International Travel Tips for Visiting Graz

Austria is an easy country to travel in, and Graz is one of its most relaxed cities. Still, a few local habits surprise visitors from abroad, from shops that close on Sundays to restaurants that expect you to ask for the bill. These are the practical points worth knowing before you arrive.

Money and Paying

The currency is the euro. Card and contactless payments work in hotels, supermarkets, most restaurants and on ticket machines, but Austria still uses more cash than many countries. Keep some for market stalls, bakeries, wine taverns and small cafes. Cash machines operated by banks do not charge a fee of their own; if a machine offers to convert the amount into your home currency, decline and pay in euros. Prices in shops and restaurants include tax.

Tipping and Restaurant Etiquette

Service is included in the price, but a tip is customary: round up small amounts, or add five to ten percent in restaurants. Tell the waiter the total you want to pay as you hand over the money or card, as tips are not left on the table. You usually seat yourself in cafes and casual restaurants, and the bill comes only when you ask for it; nobody will hurry you. Tap water is free in many places if you ask, though some restaurants make a small charge.

Opening Hours

Shops generally open from around 9am to 6pm or later on weekdays and close at 5pm or 6pm on Saturday. Almost everything is closed on Sundays and public holidays, including supermarkets; the exceptions are shops in the main railway station and at the airport. Restaurants, cafes and most museums are open on Sundays. Many museums close on Mondays, and some restaurants take one or two rest days a week, so check before you set out.

Phones, Internet and Power

Visitors with a SIM card from another EU country can use their phone in Austria at home rates. Others can buy a prepaid SIM or an eSIM from the main Austrian networks, A1, Magenta and Drei, in shops in the city centre. Free Wi-Fi is standard in hotels and common in cafes. Electricity is 230 volts at 50 hertz and sockets take the European two-pin plugs, types C and F; visitors from the UK, North America and Australia need an adapter.

Health and Safety

Tap water in Graz is of excellent quality. Pharmacies are marked Apotheke and can advise on minor problems; outside normal hours a rota of duty pharmacies stays open, and the nearest one is listed on every pharmacy door. EU citizens should carry their European Health Insurance Card, and other visitors should have travel insurance. The general emergency number is 112; an ambulance is 144 and the police 133.

Local Customs Worth Knowing

• •Greet people when you enter a small shop or a lift: Grüß Gott or Hallo.
• •On escalators, stand on the right and walk on the left.
• •Wait for the green light at pedestrian crossings; locals do, and police can fine you.
• •Smoking is banned inside restaurants, bars and cafes.
• •Quiet is expected on Sundays and late at night in residential streets.
• •Recycling is taken seriously: separate bins for paper, glass, plastic and general waste are everywhere.
• •Bottles and cans carry a deposit, refunded at supermarket return machines.