Austria Welcomes Tourists: What You Need To Know

Austria is a popular destination for tourists, with its breathtaking Alps, winding mountain roads, and picturesque views. Travellers to Austria should be aware of the rules and regulations in place for driving in the country. A vignette, for example, is mandatory for most motorways and can be purchased online. There are also separate roads that require a special toll vignette. When driving in Austria, it is important to have a first aid kit, a warning triangle, safety vests, snow chains, and winter tires.

Hotels accepting tourists

Hotels in Austria

As of late May 2023, hotels in Austria have been allowed to accept tourists. However, it is important to note that each hotel can decide whether to reopen, and less than 50% of hotels are expected to open. Tourists are advised to check with their desired accommodations before travelling to Austria.

Hotel Recommendations

Austria offers a range of accommodations, from stylish design hotels to rustic chalets in the Alps, family-run hotels, luxury spa resorts, cosy private apartments, and more. Here are some specific recommendations:

• Zola Hotel - Palais de Bohème Adults Only, Vienna: Located within a 7-minute walk of Messe Wien Exhibition and Congress Center, this hotel offers concierge services, non-smoking rooms, and a wonderful atmosphere.
• Hotel Schani UNO City, Vienna: Located in Vienna, a 9-minute walk from Austria Center Vienna, this hotel features a garden, private parking, a terrace, and a restaurant.
• Almanac Palais Vienna, Vienna: A luxury boutique hotel located within a 4-minute walk of House of Music, blending architectural heritage with contemporary design.
• The Leo Grand, Vienna: Located within a few steps of St. Peter's Catholic Church, this hotel offers concierge services, non-smoking rooms, a restaurant, free WiFi, and a bar.
• Hotel Indigo Vienna - Naschmarkt, Vienna: Located 1.1 miles from Vienna State Opera, this IHG Hotel provides accommodations with a fitness centre, private parking, a terrace, and a restaurant.
• Hi5-Hotel Seiersberg, Windorf: Located 6.2 miles from Eggenberg Palace in Windorf, this hotel offers accommodations with a garden, free private parking, a shared lounge, and a terrace.
• Das mondsee, Mondsee: Located 18 miles from MesseZentrum Exhibition Center in Mondsee, this apartment hotel features a shared kitchen, a garden, private parking, and a terrace.
• Spark by Hilton Vienna Donaustadt, Vienna: This hotel, located in the Donaustadt district, features a fitness centre, shared lounge, a terrace, and a restaurant.
• The Gast House Zell am See, Zell am See: Located in Zell am See, 3.2 miles from Zell am See-Kaprun Golf Club, this hotel provides accommodations with a terrace and private parking.
• Hotel Galántha, Eisenstadt: A 4-star hotel featuring a fitness centre, terrace, restaurant, and bar.

Other Information

When travelling to Austria, it is important to be aware of the entry and customs regulations, as well as any accessibility requirements you may have. Austria also has specific rules for driving, including mandatory items to keep in your car, such as a first aid kit, a warning triangle, safety vests, a toll vignette, snow chains, and winter tires during certain months.

Driving in Austria

When driving in Austria, it's important to adhere to the speed limits, which are as follows:

• Highways: 130 km/hr
• Country roads: 100 km/hr
• Towns and cities: 50 km/hr, unless otherwise indicated

It's worth noting that the speed limit on the A12 Inntal motorway between Kufstein and Zirl, a 13 km-section of the A12 between Imst and Zams, and the A13 Brenner motorway between Innsbruck and Schönberg has been permanently reduced to 100 km/hr to reduce pollution.

Another important consideration when driving in Austria is the equipment you need to have in your car. This includes a first aid kit, a warning triangle, safety vests for all occupants, and snow chains during winter months. Winter tires are also mandatory between 1st November and 15th April.

Other things to keep in mind when driving in Austria include:

• Children always have priority when crossing the street.
• Using a mobile phone while driving is prohibited, even when stuck in traffic.
• Emergency services have priority in traffic, and motorists should give way and ensure a central aisle is clear for them to pass.
• Drinking and driving is illegal, with a maximum legal concentration of 0.05% Blood Alcohol Level.
• When parking, look for blue zones, which are free parking spaces with a time limit of up to 90 minutes, indicated by a blue sign.

Border crossing with Germany

The border between Germany and Austria is 784km long and was established in 1871. It concerns two German Länder in the south of the country (Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria) and four provinces in the north-west of Austria (Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, and Upper Austria). The border mainly consists of Alpine mountain ranges and begins in the northwest at Lake Constance, which separates Baden-Württemberg and Austria, before moving east up to the tripoint formed by the German-Czech and Czech-Austrian borders in the Bohemian Forest.

The two countries share the same official language, German, which facilitates the development of cross-border cooperation. There are several organisations that exist on this border, including the Arge Alp Working Community, the Internationale Bodenseekonferenz (International Conference of Lake Constance), and the Euroregion Bayrischer Wald-Böhmerwald-Sumava.

When driving from Germany to Austria, you must have the following items in the car:

• A first aid kit
• A warning triangle
• Safety vests that meet the EN471 standard requirements
• A toll vignette
• Snow chains (during the winter months if indicated by signs along the road)
• Winter tires (between 1 November and 15 April)

A vignette is mandatory for most motorways in Austria, and there are also separate roads for which you must pay toll charges. You can buy the vignette online, and it is available for 10 days, two months, or the entire year. From 2024, Austria will also introduce a 1-day vignette.

There are several roads for which you must pay with a special toll vignette, including:

• A9 Pyhrn motorway – Bosruck and Gleinalm tunnel
• A10 Tauern motorway – Tauern tunnel and Katschberg tunnel
• A11 Karawanks motorway – Karawanks tunnel
• A13 Brenner motorway - Brennerpas
• S16 Arlberg expressway - Arlberg tunnel

In addition to the vignette, you must also pay tolls on certain roads, such as the A9 Pyhrn motorway and the A10 Tauern motorway.

When driving in Austria, it is important to follow the local speed limits and traffic rules to avoid fines. Within built-up areas, the maximum speed is 50 km/h, outside built-up areas, the speed limit is 100 km/h, and on the motorway, you can drive up to 130 km/h. Fines for speeding vary depending on how much you exceed the speed limit. For example, exceeding the speed limit by up to 10 km/h will result in a fine of €20 or more, while exceeding it by more than 50 km/h will cost you €150 or more and may even lead to a driving license suspension.

Other traffic fines in Austria include:

• Driving through a red light: €70 or more
• Parking fine: €20 or more
• Not wearing a seat belt: €35 or more
• Using a phone while driving: €5 or more
• Driving without a toll vignette: €120
• Not having winter tires or snow chains: €35 or more

Refuelling in Austria

If you're travelling to Austria by car, there are a few things you should know about refuelling. All types of fuel are available in Austria, and although they may have different names, petrol prices are generally much lower than in neighbouring Germany.

E95 petrol in Austria is known as Super or Bleifrei. Superplus 98 petrol is also called Super Plus. Diesel and LPG have the same name in Austria as they do elsewhere.

Fuel prices are typically lowest on Sundays and Mondays, and are often cheaper before 12 pm. If you're driving on the motorway, you'll find that petrol prices are lower at service stations just off the motorway than those on the motorway itself.

Vignette for Austria

A vignette is mandatory for most motorways in Austria. The vignette is a toll sticker that can be purchased either physically or digitally. It is compulsory for all cars, motorbikes, and camper vans up to 3.5 tons to properly display a toll sticker or have purchased a digital vignette when entering a motorway or expressway in Austria.

Physical Vignette

Physical vignettes can be purchased from Austrian Automobile Clubs, post offices, newsagents, and petrol stations within Austria. They can also be purchased in neighbouring countries at petrol stations, borders, and Automobile Clubs. The physical vignette must be displayed on the inside of the vehicle's windshield, stuck to the top left-hand edge or behind the rear-view mirror, and not covered by any tinting strips. For motorbikes, it must be affixed to a component that is difficult to remove, such as the fork leg or tank, and clearly visible.

Digital Vignette

The digital vignette can be purchased through the ASFINAG toll shop or the ASFINAG app "Unterwegs". It is linked to the vehicle's license plate and does not need to be displayed physically. This offers greater convenience for holders of transferable number plates, as they no longer need a separate toll sticker for each vehicle. The digital vignette is available for 1 day, 10 days, 2 months, or 1 year. It is important to note that the 1-year and 2-month vignettes are only valid from the 18th day after the online purchase, while the 1-day and 10-day vignettes are valid immediately.

Vignette Costs

The cost of the vignette includes 20% VAT and varies depending on the type of vehicle and the period of validity. The Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology sets the toll sticker prices in consultation with the Federal Minister of Finance.

Exemptions

There are a few stretches of road that are exempt from the vignette requirement:

• A 1 Westautobahn toll section between the state border at Walserberg and the Salzburg Nord junction.
• A 12 Inntal motorway toll section between the state border at Kufstein and the Kufstein-Süd junction.
• A 14 Rheintal/Walgau motorway toll section between the state border at Hörbranz and the Hohenems junction.
• A 26 Linz motorway toll section (currently still under construction).

Other Toll Roads

In addition to the vignette, separate toll charges apply for certain roads, mainly tunnels, known as sondermautstrecken. These include:

• A9 Pyhrn motorway – Bosruck and Gleinalm tunnel
• A10 Tauern motorway – Tauern tunnel and Katschberg tunnel
• A11 Karawanks motorway – Karawanks tunnel
• A13 Brenner motorway - Brennerpas
• S16 Arlberg expressway - Arlberg tunnel

Traffic Rules in Austria

When driving in Austria, it is important to follow the local traffic rules to avoid fines and ensure safety. Here are some key rules to keep in mind:

• Children crossing the street always have priority, regardless of where they cross.
• Using a mobile phone while driving or cycling is prohibited, even when stuck in traffic.
• The speed limit on motorways is generally 130 km/h, unless indicated otherwise.
• Emergency services have priority in traffic, and motorists should give way and ensure a sufficient central aisle for them to pass.
• Winter tires are mandatory between 1 November and 15 April.
• Snow chains are mandatory during winter months if indicated by signs along the road.

Frequently asked questions