Money and Cost

Money: Austria's currency is the Euro, which is devided into 100 cents. There are coins for one, two, five, 10, 20 and 50 cents, and Euro 1and Euro 2. Notes come in denominations of Euro 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500.

ATMs: Bankomats (ATMs), which accept credit, debit and Eurocheque cards, are never very far away in Vienna - just look for a neon sign with two green and blue stripes sticking out from a bank facade. Bankomats can also be found in the main train stations and at the airport. Check with your home bank before travelling to see how much the charge is for using a Bankomat in Vienna; normally there's no commission to pay at the Austrian end.

Changing Money: Banks are the best places to exchange cash, but it pays to shop around as exchange rates and commission charges can vary a little between them. Normally there is a minimum commission charge of € 2 to € 3.50 so try to exchange your money in large amounts to save on multiple charges.
There are plenty of exchange offices in the Innere Stadt, particularly around Stephansplatz and on Kärntner Strasse. Westbahnhof also has one (7am-10pm), as does Südbahnhof (6.30am-10pm). Commission charges are around the same as banks, but quite often their exchange rates are uncompetitive.
American Express (*515 400-40; 01, Kärntner Strasse 21-23; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat) exchanges cash as well as travellers cheques (Amex travellers cheques for free, cheques of other institutions incur a small charge). It also has a travel section and financial services, and will hold mail (not parcels) free of charge for up to one month for customers who have an American Express card.

Credit Cards: Visa, EuroCard and MasterCard are accepted a little more widely than American Express and Dinners Club, although a surprising number of shops and restaurants refuse to accept any credit card at all. Plush shops and restaurants will usually accept cards, though, and the same applies for hotels. Train tickets can be bought by credit acrd in main stations.