Parking Information
Make sure you check beforehand if your hotel is offerning parking facilities. As you know, parking your car in most of Europe's capitals is always a headache, but, compared to other cities, in Vienna it is really quite a simple matter. You will just have to follow some basic rules.
Short term parking in the city centre:
The central districts of Vienna are clearly marked with short-term parking zones (blue markings on the street) for which you require a prepaid parking voucher (Parkschein). Sometimes the blue markings are missing (especially beyond the inner city).....you have to check for "parking street signs" stating the exact length of time and hours you are allowed to park. In case you are not sure you should always ask for help of the locals - they will be happy to help, especially as they know that parking tickets are expensive in Austria...
You can only pay with these parking vouchers - you can buy them in local news shops (called Trafik) or tourist information centres around the city. This voucher should be placed directly behind the windshield clearly visible to the traffic warden. Should you still end up with a parking ticket the Municipal Department 67 - supervision of on-street parking - will assist with any questions you may have. Maximum parking duration is in all districts two hours. Some of the main shopping streets in these districts, have a maximum parking duration of 1.5 hours for which there is no exception - so keep a close look to your watch!
Long term parking:
If you do not want to leave your car parked on the street a parking guidance system will help you find a garage quickly and without too much effort. Use electronic technology to find the nearest and most convenient garages and Park & Ride facilities - their dynamic displays provide information on the nearest garages and available spaces. Most are located on the main motorways leading into Vienna.
Average hourly prices for central garages ranges from €3 to € 6 per hour, that depends mostly on the garage location. It is much more sensible to choose the many Park & Ride facilities that cost approx. €3 a day.
