Austria - Intro and Budget

Have you ever wondered what's it like to live in a country that offers the highest quality of life? Are you a fan of classical music or perhaps you'd like to admire the great architectures from Gothic design to Baroque style?

Here is where to go - Austria

Opera House at Vienna

A quick snap shot of the trip

7-day solo trip in mid July 2016

Cities visited: Vienna (2 days), Salzburg (2 day), Lake Region - Bad Aussee, Hallstatt, Obertraun, Gosausee (3 days)

My Austria Trip Route

Estimated Cost per Person not including airfare (in USD) ~ $1000 (Cost based on exchange rate of 1USD:0.89 Euro)

• Lodging: $350
• Two nights at Vienna - Ivan & Neva Hitil (airbnb.com; Standard room with share bathroom in a family apartment), Ibis Wien Messe (booking.com; Standard room with private bathroom in a hotel building)
• Two night at Salzburg - Pension Katrin (booking.com; Standard room with private bathroom in a B&B house )
• Three nights at Bad Aussee - Haus Steinwidder (airbnb.com; Standard room with private shower and share toilette in a B&B house)

• Tours / Attractions: $160
• 48-hour Salzburg Card - This allows free entrances to a wide list of Salzburg attractions and free transportation within the city
• Sound of Music bicycle tour with Fräulein Marias Bicycle Tours
• Altaussee Salt Mine
• Dachstein Ice Cave
• Hofburg Palace
• St Stephan Cathedral - North Tower

Mirabell Gardens at Salzburg

• Transportation: $100
• Public transportation within Vienna, Salzburg
• Long-distance train between Vienna, Salzburg, Bad Aussee
• Local train / bus between Bad Aussee, Hallstatt, Obertraun, Gosausee
• Ship between Hallstatt train station and Hallstatt town

• Food: $250
• This estimate covers some breakfast, lunch, and dinner

• Other misc.: $140
• Shopping, etc

Austria lake region

Tips & Suggestions

• July is Austria's rainy season. Have a back up plan in case weather is not suitable for outdoor activities and / or bring proper rain gears
• July is Austria's "vacation" month, therefore, a lot of the performances are not scheduled. However, you may be lucky to attend some summer festivals
• Banks in Austria will charge you a flat fee of 4 Euro each time you exchange money with USD cash
• Banks in Austria don't open during weekends in their "vacation months." You can exchange at the exchange center by the touristy areas of Vienna and Salzburg. However, the exchange rate is not as good 
• Make sure to have a credit card that does not charge you with foreign exchange fees
• You lose half to a day each way in flight, so remember to plan them into your trip
• Do I need travel insurance? This is not an easy question, but couple things to help you making a decision. Research the charges if you were to change flight schedules, check with your current insurance company to see if they cover medical abroad, and take a look at what are the travel plans available at https://www.insuremytrip.com/