🔌 Essentials
Sundays, plugs, smoking and other practicalities
Shops close on Sundays except at the big stations and the airport. The plugs are the continental two-pin kind, and smoking indoors in bars and restaurants is banned.
Sundays and opening hours
Shops typically open Monday to Friday 09:00–18:30 and on Saturdays until 17:00 or 18:00. On Sundays they are closed — the exceptions are the shops in the big railway stations (Hauptbahnhof, Westbahnhof, Praterstern, Wien Mitte), the airport and museum shops. Plan the supermarket run for Saturday. The Naschmarkt stalls close on Sundays too; its restaurants stay open.
Restaurants traditionally serve hot food around 11:00–14:00 and 18:00–22:00, though many in the centre cook all day. Museums and palaces are open on Sundays; some museums close on Mondays, including the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Plugs and power
The supply is 230 volts, with the continental two-pin plugs (types C and F) used across most of Europe, including Romania. Visitors from the UK and the US need an adapter.
Smoking
Smoking is banned inside restaurants, bars and cafés, and has been since 2019. Terraces and gardens are the exception, which is why the outdoor tables fill first.
Staying connected
EU phone plans work under roam-like-at-home rules. Hotels almost always include Wi-Fi; elsewhere, ask.
Language
German, with a Viennese accent and vocabulary of its own. English is widely spoken in hotels, museums and restaurants in the centre. A *Grüß Gott* on entering a shop is always well received.
