In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Austria
Graz
Give Graz 2 nights: old town and Schlossberg on day one, Schloss Eggenberg or the Kunsthaus on day two. Skip it only if you have under 48 h in Austria.
Graz is Austria's second city and the capital of Styria, 2 h 40 min by train from Vienna. Its UNESCO-listed old town sits under the Schlossberg hill, and the city runs on students, coffee houses and design rather than a checklist of monuments. Two nights covers the centre, the hill and one museum; three lets you add Eggenberg Palace or a day in the wine hills.
- Country
- Austria
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat), late Dec (crowds)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards are widely taken, but some cafés, huts and small shops are still cash only.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €100–150 excl. bed · High €180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A1, Magenta and Drei are the networks; prepaid SIMs from shops and supermarkets (registration with ID).
- Emergency
- Police 133 · Ambulance 144 · Fire 122 · European emergency 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Same plugs as Germany; UK and US devices need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or 5–10%, told to the server when paying.; Café: Round up to the next euro.; Taxi: Round up or about 10%.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: €1–2.; Ski instructor or mountain guide: €10–20 a day for a good lesson, optional.
- Water
- Tap water is excellent. Ask for 'ein Glas Leitungswasser'; coffee in a café comes with a free glass of water.
- Toilets
- Public toilets in cities cost €0.50; cafés and museums have free ones for guests.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee in a café | €3–5 |
| Beer: draught in a pub / can at a supermarket | €4–5.50 / €1–2 |
| Lunch, one course | €10–16 |
| Dinner, mid-range restaurant | €18–30 |
| Tram or bus single ticket | €3.30 (check) |
| Taxi, 10-minute ride | €12–15 |
| Museum entry (Kunsthaus, Zeughaus, Eggenberg) | €3–13 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GRZ · Graz Airport
- 9 km (5.6 mi) south of the centre; bus 630/631 to Jakominiplatz about 20 min, or S5 train to Hauptbahnhof about 15 min5.6 mi (9 km) south of the centre; bus 630/631 to Jakominiplatz about 20 min, or S5 train to Hauptbahnhof about 15 min
- VIE · Vienna International Airport
- Railjet or bus to Graz, about 3 h; some direct, some change at Wien Hbf
Typical fares
- Graz Airport → Jakominiplatz, bus 630/631
- €3.30, about 20 min (check)
- Graz Hauptbahnhof → Hauptplatz, tram
- €3.30 single, about 10 min (check)
- Taxi airport → centre
- €35–39 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The old town is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes and trams through the Altstadt are free for one stop each way from Hauptplatz and Jakominiplatz. Trams and buses run 05:00–midnight; buy and validate before boarding or pay a €60 fine. Bikes are a real option: the city is flat and has a dense cycle-path network.The old town is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes and trams through the Altstadt are free for one stop each way from Hauptplatz and Jakominiplatz. Trams and buses run 5:00 AM–midnight; buy and validate before boarding or pay a €60 fine. Bikes are a real option: the city is flat and has a dense cycle-path network.
See and do
Known for
- UNESCO-listed old town and Schlossberg
- Schloss Eggenberg
- Kunsthaus and Murinsel
- Student city with six universities
- Styrian food and wine
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Schloss Eggenberg | Tram 1 towards Eggenberg/UKH, then a short walk | About 30 min |
| Bruck an der Mur | Train from Hauptbahnhof | About 45 min |
| Spielberg (Red Bull Ring) | Train to Knittelfeld or Spielberg, then local transport | About 1 h 15 min |
| Leoben | Train from Hauptbahnhof | About 45 min |
| Murau | Train via Unzmarkt, then bus | 2–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Altstadt (old town)
- Herrengasse, Hauptplatz and the lanes around them; walk to everything, quietest at night, priciest.
- Jakomini
- South of the centre around Jakominiplatz, the tram hub; 10–15 min walk to Hauptplatz, good mid-range hotels.
- Around Hauptbahnhof
- Cheapest beds and easiest with bags; 20 min walk or one tram to the old town.
- Lend
- West bank of the Mur near the Kunsthaus; student bars, cheaper rooms, 5–10 min walk to the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Entschuldigungent-SHOOL-dee-goong |
| Thank you | DankeDAHN-kuh |
| This one, please | Das da, bittedahs dah, BIT-tuh |
| How much is it? | Wie viel kostet das?vee feel KOS-tet dahs |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kahn ikh mit KAR-tuh TSAH-len |
| Where is the toilet? | Wo ist die Toilette?voh ist dee toy-LET-tuh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Grüß Gott' or 'Guten Tag' entering shops and huts; handshakes; avoid: Walking in without a greeting
- Titles: Use Herr/Frau and academic titles in formal settings; avoid: First names with older strangers
- Coffee houses: Linger; call the waiter 'Herr Ober'; avoid: Expecting fast service
- Punctuality: Be on time; avoid: Arriving late to concerts: doors close
- Quiet: Keep voices down on public transport; avoid: Loud phone calls in trains and trams
- Mountain trails: Greet other hikers with 'Servus' or 'Grüß Gott'; avoid: Leaving gates open on pastures
Scams and watch-outs
- Validate your tram or bus ticket before boarding; inspectors fine €60 on the spot.
- Bike theft is common — lock to a fixed bar, not just the frame.
- Tram rails catch bike wheels; cross them at a right angle.
- Schloss Eggenberg is closed from 1 January to 23 March.
- Parking in the centre is metered Mon–Fri 09:00–20:00 and Sat 09:00–13:00; fines are €25.
Graz is a low-risk city; the real issues are tram-ticket fines, bike theft and summer heat on the Schlossberg climb. Standard big-city care around Jakominiplatz late at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Graz yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- UNESCO-listed old town and Schlossberg
- Schloss Eggenberg
- Kunsthaus and Murinsel
- Student city with six universities
- Styrian food and wine
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Graz Tourism: www.graztourismus.at/en
- City of Graz: www.graz.at/
- Graz Airport: graz-airport.at/en/
- Holding Graz — GrazMobil app and tickets: www.holding-graz.at/en/company/our-apps/
- Museum Joanneum — Schloss Eggenberg: www.museum-joanneum.at/en/palace-and-gardens-schloss-eggenberg
- Museum Joanneum — Kunsthaus Graz: www.museum-joanneum.at/en/kunsthaus-graz
- Museum Joanneum — Styrian Armoury: www.museum-joanneum.at/en/styrian-armoury
- Wikivoyage: Graz, revision 5332022 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5332022
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Graz
Zu dieser Adresse, bitte
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Austria has no US consulate in Graz; the US embassy is in Vienna. Most other countries also keep embassies in Vienna (check).
Trams through the Altstadt are free for one stop each way from Hauptplatz and Jakominiplatz.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/graz). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.