How much cash should we bring?

Just take 100 Euros or so. Enough to get you through the airport and into a cab. Then go to an ATM in Austria. Don't overthink it. Do about what you do at home.

We’ve been in Vienna for three days now. Euros were required for St Stephan’s Cathedral, but other than that, card accepted every other place we’ve been (cafes, restaurants, small stores, street vendors, etc). We also needed coins for a pay toilet in a U transit station.

I always have cash (Euros obviously for the Euro zone) and usually in a wide range of denonimations (and coins). It's been massively hit or miss - mostly miss - for truly needing it. But there have been times and reasons where cash was the best (maybe only) option. So, me personally, I bring (and leave locked in my hotel safe with my passport & spare credit card) ~500 euros - and then carry in my slimmed down wallet about 100 euros - a 50, a 20, 2 10s, and 2 5s - which I use during the trip and replenish daily from the safe. A few tips to the hotel staff and to a tour guide will be part of most trips, so cash is best for that.
Otherwise, 95% or more of my spending in Europe is with the CC. Tap the card and you're done.

At the end of the trip, I'm back home with the leftover Euros and a pocketful of change if I didn't "spend it down" on small items before leaving. I leave it in my passport for the next trip.
Keep in mind, your bank may have a "partner" bank in Austria that allows you easy & free withdrawals while there. Check your bank's website to see if they have one for Austria since Vienna and Salzburg would definitely have ATMs for those partners.

As Tom R. mentioned cash tips are generally necessary for tour guides and hotel maids. There are occasionally other needs for cash or coins.

I’ll second what Barbara posted. I’m in Vienna now. Credit card used everywhere. Salzburg is my next stop so I don’t know about there.
For anyone reading this, Munich was cash heavy. Small shops and restaurants only took cash, especially if the bill was less that €25.”

Such great info! We use no cash here in the states- but I usually get currency before we go for that odd off if a car breaks down in the middle of nowhere (has happened)…Ill bring a 100- I had planned on using S-7 train from airport? I’m assuming if we want to get public transport from airport into Innere Stradt- we can’t use the Vienna transit pass until we’re in city center? I guess for expediency- a taxi may be faster.

I live here. I almost never use cash. Like never. Those videos are old and need to catch up with the times.

As for tipping, you just tell your waiter how much to add to the total bill before swiping your credit card. I don't ever give a cash tip.

I spent two weeks in Vienna in April. I never used cash.

I think you'll definitely want some cash. I ran into an issue at a sit down restaurant in the Naschmarkt that did not accept credit cards, so had to walk to the closest bank at 10:00pm to withdraw some euros. (It was NENI am Naschmarkt, and the food was amazing!)

Edit: I've just checked Google Maps and it now says both 'Cash only' and 'credit cards', so it's possible things have changed since I was there.

This is from my trip report last year, which included time in Salzburg:

We did run into a few places that only accepted cash—a bakery at the train station, the tobacco shop to purchase bus tickets, and some of the toilets.

Neni definitely accepts credit cards.

I had planned on using S-7 train from airport?

It depends on your final destination in Vienna which train to take at the airport. Usually you change to a subway (U) after arriving in the city.

S7 trains give you acces to U3 (orange line) at Wien Mitte/Landstrasse or U2 (purple line) at Praterstern or U6 (brown line) at Floridsdorf.
RJ trains (RailJets) are the fastest, in about 15 minutes you are at Vienna's main train station, providing access to U1 (red line) and several tram and bus lines.

I’m assuming if we want to get public transport from airport into Innere Stradt- we can’t use the Vienna transit pass until we’re in city center?

You can buy the Vienna transit pass from the ticket vending machines at the airport. If you have it, either bought there or in advance, you need to pay only the part of the ride which is outside of Vienna. You can select an option at the ticket machine saying that you have already a ticket for the Vienna city (and state) area.

I guess for expediency- a taxi may be faster.

It may be easier, but you won't save much time compared to the train (except in the wee hours).

We will be staying in Innere Stadt- this helps a great deal! Nailing down transportation is a great step forward!

Further to the post above, you can also catch the U4 green line at Landstrasse/Mitte and the U1 red line at Praterstern.

What is your hotel?

Emily - regarding adding a tip on the credit card - what is the correct and polite way to do so in German? Please add xx to the bill? Please add x% to the bill?

what is the correct and polite way to do so

A good tip is from 7 to 10%. You do this by telling the waiter to round up the bill to a certain amount, e.g. if the bill is 27.60 you say make it 30.

But there is no obligation for a tip, and by law all prices must include everything. Unfortunately it happens that waiters try to trick you by saying "service is not included" which is a lie, or they make a remark about a tip. In that case I reduce my tip and tell the waiter why.

Thanks @wmt1 but I would also like to know how to say this in German …

I e lived here 16 years and don’t speak German well enough to know how to say this in German. I only speak English in restaurants and it’s never been a problem. Plus, waitstaff are 100% more likely to understand your native English than your likely very broken German.

You can be sure that waiters will understand a number when said, not only in English, but in many other languages. :-)

@tartegnin

I would say: Bitte fügen sie der Rechnung xx Euro Trinkgeld hinzu.

Thanks that you want to know the German phrase. I'm sure this will be appreciated. Wish others would do so as well.

In Vienna people usually say just numbers, i.e. the waiter says "the bill is 27.65" and you answer saying "30" or "make it 30" if you want to be chatty. :-)

Other than in US normally there is no small talk between customers and staff, e.g. cashier in the supermarket, waiters, etc.

I enjoyed the small talk with waiters in Ireland and Liverpool. They were charming, congenial, and funny.

On our various tours just about everyone--Europeans included-- tipped the tour guide with cash. I don't want to be the guy who just walks away like a cheapskate.

A few weeks ago I ran into a number if small towns between Frankfurt and Luxemburg where it was hard to get a meal with a credit card and ATMs were hard to find. But Austria isn't Germany so apparently you won't need cash in Austria. I also frequent a few places in Budapest that don't take cards (very, very few; and a couple that will love you for the cash). But, again, Hungary isn't..... still I carry currency, at least 50 euro.

But Austria isn't Germany ...

This is a deep insight, which is true in more aspects as you can imagine.

But regarding payments, among all countries having EUR as currency, Germans are the most dedicated supporters of cash, i.e. the percentage of places not accepting credit cards is significantly higher.

True that Germans supporting cash and I'm one of them :-)

And this video is about one town, Bad Schandau, in Germany, where only cash is accepted- not cards- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y30CAGZMBic

Getting back to Austria and to the point, you can use both credit card and cash nearly everywhere. I have only rarely come across “credit card only” types of gigs and it is usually at a craft fair type place. Even my farmer fruit seller at the Saturday market offers payment by card now (in addition to cash, obviously).

This is interesting (but it's 2 years old so probably a lot has changed) https://thepaypers.com/payments-general/austrians-are-particularly-fond-of-cash-study-shows

A lot has changed.

Covid was the impetus for change for the cash only holdouts.

With the exception of one CASH ONLY restaurant in Berlin, I just can't remember the last time I had to use cash otherwise anywhere on my European travels. I pay no heed to the vendors that post cash preferred, I'm been a firm user of Apple Pay since 2016.

The long held argument used by service providers was the overburden of CC merchant fees - that argument no longer carries much weight with the EU capping the fees and as a result they are minimal, in fact way less than here in N. America.

Even my farmer fruit seller at the Saturday market offers payment by card ...

Yeah, all made possible by companies such as Square - there are others this is just the one I'm most familiar with.

I love these topics because they get me reading.

I dont doubt for a moment that Emily is correct, you can use your credit card everywhere (although I just read a few 2023 posts on TA where that wasnt exactly the case ... but I am guessing they were like a 2% exeception). What i found most interesting in all of the reading is that the Austrians prefer cash to a degree that is several times greater than Europe in general. To the point they are arguing to enshrine cash in their constitution (the EU is trying to limit cash for obvious reasons). Still, the use of Cash by Austrians at the POS is dropping about 3 percentage points a year and now is below 60%.

That aside, I never understood why anyone would have an issue to carry 50 euro ? They wear money belts and neck wallets when I suspect there isnt much difference between the odds of pick pockets and walking into a shop that doesnt take a card. But each to their own. What is important is to have fun.

A friend just told me that Schnitzelwirt in Vienna does only accept cash. At least I know this restaurant and I know a lot of tourists do too.

I like to pay for dinners with cash/Bar (outside of my hotel). Tips generally rounded to the euro or up to euro 5+ depending on the service and the bill. For two I would be comfotable for six days with euro 600, but that includes Bier, Wein Cafe etc. Maybe too much for some. Maybe halve that and draw from a Bank ATM as necessary. I don't carry it all with. I have never been robbed in Austria, but I usually do not frequent tourist venues.

What i found most interesting in all of the reading is that the Austrians prefer cash to a degree that is several times greater than Europe in general.

This is partially true, Austrians are cash lovers - especially older people -, but by far not as much as Germans. The introduction of contactless payments (no card swiping, without a PIN if less than €50) and later COVID (avoid handling of bills) has boosted the usage of cashless payments. Especially younger people having NFC capable phones are using them heavily for contactless payments.

On the other hand, the Austrian Mint is running a campaign for retaining cash forever.

To estimate cash needed, calculate average meal costs, set aside cash for tipping, and consider incidental expenses. Bring 50-100 euros per day per person as a general guideline, depending on preferences. It's good to have extra cash for contingencies.

FYI, we were just in Hallstatt for 2 days and MANY places there did not take CCs....I'd say the majority of shops and restaurants did not. It really caught me off guard as it was the beginning of a 2 week trip and I do not travel with an ATM card....only credit cards and cash, and I had to use up a lot of the cash in those first 2 days. Thankfully, everywhere else we went after that did accept CCs. But be warned if going to Hallstatt.....

Leaving Hallstatt after 3 nights and I will second cash only in almost all places to eat or drink (I can’t say “all” because I didn’t eat in all of them to check). Even my apartment - cash only. I don’t shop - and the Salt Mine took cards. Salzburg was a mix. I stayed in a small town for,2 nights that no one will be going to and more places took card there. I have no recent experience with Vienna.

@ Mignon....That friend telling you that Schnitzel Wirt is a "cash only" restaurant is correct. I was there in June and the "cash only " policy is alive and well , the sign on the front door in large letters tells the customers exactly that. They know immediately, before stepping in, assuming they see the sign, that no credit cards are accepted.

I almost always go there at least once during a visit to Vienna, always with the intention of paying in cash. "Schnitzel Wirt " was always a "Cash Only" establishment pre pandemic but that was not announced as it is now with that front door sign.

No doubt the manager of the restaurant gets comments from guests opposing his "Cash Only" policy. The place, very popular with locals and tourists alike. has a real cross section of guests....Americans, other anglophones, Russians, Italians, Spanish-speaking, Japanese, Chinese, Germans, etc.

BTW, thanks for another word (in the proper context) to my vocabulary..."hinzufügen". I've always used "Es stimmt mit....."

Based on my observations, just from what I see, I would say too that between the Germans and the Austrians , the Germans are more wedded to using cash over credit cards than are the Austrians. Bravo ! Both prefer cash relative to other Europeans.

I know of a few restaurants in Vienna whose policy is "cash only" as with "Schnitzel Wirt", plus there is one hotel also in Vienna which is a "cashless " hotel. They asked me if I had a problem with that (I didn't know it before I stepped into the place as I needed a room) . I told them It didn't matter, paying by cash or credit card.

Fred, you know that Schnitzel is acutally a bad knock off of a Chickn Fired Steak that was introduced to Austria by way of Hungary and then went north to the rest of Germany......

@ Mister E....thanks for information. I like Chicken fried Steak too.

No matter how it is translated, the preparation of the Schnitzel, be it from chicken, turkey or veal , is different in Austria and Germany, ie, don't expect the Schnitzel to be the same in Germany, which you enjoyed in Austria. In France that version of Schnitzel is also different, all different variations...variations on a theme, when you compare a tri-lingual menu of French, English, and German of the same dish, or what you expect to be of the same dish.

About 1885, a Hungarian / Ukrainian immigrant settles outside of San Antonio, Texas, and begins breeding cattle. (Ranch is still there)

Family in Budapest has the opportunity to run a food concession at the 1896 Millennial celebration but needs a new product that will get sales. The gentleman in Texas writes and describes Chicken Fried Steak; but the part of the letter describing the cream gravy gets lost.

Emp Franz Joseph comes to the event and loves it, takes it home to Vienna, and renames it. Veal is used instead of steak because unlike Hungarians and Texans ... Austrians never learn how to raise cattle with any luck.

Fred, I know yout next question. The answer is absolutely not.

I like chicken fried chicken even more and would choose that over fried steak if both were offered in the menu.