A 10 to 12-day loop from Vienna: the vineyards of the Wachau, the Salzkammergut lakes and Hallstatt, Salzburg, Innsbruck, then the Grossglockner High Alpine Road before returning through Carinthia. Motorways require a vignette, the finest Alpine roads have their own toll, and you visit Hallstatt with the car parked at the entrance to the village.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Vienna | Start |
| Day 3 | Dürnstein (Wachau) | 87 km · 1h10 |
| Days 4 to 5 | Hallstatt | 234 km · 3h05 |
| Days 6 to 7 | Salzburg | 76 km · 1h25 |
| Days 8 to 9 | Innsbruck | 188 km · 2h15 |
| Day 10 | Zell am See | 154 km · 2h30 |
| Day 11 | Klagenfurt | 213 km · 3h25 |
| Day 12 | Back to Vienna | 319 km · 3h40 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
From June to September, when the Grossglockner road is open on summer hours (it reopens in late April and closes in early November). In winter, winter tyres or chains depending on road conditions from 1 November to 15 April, and the Grossglockner is closed: reach Klagenfurt instead via the A10 and the Tauern Tunnel (€15).
🚗 87 km · 1h10 of driving from Vienna
A22 motorway then the S5 expressway to Krems (vignette), then the B3 along the Danube. A short stage.
🚗 234 km · 3h05 of driving from Dürnstein
B3 along the north bank via Spitz, bridge to Melk, A1 motorway, then Gmunden, the Traunsee and Bad Ischl. P1 car park in Hallstatt.
🚗 76 km · 1h25 of driving from Hallstatt
B145 to Bad Ischl, then the B158 via Strobl, St. Gilgen and Fuschl. A lakeside road, no motorway.
🚗 188 km · 2h15 of driving from Salzburg
A1 then the German A8 across the "German corner", no vignette, and the A12 after Kufstein-Süd. Tell the rental company.
🚗 154 km · 2h30 of driving from Innsbruck
A12 to the Zillertal, the B169 then the Gerlos Alpine Road (€13 toll) to Krimml, and Mittersill.
🚗 213 km · 3h25 of driving from Zell am See
Grossglockner road (B107, €46.50 toll) from Bruck to Heiligenblut, then the Möll valley, the A10 and the A2. Set off early.
🚗 319 km · 3h40 of driving from Klagenfurt
Leave out the Tyrol: Vienna (1 night), Dürnstein (1), Hallstatt (1), Salzburg (1), Zell am See (1) via the A10, then the Grossglockner and Klagenfurt (1). Back to Vienna on the A2.
| Car hire only, June (dearest month) | ≈ €39 a day |
|---|---|
| Car hire only, November (cheapest) | ≈ €19 a day |
| Car hire only, annual average | ≈ €24 a day (Kayak, Vienna, Sept. 2026) |
| Vehicle | City car or compact: the road network is in excellent condition and parking spaces in Vienna are narrow. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | At Vienna-Schwechat Airport, after your stay in Vienna, which is best seen without a car. It's a loop, so no one-way fee. |
| Vignette | Normally supplied with a car hired in Austria. Check at the desk. |
| Insurance | Third-party liability, damage and theft usually included, with a high excess; excess waiver as an option. |
| Age and card | 19 minimum depending on the company, surcharge under 25. Credit card required for the deposit. |
| Winter | From 1 November to 15 April, choose a hire with winter tyres included. |
⚠️ Salzburg-Innsbruck goes through Germany (A8): tell the rental company, as some contracts restrict or charge for leaving Austria.
Any valid European Union licence is enough, with no International Driving Permit. Rental companies often require one year's licence. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. Priority to the right unless signed otherwise; trams and emergency vehicles have priority.
30 in many districts. Motorway sections at 100 to cut pollution (IG-L): follow the signs.
0.1 g/l for probationary licences. Fine of €300 to €3,700 from 0.5 g/l.
Compulsory on motorways and expressways. Digital on shop.asfinag.at or the ASFINAG app; €200 without a vignette.
Alpine roads (Grossglockner, Gerlos) and the Tauern, Brenner and Arlberg tunnels are paid separately.
In snow, slush or ice: winter tyres (4 mm) or chains on snow-covered roads. Fine of about €100.
Left lane keeps to the left, the others to the right, without waiting for emergency vehicles. Fines of up to €726.
Compulsory on board, with a compliant vest for the driver. Hire cars come equipped.
If the car is your own: at more than 80 km/h over the limit in towns, 90 outside built-up areas.
Only a hands-free kit is allowed. A phone mounted as a satnav is permitted.
≈ €1.93 per litre of petrol, €2.24 for diesel
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 1,271 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €170 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
GlobalPetrolPrices, 21 September 2026. Stations may only raise their prices at noon; compare on spritpreisrechner.at.
| 10-day vignette (car, 2026) | €12.80; 1 day €9.60 (digital only), 2 months €32 |
|---|---|
| 2026 annual vignette | €106.80; if bought online, valid 18 days after purchase |
| Without a valid vignette | €200 substitute toll |
| Grossglockner road | €46.50 per car, €36.50 after 18:00, €40 for electric cars (2026) |
| Gerlos Alpine Road | €13 per car (2026) |
| Krimml Waterfalls | €15.90 per adult, P4 or P5 parking included (2026) |
| Hallstatt car parks (P1, P2) | €5 an hour, €20 for 24 hours; hotel ticket at P1 from €20 a day |
| On-street parking in Vienna | €3.40 an hour, 2 hours at most, weekdays from 09:00 to 22:00 |
| Tauern Tunnel (A10), winter route | €15 per trip (2026) |
| Arlberg Tunnel (S16), if arriving from Switzerland | €13 per trip (2026) |
| Grossglockner road | Closed from early November to late April; reopened on 25 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Grossglockner, at night | Closed at night; 05:30 to 21:00 in summer |
| Gerlos Alpine Road | Open all year |
| Hallstatt centre | Closed to cars during the day, even for hotel guests |
| Krimml Worlds of Water | Ticket offices open from 1 May to 27 October 2026 |
| Winter tyres | From 1 November to 15 April, depending on road conditions |
Allow 10 to 12 days for this loop of 7 stages and 11 nights from Vienna, via the Wachau, Hallstatt, Salzburg, Innsbruck, the Grossglockner and Klagenfurt. In 7 days, leave out the Tyrol and go from Salzburg to Zell am See on the A10 motorway.
In June, about €430 of car hire over 11 days (€39 a day, Kayak), €46.50 for the Grossglockner, €13 for the Gerlos, €15.90 per adult at Krimml, €20 of parking in Hallstatt and about €150 of petrol at September 2026 prices for 1,300 km at €1.93 a litre. In November, car hire is around €19 a day.
Normally not: the vignette comes with a car hired in Austria, but check at the desk. With your own car, buy the digital vignette on shop.asfinag.at or the ASFINAG app: €12.80 for 10 days, valid immediately. The annual one (€106.80) bought online is only valid from the 18th day. Without a vignette: €200.
€46.50 per car per day in 2026, €36.50 after 18:00, €40 for electric cars. Open from 25 April to early November 2026: from 05:30 to 21:00 in June, July and August, from 06:00 to 19:30 from September, never at night. Chains may be required at altitude.
From 1 November to 15 April, whenever the road is covered in snow, slush or ice: winter tyres marked M+S or with the snowflake symbol, with at least 4 mm of tread. Chains on the driving wheels only replace them on snow-covered roads. Fine of about €100, much more if you endanger others.
Only to the entrance of the village: the centre is closed to cars during the day, even for hotel guests. Park at P1 (all year) or P2 (summer), with no booking possible: €5 an hour, €20 for 24 hours. Hotel guests take the hotel ticket at P1 (€20 for the first day) and a shuttle.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/austria · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
