🇦🇹 Same-country drive · Austria
Driving from Klagenfurt am Wörthersee to Graz
A straightforward guide for driving the A2 motorway between Klagenfurt and Graz, covering Austrian motorway etiquette and transit tips.
- Drive time
- 1h 41m
- Distance
- 136 km
- Same day?
- Yes, half day
- under 4 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €17
- petrol · diesel ≈ €15
- Tolls
- ≈ €26
- 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
+48m- Distance:
- 152 km (+16 km)
- Duration:
- 2h 29m
Via: B69 · B76 · B70 · B80a
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 25, 2026 and reviewed against the route summary card. Read our methodology.
You depart Klagenfurt by merging onto the A2 Süd Autobahn, the primary artery slicing through the southern Austrian landscape toward Graz. As you climb away from the Wörthersee basin, the road transitions into a series of sweeping bends and tunnels through the Koralpe mountain range. These tunnels are well-maintained, but be prepared for sudden changes in light levels and potential speed enforcement zones that are strictly monitored throughout the Styrian stretch.
Crossing through the heart of Styria involves navigating the Pack saddle, where the terrain becomes noticeably more rugged. In winter, this high-elevation section is prone to rapid weather shifts; heavy snow can accumulate quickly, and the authorities strictly enforce the requirement for winter tyres or snow chains. Ensure your vehicle’s vignette is clearly displayed on the windscreen before you hit the motorway, as random checks by local police are common on this corridor.
As you descend toward the Graz basin, the dense pine forests give way to the sprawling industrial and residential outskirts of the city. Traffic density often spikes as you approach the Knoten Graz-West interchange, where the motorway feeds into the local urban network. If you are heading directly for the historic Altstadt, be mindful that Graz enforces strict parking regulations and restricted access zones, so check your hotel or destination parking situation before navigating the narrow streets of the city center.
Route highlights
- The Koralpe tunnel systems providing a direct mountain passage
- The scenic transition from the Carinthian lakes to the Styrian hills
- The approach to Graz via the Knoten Graz-West interchange
- The panoramic mountain views while crossing the Pack saddle
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Short hop
Under two hours behind the wheel. Grab a coffee, set the playlist, done before lunch.
- Distance:
- 136 km
- Duration:
- 1h 41m (free-flow, no traffic)
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Cross-border drive · AT → AT
You'll leave one country and enter another on this trip. Keep your ID close, even inside Schengen, and check current border-control status before you go.
Vignette required in AT / SI
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.
-
A2 Süd Autobahn118 km
-
B70 Völkermarkter Straße3 km
-
A9 Pyhrn Autobahn2 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 89%
- Secondary
- 6%
- Other / rural
- 5%
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)
≈ €17
10.2 L × €1.71 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €15
8.1 L × €1.88 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €12
24 kWh × €0.52 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Motorway tolls & vignettes
≈ €26
- AT — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €10.10 for 10 days Annual vignette is €103.80 if you drive often
- SI — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €16.00 for 7 days Annual vignette is €117.50 if you drive often
Prices last refreshed 2026-05-04.
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇦🇹 Klagenfurt am Wörthersee
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5°
-4°
|
7°
-3°
|
12°
2°
|
16°
4°
|
19°
9°
|
26°
14°
|
27°
16°
|
27°
16°
|
22°
12°
|
16°
8°
|
8°
0°
|
4°
-2°
|
| 66mm | 44mm | 94mm | 80mm | 110mm | 101mm | 115mm | 86mm | 122mm | 125mm | 79mm | 51mm |
hot mild cold
🇦🇹 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
Next 5 days at Graz
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Tue 12
☀️
8° / 5°
—
-
Wed 13
☀️
17° / 2°
—
-
Thu 14
🌧️
17° / 4°
16.4mm
-
Fri 15
🌧️
16° / 7°
5.2mm
-
Sat 16
🌧️
15° / 9°
16.7mm
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 12 manoeuvres
- Ursulinengasse
- Völkermarkter Straße (B70) 3 km
- Görtschitztalstraße (B92)
- Süd Autobahn (A2) 118 km
- Pyhrn Autobahn (A9) 2 km
- — 0.5 km
- —
- — 0.2 km
- — 0.2 km
- Karlauergürtel (B67c) 0.5 km
- Dietrichsteinplatz
- Jakominiplatz
By coach from Klagenfurt am Wörthersee to Graz
Indicative duration of the fastest direct long-distance coach found in the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus EU schedules.
- Travel time
- 1h 40m
- 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.
Frequently asked
Do I need a special permit to drive this route?
Yes, a valid Austrian motorway vignette is mandatory for using the A2. Ensure it is affixed to your windshield before joining the motorway.
Is the weather on the A2 predictable?
The stretch between Klagenfurt and Graz crosses the Koralpe range, meaning weather can change rapidly. Expect colder temperatures and potential snowfall during winter months compared to the valley floors.
What is the speed limit on the A2?
The standard motorway speed limit in Austria is 130 km/h, though you will frequently encounter temporary lower limits in tunnels or high-traffic areas around Graz.
How this page is built
Compiled by COD Solutions Oy from open European data — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for the route geometry, 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.