Austria, ski country with a vignette.
Austria has the densest concentration of serious ski resorts in Europe and the strictest winter driving law of any country we work in. Both are good reasons to be driven rather than to drive.
Where we collect
Salzburg and Innsbruck are the ski airports, and both are unusually close to the resorts they serve: Kitzbühel is about an hour and a quarter from Salzburg, St. Anton about an hour from Innsbruck. Vienna is the city and business airport and the natural start of a Central European run.
Munich is worth knowing about too. For much of the Tyrol it is a comparable drive and often has better long-haul connections, so if your flights are not yet booked it is worth asking us to compare before you commit.
The routes we run most
- Salzburg to Kitzbühel, Zell am See, Saalbach and the Ski Amadé resorts
- Innsbruck to St. Anton, Ischgl, Sölden, Lech and Zürs
- Munich to the Tyrol, which for several resorts is the shorter drive
- Vienna city, airport arrivals and the congress centre
- Salzburg to Hallstatt and the Salzkammergut lakes as a day out
- Vienna to Prague, Budapest or Bratislava, all comfortable road journeys
The vignette, the tunnels, and a winter law with teeth
Every Austrian motorway requires a vignette, and several of the alpine tunnels are charged separately on top of it: the Brenner, the Tauern, the Arlberg. These are not optional and they are enforced electronically. All of it sits inside your quoted price, which is worth confirming with any operator before you book, because it is a common place for a quote to be quietly incomplete.
Austria's winter tyre rule is a law, not a recommendation. Between 1 November and 15 April, a vehicle used in wintry conditions must have winter tyres fitted, and driving without them in snow or ice is an offence that also affects insurance. Our fleet runs winter tyres for the whole season, so this is simply not a variable when you book with us.
Resort roads are short but steep. Lech, Zürs and Ischgl all sit at the top of climbs that are perfectly ordinary in July and quite different on a January changeover Saturday. Those are the days worth booking early and allowing extra time on.
Questions
What people ask us.
Is the motorway vignette included in the price?
Yes, along with the separate tolls for the Brenner, Tauern and Arlberg tunnels. They are inside the quoted figure rather than added at the end.
Which airport is best for the Tyrol?
Innsbruck for St. Anton, Ischgl, Sölden, Lech and Zürs. Salzburg for Kitzbühel, Zell am See and Saalbach. Munich is often a comparable drive with better long-haul connections, so ask us to compare before you book flights.
Do your vehicles meet the Austrian winter tyre law?
Yes. Winter tyres are fitted across the fleet for the whole season and chains are carried on mountain routes. The Austrian rule between 1 November and 15 April is a legal requirement, not a guideline.
Can you drive between Austria and Germany or Switzerland?
Yes, routinely. Munich to the Tyrol, Vienna to Prague and the Swiss crossings are all normal bookings with the documentation in place.
Can you do Hallstatt as a day trip?
Yes, and it is one of the better days out from Salzburg. The village itself restricts vehicle access at busy times, so we drop as close as the rules allow and you walk the last short stretch.
How early should I book a ski transfer?
As early as you can for a Saturday between Christmas and early March. Alpine changeover is on Saturdays, so the whole season's demand lands on one day a week and vehicles do sell out.
Travelling in Austria?
Vignette, tunnel tolls and winter equipment are all in the price you see.