Car Rental in Austria

Why rent a car in Austria?

Austria is a great country to explore by car. With your own ride, you’ll have the freedom to travel to its various regions, see historical cities and villages, visit nature areas and winter sports centers, and drive some of the highest and most scenic alpine roads in Europe.

If you want to know more about renting a car in Austria, don't miss our complete guide.

Top ways to enter Austria

• Vienna Airport. By far the busiest in the country, and Central Europe, the airport serving the capital handles about 30 million travelers every year. Located a relatively short drive southeast of the city (and on the way to Bratislava which is useful for those who wish to visit two capitals on the same trip), the airport is the main hub of Austrian Airlines but is also served by dozens of other airlines.
• Graz Airport. Serving the second city of Austria, it is also the second-busiest airport in the country. In addition to Graz itself, it offers a gateway to the wider Styrian region and the country’s southeast.
• Linz Airport. Also known as Linz-Blue Danube, this airport in the Upper Austrian region near the border with the Czech Republic has scheduled flights by ten different airlines (although some are only active seasonally) and provides connections with such varied destinations as London, Düsseldorf, the Balearic Islands, Turkey, and Egypt.
• Salzburg Airport. Also known as W.A. Mozart Airport after the city’s most famous son, it might be quite small, but still has scheduled flights by over 20 airlines including at least five low-cost carriers. In addition to the city of Salzburg, the airport connects travelers with the larger federal state, or Bundesland, of the same name.
• By land: If your rental car provider permits it, it’s possible to rent a car in a neighboring country and then drive to Austria. Some large international airports near Austria are Zurich Airport in Switzerland, Budapest Airport in Hungary, and Munich Airport in Germany.

Top cities and places to visit

• Vienna. The former imperial capital and home of countless world-famous artists and composers, Vienna is one of the most impressive cities in Europe. There’s plenty of architecture to enjoy, and not just in the city’s Innere Stadt or Old Town, as well as fun neighborhoods like Neubau which is home to the Museum Quarter, Mariahilfer Strasseand some of the city’s youngest and most creative areas.
• Salzburg. The birthplace of Mozart and the setting of the Sound of Music, Salzburg is a supremely quaint destination. The cultural heritage of the city greatly exceeds just these two cultural references, however, as exemplified by the mountaintop Hohensalzburg Palace, Salzburg Cathedral (and the accompanying Excavations Museum), and the Museum of Modern Art. Salzburg borders the German state of Bavaria, with which it shares a lot of cultural affinities, and can be easily visited on a day trip (though ask your rental car provider about this in advance).
• Innsbruck. Located in the western part of the country, Innsbruck is another scenic and relaxed destination known for architectural landmarks like the St. Jacob Cathedral and all of the historic Mariahilf-St. Nicolaus neighborhood. An Olympic host city (and not just once, but twice), Innsbruck is also a supreme winter sports hub, as well as the home of the very interesting Alpinist Association Museum
• Hallstatt. Squeezed between the west bank of Lake Hallstatt and the rugged Dachstein mountains, Hallstatt is a small, but impressive village. Many Austrians consider it the most beautiful place in their country. It is also a place of ancient history - inhabited since the Iron Age, it gave the name to the Hallstatt culture of Celts and Illyrians and is often claimed to be the oldest continually-inhabited settlement in Europe.
• Wachau Valley. This picturesque stretch of the Danube Valley between Melk and Krems in Lower Austria is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Famous for its wine, castles, and abbeys, the Wachau Valley is an ideal destination for sightseeing, wine tasting, cycling, and hiking. The most famous attractions are the Melk Abbey, Göttweig Abbey, the Dürnstein castle ruins, and the Aggstein castle ruins. Wachau Valley.

Most popular rental car

The most popular rental car in Austria is the Skoda Fabia, closely followed by the Opel Astra and the Dacia Sandero.

Driver's license requirements

• Austria accepts all driver’s licenses issued in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA)
• The minimum age to rent a car in Austria is 18, though some rental car providers require a minimum age of 21. 
• If your driver's license is issued by a non-EU country,you must obtain an international driver’s permit. Another requirement is to have been in the EU for no more than six months at the time of the rental. If you’ve been in the EU longer, you’ll need a driver's license issued by an EU country.
• If your driver's license is printed in a non-Latin alphabet (Cyrillic, Arabic, etc.), you’ll need an International Driving Permit (IDP) or an official translation of your license into English or German.
• You must carry your driver's license, not its copy, with you at all times. You need to have had your driver license for at least one or two years, depending on the car provider’s requirements.
• There may be additional requirements depending on the car provider and car category, so make sure to check the terms and conditions before booking.

Crossing borders

Austria is bordered by Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. Austria is a member of the European Union (EU). It’s also a member of the Schengen Area, as are all the neighboring countries. If you’re not an EU citizen, you’ll need a Schengen visa to visit Austria. With a Schengen visa you can also cross the border to any of Austria’s neighbors. Some car rental providers allow you to cross national borders and even drop off your car in a different country, while others don’t. If you’d like to cross a national border during your rental period, make sure to check the terms and conditions before booking a car. Learn more about cross-border rentals in our FAQ section.

Most popular types of rental car

The type of car rented most often in Austria is an economy, but intermediate and mini are also very popular.

Top driving routes

• Vorarlberg. Located in the far west of the country and closely related to its neighbor, Switzerland (with which it even shares a dialect of German that is uncharacteristic of rest of Austria), Vorarlberg is a unique destination in more ways than one. The main tourist draw of this small region is naturally its Alpine scenery which is characterized not just by high-quality winter sports resorts, but also natural attractions like Lake Formarinsee, Lake Spullersee, and Lake Lünersee While touring the region, don’t miss the beautiful Silvretta high alpine road, which is only open in summer.
• Carinthia. Located in the south of the country, Carinthia is another distinct, proud, and scenic region that’s sometimes unfairly overlooked in favor of its better-known western neighbors. The main tourist draws of Carinthia are its many lakes, which are great for bathing in summer, its cozy and scenic capital, Klagenfurt, and its impressive mountain vistas.
• Upper Austria. Another off-the-beaten-path destination, at least when it comes to attention from foreign visitors, Upper Austria can be a fascinating place to explore with a rental car. The region is known for its many mountain lakes and bucolic countryside, but also Medieval and Renaissance-era towns characterized by well-preserved Baroque architecture. Linz, the capital of the region and the third-largest city in the country, is just a two-hour drive from Vienna and 80 minutes from Salzburg.
• Grossglockner High Alpine Road. The highest paved mountain road in Austria crosses Hohe Tauern National Park, offering spectacular views of Austria’s highest mountains. This toll road connects Bruck in the state of Salzburg with Heiligenblut in the state of Carinthia. This mountain road is usually open from late May, or early June until late October.
• Tyrol. The Austrian state of Tyrol (Tirol in German) is best explored with a car. Top destinations in Tyrol are Lake Achensee, the town of Mayrhofen in Zillertal Valley, the Wilder Kaiser region, Stubai Valley, Ötztal Valley, the towns of Ischgl and Galtür in Paznaun Valley, the town of Ehrwald, and Grosser Ahornboden.

Car rental prices in Austria

• Medium cars - from $12 per day
• Large cars - from $14 per day
• Station wagons - from $13 per day
• SUVs - from $11 per day
• Premium cars - from $92 per day
• Vans - from $53 per day
• Small cars - from $7 per day

Money-saving and other tips

You can do a number of things to get a good car rental deal in Austria:

• Compare rates
• Book your rental car well in advance
• Plan your route before you go
• Know your fuel and mileage requirements