🇦🇹 Cross-border drive · Austria → Netherlands 🇳🇱
Driving from Vienna to The Hague
Drive Vienna to The Hague via Germany. Essential route info, tolls, speed limits, and highlights for your 11-hour journey.
- Drive time
- 11h 57m
- Distance
- 1,170 km
- Same day?
- Long day
- under 12 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €181
- petrol · diesel ≈ €148
- Tolls
- ≈ €23
- 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.
Alternative
+1h 6m- Distance:
- 1,254 km (+84 km)
- Duration:
- 13h 4m
Via: A 3 · A 8 · A1 · A12
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.
11h 57m
1.170 km · €181 fuel
See details ↓
Not realistic
1.170 km is far beyond a typical multi-day cycle tour. Try a shorter pair like a day or weekend stage.
17h 10m
FlixBus-eu
See details ↓
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.
Leaving Vienna, you'll pick up the A1 eastbound for a short stint before joining the A25 and then the A8 heading west, which forms part of your initial push towards Germany. Be prepared for the transition as you cross into Germany, where the familiar Autobahn system awaits. The E40 (often signed as A3 within Germany) will become your primary artery for a significant portion of the journey, taking you through diverse landscapes as you head north-west. Keep an eye on the speed limits, which can vary considerably on the Autobahn – while some sections are derestricted, others have strict limits.
As you continue on the A3, you'll eventually merge onto the A12, a crucial route that will guide you further into the Netherlands. The border crossing into the Netherlands is typically seamless, but pay attention to any changes in road signage and speed regulations. Unlike Austria and Germany, the Netherlands has a more uniform speed limit on its motorways, generally 120 or 130 km/h, but always check posted signs. While Germany is famous for its toll-free Autobahns, the Netherlands has a few toll roads, though they are less prevalent than in countries like France or Italy.
Throughout this long drive, fuel prices can fluctuate, so it's wise to fill up before entering certain regions or when you spot a favourable price. Consider taking breaks every few hours; Germany has numerous well-equipped rest stops (Raststätte) offering facilities ranging from fuel and food to playgrounds and showers. Arriving in The Hague, the urban environment will present its own set of driving considerations, including potentially busy traffic and various low-emission zones in major Dutch cities, though The Hague itself is generally more accessible. This route is a straight-forward, efficient dash across central Europe, favouring motorways for speed and directness.
Route highlights
- German Autobahn A3 (E40)
- Transition from Austrian to German motorway system
- Efficient cross-border drive via Germany
- Diverse landscapes through central Europe
- Well-equipped German service areas (Raststätte)
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Overnight recommended
Too long for a single-driver day. Plan on 1 overnight stop(s) to do this trip right.
A natural overnight stop near the halfway point: Rottendorf (de).
- Distance:
- 1,170 km
- Duration:
- 11h 57m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Sankt Valentin 🇦🇹 at
≈146 km≈ 11 km detour from the main route
-
Vilshofen 🇩🇪 de
≈293 km≈ 12.2 km detour from the main route
-
Velburg 🇩🇪 de
≈439 km≈ 4.1 km detour from the main route
-
Dettelbach 🇩🇪 de
≈585 km≈ 4.9 km detour from the main route
-
Flörsheim 🇩🇪 de
≈731 km≈ 3.3 km detour from the main route
-
Rösrath 🇩🇪 de
≈878 km≈ 1.7 km detour from the main route
-
Emmerich 🇩🇪 de
≈1,024 km≈ 4.8 km detour from the main route
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Multi-country chain · AT → CZ → DE → NL
You'll cross 4 countries on this drive — each with its own toll system, fuel pricing, and motorway rules. Skim the must-know section below before you set off, and have your registration plus insurance card in the door pocket for any roadside check.
Vignette required in AT / CZ
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.
City access & emission zones
Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart need a green Umweltplakette
Must knowGermany's low-emission zones (Umweltzone) are simpler than the French system but stricter on entry. You need a colour-coded sticker physically on your windscreen before entering. The vast majority of zones today require a green sticker (Euro 4+ petrol, Euro 6+ diesel). Order via TÜV / DEKRA / certified workshops — about €6–13, ships in days. Driving without one costs €100 even if your car would qualify.
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.
Czech e-vignette is plate-linked, no sticker
Must knowCzechia replaced paper vignettes in 2021. Buy on edalnice.cz with your plate, valid from the chosen date. 10-day is CZK 290 (~€12), annual CZK 2,300 (~€95). Police read plates electronically — no display required. The first 90 minutes after purchase, the system sometimes hasn't synced; keep your purchase confirmation accessible.
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.
No motorway tolls, but Westerschelde tunnel charges
TipDutch motorways are free for cars, but a few specific crossings charge. The Westerscheldetunnel near Vlissingen is €5–7. Kil Tunnel (A29) and Liefkenshoektunnel (Antwerp side) are similarly priced. Pay contactless on entry — there's no booth queue.
What your car must carry
Triangle, first-aid kit, hi-vis vest — all three
Must knowGermany requires a warning triangle, a first-aid kit (compliant with DIN 13164, with a "use by" date — €10 at any pharmacy), and a reflective vest in every passenger car. Roadside checks do happen at borders. The first-aid kit is the one foreign drivers most commonly miss.
Driving rules & habits
Left lane is for overtaking only — return immediately
UsefulOn unrestricted Autobahn sections (where you'll see no speed-limit-end signs), faster cars expect to use the left lane unobstructed. Drift into it without checking the mirror and a 911 closing at 250 km/h becomes your problem. Indicate, overtake, return right — every time. Slowing in the left lane to "make space" is more dangerous than predictable speed.
Phone-mounted radar warnings are illegal
UsefulActive radar-detector apps (and the "police nearby" feature on Waze / Google Maps) are technically banned in Germany — fines hit €75. Most drivers leave them on without consequence, but if you're stopped for any reason, the officer can ask to see your phone. Switch the warning layer off when crossing into DE if you want to play it strict.
Plan your stops, not just your finish time
UsefulOSRM gives you free-flow drive time. Realistic add: 10% on motorway-heavy routes, 25% if you're crossing two cities. Eat at off-peak hours (11:30 lunch, 18:00 dinner) — service-area queues at noon kill 20 minutes. EU fatigue research is consistent: 15-minute break every 2 hours, full 45-minute break before 6 hours. The drive between hours 7 and 9 is where avoidable accidents cluster.
Bicycles have right-of-way at unmarked junctions
UsefulIn the Netherlands, cyclists are treated as full traffic and often given priority you'd expect from a pedestrian crossing back home. Always check the bike lane before turning. At a roundabout in town, cyclists get the inside line and you yield. The rule that bites is unmarked junctions in residential streets — yield to the bike.
Bicycles on the right — turn right with extreme care
TipVienna
Vienna built out a Copenhagen-style bike network from 2020–2024. Most major streets now have a separated bike lane on the right. Right-turning cars must yield to a bike going straight in the bike lane — the rule that catches most foreigners. Look over your right shoulder before turning.
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.
-
A 3 —764 km
-
A1 West Autobahn166 km
-
A12 Europaweg138 km
-
A8 Innkreis Autobahn61 km
-
A25 Welser Autobahn19 km
-
B1 Linke Wienzeile10 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 98%
- Secondary
- 1%
- Other / rural
- 1%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Demanding
Tough drive — multiple complicating factors compound fatigue. Strongly recommend splitting across days.
- Long drive: 11h 57m behind the wheel at free-flow speeds.
- Cross-border: AT → NL. Keep documents accessible and check border rules.
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €181
87.8 L × €2.06 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €148
70.2 L × €2.11 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €128
205 kWh × €0.63 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Motorway tolls & vignettes
≈ €23
- AT — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €10.10 for 10 days Annual vignette is €103.80 if you drive often
- CZ — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €13.00 for 10 days Annual vignette is €88.00 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.
🇦🇹 Vienna
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5°
-1°
|
8°
1°
|
13°
4°
|
16°
7°
|
20°
10°
|
26°
16°
|
28°
18°
|
28°
17°
|
23°
13°
|
17°
9°
|
9°
3°
|
5°
1°
|
| 37mm | 28mm | 49mm | 76mm | 74mm | 62mm | 62mm | 47mm | 130mm | 53mm | 50mm | 46mm |
hot mild cold
🇳🇱 The Hague
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7°
3°
|
9°
4°
|
11°
4°
|
14°
7°
|
17°
10°
|
21°
14°
|
21°
15°
|
22°
15°
|
20°
13°
|
16°
11°
|
11°
6°
|
9°
5°
|
| 111mm | 65mm | 67mm | 80mm | 78mm | 52mm | 114mm | 76mm | 95mm | 120mm | 128mm | 86mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at The Hague
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Tue 12
☀️
10° / 9°
0.2mm
-
Wed 13
🌧️
12° / 7°
42.6mm
-
Thu 14
🌧️
11° / 7°
23mm
-
Fri 15
⛅
11° / 7°
4.5mm
-
Sat 16
☀️
11° / 8°
4mm
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 30 manoeuvres
- Jasomirgottstraße
- Friedrichstraße 0.2 km
- Linke Wienzeile (B1) 5 km
- Hadikgasse (B1) 5 km
- West Autobahn (A1) 22 km
- West Autobahn (A1) 144 km
- Welser Autobahn (A25) 19 km
- Innkreis Autobahn (A8) 61 km
- (A 3) 136 km
- — 0.6 km
- (A 3) 106 km
- — 0.4 km
- (A 3) 221 km
- (A 3) 9 km
- — 0.3 km
- — 0.4 km
- (A 3) 161 km
- (A 3) 30 km
- (A 3) 38 km
- — 0.2 km
- (A 3) 0.5 km
- — 0.1 km
- (A 3) 65 km
- (A12) 29 km
- Europaweg (A12) 15 km
- (A12) 5 km
- (A12) 28 km
- (A12) 36 km
- (A12) 25 km
- Sirtemastraat
By coach from Vienna to The Hague
Indicative duration of the fastest direct long-distance coach found in the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus EU schedules.
- Travel time
- 17h 10m
- 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
Are there tolls between Vienna and The Hague?
Austria requires a vignette for its motorways. Germany's Autobahns are generally toll-free for passenger cars. The Netherlands has a limited number of toll roads.
What are the typical speed limits in Germany and the Netherlands?
Germany's Autobahns have variable speed limits, with some sections having no official limit, but many have advisory or strict limits. The Netherlands motorways typically have limits of 120 or 130 km/h, always check posted signs.
Do I need to buy a vignette for Austria?
Yes, a vignette is mandatory for using Austrian motorways. You can purchase one online or at border crossings and service stations before entering the motorway network.
Are there many service areas on this route?
Yes, particularly in Germany, the Autobahn network is well-served with Raststätte (service areas) offering fuel, food, and facilities.
Are there low-emission zones to be aware of?
While not a major concern on the Autobahn itself, be aware that some large German and Dutch cities may have low-emission zones (Umweltzonen/Milieuzones) that could affect access if driving older diesel vehicles.
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, EU Weekly Oil Bulletin for cross-border fuel-price bands, and Google Gemini drafts the narrative and FAQ from the computed route data. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.