Suda Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 We have an 8metre MH and have been told that Austria is expensive for motorway tolls and also the toll on the Bremmer Pass is costly too. Please could someone help with up to date costs and also suggest the shortest and cheapest route to cross the country on our way to Venice. Or would it be more sensible to depart for Greece via Ancona rather than Venice and enter Italy via Switzerland and pay for a vignette? Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Austria is expensive, and disruptive (having to buy a Go Box) if your van is over 3.5t MAM (which, at 8m, I expect yours will be!). Up to a maximum of 3.5t a vignette can be bought which is much more cost effective. With acknowledgement to Brian Kirby (and pasting his words), he recommends the following route North-South and v.v.: You can cut across Austria via the Fern and Reschen passes, south from Fussen to Merano and Bolzano, in a day, without needing vignettes or Go-Box, by staying off the A12 in the upper Inn valley and using the B171/L6 via Landeck. I have used the old (non-motorway) road across the Brenner, though it can be a little difficult to find the correct route through and around Innsbruck to avoid the motorways (and tolls). (there are details of it on the forum, but as yet I haven't found it using search) It can be a little daunting staying off the motorways, as you may meet a number of 3.5t limit signs. If these are NOT accompanied by a picture of a truck, they are absolute, and you shouldn't pass - if however, they ARE accompanied by a picture of a truck, they apply only to such vehicles, and then the road may be traversed by a motorcaravan. (the information is posted on this forum, but originally I found it on a German forum, and it has been endorsed by the Austrian authorities). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 We were in Austria (Salzburg) in late October and we were told that the charges for motorways were thirty euro's for our vehicle and thirty euro's for our caravan but we chose not to use their motorways. We travelled up from Lake Garda and over the old Brenner Pass Our outfit with vehicle attached will be some30/35ft X 8ft and we encountered no problems There is a site somewhere that gives all of the charges so maybe someone will come along that knows where that is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Yes Brians advice the best if over 3500Kg :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Hi Robinhood It is interesting that you say Austria is expensive, we were there for about ten days (Salzburg) and apart from the motorways, that we did not use, we simply did not find it to be expensive. Incedentially the Salzburgers, if that is right, think anyone who goes there for the Sound of Music trail are savages when there is a thriving classical music trail in the city that visitors do not seem to know anything about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Syd - 2012-01-27 11:53 AM We were in Austria (Salzburg) in late October and we were told that the charges for motorways were thirty euro's for our vehicle and thirty euro's for our caravan but we chose not to use their motorways. We travelled up from Lake Garda and over the old Brenner Pass Our outfit with vehicle attached will be some30/35ft X 8ft and we encountered no problems There is a site somewhere that gives all of the charges so maybe someone will come along that knows where that is For your future info, though the Brenner has its own tolls, the general tolls for Austrian motorways require a vignette for your car (currently €8 for 10 days, €23.40 for two months) but do NOT require additional payment for a caravan or trailer. (the same vignette prices apply to a motorhome up to a max of 3.5t, above that its a Go Box). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Syd - 2012-01-27 12:03 PM Hi Robinhood It is interesting that you say Austria is expensive, we were there for about ten days (Salzburg) and apart from the motorways, that we did not use, we simply did not find it to be expensive. Incedentially the Salzburgers, if that is right, think anyone who goes there for the Sound of Music trail are savages when there is a thriving classical music trail in the city that visitors do not seem to know anything about. Hi Syd - you've taken my comments out of context - they were in relation to the use of motorways for vehicles over 3.5t. (an extra comma in my text might have been better) Austria is one of my favourite destinations, and now my 'van is below the Go Box break point, it is back on the agenda after 5 years being off it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I thought that that might be the case but everytime anyone talks to me about Austria they always stress how expensive the country is when I always thought that it wasn't. Maybe people are taking the expensive motorways charges to read as an expensive Austria as a whole when it actually is not. Really beautiful and interesting country Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klyne Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Syd - 2012-01-27 12:38 PM I thought that that might be the case but everytime anyone talks to me about Austria they always stress how expensive the country is when I always thought that it wasn't. Maybe people are taking the expensive motorways charges to read as an expensive Austria as a whole when it actually is not. Really beautiful and interesting country Syd Austria (pre EU days) used to be expensive but now there is little difference between Austria and its neighbours. Although one plus is that diesel is cheaper in Austria than Germany. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peejay Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Assuming you are over 3500kg then I would go via Switzerland to either Acona or Venice. You don't say which ferry you are departing from but if Calais then a good cost effective route would be Calais, Tournai. Namur, Luxembourg, Metz, Strabourg,Basel, San Gottard (cost included), Como, Milan, then turn left for Venice or straight on for Ancona. Modify the route accordingly from Namur if leaving from Zeebrugge or Europoort/Hoek of Holland. In France there is a toll from Metz to Strasbourg. For Switzerland you fill in a heavy vehicle tax form at the border instead of displaying a Vignette if over 3500kg. A 10 day one costs 32.50 CHF and is valid for a year, so you can use it on the way out and on your return, you must fill out the log for every day you are in Switzerland as its a tax for the vehicle not just for when it is on the roads. It is toll all the way in Italy to either Ancona or Venice but they are not as steep as France. We are going this way mid February to Ancona (Minoan to Igoumenitsa). Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suda Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 Thankyou all for your prompt replies and especially for the most recent prices and information regarding being over 3.5t Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 You're welcome. All the detail (and much of it in English if you select the option) is available at http://www.vignette.at It can (without some previous experience or much other reading) however, be quite difficlut to pick out the relevant stuff. Over 3.5t the required Go Box will cost you (unless it has recently changed) €5, and as tourists generally cannot elect to post-pay by credit card, you will then need to pre-load the Box with enough to cover your motorway use at something close to €1 per 5km travelled. (In theory, this should be cheaper for vehicles with emissions ratings better the Euro III, but it has proved virtually impossible for tourists to have their vehicle registered as such, even when compliant!) You can see how the costs begin to mount! If simply transiting, it is worthwhile researching and using a toll-free route if over 3.5t Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazooka Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Hi Sid,we tried to use the old Brenner pass with a 4x4 and a small caravan but were stopped by police and told caravans are not allowed.He made us turn round and use the Brenner auto pass. Baz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Petes suggestion is a good one as Switzerland is hassle free and a good quick route. There can be delays at Gothard tunnel, so try and avoid weekends and easiest way is to drive through at night....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Hi bazooka We travelled this way mid/late October last year and no one said anything to us, mind there were a couple of places where it was a bit tight. Maybe at certain times of the year the pass is closed to caravans and you picked on one of those times or you met an anti Brit policeman who just messed you around. Pity because you missed some stunning views and some steep hills both up and down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 bazooka - 2012-01-27 4:19 PM Hi Sid,we tried to use the old Brenner pass with a 4x4 and a small caravan but were stopped by police and told caravans are not allowed.He made us turn round and use the Brenner auto pass. Baz Hi Baz, is this recent. It was 3yr ago when I last went over, the weight limit was 7.5t and I never saw any signs banning caravans. Doesn't matter to me because I've a M/H but just out of interest. Dave Syd got in before me but I agree with what he says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Someone put a post on myreader.co.uk on the 9 Feb 2008 saying that you can't go over the old Brenner with a caravan. So looks like Baz was lucky with the police officer, because the police are on the ball in Austria. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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