From beautiful Vienna to the breathtaking European Alps, the landscape of Austria simply begs to be explored. The country's numerous cities - Salzburg, Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck and Linz, to name a few - are ripe with history, culture and stunning architecture. But of course, Austria isn't known for its urbanity: It is the country's gorgeous rural vitas, which call to mind a twirling Julie Andrews a la "The Sound of Music," that is really synonymous with Austria . Hiring a car in Austria will be the easiest way to get up into those lively hills.
DriveNow makes renting a car in Austria easy and convenient. We give travellers the ability to compare rental prices from the top names in the industry, including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and SIXT.
You must be at least 18 years of age to hire a car in Austria. However, some companies will charge additional fees for drivers 25 or under.
In order to legally drive in Austria, you should obtain an International Driving Permit. You can get one of these through your home country's automobile association.
You'll need to purchase a Vignette sticker in order to drive on all major Austrian roads, including the autobahn. Tolls are cashless, so the only way to pay is to purchase this sticker. You can buy a Vignette at petrol stations, automobile associations, border crossings and post offices.
Austrian roads are extremely well-maintained, which means that construction is often present. Drivers will also want to take caution when driving in Austria during the winter months, especially in Alpine regions.
In most European countries, rental cars come with manual transmission. If you require an automatic rental vehicle in Austria and cannot locate one in your search results please contact the DriveNow Reservations team.
You can pay for your car hire using credit card upon arriving to pick up your vehicle.
Insure your car hire with a Collision Damage Waiver (rental car insurance) or seek out travel insurance that covers rental car accidents to help reduce your excess liability. For holders of Australian licenses DriveNow offers pre-purchased rental insurance for Austria through our partner Hiccup Insurance who specialise in car rental insurance and whose rates are often cheaper than those offered by the rental companies. Learn more about car hire insurance options. Whichever option you elect to take remember that in the event of an accident secure copies of all documentation, police reports and if possible take photos.