Driving to Austria:
Since there are fast and well-maintained motorways throughout Central Europe, getting to Austria by car is simple, if you are coming from other European countries such as Holland, Norway, Denmark, begium etc. But for the UK driver, the first requirement is to get the ferry to France or Holland.
Some useful information
For UK drivers: International driving licence requirements
You do not need an IDP to drive in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein if you have a photocard driving licence issued in the UK.
You do not need an international driving licence to drive in Austria. Nor in France. You are also allowed to drive in Germany for up to 6 months on a UK licence with photo.
Winter tyres were required from 1st Nov!!
Germany has introduced larger fines for motoring offences, they have literally doubled, so do not get caught out on the speed limits. Be extra careful on the motorways and at Tunnels, as they can have instant speed reductions advertised on the gantry;s and with Auto camera’s… even a little over the speed limit will catch you out.
TIP. Once in Austria, do take care over traffic signs. I ended up with a speeding fine on one trip because I did not notice I was within village boundaries where the speed limit went from the 80kph of the road to 50kph.
Unlike England with it’s 30mph signs as you get to a town or village, they tend to have the speed for the road then a sign for the same speed with a diagonal line through it. In other words the speed you were travelling at has been cancelled!!
Speed limits: Motorways – 130km/h Country roads – 100km/h In towns/villages – 50km/h & 30km/h
Alcohol limit is 0.5% and drink driving is punishable with a fine and confiscation of driving licence.
As of January 2023, the cost of Road toll is:
A 12-month sticker for private cars and motorhomes up to 3.5t is EURO 96.40 and for motorcycles EURO 38.20
A 2-month sticker for private cars and motorhomes up to 3.5t is EURO 29.00 and for motorcycles EURO 14.50
A 10-day sticker for private cars and motorhomes up to 3.5t is EURO 9.90 and for motorcycles EURO 5.80
They should be affixed to the windscreen top centre or top left!
Infringements of the toll regulations are punished with an additional charge of up to 120 euros! If you don’t have one when you should have one the fine can be from 300 – 3,000 euros!!
Also, be careful to affix them correctly to the windscreen…it is not like the UK, where you can put it in a plastic pocket!! I did this thinking, I do not want another sticker on my windscreen, so will put in my UK plastic pocket…oh dear that was a mistake, I had a €120 fine in the post about a week later! I could not believe that, even though I had bought a vignette and had proof of payment…I still got the fine, as I was informed the law states YOU MUST AFFIX TO THE WINDSCREEN!
Don’t think that being a tourist gets you off the hook either! Even if you have one and proof of payment..if not stuck to inside of windscreen in the correct position…120 euro fine!! Very Germanic and very pedantic.
Visit our Drive to Austria page for more information and tips.
Stay safe and legal – Order your winter tyres and Enjoy your drive.