Driving in Austria

Rural or sparsely populated regions in Austria are easier to explore by car as bus services can be infrequent. Many popular spots in the mountains are accessible only by car or on foot/ski.

Renting a car for a couple of days is a good way to go off the beaten track. Driving in Austria is normally quite pleasant as the country is small and the roads are in good condition, not congested and offer fantastic scenery. Beware of dangerous drivers, however: Austrians are generally a very law-abiding bunch, but behind a wheel, they seem to make an exception to their considerate attitude. Comprehensive maps of Austria, specific regions within Austria (including city maps), as well as maps from neighbouring countries can be bought at any petrol station. Expect to pay around €7 for one map.

As in many European cities, parking in cities costs money on work days. Usually those parking zones are marked by blue lines on the street. Some cities (such as Vienna) have area-wide zones not denotated by blue lines. Fees vary from town to town as do the fines, which are charged if you have no valid ticket, generally between €20 and €30. Tickets can be usually bought from kiosks, some cities (such as Graz) have ticket machines on the street. A cheap alternative is to park your car a bit outside of the town in parking garages called Park and Ride, and take public transit from there. Those facilities can be found in any bigger city.

Motorways and tolls

Travelling on Austrian motorways (Autobahnen) or Schnellstraßen means you have to pay tolls. If your vehicle is under 3500 kg in weight, you have to buy a Vignette toll pass, in advance, which can be purchased at any petrol station or at the border.

Vignetten (2022)

Motor bikes (single-track motor vehicles, including motor bikes with sidecars)

One-year toll sticker: €37.20
Two-month toll sticker: €14.10
Ten-day toll sticker: €5.60

Cars, trucks, and motorhomes with a maximum weight of 3.5 t

One-year toll sticker: €93.80
Two-month toll sticker: €28.20
Ten-day toll sticker: €9.60

The fact that there is neither a Vignette for a single day nor for two weeks is not a bug - it's a feature - most Germans passing through on the way to and from Italy spend two weeks there - the way the Vignette is designed ensures maximum revenue from those transiting.

Vehicles heavier than 3500 kg (lorries, buses, motorhomes) must instead purchase a GO-Box, a transponder which deducts tolls as the vehicles travel along the Autobahn or Schnellstraße. The cost of the GO-Box is €5 and tolls can either be prepaid (€75 initially, followed by increments of €50 to recharge) or paid through an invoice at a later date. Rates for 2022 vary from €0.05 to €0.48/km based on number of axles, time of day, and type of fuel used (electricity, hydrogen, petrol, diesel).

Driving a car on a motorway without a vignette is punished with either payment of a substitute toll of €120 (€65 for motorcycles) (that allows one to travel on the motorways for that day and the day immediately following) or a fine of upwards of €300, and if the fine is not paid on the spot, valuables may be seized from your vehicle and person to ensure that the fine is paid. You must affix the vignette to the front windscreen of your vehicle, preferably in the top centre or on one of the driver's side corners, otherwise it is not valid, a common mistake made by foreigners in Austria. The motorway police regularly check for Vignetten. Driving without a valid GO-Box, if required, costs €220, and setting an incorrect toll class carries a €110 substitute toll.

Additional tolls are payable on certain roads, especially mountain passes, which you need to pay in bank notes (not coins) or with credit card. An example is at Brenner Pass, right before the A13 enters Italy, where a toll of at least €7.95 is collected each way.

Safety

The speed limits are 130 km/h (81 mph) on Autobahnen and 100 km/h (62 mph) on Schnellstraßen and Bundesstraßen. Expect limits otherwise of 50–80 km/h (31–50 mph). Sometimes, there is a potentially confusing "IG-L" text at the bottom of the speed limit screens, which is shorthand for "Immissionsschutzgesetz Luft" (Air Pollution Control Act) and actually means higher fines for speeding; see. The "IG-L" text it is often misunderstood by foreigners as a restriction (e.g. speed limit only applies to trucks), who might later receive an unusually high fine at their home address if they are from an EU country.

Headlights should be switched on at all times.

Rules on Autobahnen are very similar to the rules in Germany. For example, you may not pass on the right, and the minimum speed limit is 60 km/h (37 mph) (vehicles unable to travel 60 km/h are not admitted onto the Autobahn). The one big and obvious difference is that there is a general speed limit of 130 km/h (same as in all neighboring countries except Germany) which will be enforced the same way as any other speed limit.

Winter driving

Take special care when driving in winter, especially in the mountains (and keep in mind that winter lasts from September to May in the higher parts of the Alps and snowfall is in general possible at any time of the year). Icy roads kill dozens of inexperienced drivers every year. Avoid speeding and driving at night and make sure the car is in a good condition. Motorway bridges are particularly prone to ice. Slow down to 80 km/h when going over them.

Winter tires are mandatory between November 1 and April 15, and studded winter tyres allowed October 1 to May 31. During winter season most rental cars are equipped with winter tyres, an additional fee may be charged. (Some rental companies use all season tires, in such a case you might be able to rationalize this fee away.) Use of winter tyres is strongly recommended by Austrian motoring clubs. When there is snowfall, winter tyres or snow chains are required by law on some mountain passes, and occasionally also on motorways. This is indicated by a round traffic sign depicting a white tire or chain on a blue background. It is always a good idea to take a pair of snow chains and a warm blanket in the boot. Drivers often get stuck in their car for several hours and sometimes suffer from hypothermia.

Contrary to popular belief there is no need to rent an off-road vehicle in winter (though a 4x4 is helpful). In fact, small, lightweight cars are better at tackling narrow mountain roads than sluggish off-road vehicles.

Virtually all roads in Austria open to the public are either covered in tarmac or at the least even surfaced. The problems normally encountered are ice and steepness, not unevenness. When driving downhill the only remedy against sliding are snow chains no matter what vehicle you are inside.

Fuel

Petrol is cheaper in Austria than in some neighbouring countries but is more expensive than in America.

Itineraries

Großglockner Hochalpenstraße
Brenner and Timmelsjoch mountain passes to Italy