Tour Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for Tours to Austria. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they take this tour. Although we do our best to make sure that what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
TRAVEL TO AUSTRIA: This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird, and starts and ends in Vienna. Please be sure to read the Important Information for Participants on Sunbird Tours.
ENTERING AUSTRIA, AND HUNGARY: United States citizens will need a valid passport. A visa is not required. Citizens of other nations should contact their nearest embassy or consulate for entry requirements.
MAP AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can view maps of Austria and Hungary here and here respectively. You can review the U.S. State Department background notes on Austria and Hungary here and here respectively.
HEALTH: There are no specific health requirements for Austria.
CLIMATE: In the lowland areas where we’ll spend most of our time, expect mainly warm, dry, sunny days with highs between 70°F and 90°F. In the early mornings temperatures will be cooler. 2007 was exceptionally cold, wet, and windy for the first few days, whereas 2008 was back to 90° F for the first few days, but dropped to 52° on the last day.
PACE OF TOUR AND DAILY ROUTINE: This is the most relaxed of all our birds and music tours. Early-morning (pre-breakfast) excursions are optional. Breakfasts are usually at 8.00 AM (occasionally 7.00 AM) and we usually return to the hotel to allow at least an hour for resting, swimming, showering, and changing before the evening concerts. Sometimes (for instance, if we visit Hungary) we might return later. If we have a late and/or large lunch we may have supper after the concert. If we have a light picnic we try to eat dinner before the concert. Sometimes we opt to eat the main course before and the sweet course after.
Walks are mostly short (1-2 km) and on the level (through the reedbeds and forest, in the Palace Park, around the pools). Up the Hohe Wand there is the option of a gentle uphill and downhill stroll (on easy paths). Town and city walking is kept to a minimum. Concert venues are ten minutes’ walk from our hotel.
TRANSPORT: Self-drive minibuses.
ACCOMMODATION: For the first two nights we will be staying at an excellent family-run hotel providing very good food and friendly, efficient service. The hotel has an indoor swimming pool, a sauna and a full range of other facilities to be expected of its four-star rating. Thereafter we shall be staying at the best hotel in Eistenstadt, a spacious modern building in the center of the town.
DRESS: Dress is informal during the day. For the evening concerts, however, jacket-and-trousers or a suit (plus tie) for the gentlemen and best dresses for the ladies is customary. Even so, the festival is definitely not a dressy affair (so no need to look like waiters or royalty) though the Austrians are generally smart rather than casual.
SMOKING: Smoking is not allowed in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists etc. If you are sharing a room with a non-smoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, do so well away and downwind from the group. If any site where the group is gathered has a stricter policy than the WINGS policy, the stricter policy will prevail.
GENERAL INFORMATION AND CONDITIONS OF WINGS TOURS: Please take a moment to read our General Information and Conditions. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours and other information that will help you prepare for the tour. Please note that except as noted in the tour descriptions, meals are not included in the cost of our tours in the United States and Canada.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A more complete General Information for Austria: Birds and Music Tours will be sent to each registrant on receipt of their booking. Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Updated: December 2011