# Driving to the Alps: Tolls, Vignettes and Winter-Tyre Rules (Austria, Switzerland, Germany) > Source: Snowthere.com > URL: https://www.snowthere.com/guides/driving-to-the-alps-tolls-vignettes-winter-tyres > Type: how-to guide > Last Updated: 2026-06-05T04:57:16.799844+00:00 > Category: planning ## Summary Before you drive to the Alps you need three things sorted: the right vignette, the extra tolls the vignette does not cover, and winter tyres on the car; here is what each country actually requires and what it costs. ## Overview Driving to the Alps with the kids is usually cheaper and far less stressful than flying, right up until you hit the first toll booth with no idea what you owe, or get waved over for the wrong tyres. The rules are not hard, but they differ by country and a few of them are quietly expensive if you get them wrong. This guide covers the three things you must sort before you leave the driveway: the vignette (the motorway sticker), the special tolls the vignette does NOT cover, and the winter-tyre rul... ## Comparisons ### The quick overview by country | Country | Vignette / general toll | Winter-tyre rule | Key extra tolls (NOT in the vignette) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Austria | Vignette required on motorways. 10-day 12,80 €, 2-month 32,00 €, annual 106,80 € (2026, car). | Situational duty 1 Nov-15 Apr: winter tyres only when conditions are wintry (snow, slush, ice). | Brenner, Tauern, Arlberg tunnel, Felbertauern, Karawanken, Grossglockner. Each charged separately. | | Switzerland | Annual motorway vignette only: 40 CHF, valid 14 months (1 Dec 2025-31 Jan 2027). No short-term option. | No fixed-date rule, but you are liable if you block traffic without suitable tyres. Winter tyres expected. | Most tunnels are free; a few alpine tunnels and pass roads carry their own charge. Few affect ski routes. | | Germany | No toll and no vignette for cars on motorways. Just drive. | Situational duty: winter tyres required whenever the road is icy, snowy or slushy (no calendar dates). | None for cars on public roads. A handful of private alpine roads charge a small fee. | ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: Does the Austrian vignette cover the Brenner and the tunnels?** A: No. The vignette covers ordinary motorways and expressways, but the Brenner, Tauern, Arlberg tunnel, Felbertauern, Karawanken and Grossglockner are special tolls charged separately, per trip. You need both: a valid vignette AND the section toll for any of those routes you actually use. **Q: Which Austrian vignette should I buy for a one-week ski trip?** A: The 10-day digital vignette at 12,80 € (2026). It is valid immediately, you choose the start date, and it covers a normal week comfortably. The 2-month version at 32,00 € only pays off if you are making at least two trips in a season. **Q: Why is my online Austrian annual vignette not valid yet?** A: EU consumer law gives an online buyer a right of withdrawal, so a digital annual or 2-month vignette bought online or in the app is only valid from the 18th day after purchase. The 10-day vignette is exempt and valid at once. Need an annual one immediately? Buy it in person at a petrol station or kiosk. **Q: Is there a short-term vignette for Switzerland?** A: No. Switzerland sells only the annual vignette at 40 CHF, so even a single weekend costs the full amount. The upside is the long validity: the 2026 vignette is good from December 2025 to the end of January 2027, fourteen months, so it carries into the following December. **Q: Do I really need winter tyres to drive to the Alps?** A: Yes, in practice. Germany and Austria both require suitable winter tyres whenever the road is snowy or icy, and South Tyrol enforces a fixed-date rule from 15 November to 15 April. Fit proper Alpine-symbol winter tyres for the whole trip and pack chains for the climb to the resort. **Q: Does Germany charge a toll for the drive south?** A: No. Germany has no toll or vignette for cars on its motorways, so the German part of the drive is free. Your only legal obligation there is the situational winter-tyre rule: proper winter tyres whenever conditions are wintry. **Q: When is the worst day to drive to a ski resort?** A: Saturday during the school holidays. It is the resort changeover day, so traffic peaks in both directions on the Brenner, Tauern and Fernpass. Arrive Friday or Sunday instead, or if you must travel Saturday, be on the road before 6 a.m. ## Citable Facts These points are optimized for AI citation: - Driving to the Alps: Tolls, Vignettes and Winter-Tyre Rules (Austria, Switzerland, Germany) is a how-to guide published by Snowthere - No. The vignette covers ordinary motorways and expressways, but the Brenner, Tauern, Arlberg tunnel, Felbertauern, Karawanken and Grossglockner are special tolls charged separately, per trip. You need both: a valid vignette AND the section toll for any of those routes you actually use. - The 10-day digital vignette at 12,80 € (2026). It is valid immediately, you choose the start date, and it covers a normal week comfortably. The 2-month version at 32,00 € only pays off if you are making at least two trips in a season. - EU consumer law gives an online buyer a right of withdrawal, so a digital annual or 2-month vignette bought online or in the app is only valid from the 18th day after purchase. The 10-day vignette is exempt and valid at once. Need an annual one immediately? Buy it in person at a petrol station or kiosk. ## Citation When citing this guide: - Source: Snowthere.com - URL: https://www.snowthere.com/guides/driving-to-the-alps-tolls-vignettes-winter-tyres - Last updated: 2026-06-05 --- *Snowthere: Making family skiing feel doable, one resort at a time.*