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Driving a rental car from Austria to Venice, then Venice to Switzerland - what should I know about?

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Hello, my wife and I are planning a multi-country trip (to take place at some point when covid restrictions lift) that includes Italy, solely for going to Venice. We plan to rent a car in Zurich, do some travels through southern Germany, stay in Austria for a night and then head down to Venice. Toll roads are ok but would be nice to know how much to expect to pay. The rental car is through Europcar, and per the specific rental office's Terms & Conditions, travel to Germany/Austria/Italy is allowed with the car. I'm aware of the infamous Italian ZTLs... Though our route appears to be exclusively highway. Here are the two routes below, I'd appreciate feedback on if 1. we'd encounter any issues along these routes 2. if there are any restricted parts of these routes 3. about how much in toll fees it'd cost 4. if we happen to be missing any ZTLs along these routes (we don't appear to be going through any city centers at all)

Route 1 Austria to Venice: A22/E45 > A4/E70 > A57 > SR11

Route 2 Venice to Tasch, CH: SR11 > A57 > A4/E70 > A8 > A26/E62 > Reno navetta Sempione train

Posted by
4105 posts

Use Via Michelin for your routes. It will break down miles, tolls, and fuel consumption. Also giving you alternate routes.

Are you planning on dropping the car in Venice?
This might trigger a hefty drop fee. Check on this before you book.

Posted by
4 posts

Use Via Michelin for your routes. It will break down miles, tolls, and fuel consumption. Also giving you alternate routes.

Thanks for the pointer, never heard of it! Definitely checking that out

Are you planning on dropping the car in Venice? This might trigger a hefty drop fee. Check on this before you book.

Nope, plan is to park it at the parking garage there. After a couple days in Zermatt (which is why we're going to Tasch, CH) we plan to drive up to Geneva and drop the car there. It's still not original location, but car quote through Europcar is $350 for an automatic VW Golf for 6 days. Not bad at all, hence why I don't mind the toll fees. I enjoy driving, and the idea of driving through the alps and Italy in general excites me. Our destinations would take much longer to get to via public transport. Once we drop the car in Geneva, we'll take the highspeed train to our final destination: Paris

Posted by
343 posts

In September of 2010 we went from Frankfurt to Innsbruck to Venice, Bologna, Milan, through Switzerland to the area around Mulhouse France. 1) A toll tag is required for Switzerland. Since you are picking your car up in Switzerland I would double check that the vehicle has the required tag. 2) Austria requires a toll tag. Typically you would stop at a gas station just inside the Austrian border and buy one 3) The Italian ZTLs or ECO Zones are clearly marked and usually in the very central part of the big cities. We stayed at a hotel on the edge of the central of Milan and did not get dinged. Just keep your eyes open for the signs. Be aware the Italian Police used to have spot checks on the roads. We did get stopped at one. Back then the speed cameras were marked with advance warning that one was coming up. Also be aware that gas stations may be closed in the middle of the day in Italy. You say the rental was for $350. How much was it to drop the vehicle off at a place other than the starting location?

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