Avoiding Austrian Tolls: Toll-Free or Just Vignette-Free?

Anyone driving through Austria by car quickly encounters terms like toll-free, vignette-free, or without a sticker. Vignette-free stretches do exist in Austria, but the most important point up front: vignette-free does not automatically mean toll-free. On a section without a vignette requirement, section toll or special toll may still apply, for example at tunnels like the Brenner or on alpine roads like the Grossglockner. For vehicles over 3.5 t tzGm, distance-based toll with the GO-Box also applies. You only drive completely free of charge once none of these toll types apply to your vehicle class on your route.

In this guide, we sort out the official exceptions to the vignette requirement, show all vignette-free stretches in Austria, explain where tolls still apply, and highlight typical trips where cars up to 3.5 t tzGm don't need a digital vignette. This way you can plan your route with legal certainty and avoid costly mistakes.

What does vignette-free mean, and when is the trip really toll-free?

In Austria there are three types of toll, which differ by vehicle class and route type. The vignette and the GO toll apply network-wide on motorways and expressways. Section toll or special toll is charged only on certain sections and comes on top. Below we explain the three toll types one after another.

Vignette: for vehicles up to 3.5 t tzGm

For cars, motorcycles, and motorhomes up to 3.5 t tzGm (technically permissible total mass without persons, field F.1 in the vehicle registration document), the vignette requirement generally applies on motorways and expressways. The vignette is a flat-rate toll for a fixed period. You pay a flat amount and may use the toll motorway and expressway network during that time. With a valid vignette, you're covered on regular motorway and expressway sections. It is not sufficient on designated section toll or special toll routes. There you need a separate section toll ticket.

Outside motorways and expressways, you don't need a vignette. This applies to federal roads (B), state roads (L), municipal roads, and roads within towns. Anyone driving exclusively on such roads can do without a vignette.

In practice, the route of most travellers through Austria runs at least briefly over a motorway or expressway, for example in transit, towards a ski region, or towards the Brenner. In that case you need a valid vignette, unless your route uses exclusively the officially vignette-free motorway sections at the border.

With Europamaut you purchase your digital 10-day vignette via the 10-day vignette flat rate for Austria. You sign up for a monthly subscription and specify the start date of your vignette on first purchase. The digital vignette is set up within a few minutes for your licence plate and is valid for ten days. The toll for each booked 10-day vignette is included in the flat rate. If you need another vignette later, simply set a new start date in your flat rate management.

How to save on multiple trips: Within an active flat-rate month you can book as many 10-day vignettes for your licence plate as you like, for example three times for three separate trips to Austria in the same month. We cover the toll fee for each of these vignettes. The monthly flat-rate fee is cheaper than if you bought several 10-day vignettes individually at the regular price. This gives you flexible coverage if your route ends up running over the motorway network after all, or if your travel plans change.

Distance-based toll (GO-Box): for vehicles over 3.5 t tzGm

If the tzGm of your vehicle exceeds 3.5 t, the vignette requirement no longer applies. Instead, larger motorhomes, trucks, and buses need a GO-Box for the distance-based toll on the GO toll network (motorways, expressways, and designated access roads). Billing is based on kilometres, depending on axles and emission class.

Important: The vignette-free border sections on the West Motorway (A 1), Inntal Motorway (A 12), Rheintal/Walgau Motorway (A 14), and Linz Motorway (A 26), which cars can use without a vignette, are not toll-free for vehicles over 3.5 t tzGm. There, distance-based toll applies on the GO toll network even though no vignette would be required.

The GO-Box must remain switched on, even on sections where no fee currently applies. Anyone wanting to avoid the GO toll network entirely must rely on federal roads outside the network. This is possible, but often significantly slower and more demanding in the mountains. Read more about the GO toll and vehicle classes in our guide to toll in Austria and to vehicle classes.

Section toll/special toll: on certain sections, in addition

The terms special toll and section toll (formerly also called video toll) are often used synonymously, but mean the same thing. Unlike the network-wide vignette and the GO toll, this type of toll applies only on defined route sections. This refers to tunnels, passes, alpine roads, and designated motorway sections. There, a flat fee applies, in addition to the vignette or in addition to the distance-based toll, depending on vehicle class.

On some motorway sections (e.g. Brenner, Tauern), the section toll replaces the vignette on that section itself. However, this does not mean you don't need a vignette at all. Even if the section itself is subject to a special toll and is therefore not subject to the vignette requirement, the access roads to the special toll route are usually subject to the vignette requirement. For the tunnel section you need a section toll ticket, but on the approach you often only get onto the toll network with a valid vignette.

Of course, special toll routes also exist independently of certain tunnels on adjoining motorways. One example is Austria's panoramic roads such as the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Detailed information on the section toll/special toll and the best-known special toll routes can therefore be found in our guide to section toll/special toll.

For vehicles over 3.5 t tzGm, the section toll is usually billed via the GO-Box, in addition to the toll fees arising from the distance-based toll. So anyone driving towards the Tauern pays kilometre-based toll on the approach and section toll in the tunnel.

In all cases: vignette-free does not mean toll-free

When do you really drive without any fee? For cars up to 3.5 t tzGm, mainly on federal roads, state roads, and municipal roads that do not touch a special toll route. For vehicles over 3.5 t tzGm, mainly on roads outside the GO toll network, not on the vignette-free border motorways.

If you want to be sure which vehicle class your vehicle belongs to, you'll find the detailed distinctions in our guide to vehicle classes.

Can federal roads in Austria be used without a vignette?

The statement "federal roads are vignette-free" only applies to vehicles up to 3.5 t tzGm (cars, motorcycles, light motorhomes). On the entire Austrian federal road network (category B roads), you don't need a vignette in this vehicle class. Anyone deliberately avoiding motorways and expressways can drive by car from the German border all the way to Carinthia or Tyrol without buying a vignette, provided your route doesn't touch a section toll or special toll route.

The price for this is usually time: Country roads run through towns, over mountains, and are less predictable than motorways in case of traffic jams or roadworks. In winter, snow, black ice, and closures are added. For people unfamiliar with the area, the safety record on well-developed motorways is generally better, because snow clearing, signage, and emergency call boxes are more closely spaced.

Vignette-free does not mean toll-free. If you drive on a special toll route along the way, section toll applies there, regardless of whether no vignette was needed on the rest of the way.

For vehicles over 3.5 t tzGm, the vignette exemption on federal roads plays a secondary role anyway. What matters is whether the route lies within the GO toll network or touches a special toll route. With a car up to 3.5 t tzGm, federal roads are often the simplest toll-free alternative to the motorway network. With heavy vehicles, a completely fee-free passage is significantly less likely.

If you only occasionally need a short motorway section beyond the vignette-free border stretches, the 10-day vignette flat rate for Austria is often worthwhile instead of hours-long detours via country roads.

Which motorway sections in Austria are vignette-free?

Since 15 December 2019, exceptions to the vignette requirement for vehicles up to 3.5 t tzGm (technically permissible total mass without persons, field F.1) have applied on four fixed, defined sections of the motorway and expressway network. The legal basis is the Federal Roads Toll Act.

Important for classification: These sections are vignette-free for cars and motorcycles up to 3.5 t tzGm, and in practice toll-free for many travellers too, because no section toll or special toll applies on the short border stretch. For vehicles over 3.5 t tzGm, this saves no toll at all. On the same sections, the GO-Box with distance-based toll is usually due, for example on the A 14 through the Pfänder Tunnel.

A 1 West Motorway: Walserberg to Salzburg-Nord (without vignette)

From the Walserberg border crossing (connection to the German A 8 from the direction of Munich) to the Salzburg-Nord interchange, cars and motorcycles up to 3.5 t tzGm do not need a vignette. This is the classic route for anyone heading to Salzburg or the Salzkammergut without having to book the entire Austrian motorway network.

Important: From Salzburg-Nord onwards, the vignette requirement applies again if you continue on the A 1 towards Linz, Vienna, or the south-east. Anyone visiting only Salzburg city or the surrounding area and driving back over the same section often gets by without a vignette. Don't plan to continue on a motorway or expressway beyond this section without buying a vignette.

A 12 Inntal Motorway: Kiefersfelden to Kufstein-Süd (without vignette)

Between the state border at Kiefersfelden (German A 93) and the Kufstein-Süd interchange, the A 12 is vignette-free. Many German travellers use this short section to drive towards Kitzbühel, Wilder Kaiser, or the Zillertal without immediately buying a vignette.

From Kufstein-Süd, the vignette requirement on the A 12 begins again for continuing towards Wörgl or Innsbruck. Anyone wanting to head towards Kitzbühel, Wilder Kaiser, or the Zillertal without a vignette drives to Kufstein-Süd and then switches to federal roads there, for example the B 178. Anyone driving from Germany towards Italy and wanting to use only the Brenner does not continue on the A 12 towards Innsbruck, but takes the independent A 13 Brenner Motorway. There, section toll applies instead of a vignette.

A 14 Rheintal/Walgau Motorway: Hörbranz to Hohenems (without vignette)

From the Hörbranz border (connection to German A 96 / Lindau) to the Hohenems interchange, cars and motorcycles up to 3.5 t tzGm may drive without a vignette. The section also includes the Pfänder Tunnel near Bregenz. The vignette-free stretch is about 23 kilometres long and is usually also toll-free for this vehicle class. Heavy vehicles over 3.5 t tzGm pay distance-based toll here via GO-Box.

Particularly important: The vignette exemption ends at Hohenems at the latest. Anyone continuing on the A 14 towards Switzerland or southern Vorarlberg and passing the Altach interchange needs a valid vignette. Between Hohenems and Altach there is an automatic vignette check. Navigation systems sometimes route traffic towards Switzerland onto the motorway only from Altach onwards. Without a vignette, a replacement toll is at risk.

Coming from the south, the A 14 from Hohenems towards the border is likewise considered vignette-free. You can reach towns located directly along this section, such as Bregenz, Dornbirn, or Hohenems, without a vignette.

A 26 Linz Motorway (temporarily without vignette)

The A 26 Linz Motorway in the Linz area is still under construction and is temporarily vignette-free. This applies as long as the motorway is not connected to the vignette-required A 7 Mühlkreis Motorway. According to ASFINAG planning, the complete completion of the A 26 is only scheduled for around 2035. Until then, cars and motorcycles up to 3.5 t tzGm can use the sections already completed without a vignette. The A 7 itself is subject to the normal vignette requirement.

Important regarding access: Not every tunnel subject to section toll can be approached without a vignette. The access roads often run over longer sections of the same motorway or expressway, which are subject to the vignette requirement. For example, anyone wanting to use the Tauern Tunnel on the A 10 without a vignette may only drive the Flachau to Rennweg section. If you come from the north and join the A 10 earlier, you need a valid vignette.

Typical trips without a vignette: practical examples

• Munich to Salzburg without a vignette (city/surrounding area only): Via Walserberg on the A 1 to Salzburg-Nord, then exit. No vignette needed as long as you don't continue on the A 1 towards the east.

• Rosenheim / Kufstein without a vignette (Kiefersfelden): Via Kiefersfelden on the A 12 to Kufstein-Süd, then on the B 178 towards Kitzbühel or St. Johann. No vignette needed if you don't continue on the A 12 to Wörgl.

• Lindau to Bregenz without a vignette: Via Hörbranz and the Pfänder Tunnel on the A 14 to Bregenz or Hohenems. No vignette needed for cars up to 3.5 t tzGm.

• Lindau into Switzerland without an Austrian vignette: Drive on the A 14 to Hohenems/Diepoldsau and leave the motorway there, before the toll-required section towards Altach begins. Don't blindly follow the sat nav.

• Brenner without a vignette (with section toll): A 13 from Innsbruck to Italy with a section toll ticket. Vignette-free, but not toll-free. Anyone coming from the north needs either a vignette for the A 12/A 13 access road or a detour via federal roads.

Is it worth avoiding the Austrian toll?

Using federal roads instead of the motorway is generally permitted, as long as no special traffic restrictions apply. In Tyrol, alternative routes for transit traffic are sometimes closed at peak times or opened only to residents, in order to relieve towns. Anyone deliberately avoiding motorways to save on tolls should check current traffic information from the provincial authorities and ASFINAG.

Purely financially, avoiding the toll is often less worthwhile than it seems: More kilometres, higher fuel consumption, and lost time eat up part of the savings. On top of that there are safety risks on winding mountain roads, especially in wet conditions, snow, or darkness.

Anyone using vignette-required roads without a valid vignette risks the replacement toll and further sanctions. The digital vignette must be valid before entering the toll network.

Toll and trip planning: what you should keep in mind

Check the tzGm (field F.1) in the vehicle registration document, not the GVW including persons. Since December 2023, the tzGm has been decisive. Vehicles that were registered before 1 December 2023 and were at that time under 3.5 t GVW may, under certain conditions, still benefit from transitional rules until 31 January 2029. In our guide to vehicle classes you can see whether your vehicle is up to or over 3.5 t tzGm and therefore requires a vignette or must pay distance-based toll.

Set the start date of your vignette so that it matches entering the first vignette-required motorway or expressway. With our route planner you can see before departure which toll products your planned route requires. Important: The vignette must be active before you drive on the vignette-required route. So book your 10-day vignette flat rate in good time in advance. If you have any questions, you can reach us at any time by email.

The Europamaut team wishes you a pleasant trip!

With this overview you can recognise which routes are vignette-free, where section toll or special toll or GO toll still applies, and why vignette-free does not mean toll-free. You can find explanations of the toll in our guide to toll in Austria, on the tzGm changeover, and on vehicle classes. We wish you a good trip through Austria and worry-free planning of your route!

FAQ on avoiding the toll

Does vignette-free also mean toll-free?

No, not automatically. Vignette-free means that cars up to 3.5 t tzGm don't need a vignette on that section. Section toll or special toll (e.g. Brenner, Tauern, Grossglockner) may still apply, or for vehicles over 3.5 t tzGm, distance-based GO toll may apply. You are only toll-free once none of these fees apply to your vehicle class on your route.

Which motorway sections in Austria are vignette-free?

For vehicles up to 3.5 t tzGm, exceptions apply on the A 1 (Walserberg to Salzburg-Nord), the A 12 (Kiefersfelden border to Kufstein-Süd), the A 14 (Hörbranz to Hohenems), and temporarily on the A 26 (up to the connection to the A 7).

Do I need a vignette for Salzburg?

No, if you only drive on the vignette-free A 1 section from Walserberg to Salzburg-Nord and leave the motorway there or drive back on the same section. To continue on the A 1 towards Linz, Vienna, or the south-east, you need a valid vignette. For Salzburg, however, note the access regulations that apply in summer.

Can I drive from Lindau to Bregenz without a vignette?

Yes. Via Hörbranz and the Pfänder Tunnel on the A 14 to Bregenz or Hohenems, the trip is vignette-free for cars up to 3.5 t tzGm and usually toll-free as well.

Is driving through the Pfänder Tunnel toll-free?

For cars and motorcycles up to 3.5 t tzGm, yes, as long as you stay on the vignette-free A 14 section between Hörbranz and Hohenems. The trip is then vignette-free and usually toll-free as well. Vehicles over 3.5 t tzGm are not toll-free. They pay distance-based toll via GO-Box. More in the guide on the Pfänder Tunnel.

Do I need a vignette on the Brenner?

No, if you only drive on the A 13 (vignette-free for cars up to 3.5 t tzGm). The entire Brenner Motorway is subject to section toll, and you need a section toll ticket (or digital section toll). The trip is therefore not toll-free. The approach via other motorways may additionally be subject to the vignette requirement.

Are federal roads in Austria always toll-free?

For cars up to 3.5 t tzGm, federal roads are vignette-free, but not always toll-free: Section toll or special toll routes (such as high alpine roads) cost extra. Vehicles over 3.5 t tzGm pay kilometre-based toll on routes within the GO toll network, even though no vignette is needed.

What happens if I drive without a vignette via Altach on the A 14?

Between Hohenems and Altach, the vignette is checked automatically. Without a valid vignette, a replacement toll usually becomes due. Leave the A 14 at Hohenems at the latest if you don't have a vignette and want to head towards Switzerland or the south.

Is it worth completely avoiding the Austrian toll?

That depends on the route, time, and season. Short border sections are vignette-free anyway. For longer trips, motorways are usually faster and safer. In addition, there are temporary closures for alternative traffic in Tyrol. Check your route and compare time, fuel, and toll costs.

Does the vignette also cover section toll or special toll routes?

No. The vignette applies to the motorway and expressway network, not to section toll or special toll routes. These include tunnels on the A 9, A 10, A 11, A 13, and S 16, as well as alpine roads (e.g. Grossglockner). There you need a separate section toll ticket or must pay the special toll on site. Details can be found in our guide to section toll and special toll.