Border Austria Hungary

The Border Crossings Between Hungary and Austria

The border between Germany and Austria stretches over 817 km from the Czech Republic to Lake Constance. The majority of the border lies in the state of Bavaria. There are over 50 border crossings at the German-Austrian border. For tourists, the highway crossings at Kiefersfelden, Walserberg, and Suben are especially relevant.

Famous Border Crossings Between Austria and Hungary

There are numerous road crossings between Austria and Hungary. The most famous ones are:

• Klingenbach (AT) / Sopron (HUN)
• Highway crossing Nickelsdorf (AT) / Hegyeshalom (HUN)

Both are about 45-50 minutes away from the Austrian capital, Vienna.

Other road crossings can be found in:

• Pamhagen
• Schachendorf
• Many other rural road crossings that are hardly significant for international traffic.

Due to border checks, toll checks, and construction zones, waiting times at the borders can range from 5 minutes to over an hour. The risk of congestion depends on the number of vehicles on the routes. Particularly during peak travel times, the highway crossings are often very crowded.

Austria

The following section gives you an overview of whether you need a vignette and whether there are specific toll roads in Austria.

Austria: Vignette Requirement (or not?)

For the use of the Austrian highway and expressway networks, fees are applied in the form of a vignette requirement. Vehicles up to 3.5 tons require a (digital) vignette. You can choose between different validity periods depending on your vehicle class. For more information, visit here.

However, there are also vignette-free highways. Ways to bypass the vignette requirement can be found here.

Route-Based Toll in Austria

Please note that for vehicles over 3.5 tons (tzGm), the vignette requirement does not apply, and instead, a route-based toll must be paid. This performance-dependent toll is charged via a GO-Box that you must install in your vehicle for data collection.

Special Toll Roads

• Arlberg Tunnel S16: Payment on-site with cash, credit card, or Maestro card
• Felbertauern Tunnel: Payment on-site with cash or credit card
• Gleinalm Tunnel, Bosruck Tunnel/Pyhrn Autobahn: Payment on-site with cash, credit card, or Maestro card
• Karawanken Tunnel: Payment on-site with cash, credit card, or Maestro card. The Karawanken Tunnel also connects Austria with Slovenia, making it a special toll road in Slovenia as well. The toll must be paid at the Hrušica toll station from the Slovenia-Austria direction. If you're coming from Austria, the rules above apply, which are explained more clearly here.

For more information on various tunnels and certain mountain pass roads, visit here.

Hungary

This section shows you whether there is a vignette requirement and toll roads in Hungary.

Hungary: Vignette Requirement (or not?)

In Hungary and Austria, toll fees must be paid for using highways, which contribute to the maintenance of roads, tunnels, and bridges. In Hungary, all motor vehicles require a digital vignette (the E-Matrica) as proof of payment. Besides highways, Hungarian expressways marked with "M" are also subject to tolls. You can easily purchase the digital vignette here online and not worry about it during your trip. Anyone driving without a vignette on Hungarian highways has up to 60 minutes to purchase one before penalty fees apply. This stress is something you’ll want to avoid on a long drive.

Important: When registering your license plate for the Hungarian vignette, you cannot use special characters. For example, GÖ for Göttingen becomes GO.

Route-Based Toll

You must pay a route-based toll if your vehicle exceeds 3.5 tons gross vehicle weight (GVW) (except motorhomes). This means that buses, motorhomes over 3.5 tons GVW, and trucks must pay an electronic route-dependent toll, which is automatically charged via the HU-GO system using an onboard unit.

Motorhomes over 3.5 tons GVW also have the option of using a Camper Toll Box.

Your Journey Starts Now!

Order your vignette easily and conveniently with us. Benefit from the direct validity of the digital vignette and choose from various validity periods for Austria and Hungary Hungary. Discover the beautiful hiking areas in Austria. We wish you a great trip!