🇦🇹 Same-country drive · Austria
Driving from Graz to Linz
Drive from Graz to Linz via the A9 and A1 motorways. Essential tips for your Austrian road trip, including speed limits and tolls.
- Drive time
- 2h 35m
- Distance
- 222 km
- Same day?
- Yes, half day
- under 4 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €30
- petrol · diesel ≈ €25
- Tolls
- ≈ €10
- vignette
- EV charging
- Unknown
- not yet surveyed
On this page
Route map
Route options
Other paths OSRM found between the two cities — handy when traffic, tolls, or scenery matter more than raw speed.
Avoids motorways
+1h 33m- Distance:
- 236 km (+15 km)
- Duration:
- 4h 9m
Via: B115 · L121 · B309 · B116
How else can you make this trip?
Driving is the focus of this guide; here's how cycling, coach, and (soon) train and plane stack up for the same pair.
What the drive is like
Drafted from the route's computed data on April 24, 2026 and reviewed against the route summary card. Read our methodology.
Your Austrian road trip kicks off by joining the A9 Pyhrn Autobahn southbound from Graz, quickly heading towards the mountainous heart of Styria and Upper Austria. Before long, you'll reach the iconic Gleinalm Tunnel and then the Bosruck Tunnel, both significant feats of engineering that bypass challenging mountain passes. Be aware that these tunnels, along with sections of the A9, are subject to separate toll charges beyond the standard vignette requirement. Keep an eye on the overhead signs for speed limit adjustments, which can vary between 100 km/h and 130 km/h depending on the stretch and time of day. The A9 will eventually merge with the E66, and shortly after, you'll transition onto the much busier A1 West Autobahn heading northwest.
As you travel north on the A1, the landscape opens up from the more dramatic mountain scenery of the A9's southern section to the rolling hills and agricultural plains characteristic of the Salzkammergut region and its approach to Linz. The A1 is a primary artery across Austria, so expect consistent traffic, particularly around built-up areas. Speed limits here are generally 130 km/h, the standard for Austrian autobahns, but always remain vigilant for variable electronic signage. This section is fully covered by the Austrian vignette, which must be purchased and affixed correctly before entering the motorway network. Ensure your vignette is valid for the entire duration of your trip, as penalties for non-compliance can be steep.
Approaching Linz, the A1 will lead you directly into the city's eastern outskirts. You'll be merging with local traffic and navigating towards your final destination. Pay close attention to urban speed limits, which often drop to 50 km/h or 70 km/h within city limits. Unlike cross-border journeys, this drive within Austria avoids the complexities of vignette systems from multiple countries or dramatic currency shifts, focusing instead on the efficient Austrian motorway network and its associated tolls for specific infrastructure like tunnels.
Route highlights
- Gleinalm Tunnel on the A9
- Bosruck Tunnel on the A9
- Transition from A9 to A1 West Autobahn
- Rolling hills of Upper Austria
- 130 km/h speed limit on the A1
- ASFINAG vignette requirement
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Easy one-day drive
Comfortable as a single day for one driver. Leave after breakfast, arrive with time to settle in.
- Distance:
- 222 km
- Duration:
- 2h 35m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Knittelfeld 🇦🇹 at
≈74 km≈ 23 km detour from the main route
-
Micheldorf in Oberösterreich 🇦🇹 at
≈148 km≈ 12.2 km detour from the main route
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Vignette required in AT
Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Romania require a sticker or e-vignette for motorway use. Buy at the border — missing one is a heavy on-the-spot fine.
Must-know before you go
The things a driver from another country wouldn't think to ask about — fines, stickers, payment cards, opening hours.
Tolls, vignettes & road payment
Digital vignette before crossing the border
Must knowAustrian motorways need a vignette — €10.10 for 10 days, €30.40 for 2 months, or €103.80 annual. The digital version (linked to your plate) is bought online at asfinag.at and activates from a chosen date — if you buy on the Austrian side of the border, it's only valid 18 days later under consumer-protection rules. Buy ahead.
Brenner, Tauern and Karawanken tunnels are extra
UsefulEight Austrian routes charge separate tolls on top of the vignette: Brenner (A13, ~€11.50), Pyhrn (A9, ~€6.50), Tauern (A10, ~€14), Karawanken (A11, ~€8.50) and others. Pay at the booth — no vignette discount. If you're heading south to Italy via the A13, budget for it.
Fuel stations
Contactless cards work at virtually every motorway pump
TipMajor brand stations (Shell, Total, BP, Repsol, Cepsa, OMV, Eni, Esso) take Visa and Mastercard contactless without an issue. American Express and Diners are spotty south of the Alps. A €100 pre-authorisation hold is normal — it releases within 5 days. Carry €50 cash for the rare independent station.
Money & connectivity
EU roaming covers calls, texts and data at no extra cost
TipYour home EU SIM works at home rates across every EU member, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The "fair use" cap on data only applies if you're abroad more than four months. For a 2-week road trip, just use your phone normally — but switch off "data roaming" if you're leaving the EU into UK / CH for any segment.
Emergency & breakdown
112 works everywhere in the EU and continental neighbours
TipSingle number for police, ambulance, fire — works from any phone, any network, any country. On motorways, the orange SOS pillars every 2km connect direct to the regional traffic control centre and pinpoint your location. Use them over your phone if you can — it speeds the response.
Rules, fees, and thresholds change. Always verify against the official source the day before you drive — this page is a checklist, not a legal reference.
Main roads
The highways this route spends the most kilometres on.
-
A9 Pyhrn Autobahn174 km
-
A1 West Autobahn25 km
-
A7 Mühlkreis Autobahn5 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 93%
- Secondary
- 4%
- Other / rural
- 3%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Easy
Straightforward drive. One driver, one day, little to worry about beyond fuel and a toilet stop.
- No major complicating factors — motorway-heavy, single country, comfortable length.
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €30
16.6 L × €1.81 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €25
13.3 L × €1.91 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €23
39 kWh × €0.61 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Motorway tolls & vignettes
≈ €10
- AT — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €10.10 for 10 days Annual vignette is €103.80 if you drive often
Prices last refreshed 2026-05-25.
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇦🇹 Graz
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6°
-3°
|
8°
-1°
|
12°
2°
|
16°
5°
|
19°
9°
|
25°
14°
|
26°
16°
|
26°
16°
|
21°
12°
|
16°
7°
|
9°
0°
|
5°
-2°
|
| 44mm | 18mm | 67mm | 71mm | 134mm | 91mm | 133mm | 91mm | 177mm | 80mm | 42mm | 43mm |
hot mild cold
🇦🇹 Linz
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5°
-2°
|
8°
1°
|
13°
3°
|
16°
6°
|
20°
10°
|
26°
15°
|
27°
17°
|
27°
16°
|
23°
13°
|
16°
8°
|
8°
2°
|
5°
-0°
|
| 46mm | 43mm | 62mm | 77mm | 92mm | 58mm | 83mm | 80mm | 105mm | 52mm | 75mm | 67mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at Linz
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Sun 7
☀️
23° / 14°
2.5mm
-
Mon 8
⛅
27° / 12°
—
-
Tue 9
🌧️
24° / 17°
6.5mm
-
Wed 10
🌧️
15° / 13°
18.4mm
-
Thu 11
🌧️
15° / 10°
6.1mm
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 10 manoeuvres
- Jakominiplatz
- Dietrichsteinplatz
- Pyhrn Autobahn (A9) 9 km
- Pyhrn Autobahn (A9) 165 km
- — 1 km
- — 0.2 km
- West Autobahn (A1) 25 km
- Mühlkreis Autobahn (A7) 5 km
- — 0.2 km
- Hauptplatz
Cycling from Graz to Linz
Touring-pace bicycle route generated by BRouter, with elevation gain and matched against the EuroVelo cycle network.
- Distance
- 276 km
- vs 222 km driving
- Riding time
- 14h 40m
- Touring pace; experienced riders cut this 20–30%.
- Total climb
- ↑ 1.696 m
Routed on the BRouter trekking profile — balanced for paved leisure tourers; gravel and fast-bike profiles produce different lines.
On the EuroVelo network
Sections of this route follow signed EuroVelo cycle routes — well-maintained, signposted, and bike-friendly:
- EV14 Waters of Central Europe · 122 km
Total: 122,0 km on EuroVelo (44% of the route).
Show route on map
By coach from Graz to Linz
Indicative duration of the fastest direct long-distance coach found in the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus EU schedules.
- Travel time
- 2h 30m
- Direct
- Operator
- FlixBus-eu
- Departures / day
- ~1
- Approximate based on the published schedule.
Show coach corridor on map
Schedules sourced from the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus GTFS feeds via transport.data.gouv.fr. Times are indicative; verify on the operator's site before booking.
Booking link coming soon.
By train from Graz to Linz
Fastest cross-border rail itinerary from the public Transitous planner. Times reflect a typical Monday-morning departure on the next available service-day.
- Fastest journey
- 3h 36m
- 4 changes
- Lead operator
- WESTbahn Management GmbH
- + 1 more
- Alternatives
- 6
- Itineraries returned by the planner.
Trains on the fastest itinerary
- WB 919
All operators across alternatives
- WESTbahn Management GmbH
- OEBB Personenverkehr AG Kundenservice
Show route on map
Routing via the public Transitous OTP planner (community-run MOTIS instance). Cached 24 hours; verify on the operator's site before booking.
Frequently asked
Do I need a vignette for the A9 and A1?
Yes, a valid Austrian vignette is mandatory for using both the A9 and A1 motorways. Additionally, the Gleinalm and Bosruck Tunnels on the A9 require a separate toll payment.
Are there specific speed limits for the tunnels on the A9?
Speed limits can vary in the tunnels and on different sections of the A9. Always adhere to the posted speed limits, which can be lower than the standard 130 km/h autobahn speed.
What is the general speed limit on Austrian motorways?
The general speed limit on Austrian autobahns like the A1 is 130 km/h, but this can be reduced by electronic signs or specific road conditions.
Can I buy the vignette online before my trip?
Yes, you can purchase the Austrian vignette online through the ASFINAG website or from various online retailers in advance of your journey.
Are there fuel stations along the A9 and A1?
Yes, rest stops with fuel stations (Raststationen) are regularly spaced along both the A9 and A1 motorways.
How this page is built
Compiled by COD Solutions Oy from open European data — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for the route geometry, BRouter for the bicycle route, EuroVelo GPX (ODbL) by the European Cyclists' Federation for the cycle-network overlay, Open-Meteo for monthly climate normals, and Google Gemini drafts the narrative and FAQ from the computed route data. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.