the connection.
Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. Carry Tax Free goods unopened in your hand luggage and show them to customs at your EU departure airport before check-in.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
€20 (ages 6–18 €12); with guided tour €25
Daily; 6 Oct–18 Nov 10:00–16:30 with the museum section under refurbishment
The imperial winter palace in the centre: the rooms where Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) lived, plus the Silver Collection — all three on one ticket. Next door are the Imperial Treasury and the Spanish Riding School.
CultureFree entry; south tower (343 steps) €8, children €3; All-Inclusive €29Church 6:00–22:00; visiting Mon–Sat 9:00–11:30, 13:00–16:30; towers 9:00–19:00
Vienna's Gothic landmark with its patterned tile roof. Climb 343 steps up the south tower or take the lift up the north tower to see the Pummerin bell. The catacomb tour is fascinating; stay quiet during services.
CultureUpper Belvedere €23; free under 19Daily 9:00–18:00
Austrian art in a baroque palace: Gustav Klimt's 'The Kiss', Schiele, Van Gogh. Buy a timed ticket online. The garden between the palaces is free, with terraced fountains that make a great photo spot.
Culture€22 online / €24 at the desk; free under 19Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, Thu until 21:00; closed Mondays
Bruegel, Rubens, Raphael, the Egyptian collection and the Kunstkammer — one of the world's great museums, with a café under the dome. Timed tickets since 8 Sept 2026. Across the road, the MuseumsQuartier has modern art, the ZOOM Children's Museum and courtyard loungers.
CultureStanding room about €13–18; seats from €15Performances nightly Sept–June; standing room on sale from 10:00 on the day
One of the world's leading opera houses, with around 300 performances a year. The 435 standing-room places are sold on the day online or at the box office — the Viennese way to see opera cheaply. Every place has an English subtitle screen. By day you can take a guided tour inside.
KidsRiesenrad €14.50 (ages 3–14 €6.50); entry to the Prater freeRiesenrad daily from ~10:00 into the evening (varies by season)
Ride the red cabins of the 65 m Riesenrad (1897) for views over the city. Next to it the Wurstelprater funfair has over 250 rides (each paid separately), and behind it the Green Prater is a huge park for family cycling and walks.
FoodFree entry (food €8–20)Mon–Fri 6:00–19:30, Sat 6:00–17:00; closed Sundays
The city's biggest food market: fruit, cheese, spices and olive stalls, plus Israeli, Turkish and Asian eateries. A flea market runs alongside on Saturdays. Otto Wagner's Art Nouveau houses are nearby, and the colourful Hundertwasserhaus is a short metro ride away.
CultureMorning Exercise €18–29; performances from €26Morning Exercise Tue–Fri 10:00 (some days 11:30)
450 years of training white Lipizzaner horses in the Hofburg's baroque hall. The Morning Exercise is cheaper and calm, with classical music. Children under 3 are not admitted; photography is forbidden.
Kids€29 (ages 6–18 €17, under 6 free)Daily from 9:00; until 18:30 Apr–Sept, 16:30 Oct–Dec
Founded in 1752, the world's oldest zoo sits in the palace park: pandas, elephants, polar bears and an underwater tunnel. Combined tickets with the palace make a full day. Plan half a day with children.
Viennese coffee houses — Sacher, Demel, Café Central
FoodCoffee €5–8, cake about €7–12Most open daily about 8:00–22:00
A coffee-house culture listed as UNESCO intangible heritage: Sachertorte, apple strudel and a 'Melange'. Demel is the former imperial confectioner; Café Central is the hall where Trotsky and Freud once sat. If the queues are long, nearby Café Sperl and Hawelka are just as traditional.
NatureMelk Abbey €16, family €32Abbey daily Apr–Oct; guided tours only in winter
About an hour by train from Vienna, Melk has a baroque abbey above the Danube with a stunning library. From there a boat runs through the vineyard-terraced Wachau Valley to Dürnstein — UNESCO. Another option: Bratislava (Slovakia), about an hour by REX train.
Connecting via Frankfurt with MIAT, you enter Schengen there and register fingerprints and face in EES; you then arrive in Vienna as on a domestic flight. Leave enough time for the connection and check at check-in whether your bags go through.
