1. Transport in Salzburg
Basically, the best to options to move around the city are bus and bike:
Once you first arrive in Salzburg, the best option to move around the city is by bus. The bus lines are well developed and covers all the city and its surroundings. Here you can find a link to the different lines, please, note that the website is not available to show it in English. That webpage also allow you to download a map of the area covered by the different bus lines in Salzburg; in order to do so, please once you are in the webpage download the document called "Liniennetzplan Obus" and you will get the most updated version.
In the first days, we recommend you to buy 24 hours tickets in the shops called Tabak Trafik where you can buy cheaper bus tickets than from the automatic machines present in most of the stations and the bus driver. This shops, that you will find one already in the train station for example, offers you a variety of tickets but we recommend to get the 24 hours ticket because in the first days you will move a lot through the city.
Then, After you open your account in Plus-Online with the University of Salzburg and activate your student card you will be able to buy with it a semester card that will allow you to travel unlimitedly for the whole semester (until 14th February in the Winter Semester and until the 9th of July in the Summer Semester). It costs 120 € and you can buy it here (This page has the english option available in the superior right corner).
Moving forward from the Bus option, one of the best ways to move around the city is by bike. In fact, the city of Salzburg has been distinguished as the most bicycle-friendly city in Austria; Salzburg is well equipped to do so, with more than 170 km of bike lanes and plenty bike’s parking place, especially in the most visited places. A new or used bicycle can be purchased in one of the many bike shops around the city; there are lots of options to get one, the University also offers a service in order to rent one, or buy one with the option to resell it later, here you will find some examples:
- àvelo: Willibald Hauthaler-Str. 10, Tel. 0662 / 43 55 95
- Citybikestation Hanuschplatz
- Biker‘s Best, Fürstenallee 39, Tel. 0662 / 82 37 23
- Velorep: Münchner Bundesstr. 4, Tel. 0662 /44 40 80
- Protestant Student Union, Contact: 0650/7637663 or [email protected]
- Flea Markets and “bike changings”
2. Salzburg Registration
Within the first three days after your arrival you must register yourself at the city’s registration office, called “Meldeamt”. This office is in: Schloss Mirabell, Bürgerservice, Erdgeschoss (Mirabell Castle, Citizen Service, Ground floor) and it opens from Monday to Thursday 7:30 to 16:00 and Friday from 7:30 to 13:00. You can find a link to the office here. The closest Bus Stop is “Mirabellplatz” and you can go there by bus lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Also with Regional Bus 21, 22, 25 and 840.
In order to register you must fill a registration form, called “Meldezettel” that you will receive either from your landlord, student dorm hall or you will also receive one in the Welcome Folder the University will hang you. Please do not forget to bring your passport with you!
3. Salzburg University Registration
In order to do so, you must submit yourself into the Plus Online and activate your Student Card. Then you will be able to formally apply for the subjects you want to course here in Salzburg. Do not worry if there are not more empty slots or if the system does not allow you to apply for it; there are some slots reserved to exchange students that can not apply for the subjects early with the same conditions of not foreigner students. Exchange students has the option to apply for them sending an email to the teacher or simply going personally to the first class and talking with the teacher.
To get your Student Card, you first must go to the International Office in Sigmung Haffner Gasse 18 2nd Floor with the Confirmation of Arrival. Then, once fulfilled and signed, you should then move to Kapitel Gasse 6 and get your student card. In that point, you can also activate your Plus Online Account. Please note that there is a large number of students doing the same procedures in the first weeks so it is a good idea to make a reservation and get a day and a hour. You will receive more information from the International Office staff in the Welcome Week; in case you want to request more information or you have any doubt, we recommend you to contact directly with the International Office.
4. Bank Account
If you want to transfer money regularly it would be a good idea to open a student bank account in Salzburg for the duration of your stay. Almost every bank provides special student bank accounts such as Bank Austria, Oberbank, etc. Once openning a bank account we recommend you not to say when you are leaving Salzburg because first, if the period is "too" short, sometimes they can not allow you to open a bank account and second, you never know if you will fall in love in this city and stay longer than expected!
5. Mobile Phone SIM Card
In the Welcome Week you will receive from the ESN a free SIM Card from one of our partners, A1. We recommend to use it, at least in the beginning of your stay. It is very easy to use and to submit money into it. If for whatever reason you can not come to the Welcome Week, you can get your Welcome Bag with a SIM Card at any moment in our office in UNIPARK, 2nd Floor.
If you prefer not to use A1, there are other options such as HOT, BOB, etc.