Youth General Tips

Conditions of entry to Austria

Before coming to Austria please check in good time that you possess all the necessary documents and can comply with the conditions of entry. Contact the Austrian consulate or embassy in your country for up-to-date details.

Currency

Austria's currency unit is the Austrian schilling (ATS). There are bank notes in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 schillings. One schilling is divided into 100 groschen. 1 EURO = ATS 13.7603.

Banks and post offices

Banks in Vienna are open from Monday to Friday, 8.00 a.m. - 12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. - 3.00 p.m. On Thursdays they are open until 5.30 p.m. Cash and Eurocheques can be changed at any bank. There are post offices in every district; mostly, they are open Monday-Friday 8.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.

Shop opening hours

Shops are generally open Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m. Some shops also stay open until 8.00 p.m. On Saturdays most shops close at 5.00 p.m.

Public transport

If you have booked a transfer and informed us of your precise arrival details, you will be met by a driver in the airport arrival area or on the platform. He/she will be holding an "Actilingua" sign with your name. If there are any difficulties, please call Actilingua on: (01) 877 67 01.

Electricity and Water

220 volts. Tap water is of drinking quality in Vienna and has an excellent flavour.

Telephone calls

If your parents wish to call you, the best time is at meal times: breakfast: 8.00 - 8.45 a.m., lunch: 12.20 - 1.00 p.m., evening meal: 6.00 - 6.30 p.m. There are a number of pay phones at the school, some coin operated (ATS 1, ATS 5, ATS 10) and others phone-card operated. We recommend you buy a phone card for calls abroad (available from teachers or at any tobacconist's). These cards are available in denominations of ATS 50 and ATS 100.

Laundry service

Students can have their clothes washed every two weeks at a laundry. One wash costs EUR 6,-. Parents should clearly mark items of clothing that will need washing.

Swimming

Together we visit the Stadionbad which is located close to the Prater stadium (tram 21, bus 83A, 77A, 80B). The Stadionbad was opened in 1931 and is one of the largest swimming pool complexes in Europe. It offers a wealth of facilities for water enthusiasts (e.g. double water slide, wild-water canal and geysers, etc.).

If any of your questions are still unanswered, go to our Junior Course FAQs. If this still does not give the information you need, then simply give us a call on +43 1 8776701 - we will be pleased to be of help. We wish you a pleasant trip to Austria and a successful stay in Vienna!

What do I have to bring?

Passport
Copy of payment confirmation
2 photos
Insurance documents (if applicable)
Permission to leave campus (if you would like to go out alone)
Sufficient Austrian schillings for deposit and payments on arrival day: public transport, insurance (if applicable) and leisure programme extras
Pocket money: The amount of pocket money you bring with you depends entirely on what you are used to. We would, however, recommend a little more than at home - at least ATS 500-1000 (EUR 36-73) per week.
Bed linen/towels: Bed linen is provided. Please bring your own towels (min. two).
Clothing: Bring a selection of comfortable clothing for both hot and cold weather, as well as sportswear. You may also wish to pack something elegant for the theatre or disco!
You will receive course books and materials at the school. It might be a good idea to bring a dictionary with you.
Tennis racket and table-tennis bat (optional)
Musical instruments, paraphernalia and ideas for the International Evening (optional)
A good mood!

Arrival

Your arrival day is Sunday. If possible, you should arrive at the school campus between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m.

Transfer on arrival by rail or air

Arrival day programme

Registration

As soon as you arrive, the first thing to do is to make your way to the school office for registration. You will need:

your passport
a copy of your payment confirmation
2 photos
Insurance documents (if applicable)

Payment

All payments ie.g. public transport, deposit, leisure programme extras and insurance (if necessary) have to be made at registration. Please ensure that you have sufficient cash (Austrian schillings) on you!

Public transport

Young people aged up to 14 are entitled to use public transport free of charge during the summer months (don't forget ID!). Those aged 15 or over can buy a weekly pass costing ATS 155 (EUR 11.30).

Refundable deposit:

ATS 300 (EUR 22). The deposit will be refunded to you on the last day of your course provided that no damage has been caused to school property.

Leisure programme extras

At registration, you have the opportunity to enrol on the following leisure programmes:

Culture Special: ATS 300 (EUR 22)/week
Musical or concert - 1 ticket: ATS 425 (EUR 31)
Full-day excursions - e.g. Salzburg/Wachau: ATS 880 (EUR 64)
Half-day excursions - e.g. Rosenburg/Hinterbr�hl/Burg Kreuzenstein: ATS 510 (EUR 37)
Tennis -
2 weeks (6 lessons): ATS 840 (EUR 61)
3 weeks (8 lessons): ATS 1120 (EUR 81)
4 weeks (10 lessons): ATS 1400 (EUR 102)
5 weeks (10 lessons): ATS 1400 (EUR 102)

Insurance

If you are from a European Union country, bring along an E111 form which will automatically entitle you to medical treatment in Austria; otherwise please do not forget to take out adequate health insurance before you leave home. If you wish to take out health insurance in Vienna direct, you can do so on the day of your arrival as follows: 2 weeks: ATS 240 (EUR 17,4) / 3 weeks: ATS 360 (EUR 26,1) / 4 weeks: ATS 480 (EUR 34,8) / 5 weeks: ATS 600 (EUR 43,6).

Valuables

Cash, flight tickets and passports can be deposited with your course teacher for safekeeping.

Placement test

Please submit your placement test Tuesday before your arrival at the latest so that we are able to allocate you to a group suited to your language ability. If your test does not reach us on time, you can fill it out on the day of your arrival. In addition, you will be orally assessed by one of our teachers which helps us to gauge your level of German even better.