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Assorted questions - vignettes for rental cars, ice caves, and tobogganing in autumn

Posted by on

I'm going to Austria for the last two weeks of October, beginning in Vienna and working my way west to Innsbruck. I'll be going to Melk, then roughly heading south through Styria before swinging up to Hallstat, then onto Salzburg and finally to Tirol. I went to Austria about 20 years ago, but I only spent time in Vienna and Salzburg. This time I'll be renting a car for most of the journey to maximize my ability to explore the countryside. Rather than start a new topic for each question, I decided to consolidate them here:

  1. I know vignettes are required for driving on certain roads, and I'd like to have one so as not to limit myself when choosing a route. I know they're available at gas stations. My question is whether rental cars come with vignettes, or will I have to purchase one after picking up my rental car, or does it just depend on which car rental company I choose? Also, are tolls paid at the beginning (or end) of the toll road section?

  2. I would like to visit an ice cave but can't decide between the Dachstein Eispalast and the Eisriesenwelt. What is the difference? Is one much more strenuous than the other?

  3. I also wondered if there are any areas where a person could go sledding or tobogganing that would be open in late October.

I greatly appreciate any guidance you can give on any of these questions!

Posted by
3847 posts
  1. My rental car came with a vignette. I used Hertz, but I would be surprised if any rental car company in Austria would not provide the vignette. I did not drive on any toll roads, so I can't answer the toll question.
  2. Eisriesenwelt is super cool. It is an enormous ice cave with natural ice formations. I have not been to Eispalast Dachstein, but it looks like it is more a created attraction with ice sculptures. I think it will be helpful for you to look at the Trip Advisor reviews to understand the difference between the two sites. You will notice that the TA reviews mention Eisriesenwelt being a little strenuous. You have to walk up an incline for about 20 minutes to get from the visitor's center to the cable car, and then it's another 20-minute hike up to the ice cave after the cable car ride. There are many steps inside the cave.
  3. I don't have an answer for you on this one.
Posted by
32752 posts

The Vignette covers you for all highways, bridges and tunnels, with just a few exceptions. There is the Europa Bridge into Italy south of Innsbruck, the very long Arlberg tunnel (pretty much necessary to go east to west and vv in that area) amd a few others for which you both need a Vignette and to pay a toll. Both are not cheap, especially the tunnel.

They are just normal toll booths, you don't take a ticket at one end and pay at the other.

There is also a private road on the Großglockner with a high toll. I have no idea how that is paid as I have have never been on that road (I have on the others).

Posted by
8 posts

Thank you both for the replies! I will likely be renting from Hertz, so that's helpful. Good to know about the toll roads - thank you. And I will check Trip Advisor regarding Eisriesenwelt.

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