adhple Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 If you keep off the Autobahns you DO NOT need a GO BOX or vignette, they are not required for "ordinary" roads. We crossed Austria last year, 2017, in an over 3.5 tonne motorhome we did not need a vignette or go box as we kept off the autobahns, motorways and express ways and stuck to the main roads (or at least tried to) we did find it “difficult” mainly as we were towing a trailer with car on, and if you make a mistake and miss a turning there is nowhere to turn round, we found ourselves on some very wiggly roads and some very steep mountains! Some roads are marked 3.5 tonne prohibited with a lorry depicted below it, this apples to Lorry's only, but not motorhomes, but we found it may be advisable to miss these roads as well, but its not always possible and found ourselves crawling up steep mountains. Austria is a beautiful place and there were plenty of good camp sites. We did at the very end slip onto the motorway for the last 15 miles expecting to be found out but we got away with it, Croatia was our destination. We are going again this year and I will be very carefully checking the map!, but it will involve mountains to cross. The Autobahns are better for this but then it will cost £200 + It would be far simpler for heavy motorhomes, if they changed the wording of the law to say Go boxes are for lorry's and vans which transport goods, which is what they intended in the first place unfortunately Motorhomes got court as well only, then Motorhomes only would have to have a vignette. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 hi adhple, Going to the expense of travelling all that way with a large/long outfit why on earth would you not buy a vignette or go box? cheers derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumblewagon Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 I'm glad that my Campervan is under the weight limit. If it was £20, that might be OK, but I certainly wouldn't want to add £200+ to my costs just for the convenience of using autobahns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adhple Posted March 9, 2018 Author Share Posted March 9, 2018 £200 will buy a lot of nights in Austria which you wont find on moterways! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peedee Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Apart from the cost, it is a bit of a palaver to obtain a Go Box and it is realy unnecessay if all you want to do is traverse Austria.. The easiest way without it is from Fussen down the Fern Pass through Innsbruck and up the old Brenner Pass. The latter has a truck and caravan ban on it but it is ok for motorhomes to use and it is a good wide road and not that steep. If you want a stop off Camping Nattersee is not far off this route after leaving Innsbruck. peedee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 adhple - 2018-03-09 12:12 PM £200 will buy a lot of nights in Austria which you wont find on moterways! Hi, I am sorry but I thought the vignette was available for a number of days and they do not have to be consecutive, hence I did not think it would be anything like £200, which would put a different complexion on things. Enjoy your trip whatever you decide. cheers derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 The difference between the two, Derek, is the Go Box is for over 3.5 tonnes, and the vignette (maut) is for up to 3.5 tonnes. The two are not interchangeable, and which you need is determined by the MAM of your vehicle (and whether you choose to travel on toll roads). Vignettes can be bought for various periods of time, at various prices. They expire after so many days, weeks etc. up to one year, irrespective of distance travelled. The Go Box is an automated payment system that charges by the distance travelled on tolled roads and lasts indefinitely, but your Go Box account must be maintained in credit. Regular users of Austria's toll roads are well, if expensively, served by the system, but in order to claim back the Go Box hire charge plus any system credit on their account, occasional users must hand back their Go Box on leaving Austria. This is where difficulty can arise, as not all border crossings are equipped to deal with the Go Box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adhple Posted March 16, 2018 Author Share Posted March 16, 2018 Not talking about a vignette as you have to have GoBox over 3500kg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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