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-   -   Tolls in Austria- cash only, or credit cards? (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/tolls-in-austria-cash-only-or-credit-cards-114818/)

Chris Mar 26th, 2001 10:42 AM

Tolls in Austria- cash only, or credit cards?
 
I will be driving a car from Munich to Salzburg and have read there are tolls to use Austria's roads. I will only be in town for one night and will be heading back to Germany. Do I need Austrain Schillings to pay the tolls, do they accept Deutch Marks or can you use a credit/debit card, etc.? If Austrian money is needed, wherer could I get some off of the highway prior to the tolls? Thank you.

wes fowler Mar 26th, 2001 11:09 AM

Chris, <BR>There are no tolls booths on Austrian highways, however, your car must have a sticker (vignette) on its windshield that permits access to city roads and major roads in the country. Here's an extract from the Austrian tourism website: <BR>Motorway subject to toll: Austria's motorways and speed roads (also city motorways) are subject to toll. The toll is effected by purchasing a sticker that has to be attached to cars' <BR>windscreens. The annual toll is ATS 550. - for automobiles and motor homes (up to 3.5 tons),for motorcycles ATS 220. - For people on holidays 2-month stickers (ATS 150.-) and 1-week <BR>stickers (ATS 70.-) are available. <BR> <BR>Infringements of the toll regulation will be punished with an additional charge of ATS 1,100. - or an administrative fine. The toll stickers may be purchased at automobile clubs in Austria and abroad, at petrol stations and stores close to the border as well at post offices, tobacco shops <BR>and petrol stations all over Austria. <BR> <BR> <BR>

wilt Jul 13th, 2001 01:52 PM

You can easily buy the Austrian vignette at the gas+food stops along the autobahn on the way from Munich to Salzburg. In June, we bought ours a bit over a hour away from Salzburg with DM in Germany, and I am very glad we did. There was a major accident that caused the autobahn to be fully closed, and we ended up driving into Salzburg over secondary highways, and if we hadn't bought our sticker already, we would have been in a real bind. <BR> You can get some ATS from the banks in Germany before you depart for Austria, if you're worried about entering Austria without the native currency...a smart idea to be able to deal with parking fees, etc. <BR> <BR>

Alec Jul 13th, 2001 02:25 PM

Just an aside. In Austria, especially areas close to Germany, DM is readily accepted by almost everyone, and has been so for many years. Shops normally keep two trays of cash, one with schillings and other with DM, and give you change in DM if desired. Same with waiters, and parking meters have slots for both currencies. There are so many German cars travelling in and through Austria that often they outnumber local cars. Coming from Germany, I have never bothered to get any schillings while travelling in Tyrol or Salzburger Land but used DM without any problem, and at official exchange rate. Of course all will change with the coming of euro in January.

bo_jack Jul 13th, 2001 03:16 PM

All of the info is good -- but to answer part of the question asked: Yes -- D Mark are accepted and prices for the vignette are posted in both Shillins and D Mark. Yes -- you can use M/C and Visa -- maybe AEX, but I'm not sure -- even for the small amount of the vignette


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