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Rick Steves' Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol

Updates since the second edition:

Vienna

Production of the Rick Steves Audio Europe tours for Vienna has been postponed indefinitely.

Salzburg

Local guide Sabine Rath has new rates for 2011–2012: €140/2 hours, €180/4 hours, €270/8 hours.

While it's possible to walk up to Hohensalzburg Fortress, free entry to the grounds and views is now only possible after the museums have closed.

Updates for those still traveling with the first edition:

Vienna

The British Bookshop, a good resource for English-language books, has reopened (Mon–Fri 9:30–18:30, Sat 9:30–18:00, closed Sun, between Franziskaner Platz and the Ring at Weihburggasse 24, tel. 01/512-194-522).

The Intropa travel agency on Neuer Markt has changed its name to Ruefa.

To get from downtown to the Südbahnhof in a hurry, take the U-1 (not the U-3) from Stephansplatz to Südtiroler Platz, then walk five minutes to the station (clearly signed).

In the Vienna City Walk, the cross reference on page 86 to the Cathedral Museum should be for page 100, not page 234.

The Academy of Fine Arts' Paintings Gallery has re-opened.

The Leopold Museum is now closed on Tuesdays from September through May.

The Secession is no longer open late on Thursday nights.

To reach the KunstHausWien (the Museum Hundertwasser) from the Landstrasse U-Bahn stop, walk 10 minutes downhill (north) along Untere Viaduktgasse (one block east of the station), or ride tram #0 three stops to Radetzkyplatz; from there signs point to the museum.

We're sad to report that Gerhard at the Schweizer Pension has passed away; his wife Anita continues to run the pension.

The Hotel Schweizerhof has raised its rates slightly: Sb-€80–100, Db-€115–150, Tb-€135–175.

The Hotel zur Wiener Staatsoper has raised its rates slightly: Sb-€80–100, Db-€113–150, Tb-€135–175.

Long home to two bustling train stations, Vienna is currently building one central main station (Hauptbahnhof) that will replace both by 2013. Until then, the Westbahnhof (West Station) continues to serve trains to/from Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary, but the Südbahnhof (South Station) — the locus of the new central station — is mostly closed (though trains to/from Bratislava now run from a provisional eastern "Ostbahn" section of the Südbahnhof). Most other international trains are now served by the Wien Meidling station (southbound trains to/from Slovenia, Croatia, and Italy, as well as northbound trains to/from the Czech Republic and Poland). Trains don't always adhere to these generalizations, so always confirm which station your train leaves from.

This once-small suburban Meidling station has been souped up to accommodate the traffic that once passed through the Südbahnhof. It has a train info desk (near track 1 and underground, near track 4), ATMs (near tracks 1 and 6), luggage lockers (underground, near track 7), as well as airport bus services. To reach the city center, take the U-Bahn on the U-6 line to the Westbahnhof, then change to the U-3 line. (To get here from the center, take the U-Bahn to Philadelphiabrücke.) You can also reach the city center via tram #62, bus #59A, or the Wiener Lokalbahn (WLB Badner Bahn).

The Vienna–Strasbourg and Vienna–Amsterdam night trains are no more (as of Dec. 13, 2009, Vienna–Paris overnight routing includes a change of trains at Munich; Vienna–Amsterdam overnight routing requires at least one change of trains). All Vienna–Venice daytime trains now require a connection, often including a bus on the leg between Villach and Venice (Venezia Piazzale Roma). Munich–Vienna–Budapest fast service via Railjet increases to five departures per day (but in the reverse direction, one of the five will end at Salzburg instead of Munich). A Vienna–Prague sleeper car (not a couchette), not mentioned in the book (or on Deutsche Bahn online schedules), leaves Vienna's Westbahnhof each night at 22:08 and arrives in Prague at about 6:15. Coming from Prague, that train leaves the Hl.N. station at 23:10 and arrives at Vienna Westbahnhof the next morning at 6:30.

Salzburg

The city's train station is undergoing a major renovation; expect disruption.

The old Residenz is no longer closed on Mondays (open daily 10:00–17:00).

Hotel Trumer Stube's longtime owner, Silvia, has retired. It's now run by Marianne and Hermann Hischbichler. The hotel no longer has computers for Internet access, though it does still offer free Wi-Fi to guests with their own computers.

The Institute St. Sebastian has new prices for 2011: S-€34–36, Sb-€42–44, D-€55–56, Db-€68–70, Tb-€82–84, Qb-€96–98, bunks-€21.50.

Frau Ballwein has slightly higher prices than those listed in the book: Sb-€35–40, Db-€55–65, Tb-€78–85, Qb-€80–90 (prices depend on season, family deals, cash only). She also now offers two 2-room apartments for 2–5 people (€85–110).

Haus Reichl has slightly higher prices than those listed in the book: Db-€58–65, Tb-€75–85, Qb-€94–104 (prices depend on season, cash preferred).

Bavaria and Western Tirol

See updates for our Germany guidebook.