Austrian Vignette Woes

royandsharont

We are down in Italy at the moment sitting on Lake Garda, where the Italian tolls are fantastically cheaper for us heavy vans compared to the 3.9€ I paid to travel just 7k on my Go Box, yes less than 5 miles! A neighbour arrived yesterday & said he had received a 120€ fine in the post to his German home for entering Austria without buying a vignette first. He had bought one at the first petrol station in Austria he came to on the motorway but the camera had caught him at the beach fret without one! They have proof of his purchase so he was not intending to avoid getting one but they insist he has to pay the fine! Ouch, a bit harsh I think, they would be fairer to have their cameras after the first place, in Austria, where you could buy one then there could be no leeway. Don't get caught out. Regards Roy

DavidKlyne

Last year when we were going to be in Austria for more than ten days I purchased my vignette from Tolltickets so I was legal immediately I crossed the border!!! I did once enter Austria at Reutte and I missed the first service station and stopped at the next petrol station so I am not sure whether I was legal or not. No fine fortunately. 

David

MichaelT

We are planning to go thru Austria in July en-route to Croatia.  Like you Roy we are over 3500 so will have to get a go box.  I understood you can get these as you enter Austria on the M/Way is that correct, we plan to enter near Saltzberg. 

peedee

If you are just transitting Austria into Italy, use the Fern Pass and old Brenner pass roads. No go box necessary.

peedee

eurortraveller

Or alternatively the Fern pass to Landeck (through town rather than by-pass tunnel) and then the  Reschen/Resia pass. No go box needed that way too. 

MichaelT

Can you go straight thru to Slovenia without a Go Box i.e. not into Italy?  And I should add without spending days doing so we are on a tight schedule.

anothersunrise

Do you need a vignette for Slovenia? 

royandsharont

To answer the points above, whilst basking in the sun at Bella Italia David 😜, from what my neighbour was told, No definitely not. Must have before you use any motorway. It was the camera close to the border not beach as I'd typed 🙂

I went the way peedee said. I jumped on and off the motorway at Innsbruck for the 7k to avoid the city centre roads. 

Re Go Box you must have it before you enter a motorway. You can get them in Germany before the border. I got mine on the Fern pass road in Austria  

I plan to go back the way eurotraveller has said & will pay nothing. 

Re Slovenia, heavy vans pay cash tolls there & many main cards are not accepted. My visa & MasterCard were not in 2015 when I went via Ljubljana. I understand though that the short bit of Slovenian motorway from Trieste to Croatia is free in any case & in Croatia heavy vans also pay cash tolls but my cards were accepted. Regards Roy 

DianneT

There is no excuse for not having a Vignette when entering Austria.  They can be bought from any Service Area within 20 miles of the Border in Germany, Italy and Slovenia and any other Country bordering Austria.  They can be also purchased from any ADAC Office in Germany.  

DianneT

Yes you can but a long way around.  The Go Box can be Got at the Border Post on the A8 near to Bad Reichenhall just before going onto the A10 at Salzburg.  I have had many reports from Brits that have had no trouble at all with the GoBox.

 

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peedee

Roy, its not that difficult to drive through Innsbruck going south but a little more tricky going north. All being well next year we plan a return trip to Croatia and plan to transit Austria into Italy and will use the old Brenner pass for the south bound trip and try the Reschen/Resia Pass on the return trip. The latter is a little higher than the old Brenner route but as long as the weather is good it should not be that difficult.

Hope you are enjoying your trip.

peedee

royandsharont

Absolutely loving Italy peedee, we have hardly visited before & last time was over 30 years ago. 

I agree Dianne, getting the go nox is relatively easy providing you register all your documents online first but the charge is very very excessive for motorhomes that are clearily leisure vehicles not commercial carriers. At 56c a K, or for us  Brits a staggering 76p a mile it is not encouraging for tourists & I don't think anyone would disagree. Especially when a vignette for a car and caravan of similar weight is I think about 8€ for 10 days unlimited travelling. At the moment because of their system they have almost 120€ of my money credited into their bank too. They won't accept UK cards/banks to make PAYG payments hence my balance. Hope you are both well 🙂 Regards Roy 

DianneT

Yes Roy having a lovely time in Austria at Kalkgruber on the Ossiacher See.  Weather lovely. Glad to hear you are enjoying Italy.  It is another country we love but expensive to visit. Fuel and 4 axles on the Autostrada.  All countries have a disadvantage for some travellers.Like Switzerland the toll is excessive for a Caravan and Car.

Dianne.

allanandjean

We used this exact route in 2015 after asking for advice on CT.

As et says if you go via the town then it is toll free,our travel companions have a 4.2 tonne MH, but the reason we will use this route the next time we visit Garda is that it was very easy and enjoyable drive and a pleasant change from our usual route.

 

peedee

Just so there is no misunderstanding, it is only motorhomes that can use the old Brenner Pass. Caravans and commercial HGVs are not allowed on this route and they must use the toll route into Italy.

peedee