Passport Requirements
Entry requirements: U.S. and Canadian citizens need only a valid passport to enter all Central European countries. No visas or vaccinations are required. Maximum stay for U.S. citizens is 90 days in all countries. A passport should be valid for at least another 6 months from the planned entry date.
All six countries are EU members and included in the Schengen Agreement, meaning there are no borders and no immigration or customs procedures take place when going to another Schengen country.
Health Concerns
As with travel to any country, it is advisable to carry prescription medications with you in your hand luggage. It can also be helpful to have the generic name of the prescription in the event that you need them, since drugs are often sold under different brand names in different countries.
Countries of the Central Europe area have some of the most advanced medical care in the world. Travelers who need medical services should ask their hotels or local tourist offices for assistance.
When eating out, restaurant conditions are hygienic. Tap water is safe, but for those with concerns, bottled water is readily available.
Immunization for contagious diseases are only required if a traveler has been in an infected area within 14 days preceding arrival in any Central European country.
Safety
Overall, security risk to visitors traveling in Central European countries is low. But it is always wise to keep an eye on wallets and luggage in busy areas. As always, the practice of traveling with a copy of passport information packed separately from one’s passport is a good idea; in the event of loss or theft of a passport, report it immediately to the local police and/or the nearest embassy or consulate.
Personal travel insurance is strongly recommended, including coverage of personal accident, sickness, loss or damage to luggage and personal effects and cancellation charges.
Keeping in Touch
To telephone from the U.S., dial 011, the individual country code + local area code and then the number. When calling to the U.S., dial 00, then 1 + area code + number.
The easiest and least expensive way to telephone the U.S. from Central European countries is to use telephone calling cards issued by AT&T, MCI and Sprint. With these cards, you dial a number to reach the American phone system and calls are charged to your card. Contact the respective company for international access numbers before leaving the U.S.
Cell phones are useful to carry, as some hotels may not have direct-dial phones in the guestrooms. If you are considering taking your cell phone from home, check with your carrier to make sure that the phone has international capability. Additionally, cell phones can often be rented through your car rental company, at the airport or train stations, or you can purchase an international phone with pre-paid service plan once you are overseas.
E-Mail & Internet Access: Major international Internet service providers have dial-in codes; it is recommended to download a list of the dial-in numbers before leaving the U.S. Travelers using smaller providers or Internet access through an office might consider opening an account with a global provider or rely on Internet cafes or other public access points to collect incoming mail.
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Money Matters
All six Central European countries are now members of the European Union. However, for the time being, only in Austria and Germany is the Euro the official currency. Both Euros and U.S. dollars are easily converted to local currencies inside and outside the Euro-zone. ATMs can be found everywhere in Central Europe, and the exchange rates are generally good.
Credit cards, although accepted in hotels, major restaurants and stores, are less used for purchases in small shops, cafes, or grocery stores. In Poland, however, credit cards are more widely accepted, even by taxi drivers in major cities.
Weather
Click to see the weather in weather.com site.
Austria Vienna
Czech Republic Prague
Germany Berlin
Hungary Budapest
Poland Warsaw
Slovakia Bratislava
Local Time
GMT plus one hour in all CEE countries
Electric Current
220AC/50 cycles in all CEE countries
Country Specifics
Country Telephone Code:
Austria: 43 (Vienna 1, Salzburg 662, Innsbruck 512)
Czech: 420 (Prague 2)
Germany: 49 (Berlin 30; Frankfurt 69; Munich 89; Dresden 351)
Hungary: 36 (Budapest 1)
Poland: 48 (Warsaw 22)
Slovakia: 421
Official Language
Austria: German
Czech: Czech
Germany: German
Hungary: Hungarian
Poland: Polish
Slovakia: Slovak
Currency
Austria: the Euro
Czech: the Czech Koruna (crown)
Germany: the Euro
Hungary: the Forint
Poland: the Zloty (PLN)
Slovakia: the Slovak Koruna (crown)
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Accommodations in Brief
Austria
Austria has an excellent palette of hotels: first class and luxury city hotels, fabulous ski resorts and ski in/ski out lodges, lakeside manors, simple farmhouses turned into inns, rustic hunting lodges, and historic castles with varying touches of elegance, restored and romantic palaces.
Czech Republic
During the part five years, Prague’s five-star hotel count has doubled, adding both international chain properties and award-winning boutique hotels occupying historic and modern buildings. Spa hotels in such cities as Karlovy Very and Marianske Lazne, offer both regular room rate stays and spa packages in which treatments and meals are included in the room rate. Check here for more about accommodation in the Czech Republic!
Germany
German cities are well known for their opulent hotels where the wealthy and titled have checked in for more than a century, mixed with state-of-the-art modern properties and traditional bed and breakfasts. In the countryside, visitors enjoy staying in mountain chalets and simple country inns, as well as historic palaces and manor houses that offer charm and contemporary comfort. Spas, ski lodges and country farms cater to the special interest traveler.
Hungary
International hotel chains are well represented in Budapest and the new Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace is the talk of the town. In the country-side magnificent old castles and mansions have been restored and opened as resorts, three-and four-star hotels - many of which are brand new or newly renovated old villas - offer great comfort and value. In rural areas, the country’s “village tourism” program has opened new horizons in farmhouse stays.
Poland
All the major chains Mariott, Holiday Inn, Sheraton are present in Poland. Poland’s most upscale accommodations are concentrated in Warsaw in or near the old town, led by Westin, Sheraton and the Meridien, whose deluxe establishment is the gold standard for the capital hotels; stylish boutique hotels, done up in Art Deco or Italianate trimmings - are the new competition to the international properties in the capital. New standards of hotel style and comfort have also arrived in Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdansk and Poznan, where international hotels such as Radisson or Holiday Inn are joined with deluxe facilities that often occupy restored medieval dwellings. In the countryside, visitors will find accommodation in castles and palaces, as well as countryside farms and cozy village inns.
Slovakia
International hotel chains - Inter-Continental, Radisson, Accor and Best Western are concentrated in Bratislava, while in the countryside, visitors have choices of castle lodgings, cottages, ski and other mountain lodges, and one eco-village that is located in Zajezova. Check here for more about accommodation in Slovakia!
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