🇦🇹 Same-country drive · Austria
Driving from Linz to Graz
Drive from Linz to Graz via A1 and A9. Discover Styrian wines, castles, and scenic Austrian countryside. Plan your journey now.
- Drive time
- 2h 36m
- 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 32m- Distance:
- 236 km (+14 km)
- Duration:
- 4h 9m
Via: B115 · B309 · L121 · 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.
Picking up the A1 motorway eastbound out of Linz is your immediate gateway to the Austrian countryside, though you'll quickly transition onto the A9, the 'Pyhrn Autobahn', heading south. This route is renowned for its dramatic landscape changes as you push deeper into Styria, passing through tunnels carved directly through mountains. Keep an eye out for the first of many potential stops, the dramatic Landhaushof courtyard in Graz, a Renaissance masterpiece that feels a world away from the autobahn.
The A9 itself is the star here, a modern motorway designed to cut through the challenging terrain of the upper Styrian hills. While it's a relatively short drive in terms of kilometers, the A9's infrastructure, including several significant tunnels like the Bosruck and Gleinalm tunnels, means it’s engineered for smooth passage through mountainous areas. These tunnels are tolled separately from the standard Austrian vignette, so budget for those charges as you approach them. The landscape shifts from rolling hills to steeper, more forested slopes.
As you descend towards Graz, the scenery opens up again, revealing vineyards and the distinctive red rooftops of the Styrian capital. Unlike cross-border drives where you'd contend with different currency or speed limits, this journey stays within Austria, meaning familiar road signs and speed limits, typically 130 km/h on the autobahns. The focus remains on efficient travel, but the sheer visual drama of the A9's passage through the mountains makes it far from a monotonous drive. Consider a brief detour to explore the historic center of Graz, a UNESCO World Heritage site, or perhaps visit a local Weingut for a taste of Styrian wine before settling in.
Route highlights
- The dramatic tunnels of the A9 Pyhrn Autobahn
- Transition from A1 to A9 south of Linz
- Rolling Styrian hills and vineyards
- Potential stop at a local 'Weingut'
- Approaching the historic city of Graz
- The scenic mountain passage of the A9
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 36m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Micheldorf in Oberösterreich 🇦🇹 at
≈74 km≈ 12.3 km detour from the main route
-
Knittelfeld 🇦🇹 at
≈148 km≈ 22.7 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 Autobahn4 km
-
B67a Grabenstraße3 km
-
L302 Judendorfer Straße2 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 92%
- Secondary
- 3%
- 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)
≈ €30
16.7 L × €1.81 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €25
13.3 L × €1.91 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €24
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.
🇦🇹 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
🇦🇹 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.
-
Sun 7
⛅
26° / 12°
3.3mm
-
Mon 8
⛅
26° / 14°
1.5mm
-
Tue 9
🌧️
27° / 15°
10.8mm
-
Wed 10
🌧️
17° / 15°
17.3mm
-
Thu 11
☀️
19° / 11°
1.3mm
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 11 manoeuvres
- Hauptplatz 0.2 km
- Einhausung Niedernhart (A7) 0.5 km
- Mühlkreis Autobahn (A7) 4 km
- — 0.6 km
- West Autobahn (A1) 25 km
- — 0.3 km
- — 0.8 km
- Pyhrn Autobahn (A9) 174 km
- Judendorfer Straße (L302) 2 km
- Grabenstraße (B67a) 3 km
- Jakominiplatz
Cycling from Linz to Graz
Touring-pace bicycle route generated by BRouter, with elevation gain and matched against the EuroVelo cycle network.
- Distance
- 280 km
- vs 222 km driving
- Riding time
- 14h 52m
- Touring pace; experienced riders cut this 20–30%.
- Total climb
- ↑ 1.676 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 · 120 km
Total: 120,0 km on EuroVelo (43% of the route).
Show route on map
By coach from Linz to Graz
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 Linz to Graz
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 34m
- 2 changes
- Lead operator
- OEBB Personenverkehr AG Kundenservice
- + 1 more
- Alternatives
- 6
- Itineraries returned by the planner.
Trains on the fastest itinerary
- IR 703
All operators across alternatives
- OEBB Personenverkehr AG Kundenservice
- WESTbahn Management GmbH
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 A1 and A9 in Austria?
Yes, a vignette is mandatory for using Austrian motorways, including sections of the A1 and A9. You can purchase digital or sticker vignettes at border crossings, gas stations, or online.
Are there additional tolls on the A9 beyond the vignette?
Yes, the A9 has specific tolls for certain tunnels, notably the Bosruck and Gleinalm tunnels. These are separate charges and can be paid at toll booths or via a digital toll system.
Are there any low-emission zones (LEZs) in Graz?
Graz has implemented low-emission zones. Check current regulations for specific vehicle types and requirements before entering the city center.
Are winter tires mandatory in Austria?
Winter tires are mandatory for all vehicles during the winter season (typically November 1 to April 15) in Austria if road conditions are wintry (snow, slush, ice).
Can I stop for wine tasting along the route?
Absolutely. Styria is a renowned wine region, and there are many 'Weingut' (wineries) offering tastings, particularly as you get closer to Graz. Plan for a designated driver or enjoy them after your drive.
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.