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Car rental in Austria - driving portions of Germany?

We are renting a car in Vienna and plan to drop it off in Salzburg, however part of our route takes us through a small portion of Germany. Do I need to make any special arrangements? Are there fees?

Posted by
20085 posts

Should not be a problem unless you drive into Munich where you would need an Umwelt-Plakette. By why would you want to drive into Munich to begin with.

Posted by
6534 posts

No. Had you rented in Germany and passing through Austria, then yes, but not starting and ending in Austria. Just ensure you have an International Driving Permit. It’s mandatory in Austria and unlike most countries, you’ll probably be asked for it when picking up the rental.

Posted by
32746 posts

Something I'd never thought of - do all cars rented in Austria come with a Vignette already? Or is it added into the cost and then applied by the agency? Or do rental drivers need to get one before they get on the first autobahn?

Posted by
6534 posts

Nigel, good question. I would assume it would come with the vehicle with a little extra charge added to the cost. I rented in Germany and had to but one at the border. I left it in the car when I returned it.

Posted by
15 posts

We did the same thing in October and didn't run into any issues. It's a beautiful drive!

Posted by
5382 posts

All Austria rental cars come with a vignette - at no extra cost. They are valid for an entire year, so the rental agencies just put them on all of their cars. Driving through Germany will not add any extra cost.