First day at school
Start your German course
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 (Online: www.actilingua.com/einstufung.php) 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).
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.
Located very close to ActiLingua Academy, you will find a big variety of useful stores like the drugstores DM (Rennweg 33A) and Bipa (Fasanplatz 1), a post office (rapid transit railway station Rennweg), a pharmacy (Rennweg 41) and a bank, where you can withdraw money 24/7 (Fasangasse 1).
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.
Directly across the school building, you will find the entrance to the Botanical Garden (Jacquingasse). It is an eight acre large area founded by Maria Theresa in 1754. Visitors will marvel at more than 12,000 plant species from six different continents. The park, which is accessible free of charge, mainly serves as scientific research for the University of Vienna but also as natural habitat for numerous animal species and recreational area for visitors and locals. i>
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!
There are plenty of fun things to do for sports enthusiasts in close proximity to the school. As an ActiLingua student, you can get reduced weekly and monthly rates at the fitness centre Heimlich (Ungargasse 4). Directly next to the school building, you will find the Star Fitness centre (rapid transit railway station Rennweg), the mall Wien Mitte accommodates the fitness centre FitInn. During the winter months, you can improve your ice skating skills at the spacious ice rink directly next to the City Park and listen to music of every decade at the ice disco each Thursday (10 minutes away from the school).
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!
Our Student Secretary Office is there to make your stay in Vienna as comfortable and pleasant as possible. It is your first place to go for all questions regarding booked services, special courses, accommodation, the ActiLingua culture and leisure programme as well as problems of any kind. In case of illness, the staff of the student secretary office will help you to find the right doctor.
ActiLingua offers German Courses for all levels, from A1 to C1. If you have any questions regarding course levels, teachers, course material or placement, our Head of Studies will be happy to give you the answers.
The ActiLingua Lounge features free WiFi, 20 computer workplaces, a printer, a magazine and brochure stand, vending machines for snacks, hot and cold beverages and comfortable seating areas as well as two flat screens showing the current ActiLingua TV-programme. The lounge not only invites you to linger during the breaks. It is also an ideal place to meet students from all over the world, surf the Internet, do your homework or just unwind.
In the hallways of the school you can find whiteboards with useful information about our German courses and cultural programme. The first two whiteboards show current course lists indicating time, room and teachers, as well as general information about course levels and OSD exams. Two more whiteboards display postings about the weekly cultural programme and excursions in German and English. The last whiteboard presents useful tips about museums, restaurants and markets as well as QR-codes for the social media pages of ActiLingua.
Six bright, friendly and spaciously furnished class rooms provide the ideal surrounding for a pleasant learning environment. We place special emphasis on a great variety of methods and encourage German language learning through new media. Each classroom is equipped with a whiteboard, a big flat screen and a CD- and DVD-player. Additionally, all classrooms can make use of laptops and the ActiLingua media library featuring a rich collection of national and international film classics. During the summer months, additional classrooms are provided at the ActiLingua dependance.
The ActiLingua student library offers a broad variety of selected Austrian, German and international literature, German language learning books for each course level, dictionaries in different language combinations, travel guides, illustrated books about Vienna and numerous DVDs.