What you should know before you rent a car
Car hires in Austria: practical information
Where to rent a car in Austria
Vienna, Salzburg, Graz, Innsbruck… Austria's great cities are just waiting to be discovered. If you are planning to visit anything outside of major city centres then an Austria car hire is the best option for travelling around this incredible European country. You will find all the major car hire companies at the airports as well as city centres: Hertz, Budget, Avis, Europcar, etc. as well as smaller ones as well.
Driving in Austria: parking and other tips
Driving rules are the same in Austria as everywhere else in Europe. To use the autobahnen you will need a vignette sticker which costs around €7 for 10 days. In some areas roads are closed seasonally (for winter) to cars without snow chains. It is mandatory to carry a first aid kit but this should be supplied by your car rental company in Austria.
Parking more or less depends on which city you are visiting. As you can imagine, parking conditions will very a lot between Vienna, Salzburg and say, a smaller mountain town but generally blue zones indicate that parking is limited to a time frame, between 30 minutes and 3 hours. Always check the time before leaving your vehicle unattended.
Road trips in Austria: what to do, what to see
Vienna
Many visitors will make Vienna the first stop on their Austrian holiday itinerary. The capital on the banks of the mighty Danube is mandatory! With countless palaces, monuments, museums, opera houses… this city's history is filled with world-renown figures which have shaped Vienna as the city it is today. Christmas is especially magical in Vienna when the annual Christmas market opens and the main square fills with the aroma of mulled wine, sausages and seasonal treats.
Salzburg
Although Salzburg only boasts a population of 150,000 people it is not to be missed. The city has practically immortalized Mozart… you'll see his face everywhere from bronze busks to chocolate wrappers. You can tour his birth house in the city centre. The baroque city centre will surely impress with the Alps in the background and the Rive Salzach passing through. Don't miss the Mirabell Castle or the Helbrunn Cathedral.
The Alps
As one of the most important mountain ranges on the Continent, the Alps are definitely worth visiting… especially as they're so close to Salzburg. Between snowy peaks, forests, lakes, rivers, meadows, there are enough outdoor activities here to fill an entire holiday. If spending time outdoors is a priority, then Salzburg is a great place to base yourself out of as long as you have an Austrian rent car to get your around.