Start your German course
First day at school
Here, you find all relevant information for your first day of your German course at ActiLingua Academy in Vienna.
We expect all course participants in school at 08:30 am on Monday for the registration and the allocation to courses: ActiLingua Academy, Reisnerstraße 61, 1030 Vienna
Public transport to the school:
- Schnellbahn (suburban rail network): station “Rennweg” (S1, 2, 3, 7)
- U-Bahn (underground) U4/U3: station “Landstraßer Hauptstraße” and then tram “O” to: station “Rennweg”
- U-Bahn (underground) U1, U2, U4: station “Karlsplatz” and then tram “71” to station “Rennweg”
Assessment test:
ActiLingua needs to receive your assessment test at the very latest on Tuesday before classes begin. Please fax, e-mail or mail your test. Otherwise you might miss Monday’s class.
Your first day of class:
Please bring your passport, a copy of your confirmation of payment and the voucher.
You will receive books and other teaching material at school during your entire stay. We recommend bringing a dictionary.
You are informed of your exact schedule on the first day of your course. You have lessons either in the morning or afternoon, depending on your course level.
Schedule:
Standard Course (morning or afternoon)
09:00 am – 12:15 pm or 02:15 pm – 05:30 pm
Intensive Course/ Super-Intensive Course/ Business German (additionally)
07:15 – 08:45 am or 12:30 pm – 02:00 pm or 05:45 pm – 07:15 pm
Telephone: Prices for mobile phone tariffs (from EUR 9.90) are quite cheap in Austria, so a prepaid SIM card is a good choice. You can buy prepaid SIM cards directly in the phone retailer or at sales partners (e.g. supermarkets and post office). It is important that your mobile phone is open to all network operators. (International) Phone calls are possible at every post office (phone cards are available in denominations of EUR 3.60 or EUR 6.90) or at private call shops (cheap international calls!).
Information and tourist office: Albertinaplatz 1, 1010 Vienna (09:00 am – 07:00 pm), tel.: +43 1 24 555.
Banks: The majority of banks in Vienna is open from Mon-Fri 08:00 am – 12:30 pm and 01:30 – 03:00 pm, Thu – 05:30 pm. Money can be changed in every bank. The nearest bank to the school: ERSTE Bank, Fasangasse 1. You can find a cashpoint or ATM at this bank. There you can withdraw money 24/7. The nearest bank to the Student House: ERSTE Bank (Schottenring 30, 1010 Vienna)
Credit cards: VisaCard and Mastercard are accepted in many shops and restaurants. Some also accept American Express.
Post Office: There are post offices in every district of Vienna. The main post offices are located at the main railway stations. Nearest post office to the school: Ungargasse 64 or Rennweg 1. Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 08:00 am – 06:00 pm.
Newspapers: Foreign newspapers are available at railway stations and at larger newsagents.
Public Transport: Vienna has an underground train system (U-Bahn), trams, buses and a rapid transit train system (Schnellbahn). The transport network is very efficient. Tickets are available at all tobacconists, the ticket-offices in the underground stations and directly in the bus or tram (at a higher price!). You can purchase your weekly tickets directly on arrival at the Student House (EUR 17.10 per week). The ticket is obligatory for all students 15+. Taxis are not very expensive in Vienna which is useful, because public transport does not operate regularly after midnight on working days. There are taxi ranks almost everywhere and one can also order a taxi by telephone from a café or restaurant: +43 1 31 300 or +43 1 40 100. In addition, night buses go from the city centre (Schwedenplatz) to all parts of Vienna. Costs: EUR 2.40/ride. 24 hours, weekly and monthly tickets are valid for night buses, too. On weekends and on nights before public holidays all underground lines operate nearly 24/7. More information on www.wienerlinien.at
Parking: In the districts 1-9 and 20 Mon-Fri 09:00 am – 10:00 pm, the max. permitted parking period is 2 hours and 3 hours in the districts 10, 12 + 14-18. Short stay parking tickets are available in most tobacconists, at some banks and at public transport ticket counters. Half an hour costs EUR 1.05.-. Free parking spaces can be found in the districts 11, 13, 19, and 21-23. Please note: Not all parking spaces are free – short term parking zones are marked with special colours. It is also possible to park in one of the many underground car parks. The car park of the Technical University in Operngasse 13, 1040 Vienna, for instance, costs approx. EUR 3.90 per hour.
Currency: The currency in Austria is Euro (EUR). There are bank notes in the denominations EUR 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500; coins are available in the denominations 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 Cent, 1 and 2 Euro. 1 Euro is 100 Cent.
Tipping: Please note that in bars, restaurants and other venues a tip of about 5-10 % of the total sum is expected.
Voltage: 220 V / 50 Hz.
Water: The tap water in Austria is of outstanding quality. It is potable and tastes excellent.
Shopping hours: Normal opening hours are Mon-Fri from 09:00 am to 06:00 pm (some shops also until 08:00 pm) and Saturdays until 05:00 pm. On Thursdays, in big shopping streets and shopping centres, shops are open until 09:00 pm and on Saturdays until 06:00 pm. Shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays. Open grocery stores on Sundays: Billa at Airport Vienna-Schwechat (05:00 am to 09:00 pm), Billa at railway station „Praterstern“ and „Franz Josefsbahnhof“ (06:00 am to 10:00 pm), Merkur at railway station „Westbahnhof“ (05:30 am to 11:00 pm). Interspar at railway Station „Landstraße Wien-Mitte“ and „Hauptbahnhof“ (06:00 am – 11:00 pm). The grocery store nearest to the school is „Lidl“, Ungargasse 66, 1030 Wien, Mon – Fri 07:40 am – 08:00 pm, Saturday 07:40 am – 06:00 pm. German Vienna
Clothing: We recommend that you bring clothing for warm and cold weather.
Location of ActiLingua Academy
Our year-round school for adults 16+ is situated in Vienna’s embassy district opposite the famous Belvedere Palace. The school building, located in Reisnerstraße 61, is a newly renovated Viennese Art Nouveau house built in 1873. Due to its central location in the heart of Vienna, our school is easily accessible by public transport (tram and rapid transit railway).
Just around the corner of ActiLingua Academy
When you are in a rush, we recommend grabbing a quick bite to eat at one of the many takeaways, fast-food restaurants or supermarkets located around the school building. Directly at the rapid transit railway station Rennweg, you can find the supermarket Lidl, a Burger King, a Subway and several pizza and kebap takeaways (200m away from the school).
Whoever prefers a healthy snack should go to one of the many supermarkets located around the school: Lidl (rapid transit railway station Rennweg), Hofer (Fasangasse 25) or Billa (Rennweg 9). There you can buy fresh fruit and vegetable, smoothies, premade salads and tasty sandwiches at favourable prices.
If your preferences are more in the direction of rich gastronomy, we recommend the typical Austrian restaurant and brewery Salm Bräu, situated directly at Rennweg (200m away from the school). They offer a large variety of Viennese specials like “Wiener Schnitzel”, “Tafelspitz”, pork roast and classical sweet temptations like apple strudel. The restaurant Chilai at the rapid transit railway station Rennweg also serves delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner. And if you prefer having pizza, you should go to one of the pizza places at Fasangasse (300m away from the school).
For students with a sweet tooth, there are plenty of possibilities to try the sweet Viennese cuisine in close vicinity to the school. Around the rapid transit railway station Rennweg, you will find the bakeries Backwerk, Felber and Ströck as well as a confectionary with sweet specialties. They also serve all kinds of typical Viennese coffee to-go.
The mall Wien Mitte is only one stop away from the school building by taking the rapid transit railway. Besides electronics, jewellery and fashion stores, you will find the big supermarket Interspar, a Vapiano, various bakeries, hip restaurants and a Cineplexx cinema. Additionally, there is a big bookstore called Thalia, where you can buy writing material, dictionaries, German and international literature as well as OSD preparation books.
Built in the 18th century, Belvedere Palace served as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy and later for Empress Maria Theresa. The whole building complex, comprising the Upper and Lower Belvedere and a magnificent garden, is one of the most beautiful baroque ensembles of Europe and belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage. Today, the Belvedere is home to the world’s most important and largest Gustav Klimt collection, featuring the famous golden Art Nouveau icons “The Kiss” and “Judith”.
Insider-tip: The view from the Upper Belvedere is breath-taking and simply cannot be missed. Having a tasty snack or delicious ice cream from the supermarket Billa, which is situated right across the park entrance, makes relaxing just so much more enjoyable.
At the end of the street where the school is located, you will find the Vienna City Park. Especially the famous golden monument of Vienna’s Waltz King Johann Strauss attracts thousands of visitors on a daily basis. Within the park grounds, you can also find numerous sculptures, monuments, bridge structures, small ponds and safe havens that are appreciated by Viennese as well as tourists.
Insider Tip: If you want to feel like Empress Sisi and travel back in time, you should treat yourself to a coffee at the terrace of the historic Vienna Kursalon!
The historic city centre and the famous Vienna Ringstrasse are easily accessible by public transport within ten minutes from ActiLingua Academy. In only three stops, the tram line 71 takes you directly in front of the impressing State Opera. From there, all major sights like the Albertina, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, St. Charles’ Church, the Imperial Palace, the Museums of Art History and of Natural History and the big shopping streets Kärntnerstrasse, Graben and Kohlmarkt can be reached in a few minutes of walking. So there is nothing in the way of a pleasant sightseeing or shopping day after your course!
