Austria getting around
On this page you will find everything about renting a car in Austria, its airports and ferries.
Car rental in Austria
Rental locations
- Cars can be rented from international rental companies at airports and in major cities. In addition, travelers can turn to numerous local car rental companies.
Book a rental car
- The rates can vary greatly per season and per provider. Booking in advance can be cheaper.
- Check www.carhirecompany.com or VIPSrental.com for discounts on the rental rates.
- It is also possible to rent an all-inclusive car in Austria.
Drivers license
- Often the driver must have held the driving license for at least 1 year.
Age
- The driver often has to be at least 19 years old. Sometimes it is also possible to rent a car at the age of 18.
- Sometimes the age limit is higher depending on the rental company and type of car.
- Drivers under the age of 25 often have to pay a young driver surcharge.
- Insurance is often more expensive for young drivers.
Guarantee
- A car can only be rented with a credit card (with pin code) in the name of the main driver. Cash is rarely accepted as a deposit.
- Debit cards (debit cards, debit cards), prepaid cards, rechargeable or virtual credit cards or other payment cards with no numbers and letters stamped (tactile embossing) are usually not accepted.
Particularities
Winter equipment
- In winter, check that the rental car has the correct winter equipment. Winter tires are mandatory from November 1 to April 15 in winter conditions and snow chains can be made mandatory with a sign.
Toll sticker
- A toll sticker is mandatory on all Austrian motorways for motor vehicles with a permissible maximum mass of up to 3500 kg. Cars rented in Austria usually have a toll sticker, but rental cars registered in another country are usually not. Inform the landlord in good time.
Plane
Major airports
- Graz: flughaven-graz.at
- Innsbruck: innsbruck-airport.com
- Salzburg: salzburg-airport.com
- Vienna: viennaairport.com
National airline
- Austrian Airlines: austrian.com
Particularities
- In case of cancellation, overbooking, delay or luggage problems, you can rely on European Regulation 261/2004.
Car trains
From the Netherlands
- There is no car sleeper train from the Netherlands to Austria.
From Germany
- A car train runs from Hamburg to Innsbruck and Vienna and from Düsseldorf to Vienna and Innsbruck.
Within Austria
- In the Alps, important road connections are missing in some regions or pass roads are closed for much of the year. In addition, shuttle trains run right through the high mountains for the transport of cars. The car trains consist of flat wagons that usually have a steel cover with the profile of the relevant tunnel. In this way, all available space can be used and there is room on the train for all common passenger cars, minibuses and caravans. Special wagons are often available for the transport of very high or wide vehicles.
- The Tauernbahn is a train tunnel (Autoschleuse) between Böckstein and Mallnitz that is 12 km long. It is a good alternative to the Tauern Autobahn, where there is a lot of chance of traffic jams.
- Note: safety requirements are set. For example, cars with an LPG tank are not allowed into the tunnel.
Here you will find more information about Austria.