# AustrianTolls - is it worth avoiding Austria?



## 88915 (May 10, 2005)

We are travelling down to Slovenia / Croatia in September in Stella2 (Pilote Galaxy 240 - plated weight 3.85 tons), and planned to go through Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria and a bit of Italy. Mostly toll- free with a slice through austrian motorways paying for a vignette. 
The posting recently on the scheme of tolls was a bit disturbing. I don't object to the tolls in principle, only the fact that vans over 3.5 tons will have to buy the smart disc. This costs 5 euros and you are charged per km. Fine so far; however there are 2 ways to pay - in advance, where you charge up with a minimum of 45 euros which is non refundable or in arrears with payment only being accepted by austrian issued credit / debit cards. So no way other than to pay the 50 euros for a short trip across austria; we can use the card again within 2 years, but after that the credit lapses!

Question is, do I buy a normal under 3.5 ton vignette for about 7.5 euros and try to blag my way through, or pay through the nose, or divert via Switzerland and pay for a vignette for their motorways?


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

The bit I read from a previous post from the Guardian I think, left me in no doubt to either avoid Austrian motorways or ensure you get the right thing first go otherwise the fines and delays are horrendous and not something you want while travelling.

On balance I would avoid Austria until they have sorted out the system properly which is even confusing Austrians.


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Go is the new toll system for all vehicles ABOVE 3.5 t (3500kg) maximum permissible weight on Austria's primary road network (all motorways and expressways).

www.go-maut.at and www.asfinag.at give all the details.

This is what it will cost you in Austria if your vehicle is "OVER" 3.5 tons (3500kg).

It will be valid for all vehicles over 3.5 tons net weight on the Austrian motorway and high-speed road network. The average toll-tariff is 22 cent per kilometre. The amount of the toll-fee depends on the number of axles and is graded according to three categories:

Vehicles with two axles pay 13 cent per kilometre (category 2),

vehicles with three axles pay 18 cent per kilometre (category 3) and 
vehicles with four or more axles pay 27 cent per kilometre (category 4).

This system is simple and fair; each single vehicle will be charged according to the intensity of its strain to the roads.

From 1 January 2004 onwards, all trucks and busses obliged to pay tolls will have to fix a small device - the so-called on-board-unit (OBU) - on the windscreen, which will be charged automatically with the toll-fee by passing the toll-sensors installed above the lanes. EUROPPASS will spread these on-board-units in over 200 distribution centres; the six main spots for toll-charge will also be equipped with such centres.

There is a way to pre pay by credit card.

Safe travelling


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Come across this on one of the other motorhome forums.

"We have a motorhome which is obviously over 3500kg. 
When we passed through the Austrian border from Lichenstein in May this year we asked what motorway tolls we had to pay and were told to purchase a vignette which we did. 20 miles down the motorway to Innsbruck we were stopped and fined E200 for not having a GO box.

I complained to the British Embassy in Vienna and was able to get the money back but many would not have gone to that trouble.

What is particularly annoying is that the AA makes no mention of this on its travel site and nor do any of the camping guides eg Alan Rogers".

It's a minefield out there theses days. We were in Austria in June and on one service area we stppped at all vehicles were being checked for vignette or "GO" box.

Safe travelling

Don


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## nobbythehobby (May 9, 2005)

Here's the previous post from this forum:-

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/postt1750.html

Steve


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## 88915 (May 10, 2005)

*austrian tolls*

To follow up my lead message on this, I ran the Autoroute programme to get no tolls through Austria, then looked in detail at the route. Obviously takes the "scenic" route - checked in the caravan club book on passes / tunnels, it pointed out potential bottlenecks near the slovenian border, and I thought how many trucks would be avoiding the motorways and go on the old roads? Much as I like the scenery, I didn't fancy queueing for hours. I also checked about the vignette for under 3.5 tons, and you still have to pay tunnel tolls on top of that!
All this hassle convinced me to change route via swtzerland. Decided to bite the bullet & buy a swiss vignette (40sfr) which covers for all tunnels (except st Gothard which we don't go through) and we don't have to get the over 3.5 ton pass because WE DON'T CARRY GOODS. The austrians could have got me & quite a few other motorhomer customers if they had such a proviso on their scheme. Alright we will have to pay italian tolls from Milan to Trieste, but if it's less hassle & gets us to our destination quicker it's worth doing.


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Bogner Mike wrote

All this hassle convinced me to change route via swtzerland. Decided to bite the bullet & buy a swiss vignette (40sfr) which covers for all tunnels (except st Gothard which we don't go through)

The vignette does cover you for the St Gothard Tunnel done the journey many times over the years.

Don


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Further to my lost post

The trucks now pay Distance Related Tax on all roads in Switzerland. 

When I last went through with a motorhome over 3500kgs (Laika 400i) in 2002 it cost me SF32.50 for a ten day vignette. 

The prices might have increased in the last two years though.

Try contacting these people and they should be able to tell you for sure. 

Switzerland Tourism 
10 Wardour Street 
London W1D 6QF 
Tel: 0800 100 20030 
Fax: 0800 100 20031 

Don


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## 88915 (May 10, 2005)

*Vignettes*

Don,
have checked the HVF system for tolls - vehicles over 3.5t or more which are used for goods transport are liable to the HVF on the entire public road network (not just motorways) and have to have a unit fitted on board. Was the fee you quote on top of standard vignette?
And sorry - wrong tunnel - St Bernard is extra.


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Mike

It was just SF32.50 for a ten day pass. We used two days in Jan out bound and three days on the inbound trip in May. The pass was valid for one year from date of issue.

No vignette was required with it.

Don


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

I seem to recall reading that the system in Austria is administered and enforced by a private company. And we all know what private companies are like in the area of enforcement (I'm thinking of the parking b******s in this country). Austria should be ashamed of itself for allowing private enterprise to enforce such a major piece of legislation. Apparently, the Austrian Tourist Board is extremely embarrassed by it all (and so they jolly-well should be!).

Barry


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