Karawanks Tunnel (Special Toll)

In short: For the Karawanks Tunnel on the A 11 you pay a toll per single trip and direction, independently of the vignette. Southbound, ASFINAG collects it at the Karawanken toll station or online in advance as a digital route toll; northbound, you pay on site to the Slovenian motorway operator DARS. The southbound trip is not included in the base price of the Vignette Flat Rate, but for cars up to 3.5 t it can be booked with the Austria route toll add-on; the northbound trip cannot. All routes at a glance: Austria route toll.

Karawanken Tunnel: Length, Location and Expansion

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The Karawanken Tunnel is 7,864 meters (around 7.9 kilometers) long, of which 4,414 meters are on the Austrian side and 3,450 meters on the Slovenian side. It connects Austria in the north with Slovenia in the south and was built between 1986 and 1991. It takes its name from the Karawanks, the mountain range on the border between Carinthia and Slovenia, which it passes beneath. It connects the Austrian A11 directly with the Slovenian A2.

To further increase the capacity of the Karawanken Tunnel, ASFINAG began the full expansion of the route on the A 11 in September 2018. The first step was the construction of the second tunnel tube (east tube). After a construction period of almost seven and a half years, it was completed and put into operation in mid-March 2026.

Immediately afterward, the general renovation of the existing tube (west tube) begins. During these works, traffic will initially be directed through the new tube in two-way traffic. The renovation is scheduled to be completed by mid-2029. After that, both tubes can be used in regular one-way traffic, and the two-way traffic arrangement will end. To find out what the renovation means for your trip, read our article Karawanken Tunnel: West Tube Under General Renovation Until Mid-2029.

How long does it take to drive through the Karawanken Tunnel?

Thanks to the Karawanken Tunnel, the travel time from Villach (the nearest larger city northwest of the Karawanken Tunnel on the Austrian side) to Ljubljana (the nearest larger city southeast near the Karawanken Tunnel on the Slovenian side) has been reduced by about one hour for around 2,000 vehicles per hour (capacity).

How much does the Karawanken Tunnel toll cost?

The Karawanken Tunnel is a special toll route (also called a route toll in Austria). For passing through it, you therefore pay a separate toll that is not included in the vignette. For vehicles up to 3.5 t gross vehicle weight, i.e. for example cars, motorcycles and motorhomes up to this weight, the Karawanken Tunnel toll costs €9.00 per single trip.

A single trip through the Karawanken Tunnel applies to travel in one direction. You therefore pay the Karawanken Tunnel toll twice for a round trip: southbound to the Austrian ASFINAG, northbound to the Slovenian motorway operator DARS. For vehicles up to 3.5 t, a round trip through the Karawanken Tunnel costs €18.00 in total. For frequent trips, there is also a card for 14 trips within 30 days at a price of €40.40. It is tied to your license plate. In Austria it is called the "14-Fahrten-Monatskarte A 11" (14-trip monthly card A 11), and in Slovenia you can get it as a points card at the Hrušica toll station.

Where do you pay the Karawanken Tunnel toll heading north, from Slovenia to Austria?

In the northbound direction, it is not ASFINAG but DARS that collects the toll for the Karawanken Tunnel. You pay it at the Hrušica toll station on the Slovenian side, either in cash, by credit card, or by debit card. A digital route toll ticket from ASFINAG does not apply to the trip from Slovenia to Austria, and the Slovenian e-vignette does not cover the tunnel either. So you always pay the toll for the Karawanken Tunnel toward Austria directly on site in Slovenia.

How do you pay the toll heading south, from Austria to Slovenia?

In the southbound direction, ASFINAG collects the Karawanken Tunnel toll at the Karawanken toll station in Rosenbach near St. Jakob im Rosental. At the toll booths, you can pay in cash or with all common credit and debit cards. Alternatively, you can purchase the toll in advance online as a digital route toll, for example in the ASFINAG toll shop. It is valid immediately after purchase. At the toll station, your license plate is then automatically recognized, and you can drive through without stopping.

Do you need a vignette for the Karawanken Tunnel?

Not for the special toll section itself: between the St. Jakob im Rosental interchange and the national border inside the tunnel, the Austrian vignette requirement does not apply. However, if you enter the A11 beforehand, for example at Villach, you will need a valid vignette for Austria for that section. In Slovenia, the vignette requirement applies again after the Hrušica toll station, with the Slovenian e-vignette.

You can find an overview of all special toll routes in our guides on special tolls in Austria and on special tolls in Slovenia.

Bypassing the Karawanken Tunnel: Wurzen Pass and Loibl Pass

If you want to bypass the Karawanken Tunnel, there are two mountain pass roads to choose from where no special toll applies. The Wurzen Pass (B109) leads from the Villach area across the border to Podkoren and Kranjska Gora in Slovenia. With gradients of up to 18%, it is very steep and not recommended for motorhomes and vehicles with trailers. The Loibl Pass (B91) connects Ferlach in Carinthia with Tržič in Slovenia; traffic there passes through the Loibl Tunnel below the summit of the pass. This route, too, is steep and winding and is closed to heavy goods traffic. Both routes take significantly longer than driving through the Karawanken Tunnel, and in winter, snow chains may be required at times when there is snow. If you then continue onto the motorway in Slovenia, you will need the Slovenian e-vignette. You can find more toll-free routes in our guide Bypassing the toll in Slovenia.

The Europamaut team wishes you a pleasant journey!

We wish you a good trip to Austria and are happy to help with any questions about toll regulations. You can find detailed information on tolls in Austria in our guide. Feel free to also use our route planner to plan your trip perfectly and see the suitable toll products displayed. If you have any further questions about your trip or our digital vignette, please feel free to contact us via email.