Service Area
Our information coverage spans Austria and Germany, with practical notes on each region.
Austria — Regional Coverage
Austria is divided into nine federal states (Bundesländer), each with distinct road characteristics. Our information covers all regions, with particular depth for the alpine states.
| State | Key Roads | Notable Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vienna (Wien) | A1, A2, A4, A21, A22, A23 | Urban motorway ring; vignette required on all motorways |
| Lower Austria | A1, A2, A3, A21, S1, S2 | Gateway to western Austria; S-roads require vignette |
| Upper Austria | A1, A7, A8, A9, A25 | Pyhrn motorway (A9) connects to Styria; winter tyres Nov–Apr advisory |
| Styria | A2, A9, S6, S35 | Mountain passes; Semmering Pass (B306) can close in heavy snow |
| Carinthia | A2, A10, A11 | Tauern motorway (A10) has tunnel tolls in addition to vignette |
| Salzburg | A1, A10, A8 | High alpine terrain; Tauern tunnel toll applies |
| Tyrol | A12, A13, S16 | Brenner motorway (A13) has separate toll; Arlberg tunnel toll applies |
| Vorarlberg | A14, S16 | Arlberg route; border with Germany and Switzerland |
| Burgenland | A2, A3, S31 | Flat terrain; fewer alpine complications; border with Hungary |
Germany — Regional Coverage
Germany's Autobahn network is one of the most extensive in Europe. Our coverage focuses on routes connecting to and from Austria, as well as the southern states most relevant to cross-border travel.
| State / Region | Key Autobahns | Notable Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bavaria (Bayern) | A1, A3, A8, A9, A92, A93, A95, A96 | Main gateway from Austria; A8 Munich–Salzburg corridor; no general Autobahn speed limit |
| Baden-Württemberg | A5, A6, A7, A8, A81, A98 | Connects to Swiss border; A8 Stuttgart–Munich is heavily used |
| Hesse (Hessen) | A3, A5, A7, A45, A66 | Frankfurt hub; A3 and A5 are major north–south arteries |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | A1, A2, A3, A4, A40, A44, A45, A57, A61 | Densest Autobahn network; frequent congestion around Cologne and Dortmund |
Practical Local Notes
- Austrian Motorway Vignette
- Required on all motorways and expressways marked with a green motorway sign. Available as 10-day, 2-month or annual digital vignette. Purchased online via ASFINAG or at border stations and petrol stations.
- Special Tolls (Austria)
- Several tunnels and mountain routes require a separate toll in addition to the vignette: Tauern tunnel, Karawanken tunnel, Arlberg tunnel, Brenner motorway and Pyhrn motorway sections.
- Winter Tyres — Austria
- Situational winter tyre requirement applies from 1 November to 15 April. If road conditions are wintry (snow, ice, slush), winter tyres are legally required regardless of date. Minimum tread depth: 4 mm.
- Winter Tyres — Germany
- Germany also has a situational winter tyre requirement. The rule applies when road conditions are icy, snowy or frosty. There is no fixed calendar period, but practically November–March is the risk window.
- Speed Limits
- Austria: 130 km/h motorway, 100 km/h dual carriageway, 50 km/h urban. Germany: recommended 130 km/h on Autobahn (no general limit), 100 km/h rural, 50 km/h urban. Variable limits apply on many sections.
- Emergency Corridor (Rettungsgasse)
- Both Austria and Germany require drivers to form an emergency corridor when traffic comes to a standstill on multi-lane roads. Failure to do so carries significant fines.