Page 358 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

356  Sur viv al Guide

Travelling by Car box and a red warning triangle.
In winter, it is obligatory to have
Travelling by car on austrian roads can be a real pleasure. winter tyres and snow chains,
The road surfaces are in good condition and austrians tend which are essential for driving
to comply with the traffic laws. even in crowded cities, the on the mountain roads.
traffic is relatively calm – you are forbidden to sound your
horn other than to warn others of a danger. routes are generally Roads and Signposts
well signposted, but even so the motorists should carry an Motorways (Autobahnen) and
accurate map of the area. Motorways are marked with the the slip roads leading to them
letter a (for Autobahn) or e (for european motorway route); are signposted with white
in addition, there are fast-traffic roads and a network of lettering on blue boards; on
maps, motorways are shown
secondary roads that often pass through very scenic regions.
as yellow lines between two
thinner lines. An inn near a
turning is indicated by a short
sign with black lettering on
white background.
Fernstrassen (long-distance
roads) or Bundesstrassen (federal
roads) are marked in red, and
Landstrassen (country roads) in
yellow. On the road, traffic signs
are black-and-white. The written
ones you may need to know
are: Stau – traffic jam, Schnee –
snow, Umleitung – diversion,
and Baustelle – road works. All
the remaining road signs follow
the European standard.
The spectacular Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse (see pp284–5)
Driving in Austria such roads are situated at high Road Traffic Regulations
Visitors arriving by car can make altitudes. You will also be asked In Austria, motorists drive on
use of any of a number of to pay a separate charge for the right-hand side of the road.
border crossings, although going across Alpine passes The speed limit on motorways
there are no border checks; and through tunnels. is 130 km/h (81 mph), and on
Austria is within the Schengen other roads 100 km/h (62 mph).
Area (26 European countries In towns and built-up areas the
that have abolished border What to Take limit is 50 km/h (31 mph), but
controls) and surrounded by Visitors travelling by car in only 30 km/h (19 mph) in Graz.
other Schengen states. Austria need to carry a valid Lorries, caravans and cars with
A toll is charged on the passport and driver’s licence trailers are restricted to 100
motorways and some other as well as their vehicle’s km/h (62 mph) on motorways.
fast-traffic roads (in urban areas registration document and While not everyone follows the
as well as the countryside). green card (insurance policy). prescribed speed limits, Austrian
It is collected via a pre-paid The vehicle must have a police carry out checks with
disc, known as Autobahnpickerl, plaque showing the country infra-red guns and can fine
which can be bought at border of registration, and it must also you on the spot. Drivers and
crossing points, and from kiosks be equipped with a first-aid passengers are obliged to wear
and petrol stations in Austria.
The stickers, valid for 10 days,
two months or one year,
currently cost €8.70, €25.30 or
€84.40 respectively. A 10-day
sticker is valid from 9am on
the day of issue until midnight
of the ninth day thereafter.
Stick the sticker to the top left
corner of your car windscreen.
The sticker does not entitle
the driver to use any private
pay-roads, of which fortunately
there are very few; usually A toll station at the entrance to a pay-road in the mountains

356-357_EW_Austria.indd 356 03/09/15 5:45 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Practical template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.6)
Date 7th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm