🇦🇹 Same-country drive · Austria
Driving from Salzburg to Linz
A direct guide for driving the A1 Westautobahn from Salzburg to Linz, covering essential Austrian road rules and regional tips.
- Drive time
- 1h 31m
- Distance
- 134 km
- Same day?
- Yes, half day
- under 4 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €18
- petrol · diesel ≈ €16
- 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
+48m- Distance:
- 140 km (+6 km)
- Duration:
- 2h 19m
Via: L508 · B129 · B137 · B141
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 pick up the A1 Westautobahn on the eastern outskirts of Salzburg, trading the shadow of the Alpine foothills for the sweeping agricultural plains of Upper Austria. This main artery is the primary connector between the two cities and remains remarkably straightforward, though you must ensure your vignette is displayed clearly on the windshield before hitting the motorway to avoid heavy fines. The route is essentially a flat, high-speed run, but keep a watchful eye on your speedometer as you pass the junctions around Vöcklabruck, where traffic density spikes and speed limits can fluctuate unexpectedly.
As you progress toward Linz, the scenery shifts from the dramatic mountainous backdrop of the Salzburg region to the industrial heartland of the Danube valley. You will notice the increase in heavy haulage traffic; the A1 is a vital logistics corridor, and the trucks in the right lane are often moving at a steady pace. Stick to the left lane for overtaking and pull back promptly, as Austrian drivers are notoriously strict about lane discipline. In the final stretch toward the Linz city limits, be prepared for urban congestion, particularly if you are arriving during the typical morning or late-afternoon rush.
Upon entering Linz, remember that the city is an industrial powerhouse rather than a tourist-centric mountain town. The Danube acts as your primary landmark as you navigate toward the city center. While there are no border crossings or complex toll plazas on this domestic route, the weather can change rapidly; if you are making this drive between November and April, winter tires are legally mandatory across Austria regardless of the road conditions. Check your fuel levels before you leave Salzburg, as motorway service stations along the A1 tend to be significantly more expensive than those located in the smaller towns just off the main exits.
Route highlights
- The transition from the Alpine foothills of Salzburg to the Danube basin.
- The A1 Westautobahn's efficient, high-speed connection between Upper and Lower Austria.
- The industrial skyline of Linz as you approach the Danube river banks.
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:
- 134 km
- Duration:
- 1h 31m (free-flow, no traffic)
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.
-
A1 West Autobahn118 km
-
A7 Mühlkreis Autobahn5 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)
≈ €18
10.1 L × €1.79 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €16
8.1 L × €2.00 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €14
24 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 2026-05-04.
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇦🇹 Salzburg
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6°
-3°
|
9°
-0°
|
13°
2°
|
15°
4°
|
18°
9°
|
24°
13°
|
25°
15°
|
25°
15°
|
21°
12°
|
17°
8°
|
9°
1°
|
7°
-1°
|
| 86mm | 76mm | 95mm | 101mm | 174mm | 86mm | 165mm | 164mm | 152mm | 95mm | 122mm | 104mm |
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.
-
Wed 13
☀️
15° / 8°
1.5mm
-
Thu 14
🌧️
12° / 7°
11.7mm
-
Fri 15
⛅
14° / 6°
16.4mm
-
Sat 16
🌧️
9° / 8°
14.4mm
-
Sun 17
⛅
15° / 8°
1mm
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 6 manoeuvres
- Rathausplatz 0.1 km
- Vogelweiderstraße 3 km
- West Autobahn (A1) 118 km
- Mühlkreis Autobahn (A7) 5 km
- — 0.2 km
- Hauptplatz
By coach from Salzburg to Linz
Indicative duration of the fastest direct long-distance coach found in the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus EU schedules.
- Travel time
- 1h 45m
- 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 vignette to drive from Salzburg to Linz?
Yes, a valid Austrian motorway vignette is mandatory for using the A1 Westautobahn. You can purchase these at petrol stations near the border or at any major service area.
Are there any tolls besides the vignette on this route?
No, the A1 between Salzburg and Linz is covered entirely by the standard vignette system with no additional route-specific tolls.
What is the speed limit on the A1?
The standard speed limit on Austrian motorways is 130 km/h, though you should watch for digital signage indicating temporary limits, especially near the Linz urban area.
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.