Austria has become one of the most popular European holiday destinations for travelers from the Middle East. Especially families enjoy the unspoiled nature with green meadows and crystal-clear lakes and snowcapped mountain tops that Austria has to offer. Also the historic cities like Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck are very popular for shopping and sightseeing in its picturesque city centers or just to spend a nice and relaxing time in one of the many parks or coffeehouses.

In 2010, Austria welcomed four times as many visitors from the Middle East as it did in 2000 and double as many as only five years ago. What makes Austria so popular especially for families from the Middle East? The answer is: Austria is not only beautiful and very easy to reach but it is also an extremely safe, clean and child-friendly country. Moreover, as Austria has been a multicultural society for centuries, Austrians are said to be very open-minded and hospitable. Austria was also the first Western European country to grant Muslims the status of a recognized religious community, already in 1874. Today, Islam is the second biggest religion in Austria.

One of the most important reasons for Austrias popularity with families, however, is that in comparison to UK, France or Switzerland it is also much more affordable. The following list introduces only a couple of examples how your family can save money on a trip to Austria:

Getting there with flight promotions

Most visitors to Austria will take a plane either to Vienna or Munich airport. Vienna is Austria’s capital and also its most visited holiday destination. From Munich, it is only 1 ½ hours to reach popular places like Salzburg, Innsbruck, Kitzbühel or Seefeld. There are very good connections to both airports from all over the Middle East with Austrian Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and many more. Emirates Airline introduces additional direct flights to Vienna in March 2011, so there will be 20 direct flights a week from Dubai to Vienna. With so many new flights going to Vienna, there is a high chance to find some good flight promotions to Vienna for the coming holiday season.

Discount cards

Austrian holiday destinations have been awarded internationally many times for their discount cards. The concept is very simple: The discount card enables you to visit many attractions, use cable cars, public transport, boat excursions and many more for free or for a reduced price. The card also offers you discounts for many restaurants, shopping outlets, coffeehouses and many more. Many holiday destinations in Austria offer such a discount card for their visitors, mostly they come with a fee but sometimes they are also free for tourists. The discount cards are available in tourist information offices and many hotels.

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Free Travel Guide

The Austrian National Tourist Office launched a travel guide that can be used on all iPhones, Blackberries and Android Smartphones. The iAustria Travel Guide can be downloaded for free and is especially designed for travelers from the Middle East. It offers a comprehensive overview of the best family attractions, shopping facilities and restaurants, including Asian, Arabic and halal-food restaurants. It also includes information on mosques, prayer rooms and Islamic institutions in Austria and a language guide. It lists all the offers of the discount cards as described above so that it will help you save money on transportation, restaurants, shopping malls and tourist attractions.

Find more infos and links to all downloads at www.austria.info

Room rates

Wherever you stay in Austria, you will find room rates a lot cheaper in comparison to hotels in the same category in Switzerland, France or UK. It does not matter, if you decide to stay in a luxury hotel like the famous Hotel Imperial in Vienna that offers a private butler complementary to every stay in one of its elegant suites. Or if you prefer the tranquility of Hotel Sheraton in Salzburg that lies directly at the beautiful Mirabell Park & Garden. Or if you chose to stay in a nice family apartment.

Things to do in Austria without any costs

Not everything that is good comes necessarily with a price. Many things that tourists like to experience in Austria are completely free of any costs:

Enjoy nature – even in the city:

Austria is famous for its nature with green meadows, many lakes and mountains. Even in the cities you will find a lot of nature, for example: 50% of the area of Vienna City, Austria’s capital, consists of parks, gardens, woods and meadows. Taking a walk or having a picnic in the green grass in one of Vienna’s many parks or on the famous Danube Island is one of the favourite activities of Austrians and tourists alike.

Festivals and markets:

Especially in summer, Austria is full of cultural festivals and markets, most of them open-air and free of cost. The square in front of Vienna’s City Hall is one of the many locations where there is always some cultural event going on. Every July and August there is a huge film-screen fixed on the City Halls front and every evening the crowd gathers in front of it to have snacks from the many food stands on the square and watch classical music movies on the big screen.

Mineral water for free:

Austrians drink a lot of mineral water and they do pay very little for it. That is because it comes out of their taps. Austrian tap water is renowned to be one of the best, clearest and healthiest in the world. The water comes directly out of springs from the Alps and there is no difference in quality to any mineral water you usually buy in bottles. A French water company once wanted to buy the water in Vienna to bottle and sell it. However, Austrian law says the tap water must be provided to Austrian households only – and to tourists in Austria of course.

Discount Cards:

Some regions provide discount cards absolutely for free to their guests. So you will get free access to public transport, cable cars, boat rides, tourist attractions and more without any costs at all.

Child-friendly Austria:

For public transport, tourist attractions and many more kids below the age of six years will not be charged at all. Kids from 6 to 15 will get a reduced price. This is why Austria is always a good deal especially when you go there with your family.