Graz is the capital city of Styria and the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. It is situated on the Mur river in southeast Austria. It is about 120 mile southwest of Vienna. The nearest larger urban center is Maribor in Slovenia which is about 31 miles away. Graz is the capital and largest city in Styria, a green and heavily forested area.

Graz airport (also known as Thalerhof) is located 5.5 miles south of the city center. If you have not booked a private transfer with us, you have a few options such as taxi, bus, shuttle or train.

There is a white-sided, 15-passenger minivan that makes about six trips per day between Graz`s airport and the city center. A one-way trip costs about €5 per person. Departures coincide with the arrival of incoming flights, but the trips aren`t frequent enough. The much more convenient taxi ride from the airport to the city center (for up to four passengers) costs around €20.

There is also a bus station directly in front of the arrival zone. Bus lines 630 and 631 that go to Jakominiplatz (the central point of public transportation), travel between 5:20 am and 11:45 pm will take you to the city center in about 20 minutes. A one-way ticket is about €2.50 per person.

You also have the option of traveling by train. You can reach the train station in a 5 minute walk, which is easy to find just by heading straight out of the airport and continue to the east. Line S5 connects to Graz Hauptbahnhof (main station) from 4:47 am to 12:47 pm (weekend schedules vary). Once you reach the main station, take tram line 1, 3, 6, or 7 from the underground tramstop located on the station forecourt, or just walk down Annenstrabe for about 20 minutes and cross the river. You can obtain a map from the Tourist Information Center in the Hauptbahnhof.

By Tram: Graz has an excellent tram service running through the Jakominiplatz where the different routes meet and you can change trams. You can buy tickets at the rondeau as well as all tobacco shops. Make sure you punch your ticket inside the tram (If you get caught without a valid/punched ticket you will have to pay a fine of about €60).

Single tickets (about €2.30) for buses and trams are valid for one hour, but you`re usually better off buying a 24-hour pass (about €5.10). Ten one-zone tickets cost around €19.20, and weekly cost about €14.30. Hourly and 24-hour tickets can be purchased from the driver; other passes can be purchased from Tabak (tobacconist) shops, pavement ticket machines or the tourist office. They are valid on all modes of public transport (Train, Tram and Bus lines) throughout Zone 101 (Graz plus immediate surroundings including the airport!).

By Bus: Graz also has an excellent city bus network taking in the parts of Graz not serviced by trams. Many buses go through Jakominiplatz, Hauptbahnhof. The tickets are the same as for the tram. Be sure to get yourself a map (at Jakominiplatz) of the network if you plan to use it frequently.

Keep in mind that bus and tram services operate from 5am to midnight. The last cars for the day in each direction usually leave at 11:30pm from Jakominiplatz. Night buses operate only on Fridays and Saturdays and before public holidays.

Regional Bus: Regional bus routes serve the rural area around Graz. Regional lines can be identified by their three-digit numbers (e.g. the airport lines 630 and 631). They offer bike transportation on most vehicles (which tram and city bus do not allow).

Graz is a city of cyclists that offers a fantastic network of cycle paths making it a great way to get around the central areas of Graz. Bikes may be rented for about €10 per day or €40 per week. There are bike rentals outside the main train station. Note, bike theft is a fairly common in Graz, so take precautions and properly lock your bike.

Online maps are available for cycling in Graz. You can also obtain a map for cycling in the city from the Tourist information office or at the `Radstation` (cycling station) located next to the central railway station.

Taxis are available 24 hours a day. You can hail one on the street, go to a taxi stand or simply call to be picked up. The taxi ranks with the best chances of getting a taxi day or night are `Hauptplatz` (right side of the City Hall) or `Hauptbahnhof`. There is a base rate of about €3-4 for all rides. Avoid taxis in the early morning and early evening when traffic congestion can make a taxi ride very expensive. A ten-minute taxi ride usually costs about €10.

We do not recommend driving in the city. The city has many one-way streets making it difficult to navigate and parking spaces in the city center are hard to come by and get expensive.

Tickets can be bought from ticket machines placed in every street. A ticket for half an hour costs around €0.80 (`blue zones`, `green zones` are a bit cheaper). The maximum parking duration in blue zones is three hours and in green zones one day. Be aware that there are a lot of `ticket-police` around so don`t even try to park without a valid ticket (Fines run about € 25). There are a number of underground car parks in the city center for example under the Karmeliterplatz, which is called Pfauengarten (Parkgarage) which is open 24 hours a day. A ticket for one hour costs about €4 per hour, a 24h ticket costs about €30.

The Altstadt (Old Town) lies on the left bank of the Mur, centered on Hauptplatz (Main Square). To the south of this landmark plaza looms the Rathaus (Town Hall). Southeast of Hauptplatz is Herrengasse, a pedestrian area used by local shoppers, which comes to an end at Platz am Eisernen Tor, with its column mounted by a 17th century figure of the Virgin.

At the eastern end of the Opernring is the municipal park, Stadtpark, dating from the 19th century. Northeast of Hauptplatz looms the Burg, a 15th-century imperial stronghold. South of the Burg rises the late-Gothic Graz cathedral, and south of the cathedral is the baroque mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II. Rising above the Altstadt is the Schlossberg, which can be reached by the cable railway.

The currency of Austria is the Euro. US dollars are not accepted. Please be sure to have the correct currency on hand or be prepared to exchange your dollars for euros upon arrival. Currency exchange desks can be found at the airports and some train stations.

Notes come in denominations of €500, €200, €100, €50, €20, €10 and €5. Coins are in denominations of €2 and €1, and 50, 20, 10, five, two and one cents.

Würstelstands: The literal meaning of this is `sausage stand` and it is where you can pick up a quick and cheap meal.

Farmers markets: Local producers are proud of the goods they grow and the residents of Graz are just as appreciative of what is available to them. The daily farmers markets in the heart of the city are the perfect way for urban-dwellers to get fresh fruit and vegetables. Even if you`re not likely to be doing any cooking, the two main markets at Kaiser-Josef-Platz and Lendplatz have a lot of small cafes and bars around them that offer excellent food and drink.

Al fresco cafes: Although Graz is Austria`s second-largest city, it takes many of its cultural influences from the Mediterranean countries to its south, rather than the capital Vienna. This means the cafe culture tends to spill out onto the streets. After lunchtime, you`re more likely to see people with Aperol spritzes than espresso coffees!

To get into the rhythm of Graz, grab an outside table at one of the many small bar cafes and sip a spritz. When you`re ready for some nibbles to go along with the drink, you can try some local produce like Vulkanland cured ham, scarlet runner beans, with freshly-baked bread.

You`ll find lots of options but, if you’re not sure where to start, try along Mariahilferstrasse or the small streets around Färbeplatz.

At the traditional Styrian restaurants, you`ll find regional dishes that include beef goulash, turkey strips in cream sauce, and minced meat fritters. `Bakchendl`, pieces of chicken that have been flavored with spices and then breaded and deep fried - a local favorite!

Buschenschanks: A traditional Austrian tavern where small wineries are given a special license to serve their own wine. They are not allowed to serve any other packaged drinks like coffee or cola. They`re also not allowed to serve hot meals, just cold food that is made with locally-sourced ingredients. This is such a wonderful way to experience the local products in an authentic setting.