How to Retire Without Money
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE: AUSTRIA (page 2)
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS. Americans need only a passport to enter Austria. Theoretically, if you wish to stay more than three months, you should have an Austrian visa which you can pick up at any Austrian Embassy or Consulate, either in the States or abroad. I say theoretically because a few years ago I spent six months living near Vienna without knowing about this regulation. When I left, nobody blinked an eye. In fact, one of the great charms about Austria is this easy going slackness of her officials. At the border, when you enter the country, customs inspection usually amounts to a natty, green garbed customs officer sticking his head into your train compartment, saying happily, "Welcome to Austria!" and then leaving.TRANSPORTATION. Austria has no seacoast so reaching her is a matter of travel by land or air. In either case you'll have no difficulty.
From New York to Vienna the following airlines have direct flights: Air France, BO AC (British Overseas Airways), KLM (Royal Dutch), Pan American, SABENA (Belgian), Scandinavian Airlines, Swiss Airways, and Linee Aeree Italiane. Or from our west coast you can take a Scandinavian Airlines or KLM plane over the pole. On the New York to Vienna run all airlines charge the same; $472.70 first class, $354.80 tourist class, one way.
You could beat this price by coming by sea at a rockbottom low of $155 on a student ship and then taking a British European Airways (BEA) flight from London to Vienna for $70.60.
Cheaper still would be to take a student ship to Rotterdam, or one of the French ports and taking a train to Austria. The train from London to Vienna costs $42.88, first class, or $30.35 second class. Nothing, of course, is wrong about taking second class on a European train. Only millionaires, movie stars, and suckers ride first class. From Cherbourg to Vienna is $28.05 second class. From Rotterdam to Vienna is $19.91. If you come up from the south the cost of train fare from Rome to Vienna is $13.08 second class.
Driving your own car, scooter or motorcycle in Austria couldn't be simpler. Your American (or Canadian) driver's license is good and your regular registration papers are all that is needed to take your car across the border. On top of this, Austria has the cheapest gasoline in Europe. Which still isn't cheap by our standards, about 5(H a gallon.
As I write this the Austrians are nearing completion of a super-highway which will run from Vienna to Salzburg and eventually to the Swiss border, so I understand. But even without this super-dooper highway, the roads aren't too bad in Austria if you don't get off the main highways. If you are driving an American type car, I can't recommend that you take the narrow, winding, mountain roads. They were built for European sized vehicles. Service stations are plentiful and you can get free road maps through the Austrian State Tourist Dept, 11 East 52nd Street, N.Y.C.
§
. . . learn more about retirement in Austria
Read more about some of the best places to retire:
Best Places to Retire Mexico Spain France Italy