# Austria ~ 2009



## Hovis (Mar 28, 2007)

We are considering "doing" Austria in 2009 in our Hymer C640
Can you tell me all the pitfalls related to this.
i.e. Which is the best way to go, what and where is the Go Box, and what is the availablity of Camp Sites, etc. etc.
All input apprecaited.

Hovis :?


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

If you're over 3.5 tonnes, you will need a Go box for the motorways. Expensive  see austrian tolls

basically 13c per km (plus the purchase of the unit). Set up for trucks, penalises motorhomes (not quite as much as the London LEZ :roll: )


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## Carper (Aug 15, 2007)

bognormike said:


> If you're over 3.5 tonnes, you will need a Go box for the motorways. Expensive  see austrian tolls
> 
> basically 13c per km (plus the purchase of the unit). Set up for trucks, penalises motorhomes (not quite as much as the London LEZ :roll: )


Hi

I think you will find it is 15.9c per Km, and they are adding roads to it all the time.

It costs about 80 euro to cross Austria to either Italy or Slovenia.

We won't bother going back

Doug


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

hi carper- I was going by the link, which stated "from" 13c a km, depending on axles. Maybe tag axles are charged more?


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## Vennwood (Feb 4, 2007)

Hi Mike/Hovis,

Tag axles are charged more and if I remember correctly you have to buy chunks of 75 Euros at a time.

Actually the guy to speak to for accurate info is Wuppert - I'm sure if you PM him he will give you all the right details

Pete


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Austria*

Hi

As stated the Go-Box is mega bucks if your motorhome is over three and a half tonnes.

If you are under 3500 kg you will need a vignette which is reasonably priced.

From the bit of research I did, campsites in Austria appear expensive when compared to the UK or Italy.

Here is a link re tolls in Austria

Russell

Austrian tolls


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I put reviews of 3 campsites we'd recommend in Austria in the database ( at Innsbruck, Vienna and Salzburg)

Things might have changed since last year but we found no non-smoking restaurants or coffee shops which, for us anyway, made eating out unpleasant. We were also a bit surprised to find that there is no ban on smoking in shops or shopping centres so everything you buy- food and clothes- smells of smoke.

Beautiful country though.

G


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## Carper (Aug 15, 2007)

bognormike said:


> hi carper- I was going by the link, which stated "from" 13c a km, depending on axles. Maybe tag axles are charged more?


Hi

When we got our Go-box in late May, We were given a leaflet with the newly increased prices. I'm not sure what i did with it, but remember 15.9c for 2 axles, and 3 axles a lot more.

I still have the Go-box..perhaps i should try and get a refund on it :roll:

Doug


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## Carper (Aug 15, 2007)

Grizzly said:


> I put reviews of 3 campsites we'd recommend in Austria in the database ( at Innsbruck, Vienna and Salzburg)
> 
> Things might have changed since last year but we found no non-smoking restaurants or coffee shops which, for us anyway, made eating out unpleasant. We were also a bit surprised to find that there is no ban on smoking in shops or shopping centres so everything you buy- food and clothes- smells of smoke.
> 
> ...


Hi

Smoking in restuaurants is still allowed...we even saw smoking on buses.

Found it interesting that you can smoke in some bars in Italy, Germany and France....even where food is served.

It would seem that we are the only country that has introduced a blanket ban

We found the campsites to be very good...especially as quite a few accepted the ACSI Card

Doug


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Carper said:


> It would seem that we are the only country that has introduced a blanket ban


Hi,

this is the current status of non-smoking policy in Germany and Austria:

In both countries smoking in public buildings and public transport vehicles is forbidden under a blanket ban. However, "public buildings" only includes "official" public buildings like gouvernment offices, museums, railway stations etc. but no (private owned) shops.

Regarding smoking in restaurants there is now (since July 2008) in Germany a general ban with some exceptions: Dedicated smoking rooms may be arranged, as long as they are separated from the remaining area by walls and doors. And small cafes/bars which do not have sufficient space to arrange a separate smoking room may declare themselves as "smoker's rooms".

In Austria, however, there is not yet any smoking ban in restaurants.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## fatwallet (May 18, 2006)

hi carper. if you did not hand your go-box back in when you left austria then they will wont to charge you 200 euros for the pleasure, how i know this is we have a cherished no plate on the camper and the previous owner of the plate had not returned the go-box i jan2000 when we travelled through austria in oct 2007 it took me over 2 hours to get through to them that it was not us. we had threats that they would call the police etq. but i refused to pay i will not bore you with the whole story in the end they fiddled the system and registered the van in andora. i would never go back to austria because of the go-box fiasco. len


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## Carper (Aug 15, 2007)

fatwallet said:


> hi carper. if you did not hand your go-box back in when you left austria then they will wont to charge you 200 euros for the pleasure, how i know this is we have a cherished no plate on the camper and the previous owner of the plate had not returned the go-box i jan2000 when we travelled through austria in oct 2007 it took me over 2 hours to get through to them that it was not us. we had threats that they would call the police etq. but i refused to pay i will not bore you with the whole story in the end they fiddled the system and registered the van in andora. i would never go back to austria because of the go-box fiasco. len


Hi Len

That does seem strange. I met someone at the Dusseldorf show who returned his box when he returned to the UK, actually quite a few months after, and got a refund on the remaining credit.

Surely if you are intending to return to Austria, you would keep the box anyway.

Did they want to charge you 200euro because you wanted a Go-box, but one had already been issued to the reg no.? Or was it due to the previous owner running out of credit, but kept on using the toll roads....Or the previous owner using the toll road without a Go-box??

I'm sure that as long as the Go-box stays with the van there shouldn't be a problem.......i think i had better check

Thanks for the tip

Doug


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## Carper (Aug 15, 2007)

Boff said:


> Carper said:
> 
> 
> > It would seem that we are the only country that has introduced a blanket ban
> ...


Hi Gerhard

Thanks for explaining that. I now understand why some places you could smoke, and some you couldn't.

Am i right in assuming that there isn't a ban in Luxembourg?. It seemed as though everywhere we went people were smoking

Doug


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## fatwallet (May 18, 2006)

Hi carper. the reason they wanted to charge 200 euro was that the person who owned the no plate before us had not returned it so we where being asked to pay for the loss of the box. we still paid the 80 euros for the box we used to travel through austria and when we handed it back in our unused credit was returned. sorry i don't no if go boxes have a shelf /user life.the hassle trying to get them to understand that it was not us was a nightmare the wife was sure i would be carted of by the police. but i will not pay for something which is not mine. i to would be interested if it is normal to hold on to the box for a long period.len


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Hi Doug!



Carper said:


> Am i right in assuming that there isn't a ban in Luxembourg?. It seemed as though everywhere we went people were smoking


Luxembourg has a smoking ban since September 2006. However cafes/bars that serve no food are exempted, and other restaurants may arrange separate smoking rooms for up to 25% of their total capacity.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## Carper (Aug 15, 2007)

fatwallet said:


> Hi carper. the reason they wanted to charge 200 euro was that the person who owned the no plate before us had not returned it so we where being asked to pay for the loss of the box. we still paid the 80 euros for the box we used to travel through austria and when we handed it back in our unused credit was returned. sorry i don't no if go boxes have a shelf /user life.the hassle trying to get them to understand that it was not us was a nightmare the wife was sure i would be carted of by the police. but i will not pay for something which is not mine. i to would be interested if it is normal to hold on to the box for a long period.len


Hi Len

We had intended to return the box on our return from Italy, but decided to go back through France.....so i still have the box. As long as you don't lose the box and it stays with the vehicle, it shouldn't be a problem for any future owners

I would assume that you can hold on to the box for a long period, just as an Austrian or frequent traveller would.

I have a Dart tag for the Dartford crossing, and i have had that for 8 years

I think i will email the go-box people for clarity

Doug


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Carper said:


> I would assume that you can hold on to the box for a long period, just as an Austrian or frequent traveller would.
> 
> I think i will email the go-box people for clarity
> 
> Doug


I would be interested in what they say because I still have one purchased over 2 years ago and I fancy returning to Croatia next year!

peedee


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## Carper (Aug 15, 2007)

peedee said:


> Carper said:
> 
> 
> > I would assume that you can hold on to the box for a long period, just as an Austrian or frequent traveller would.
> ...


Hi

I have emailed them this morning. Hopefully I will get a reply soon, and i will let you know the outcome

_Hi
I purchased a pre-pay Go-Box when i visited Austria in May 2008. I had intended to return through Austria on my way back from Italy, but crossed the Italian/French border instead. I have now returned to the UK and still have the Go-box.

Is it Ok to keep the Go-Box in case I return to Austria? or is there a time limit.

Also if i decide to sell the vehicle, should the Go-Box be left in the vehicle, or should it be returned.

My vehicle is a motorcaravan.

Many thanks

Doug Grieve_


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## Carper (Aug 15, 2007)

Hi

I have had a reply from Herr Go-Box regarding my email. In true Austrian efficiency, they have answered every question in some length.

*Dear Sirs,
thank you for your inquiry!
Reffering to your e-mail we would like to inform you that yor can keep the GO-Box as long as you need it for paying the toll on the austrian highways and motorways.
Regarding the period of validity we inform you as follows:
GO-Box: period of validity, guarantee, exchange, bearing of costs, and recall 
A GO-Box for the post-pay procedure is valid for five years from the date it is issued to the 
customer. A GO-Box for the pre-pay procedure is valid for two years from the date it was last 
charged with a toll credit. 
ASFINAG Maut Service GmbH grants the customer a five-year full operability guarantee from the 
date the GO-Box is issued to the customer. ASFINAG Maut Service GmbH will rectify any 
functional faults that occur during this period by exchanging the GO-Box. As long as the 
functional faults were not caused by the negligence of the customer or a third party attributable to 
the customer, the GO-Box is exchanged free of charge. In cases of doubt, the customer is 
obliged to pay the administrative fee (see below). If ASFINAG Maut Service GmbH is 
subsequently found to be responsible for the fault, this fee will be refunded if and in so far as the 
customer has submitted an application for a refund to a GO DISTRIBUTION OUTLET. All claims 
are satisfied with the exchange of the GO-Box. Once the guarantee period has expired, the 
customer has the right to claim a free replacement in the form of a brand-new GO-Box or one 
that is as good as new (in exchange for the return of the old unit). 
Defective GO-Boxes can only be exchanged at a GO DISTRIBUTION OUTLET with presentation 
of the registration certificate. 
If the customer or a third party attributable to the customer is responsible for the fault, ASFINAG 
Maut Service GmbH will charge the following administrative fee (excluding VAT) depending on 
the amount of time that has passed since the GO-Box was issued to the customer. 
Time elapsed since 
issue 
For a GO-Box For a Split GO-Box 
During the first year: € 60.00 € 200.00 
During the second year: € 48.00 € 160.00 
During the third year: € 36.00 € 120.00 
During the fourth year: € 24.00 € 80.00 
During the fifth year: € 12.00 € 40.00 
The GO-Box will automatically be recalled two months before the period of validity expires. In 
such cases, the GO-Box sounds a warning signal as an indication of this fact when the vehicle 
passes a toll collection point (see section 8.2.4.3.1). 
ASFINAG Maut Service GmbH is entitled to recall GO-Box for exchange even if the unit is being 
used. Furthermore, ASFINAG reserves the right to deactivate the GO-Box in the event of 
technical faults or if it discovers irregularities in the collection of tolls. Irregularities relating to the 
collection of tolls that entitle ASFINAG to deactivate the GO-Box include cases where unpaid 
tolls cannot be charged properly. In such cases, the GO-Box sounds a warning signal as an 
indication of this fact when the vehicle passes a toll collection point (see section 8.2.4.3.2). 
Once the period of validity has expired, or once the GO-Box has been deactivated, no more toll 
transactions can be made using the GO-Box. If, in this case, the driver does not avail of the 
option of retroactively paying the toll (see section 7.1), he or she commits a toll evasion offence 
(see section 10).

Regarding the procedure in case of sale of a vehicle we inform you as follows:
SALE of a vehicle 
Within the meaning of Tolling Regulations Part B, any change in the registered ownership of a 
vehicle that is liable for the toll constitutes a 'SALE'. 
SALE of a vehicle without a registration number and without a GO-Box 
Registered owners who SELL vehicles for which GO-Boxes have been issued are obliged: 
• either to deregister from the system and return the GO-Box in accordance with section 
5.6.4, or 
• to request a change in the stored data in accordance with section 5.5.1 before the 
GO-Box is used in a different vehicle that is liable for the toll. 
Failure to do so, means that the registered owner shall be solely responsible for the settlement 
and payment of future toll transactions. 
Before using the toll road network for the first time, the BUYER of the vehicle is obliged to reregister 
with the toll system by providing all the data outlined in section 5.5.1. 
SALE of a vehicle with a registration number and without a GO-Box 
Registered owners that SELL vehicles for which GO-Boxes have been issued are obliged: 
• either to deregister from the system and return the GO-Box in accordance with section 
5.6.4, or 
• to earmark the GO-Box for a termination of the contract by calling the ASFINAG 
CUSTOMER SERVICE. Before using the GO-Box in a different vehicle that is liable for 
the toll for the first time, the earmarking of the GO-Box for a termination of the contract 
must be reversed by calling the ASFINAG CUSTOMER SERVICE and requesting an 
amendment of the data stored for that GO-Box in accordance with section 5.5.1 at a 
GO DISTRIBUTION OUTLET. 
Failure to do so, means that the registered owner shall be solely responsible for the settlement 
and payment of future toll transactions. 
Before using the toll road network for the first time, the BUYER of the vehicle is obliged to reregister 
with the toll system by providing all the data outlined in section 5.5.1. Before this new 
GO-Box is issued, the BUYER must provide the new data to be stored and pay a provisional 
administrative fee in accordance with section 5.6.2. This administrative fee will be refunded by 
ASFINAG Maut Service GmbH upon presentation of the relevant CONTRACT OF SALE. 
SALE of a vehicle without a registration number and with a GO-Box 
Registered owners who SELL vehicles without a registration number but with a GO-Box are 
obliged to request the amendment of the stored data in accordance with section 5.5.1. Failure to 
do so will mean that the registered owner shall be solely responsible for the settlement and 
payment of future toll transactions. 
The BUYER must inform ASFINAG Maut Service GmbH immediately in writing that he or she has 
taken possession of the GO-Box by providing the GO-Box identification number and the vehicle's 
registration number, whereby a copy of the vehicle registration document must be appended to 
this letter. 
If the BUYER fails to inform ASFINAG Maut Service GmbH of this change in ownership, he or 
she shall be solely responsible for not receiving a collective invoice with the relevant company 
data and that he or she will not be able to call up an itemised toll information sheet for the 
purchased vehicle using the self care access data (i.e. the user name and password provided by 
ASFINAG Maut Service GmbH). 
Any remaining toll credit in a pre-pay GO-Box and any unpaid tolls in accordance with section 
7.3, retroactive billing, are automatically transferred to the buyer when the vehicle is sold 
together with the GO-Box. This is why it is the sole responsibility of the registered owner and the 
BUYER to reach agreement on such matters. 
If the contract is terminated, any remaining credit will be credited to the means of payment that 
was used to charge the GO-Box with credit. 
SALE of a vehicle with registration number and GO-Box 
Registered owners who SELL vehicles with a registration number and with a GO-Box are obliged 
to request the immediate amendment of the stored data in accordance with section 5.5.1. Failure 
to do so will mean that the registered owner shall be solely responsible for the settlement and 
payment of future toll transactions. 
The BUYER must inform ASFINAG Maut Service GmbH immediately in writing that he or she has 
taken possession of the GO-Box by providing the GO-Box identification number and the vehicle's 
registration number, whereby a copy of the vehicle registration document must be appended to 
this letter. 
If the BUYER fails to inform ASFINAG Maut Service GmbH of this change in ownership, he or 
she shall be solely responsible for not receiving a collective invoice with the relevant company 
data and that he or she will not be able to call up an itemised toll information sheet for the 
purchased vehicle using the self care access data (i.e. the user name and password provided by 
ASFINAG Maut Service GmbH). 
Any remaining toll credit in a pre-pay GO-Box and any unpaid tolls in accordance with 
section 7.3, retroactive billing, are automatically transferred to the BUYER when the vehicle is 
SOLD together with the GO-Box. This is why it is the sole responsibility of the registered owner 
and the BUYER to reach agreement on such matters. 
If the contract is terminated, any remaining credit will be credited to the means of payment that 
was used to charge the GO-Box with credit. 
If you have any further questions on the GO truck and bus toll system please do not hesitate to contact us any time. 
The current version of the Toll Regulation is available on: www.asfinag.at. 
Kind regards
Wolfgang Grünas 
ASFINAG Kundenservice

ASFINAG MAUT SERVICE GMBH 
Am Europlatz 1 
A-1120 Wien 
TEL (0)0800 400 11 400 od. +43 1 955 12 66 
FAX (0)0800 400 11 444 od. +43 1 955 12 77 
[email protected] 
www.asfinag.at / www.go-maut.at 
Firmenbuchnummer: FN 255936 b
Firmenbuchgericht: Landesgericht Salzburg
Firmensitz: Salzburg*


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