Europe > Austria > Innsbruck
Please note that Carornocar.com is currently being revised and updated in preparation for the Summer 2021 (northern hemisphere) tourist season. It is expected that some social distancing rules will still apply. For additional Innsbruck car hire advice, please use the comments form below. |
Quick Ratings
Price band:
Innsbruck is in car rental price band: 4/10 (1 = cheapest car rental location)
General comment - based on price alone, is it worth renting a car in Innsbruck?
Sometimes. Car rental is slightly cheaper than global averages.
Volatility:
Can you expect big swings in car rental prices in Innsbruck between the peak and the off peak season?
5/10 (0 = stable prices)
Driving score: 6/10
Non car score:8/10
Balance: 1
(0 = car hire not advised / 10 = rental car essential)
General comment -
The network of rail routes around Innsbruck doesn’t initially look especially comprehensive, but Innsbruck is still an important junction on the Austrian rail network.
Why? Visiting Innsbruck using a hire car
Why do you need a car in Innsbruck ?
In & around the city
Why should you rent a car in Innsbruck?
Beyond Innsbruck
- For a sheer driving experience, motorists may want to hire a car in Innsbruck and head towards the legendary Stelvio Pass, and enjoy the many other less celebrated Alpine roads which are nearby.
- Innsbruck is the closest major airport to Stelvio, but if driving is your aim, we’d also suggest looking at getting there through the Dolomites from Venice, or via Lake Como from Milan.
- Austria also has a number of famous privately operated mountain roads, the most famous of which is the Grossglockner High Alpine road. This is slightly closer to Salzburg, although still within an easy day’s driving loop from Innsbruck. Allow around 3 hours to get to the start of the route.
- The highest paved Alpine road in Europe is the Ötztal Glacier Road, which runs south from Soelden and across into Italy, heading towards Bolzano.
Driving in into Germany?
In & around Innsbruck
Innsbruck also offers some amazing alpine experiences which are very easy to access right from the city itself, using nothing other than local cable cars or funiculars:
Why not? Visiting Innsbruck without a car
Why don't you need a car in Innsbruck ?
Beyond Innsbruck without a car
Ratings: How does Innsbruck compare?
Is it worth hiring a car in Innsbruck? TBC
This is based on a rough consideration of the costs of renting a car in Innsbruck, and how this compares with the costs of using public transport. The answer to this varies hugely from one destination to the next, based on a wide range of factors. It's based on renting a car at the airport (TBC), and driving for an average of 2-3 hours on open roads on most days.
How does this compare if:
You are travelling:
Solo / As couple / small family / larger family / senior couple etc
Does car rental make sense on different budgets?
Do you need to hire a car in Innsbruck? TBC
This is based strictly on whether or no we think it's possible to visit Innsbruck (and the surrounding area) without using a car. Of the three key questions, this one is the most likely to be a "no".
Should you rent a car in Innsbruck? TBC
This is a balance of all factors. Remember this is an answer to the question for people who are already asking it. That's why the answer might still be a "yes", even when public transport is good.
See global comparisons
Hiring | Driving | Parking
Trains | Buses | Local travel
Car hire basics:
Public transportation basics:
Regular bus services: YES
Coach (inter-city): YES
Tram: NO
Metro: NO
Commuter Rail:
High Speed Rail:
Rail type (end stub / through / junction / hub):
As you start ....
Does Innsbruck airport have a direct rail link?
(Yes - within terminal / adjacent / short walk) (Yes - bus transfer / other) No
Changelog
Has our advice for Innsbruck car rental changed over time, or has it been pretty constant?
2017 - 2
2019 - 3
2021 - 1
Average score - 2
Notes:
Should you rent a car in Innsbruck? Given that there are a number of great driving roads which can be explored from Innsbruck, it might seem surprising that we are still rating it as a “non car” destination. This is partly because Innsbruck is also still a good place to start an Alpine experience without needing to use a hire car, as local trains and buses still provide plenty of connections to the slopes.
Innsbruck really does offer an amazing range of options whether you hire a car or not – but on balance, it’s well worth looking at non-car options first.
Summary
Do you or don't you need a car in Innsbruck ?
Europe > Austria > Salzburg
Please note that Carornocar.com is currently being revised and updated in preparation for the Summer 2021 (northern hemisphere) tourist season. It is expected that some social distancing rules will still apply. For additional Salzburg car hire advice, please use the comments form below. |
Quick Ratings
Price band:
Salzburg is in car rental price band: 6/10 (1 = cheapest car rental location)
General comment - based on price alone, is it worth renting a car in Salzburg?
Sometimes. Car rental is slightly more expensive than global averages.
Volatility:
Can you expect big swings in car rental prices in Salzburg between the peak and the off peak season?
5/10 (0 = stable prices)
Driving score: 6/10
Non car score:8/10
Balance: 2
(0 = car hire not advised / 10 = rental car essential)
General comment -
Needless to say, a hire car would be utterly pointless within the city of Salzburg itself – the airport is very close to the city centre, there are plenty of buses operating between the airport and the city, and there are also various rail services operating nearby.
Why? Visiting Salzburg using a hire car
Why do you need a car in Salzburg ?
- Hire a car in Salzburg to drive any of the amazing high alpine roads.
- The rail network is decent around Salzburg, but is less good further south.
Why not? Visiting Salzburg without a car
Why don't you need a car in Salzburg ?
For visitors who are just here for the skiing, then there are also plenty of resort transfers provided from Salzburg airport, and even outside the ski season there are regular train services heading into the mountains and these are supplemented by a good network of local buses. Of course, as with anywhere else, getting a hire car in Salzburg is still going to be useful for accessing mountainous areas at your own pace, and the Grossglockner Road is widely rated as one of Europe’s great driving experiences.
See also our suggestions for driving or non-car trips around Innsbruck, ad there is a lot of overlap between the two cities. Neuschwanstein Castle is also an easy day trip from Salzburg
Ratings: How does Salzburg compare?
Is it worth hiring a car in Salzburg? TBC
This is based on a rough consideration of the costs of renting a car in Salzburg, and how this compares with the costs of using public transport. The answer to this varies hugely from one destination to the next, based on a wide range of factors. It's based on renting a car at the airport (TBC), and driving for an average of 2-3 hours on open roads on most days.
How does this compare if:
You are travelling:
Solo / As couple / small family / larger family / senior couple etc
Does car rental make sense on different budgets?
Do you need to hire a car in Salzburg? TBC
This is based strictly on whether or no we think it's possible to visit Salzburg (and the surrounding area) without using a car. Of the three key questions, this one is the most likely to be a "no".
Should you rent a car in Salzburg? TBC
This is a balance of all factors. Remember this is an answer to the question for people who are already asking it. That's why the answer might still be a "yes", even when public transport is good.
See global comparisons
Hiring | Driving | Parking
Trains | Buses | Local travel
Car hire basics:
Public transportation basics:
Regular bus services: YES
Coach (inter-city): YES
Tram: NO
Metro: NO
Commuter Rail:
High Speed Rail:
Rail type (end stub / through / junction / hub):
As you start ....
Does Salzburg airport have a direct rail link?
(Yes - within terminal / adjacent / short walk) (Yes - bus transfer / other) No
Changelog
Has our advice for Salzburg car rental changed over time, or has it been pretty constant?
2017 - 3
2019 - 4
2021 - 2
Average score - 3
Notes:
However, we think that the most visitors Salzburg car hire isn’t really that necessary, so our verdict is a no.
Should you rent a car in Salzburg? No
Summary
Do you or don't you need a car in Salzburg ?
Europe > Austria > Vienna
Please note that Carornocar.com is currently being revised and updated in preparation for the Summer 2021 (northern hemisphere) tourist season. It is expected that some social distancing rules will still apply. For additional Vienna car hire advice, please use the comments form below. |
Quick Ratings
Price band:
Vienna is in car rental price band: 4/10 (1 = cheapest car rental location)
General comment - based on price alone, is it worth renting a car in Vienna?
Sometimes. Car rental is slightly cheaper than global averages.
Volatility:
Can you expect big swings in car rental prices in Vienna between the peak and the off peak season?
5/10 (0 = stable prices)
Driving score: 2/10
Non car score:9/10
Balance: 1
(0 = car hire not advised / 10 = rental car essential)
General comment -
The Austrian capital remains one of Europe’s most impressive cities to visit, and even if you can’t easily find direct flights there, you can always travel to nearby Bratislava just across the border in Slovakia, and pop across to Vienna from there. Given that these two venues can easily make a combined dual city break, is there really any need to even consider getting a hire car?
Why? Visiting Vienna using a hire car
Why do you need a car in Vienna ?
Why should you hire a car in Vienna?
Why not? Visiting Vienna without a car
Why don't you need a car in Vienna ?
Ratings: How does Vienna compare?
Is it worth hiring a car in Vienna? TBC
This is based on a rough consideration of the costs of renting a car in Vienna, and how this compares with the costs of using public transport. The answer to this varies hugely from one destination to the next, based on a wide range of factors. It's based on renting a car at the airport (TBC), and driving for an average of 2-3 hours on open roads on most days.
How does this compare if:
You are travelling:
Solo / As couple / small family / larger family / senior couple etc
Does car rental make sense on different budgets?
Do you need to hire a car in Vienna? TBC
This is based strictly on whether or no we think it's possible to visit Vienna (and the surrounding area) without using a car. Of the three key questions, this one is the most likely to be a "no".
Should you rent a car in Vienna? TBC
This is a balance of all factors. Remember this is an answer to the question for people who are already asking it. That's why the answer might still be a "yes", even when public transport is good.
See global comparisons
Hiring | Driving | Parking
Trains | Buses | Local travel
Car hire basics:
Public transportation basics:
Regular bus services: YES
Coach (inter-city): YES
Tram: NO
Metro: NO
Commuter Rail:
High Speed Rail:
Rail type (end stub / through / junction / hub):
As you start ....
Does Vienna airport have a direct rail link?
(Yes - within terminal / adjacent / short walk) (Yes - bus transfer / other) No
Changelog
Has our advice for Vienna car rental changed over time, or has it been pretty constant?
2017 - 1
2019 - 1
2021 - 1
Average score - 1
Notes:
It would be easy to sum Vienna up by saying there’s just no need at all to get a hire car, but when I visited, I spent a day and a half in the city itself, and then picked up a hire car at Vienna airport and drove down to Bad Blumau. I was planning to exit via Graz anyway, and having a hire car made a lot of sense to travel between the two places.
Should I hire a car in Vienna? Naturally, a car will give you more options for excursions, but for the most scenic parts of the Austrian Alps, we would recommend taking flights to Salzburg or Innsbruck in the first place. We’ve covered a lot of Alps, including western Austria in our Zurich car hire guide.
Another option would be to pop across to Bratislava in neighbouring Slovakia, which has some of the worst driving standards in Europe. Much better to stick to trains and trams!
Although there are a few other options for excursions in a hire car from Vienna, there are plenty of options for getting out and about by rail too, made all the more easy by the new central station.
Summary
Do you or don't you need a car in Vienna ?