Austria

In tourist areas, budget travellers can get by on about US$25 per day if camping, staying in hostels, travelling on a rail pass, sticking to student cafés, cheap lunch specials or self-catering, and only having the occasional drink. Staying in a cheap pension and dispensing with self-catering will require about US$50 a day - add US$10 for a room with private bathroom. To stay in a mid-range hotel, have a cheap lunch, a decent dinner, some money to spend on evening entertainment and not be too concerned about how expensive a cup of coffee is, a daily allowance of at least US$80 would be needed. Off the beaten track, the main saving will be from lower accommodation prices.

Exchanging cash and travellers' cheques is rarely a problem in Austria. Changing cash attracts a negligible commission but the exchange rate is usually 1% to 4% lower than for cheques. American Express is the best place to change, especially if you have its cheques. Post offices have low commissions but not great exchange rates. A surprising number of Austrian shops and restaurants refuse to accept any credit cards but Bankomats (ATMs) are extremely common in Austria, even in small villages: you can withdraw cash from credit and debit accounts 24 hours a day.

Hotel and restaurant bills include a service charge, but hotel porters and cleaning staff usually expect something for their services. It is also customary to tip in restaurants and cafés. Round up smaller bills and add an extra 5% to 10% to larger ones: simply say the total amount you want them to take when handing over the money (it's not usual to leave the tip on the table). Taxi drivers will expect around 10% extra. Tour guides, cloakroom attendants and hairdressers are also usually tipped. Bargaining is not common except in flea markets, but you can try for a discount if paying for major purchases in cash and it never hurts to haggle for a better hotel rate in the low season if you're staying for more than a few days.

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