Cheap Car Rental in Salzburg

Car Rental in Salzburg: driving The Mozart City

Salzburg is an exciting and beautiful city for nature-lovers, art-enthusiasts, history fans and festival-goers alike. Some of western civilization’s most spectacular architecture is located in Salzburg, a city nestled between even more breath-taking mountains. The buzz of the city is sure to keep visitors thoroughly amused throughout their visit, with the many culinary delights fully satisfying their taste buds. While the inner city is quite walkable, a drive through Salzburg’s surroundings is well worth the time and investment. Book your rental car today!

Most tourists visit Salzburg in the summer months, starting in June, to take advantage of summer festivals and warm weather. To avoid the crowds, but still experience typically comfortable outdoor weather, visit the city in September or October.

Most residents of Salzburg speak an Austro-Bavarian dialect of German, though Standard German (or Hochdeutsch) is taught in schools. Younger generations and people in tourist areas are likely to speak fluent English. Road signs, however, are normally only in German, so having a dictionary or language guidebook on hand is recommended.

Salzburg is in the Central European Time Zone, UTC+1.

The currency, as in most of the European Union, is the euro, and credit cards are accepted at most restaurants and shops. ATMs are also widely available. You will want to have cash on hand for visits to smaller grocery stores, bakeries, and butcher shops.

Car hire is available in three locations throughout Salzburg: at the Salzburg W.A. Mozart International Airport (SZG), downtown, and at the central railway station.

Visa Regulations

As one of the countries that has signed the Schengen Agreement, Austria accepts visitors visa-free from countries such as the EU, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Australia. Citizens of other countries will be required to apply for a visa before they arrive and are permitted to stay for up to three months.

Driving in Salzburg

While you don’t need a car to navigate central Salzburg, you’ll definitely want to take full advantage of your visit to the area by driving through the Austrian Alps. There are numerous excellent stops within easy driving distance of Salzburg that will give you a much deeper experience of this beautiful area, not least Berchtesgaden and Lake Hallstatt.

Right-Hand Driving

• Traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road throughout continental Europe.

Speed Limits

• In the city: 50 km/h
• On highways: 100 km/h
• On the Autobahn: 130 km/h
• To stay out of traffic jams in the Salzburg area, avoid driving during the morning until about 9:30 am and in the late afternoon, starting at about 3:30 pm.

Other Regulations

1. Parking is limited in downtown Salzburg, and you’ll likely find that street parking is only permitted for up to 2 hours. For longer stays, take advantage of numerous parking garages or ask your hotel for complementary off-street parking.
2. An international driver’s permit is required to rent and drive in Austria.
3. All of Austria’s major highways require that your car is outfitted with a vignette, the cost of which varies depending on the length of time you purchase it for. Ask your rental company if they can supply a vignette for you. Some tunnels and mountain passes require the payment of tolls in addition to the vignette.
4. While the minimum driving age in Austria is 18, you will likely have to be at least 19 years old to rent a car. Some car rental agencies may require you to be at least 21 years old and most agencies will charge extra for all drivers under the age of 25.

Cheap Car Rental in Salzburg

Automobile hire in Salzburg typically starts at around $35 a day. Here are some of the best deals in Salzburg:

• Fiat Panda or similar (mini class) – $35/day
• Skoda Fabia or similar (economy class) – $38/day
• Opel Astra or similar (compact class) – $42/day
• Skoda Rapid or similar (intermediate class) – $51/day
• Ford Mondeo or similar (standard class) – $54/day

Note that prices vary depending on the availability of each specific car and the season in which you rent. For the most accurate offers, use the search bar above.

Tips for Renting a Car Inexpensively in Salzburg

There is not much seasonal variation in price for rental cars in Salzburg, where cars are typically available for just over $30 a day throughout the city, particularly when discounts of around 10% are taken into account. Companies such as GLOBAL Rent-a-Car and Megadrive typically offer the cheapest rental options in Salzburg.

There’s not one particular place and time to grab the cheapest deal in Salzburg, so it’s well worth your time to check prices for your specific rental period at the airport, railway station and downtown. Especially since if you find a discount of at least 10%, you may be able to rent a better car at a cheaper price at one location than a standard car at another.

You’ll typically find the best discounts if you book your rental car at least two months in advance of your arrival. You can also typically save over $10 a day by extending your rental period to over a week!