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Euros per day

I will be spending 2 nights in Munich, 3 in Salzburg, and 4 in Vienna. I plan on using my charge card as much as I can, but know that I will need cash for some things. How may Euros per day should I plan on having with me? Thank you.

Posted by
19656 posts

Just get a couple hundred out of an ATM to start and see how it goes. If you need more, go back to the ATM. If you have a lot left over toward the end of the trip, start paying cash.

Posted by
1875 posts

If you pay consequently using your credit or debit card whenever it is accepted, you should not need more than €30 per day. Some businesses are more reluctant to accept plastic money, like taxis or small restaurants. Just ask upfront whether you can pay cashless. In most cases you will be asked for your PIN, i.e. no signature is needed.

As noted in the previous post, get e.g. €300 from an ATM in the beginning, and monitor your cash burn rate.

Austria, which was said to be very conservative, has greatly improved during the last years. The latest boost towards no cash is coming from payment apps on mobile phones, i.e. contactless via NFC, especially preferred by people of generation Z (or the iGeneration). In Austria all credit or debit cards are equipped for NFC to avoid swiping your card; for payments less than €25 you neither need a PIN nor a signature in most cases.

I don't know whether it is true for Munich - being perceived as modern and young -, but Germany is one of the biggest defenders of cash in the EU. Sweden is the other extreme, trying to abandon cash. There you will find numerous places where you cannot pay with cash anymore. In Austria a political proposal was made last week, for having a law passed making cash payments a steadfast right for all people.

Posted by
14482 posts

Hi,

Based on my visits in Vienna in each of the last 10 years ( minus one in 2013), I can tell you the restaurants I have been to (a couple no longer exist) where payment is only by cash. The most recent trip was last May in terms of relevance.

Look for the Visa/MC logo somewhere near the entrance. It not, see if credit card payment is stated in the menu, or lastly ask the waitress/waiter. Location of the restaurant, or cafe in or near a tourist frequented area is no indication of the credit card being accepted.

Based on personal observations and experiences, I would say Austria and Germany are the two EU countries most resistant to credit card usage, with Germany being more resistant than Austria in staying as a cash society.

Hopefully it stays that way in Germany.

Posted by
1875 posts

@Fred
I'd be interested in which restaurants you had been, accepting cash only.

Posted by
14482 posts

In Vienna there are at least 4 restaurants where only cash payment is accepted which I have been to, regardless if they're touristy or not at all.

  1. " Schnitzelwirt" at Neubaugasse 52

  2. " Restaurant Arsenalstuben" Arsenal Obj. 1, next to the HGM (Army Museum), 1030 Wien

  3. " Reinthaler's Beisl" Dorotheergasse 2-4, 1010 Wien

  4. " Wiener WIA-ZHAUS" , Gusshausstraße 24, 1040 Wien

  5. " Kaffee Konditerei Monarchie " on Nußdorferstraße 69.....I'm not totally sure of this one, was there to check it out but didn't have lunch there

There might have been 2 more where I had lunch, paid cash, one on Kaiserstraße, the other on Burggasse, but both do not exist anymore, both were recommendations from the hotel and hostel staff.

I'll be back before the summer is out (the trip having been postponed once again ), and, of course, in Vienna too, maybe I'll encounter a few more eateries like those above...no credit card payment.

Posted by
4137 posts

I generally don't write about food , eating well , preferably reasonably priced and healthy ( low fat , low salt , lots of salads from grocery stores ) but I'll add another to Fred's list ( cash only ) " 3/4 Takt " , Praterstrasse 54 . This is a Beisl , just down the street from our hotel .

Posted by
5362 posts

As a counterbalance, I live in Vienna and I haven’t used cash in weeks. I almost exclusively use my cards.

Posted by
14482 posts

@ Steven...thanks for the tip, I'll try to check that place out. The "Beisl" is usually the eatery I prefer.

On one of my visits to track the house of that famous composer, Erich Wolfgang Korngold on Sternwartestraße 35, 1180 Wien, a few years ago, I dropped in for lunch at this small neighborhood place after getting off the U-Bahn station, "Nußdorfer Straße" , don't know if that eatery took a credit card or not, presumably not. I spoke with the young woman who ran the place, who was originally from Ghana, came to Vienna as a kid, basically grew up there, and obviously, spoke with that Viennese accent.

I didn't record the name of this establishment, (located between the U-Bahn station and Korngold's house), it reminded me of places I went to on my first trip to Vienna in 1971 since I stayed in that very neighborhood, ie, on Pulverturmgasse, where a HI hostel was located, ie Korngold's house is very close to that former hostel site...and I didn't know that in 1971.

Posted by
4137 posts

Not surprising , Emily . Here in New York , I think I last needed to use cash sometime last February .

Posted by
52 posts

@Fred,

Is there anything to see at Korngolds former residence, or were you just interested in locating it?

Thank you all for your input

Posted by
14482 posts

@ Daisy....I am a fan of EW Korngold, who as a child was truly a Wunderkind. The house is currently a private residence. When I was there one time shooting the house from different angles, etc, a guy came out and I asked if it was private property or if a museum was inside. Outside is a plaque (only in German obviously) stating it was EW Korngold's house, who he was and when he lived there. I copied the words down in the original.

"In diesem Haus lebte and arbeitete in den Jahren 1928-1938 und 1949-1951 der Komponist Erich Wolfgang." ( all in caps) In this house the composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold lived and worked in the years 1929 to 1938 and 1949 to 1951. You can see that an assimilated Austrian Jew he went back from the US after the horrors of the Holocaust. I don't know whether he got out prior to the Anschluss (Hitler taking over Austria) or after and was allowed to leave under the Nazi policy of forced emigration. H Kissinger left in 1938 too

The house is located almost at the corner of Sternwartestraße and Gymnasiumstraße. In 1971 I was only a few blocks away on Pulverturmgasse and didn't even know of the existence of this famous site.

Getting there, I took the U-6 to Nußdorferstraße and then walked, ca 30 mins or so....interesting neighborhood One thing you notice right away walking and seeing the small restaurants and taverns, the prices are cheaper to much cheaper, say a Schnitzel cost 11 to 14 or more Euro in the Zentrum. In this district you might pay only 9-11 Euro.

Korngold's birth house is in Brno, known as Brünn at the time, the province capital of Moravia. I've yet to see his birth house.

Posted by
52 posts

I will not be staying far from there, so I will check it out. Good to know the information regarding the difference in restaurant prices. We are content to walk and it is much more enjoyable find good neighborhood establishments.

Posted by
1875 posts

Since 1934 E. W. Korngold travelled regularly to Hollywood, especially in winter, to compose film music for the big studios. At the day of the Anschluss he happened to be in the US, and eventually decided not to return to Austria. Using his connections to the movie industry he managed to get the necessary papers to have his family legally emigrating to the US.

Posted by
5362 posts

Fred, you should know that no one calls the Innere Stadt the “Zentrum.”

Posted by
1875 posts

This part of Vienna, where Korngold's villa (among others) is located, is called the "Cottage", an area of not more than a third of a square mile. Originally developed from scratch in 1873 to foster single-family houses for the well-heeled upper middle class as a counterpart to the classical apartment buildings near Vienna's center, it is nowadays one of the most prestigious and expensive areas to live in.

Here you can find routes to walk for visiting homes of well-known people:
https://www.cottageverein.at/2016/rundgaenge
Although in German only, it is easily understandable.

Posted by
4137 posts

wmt1 , I just printed out the maps and information you posted . I'll be in Vienna again this Autumn for two weeks , and there are several places in that part of the city that I will be visiting , I'll certainly add this . For anyone with an interest , in addition to Fred , here is a link to one of Korngold's most beautiful compositions for the concert hall . Evident in this , is the influence of work from The Second Vienna School - https://youtu.be/lcGEGl5bdbk

Posted by
14482 posts

I used Zentrum since it is easily recognisable by its spelling, and therefore its meaning. Thanks for the info.

Posted by
52 posts

These maps are very helpful. I printed them as well. I run each morning and will use them. I also use that time to explore and can find restaurants/ cafes as well.
Steven, in White Plains, I am from Binghamton. Thank you for posting the you tube link. I agree, regarding the influence. I knew who Korngold was but did not know that his father was also a musician. I am more intrigued now, in reading that his father abhorred atonality, and was a music critic. Fred, thank you for bringing this up.

Posted by
14482 posts

@ daisy...You're welcome. If you do decide to look up his house, you know how to go about it. Aside from that I find walking and exploring in that district interesting and eye-opening. I remember how the immediate area around Pulverturmgasse, the location of that hostel, looked like in 1971, how the buildings looked like, etc. Yes, almost a half century ago.

Posted by
4137 posts

Daisy , with your time in Vienna , don't miss some of the major sites ( there are many ) but up in that part of town where you are , there are a number of places to consider - Beethoven's house , where he wrote his Heiligenstadt Testament , and the Sixth Symphony. Also the cemetery in Grinzing , the burials of Gustav Mahler ( with one of his daughters , unmarked ) and the grave of Manon Gropius , daughter of Walter Gropius , the originator of The Bauhaus , and his wife for several years , after Mahler's death in 1911 , Alma . Also , I often recommend this brilliant documentary about Vienna by Joseph Koerner of Harvard that will give you a great basis for understanding the history and intricacies of this city - https://youtu.be/AFZBOTgL_Hk

Posted by
52 posts

Thank you. I am trying to learn as much as I can about Munich, Salzburg and Vienna prior to going. So, I will definitely watch this. Time is limited when I am there, so anything I can see on my morning runs is a bonus. We will also be planning a couple hikes along the way.

It has always been my dream to go where Mozart has been. But I like to be able to get away from the major tourist areas. Although many of the areas are a must see, it is fun to explore what is off the beaten path.

Posted by
1875 posts

@daisydrum
Obviously, only a small number of tourists prepare themselves for a visit of a foreign city as thoroughly as you. That shows that you are really interested trying to imbibe the aura of Vienna. Thumbs up for this attitude!

That is also the reason which makes this thread of posts much more interesting as a lot of others, when people ask questions which could have been answered by spending five minutes of their time with Google.

I had bought this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Places-Vienna-That-Shouldnt-Miss/dp/3954512068

Your main problem is just the short time frame. Four days in Vienna is a drop in the ocean.

Posted by
4137 posts

wmt1 , I just bought a copy , it looks great . Also in reciprocation , are you familiar with Carl Schorske's 1980 " Fin de Siecle Vienna - politics and culture " ? If not , have a look , I think you would greatly enjoy this . I first read this in 1980 , and keep returning to it , time and time again - https://www.amazon.com/Fin-Siecle-Vienna-Politics-1980-12-12/dp/B01N3QK97F/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3IZ93AW0TUB93&keywords=fin+de+siecle+vienna&qid=1562448821&s=gateway&sprefix=fin+de%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-3

Posted by
14482 posts

@ daisy...Totally agree with the recommendation of C Schorske on Vienna. Anything he writes is scholarly, erudite, competent.

On Vienna and Austria I heartily recommend in addition to Schorske the works by Bruce F. Pauley to get a comprehensive historical picture of Austria-Hungary in greater political, social, and diplomatic depth, His works are lucid, scholarly and comprehensive.

Posted by
5362 posts

I’ve lived in Vienna for 12 years and never heard of any of this stuff or any of these people. For a first time visitor with a few days in Vienna, I’m not sure she is being pointed in the right direction....

Posted by
52 posts

I appreciate the input. I am also visiting Munich and Salzburg. Still need to figure out Hike, as well. I have tickets for a concert in Salzburg. Many things to do to in preparation and not as much time available as I would like. Will head to the library in the next couple of days.
I am still nervous about carrying cash, so I will get some to start and the obtain more if I need it. It sounds like some food and transportation may require cash.

Posted by
8377 posts

daisy, carrying cash over there should be no more scary than it is over here. In fact less, since no one is going to rob you at gunpoint. You'll relax when you get there and see the lay of the land.

Posted by
5362 posts

I carry about 20 Euro at all times and I’m fine.