Driving to the ski slopes 2026/27
We check what the vignettes cost on the way in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria. Then we explain where winter tyres and snow chains are required, and finally the Austrian motorway sections that are charged separately.
Vignettes and road tolls
In the Czech Republic and Slovakia vignettes are electronic. You buy them for your registration number and nothing is stuck on the windscreen. Austria is in a transition period: for 2026 you can still choose a sticker vignette, valid immediately, or a digital one, but from the 2027 vignette (valid from 1 December 2026) only the digital version remains. Germany is the simplest. Motorway tolls there are paid only by goods vehicles over 3.5 t, so a car does not need a vignette.
Austrian digital vignette bought online. With the 1‑day and 10‑day vignettes from the ASFINAG shop, the buyer chooses when it starts, which can be straight away. With the 2‑month and annual vignettes bought online you need to plan ahead, because they are valid no earlier than the 18th day after purchase: the buyer has the right to withdraw from a distance contract. A 2026 sticker bought at a sales outlet can be stuck on and used immediately.
Winter tyres and snow chains: the rules in each country
A calendar date alone does not decide whether a car must have winter tyres. In the countries on the way to the Alps it depends on road conditions or signs, and where the rules give dates, they only set the period in which the requirement can apply. Snow chains go on the driven wheels.
| Country | Winter tyres | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | from 1 November to 31 March, when the road has a continuous layer of snow, ice or frost or can be expected; minimum tread 4 mm | § 40a of Act 361/2000 Sb. (opens in a new tab) |
| Austria | from 1 November to 15 April in snow, slush or ice, on all wheels; snow chains on at least two driven wheels instead of winter tyres only on a road with a continuous or almost unbroken layer of snow or ice | § 102(8a) KFG (opens in a new tab) |
| Germany | in black ice, snow, slush or frost; only tyres with the mountain and snowflake symbol (3PMSF) | § 2(3a) StVO (opens in a new tab) |
| Italy | on roads where the road authority requires it by a sign: winter tyres, or snow chains or other anti-skid devices carried in the car; outside built-up areas, when heavy snowfall is forecast, the authority can require winter tyres only, and then snow chains are not enough | Art. 6(4)(e) and (f-bis) of the Italian Highway Code (opens in a new tab) |
Car kit: a checklist before you go
Safety
Documents and tolls
For winter and the road
Questions and answers
When does an Austrian vignette bought online become valid?
It depends on the type. A digital 1‑day or 10‑day vignette from the ASFINAG shop can be bought to start straight away. For a 2‑month or annual vignette bought online you have to wait, because it is valid no earlier than the 18th day after purchase, due to the right to withdraw from a distance contract. A 2026 sticker from a sales outlet is valid immediately, but from the 2027 vignette (valid from 1 December 2026) there is no sticker version any more.
How much is the Austrian vignette in 2026?
For a car in 2026 you pay €9.60 for 1 day, €12.80 for 10 days, €32 for 2 months and €106.80 for the whole year. Driving through the Brenner, Tauern, Arlberg and Karawanken costs extra, regardless of the vignette.
How much is the Czech e-vignette in 2026?
A car driver pays CZK 230 for 1 day, CZK 300 for 10 days, CZK 480 for 30 days or CZK 2,570 for a year. You buy the e-vignette on edalnice.gov.cz by entering your registration number, so there is nothing to stick on.
Do you need winter tyres in Austria?
Yes, although the requirement depends on conditions. From 1 November to 15 April, if there is snow, slush or ice on the road, a car must have winter tyres on all wheels. Snow chains fitted to at least two driven wheels can replace them only on a road covered with a continuous or almost unbroken layer of snow or ice.