Driving in Austria: What Tourists Must Know

Driving in Austria is generally uncomplicated, but there are two things that can land tourists in hot water with the local authorities. They are the failure to buy a vignette (Austrian toll sticker) and not adhering to the speed limit. Also, driving in Austria in winter provides its own set of challenges. That´s why we´ve put together some helpful tips to help you navigate the Austrian roads.

Do I Need a Vignette for Driving in Austria?

Yes! Austrian motorways are toll roads without toll gates. Instead, you buy a vignette which comes in the form of a windscreen sticker or a digital pass. This applies whenever you’re driving in Austria on any motorway or expressway.

Vignettes are for sale at most petrol (gas) stations next to the motorway, also close to the border in neighbouring countries, as well as online from ASFINAG. For cars, they are available for periods of 1 day (€9.60), 10 days (€12.80), two months (€32.00) or one year (€106.80) (2026 rates).

Note that 2026 is the last year the traditional windscreen sticker will be sold — from 2027 onwards only the digital vignette will be available.

Don’t take chances: if you’re caught without a valid vignette, you’ll have to pay an on-the-spot substitute toll (“Ersatzmaut”) of around €200 for cars. If you don’t pay immediately or dispute it, it can turn into a formal administrative fine ranging from roughly €300 up to €3,000.

Note: If you travel over the Brenner Pass to Italy, as well as through certain Austrian tunnels, you must pay an additional toll fee. See my complete guide to the Austrian vignette for more details.

Alpine Toll Roads Not Covered by the Vignette

Not every toll road in Austria is covered by the vignette. Several spectacular alpine roads are privately operated and charge their own separate toll, payable on top of (or instead of) the vignette.

These include the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, the Timmelsjoch Pass to Italy, the Silvretta High Alpine Road and the Felbertauern Road. Most of these mountain passes are also only open seasonally, typically from around May to October, and can close temporarily in bad weather even during the season, so check conditions before you set off.

How to Buy the Digital Vignette

You can buy the digital vignette directly from ASFINAG’s official toll shop online or through the “Unterwegs” app, linking it to your vehicle’s number plate rather than sticking anything to your windscreen.

There’s an important catch though: for consumer protection reasons, a 2-month or annual digital vignette only becomes valid 18 days after you purchase it, so it’s not a same-day fix if you’re already at the border. If you need to drive sooner than that, buy the 10-day or 1-day digital vignette instead, or pick up a physical sticker at a petrol station or border shop, which is valid immediately.

Which Side of the Road do Austrians Drive On?

Like the rest of mainland Europe, Austrians drive on the right side of the road. For a landlocked country, I’m always surprised at how many motorists get it wrong on the motorways. There’s even a name for them: Geisterfahrer (literal translation: ghost driver).

The Austrian radio station Hitradio Ö3 regularly interrupts its broadcasts to warn drivers about ghost drivers on the motorway. Thankfully, the announcement is also repeated in English. It goes something like this:

“Attention all motorists on the A so-and-so. There is a car heading in the wrong direction between so-and-so. Please drive carefully.”

To M’s dismay, we’ve never come across a “Geisterfahrer”. We did come close once. There was one on the A12 near Innsbruck when we were travelling home from skiing in Seefeld. However, the announcement that it had left the motorway came just as we were about to take an alternative route.

Do I Need Winter Tyres for Driving in Austria?

From 1 November to 15 April you may only drive in winter conditions, such as icy roads or roads covered in snow or slush, if you have winter tyres fitted. If you are caught without winter tyres in Austria in such conditions, you risk a fine starting at around €100.

If other road users are endangered by your non-compliance to drive with winter tyres in Austria, fines increase steeply and can, in theory, reach into the thousands of euros.

The alternative is to use snow chains, but they’re only allowed if the road is fully or mostly covered in snow or sleet. Just make sure you know how to put them on before you need them! We’ve spent many frustrating minutes next to the road trying to figure out snow chains.

Take note: Snow and ice must be removed from your car’s roof, windows, lights and number plates before driving in Austria in winter.

What is the Speed Limit for Driving in Austria?

The general speed limit on Austrian motorways is 130 km/h. I know, it’s a bit of a let-down after driving as fast as you like on most sections of the German autobahn, isn’t it?

The motorway speed limit in Austria goes down even more to 100 km/h due to pollution control in the federal state of Tyrol.

Of course, the speed limit on all motorways is lowered in the case of accidents and extreme weather conditions. Always keep an eye on the electronic signs to adjust your speed accordingly.

General Austrian Speed Limit Overview

• The speed limit in high-traffic streets in residential areas can go down to 30 km/h. It can be frustrating travelling at such a snail’s pace but my best advice is to stick to it. I was fined €30 once for driving 34 km/h in such a zone.

Tyrol Speed Limit Exceptions

To reduce pollution, a permanent speed restriction of 100 km/h is imposed on some motorways in the federal state of Tyrol. The sections concerned are:

• The A12 Inntal (Inn Valley) motorway between the border with Germany near Kufstein and the western authority border of Zirl (west of Innsbruck).
• A 13 km-section of the A12 between the villages of Imst and Zams.
• The A13 Brenner motorway between Innsbruck and Schönberg.

For a full overview of how to reach the region by road, see our guide to the main routes to Innsbruck. If you need a car for your trip, our guide to car rental in Tyrol covers the main agencies and what to expect.

What is the Legal Drink-Drive Limit in Austria?

The legal blood alcohol limit for drinking and driving in Austria is 0.5 permille (0.5 mg/ml).

Fines are tiered:

• At 0.5–0.79 permille you face a fine of roughly €300–€3,700 (with a possible short license suspension for repeat offences).
• At 0.8–1.19 permille the fine rises to around €800–€3,700 and your license is suspended for at least 1 month.
• At 1.2–1.59 permille it’s a minimum 4-month suspension with a fine of about €1,200–€4,400.
• At 1.6 permille or above, expect a fine of roughly €1,600–€5,900 and a licence suspension of at least 6 months.

Note that a stricter 0.1 permille limit applies to probationary licence holders and professional drivers (buses, trucks).

Which Day of the Week is the Best for Driving in Austria?

Big trucks are not allowed on Austrian motorways on public holidays and weekends, starting at 15:00 on Saturdays. So, if you plan to travel over a weekend during peak holiday seasons, do it on a Sunday. Furthermore, trucks are banned from the entire road network from 22:00 to 05:00 daily.

Another reason why driving through Austria on a Saturday is not such a good idea during peak holidays, is because it’s what is generally known as “abreisetag”. Many hotels only sell weekly packages from Saturday to Saturday. This results in high traffic volumes as everyone leaving and arriving on the same day.

Obligatory Safety Equipment for Driving in Austria

By law, every car must carry the following items when driving in Austria:

• Warning triangle which conforms to EC regulation 27.
• First-aid kit with all necessary equipment and materials to treat wounds.
• Enough reflective vests for all occupants of the car. The triangle and vests must be displayed or worn when you get out of your car at an accident scene or during a breakdown. Find more details here.

Emergency Telephone Numbers in Austria

Save these numbers before driving in Austria, especially if you’re heading into remote mountain areas with patchy phone signal.

More Tips for Driving in Austria

• Never fill up on the motorway – Filling up at a gas station on the motorway is expensive. Rather fill up in the city/town before you leave. If you are running low on petrol or diesel while on the motorway, rather exit and find the nearest town. If it coincides with hunger pangs, you’ll also find much better and cheaper food away from the motorways.
• Get real-time traffic reports – The toll-road company Asfinag has the most up-to-date information about traffic problems and road closures.
• Use of headlights – Driving with your headlights on is optional during daylight hours.
• Children in cars – Car seats or booster seats are required for children under 1.50 m in length up to 14 years of age. Also, no smoking is allowed in cars with child occupants.
• Using a mobile phone – Mobile phones may only be used for talking and as a navigation system and then only with a hands-free device.

EV Charging in Austria

If you’re driving an electric car, Austria’s motorway service stations are well equipped with fast chargers, run mainly by ASFINAG’s partner operators as well as networks like IONITY and SMATRICS.

Charging point coverage is generally good along the main motorway corridors, but can thin out on smaller rural and mountain roads, so it’s worth planning charging stops in advance using an app such as ASFINAG’s own traffic app or SMATRICS. Many hotels and guesthouses in Tyrol also offer charging for guests, so it’s worth asking when you book.

Parking in Austrian Towns and Cities

Many Austrian town and city centres, including Innsbruck and Vienna, have short-term parking zones (“Kurzparkzonen”) where you need to display a paper parking ticket or pay via a parking app.

Rather than hunting for a ticket machine, it’s usually easiest to download a local parking app (we use EasyPark) before you arrive, so you can start and stop your parking session from your phone. Keep an eye on posted signs, as maximum stay limits and paid hours vary by zone and by city. Getting familiar with these local systems makes driving in Austria’s towns and cities far less stressful.

More Frequently Asked Questions