Car rental Austria

General information and regulations

In order to rent a car in Austria you have to be 19 years old and have held your license for 1 year. Non-EU residents have to apply for an International Drivers License. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young driver surcharge.

Seatbelts are mandatory and children up to age 12 are required to use an appropriate restraint. The speed limits are as follows: in the city 31mph/50kph, on open roads 62mph/100kph and highways 81mph/130kph. Traffic travels on the right and flashing your lights signals a desire to pass other cars.

Austria has many toll roads and a toll sticker has to be placed on your car window. These stickers can be purchased at the border or at fuel stations along the border (this will cost less than 50 cents a day).

Driving in Austria with a rental car

Austria is a beautiful country to drive through. Trips to the Alps, along the Danube River and past numerous castles are all easy to arrange. The network of roads covers more than 133,000 km and tunnels through the mountain pass facilitate you during the journey. Please note that many roads are closed during heavy snowfall.

Austria is known for the beautiful city of Vienna although the ski resorts in Tirol are famous as well. The well-maintained roads ensure good connections between the cities. A daytrip from Vienna to Innsbruck (Tirol) is recommended, as the distance is 386 km.

Furthermore, the city centre of Salzburg is listed under UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and well worth a visit. The journey to Salzburg can be made from Vienna and Innsbruck with distances of 252 and 136 km respectively.

Renting a car in Austria

The airports of Innsbruck, Salzburg and Vienna harbor the following car rental companies: Alamo, Avis, Bluebox, Budget, Denzeldrive, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt and Thrifty.

Booking a car upfront can also be arranged through EasyTerra. This website compares the rates of local car rental companies for your convenience.