Austria’s Brenner Corridor: Motorhome Toll Rules and Rising Heavy‑Vehicle Traffic

In Austria, motorhomes with a technical total mass of up to 3.5 tonnes are subject to the same vignette requirement as passenger cars. The vignette can be obtained as a sticker or digitally via the ASFINAG portal, and from 2027 the red sticker will be discontinued, leaving only the digital option.

Motorhomes exceeding 3.5 tonnes must use a GO‑Box, an electronic device that records travelled kilometres and charges a fee based on distance and axle count. The GO‑Box costs €12 and can be ordered online or at ASFINAG sales points. Vehicles registered before December 2023 but de‑laden to 3.5 tonnes remain vignette‑eligible until a transition period ends on 1 February 2029.

Traffic on the Brenner corridor is increasing. In the first half of 2026, 1.26 million trucks passed the Schönberg toll station – a 3.57 % rise on the previous year – while total vehicle movements grew by about 150 000 to 6.57 million. The aging Lueg bridge on the A13 operates with a single lane for all traffic above 3.5 tonnes since January 2025, with full dual‑lane completion expected only by the end of 2030. These factors are leading to more congestion for tourists.

The long‑planned Brenner Base Tunnel, intended to shift freight to rail, faces delays on the German side, meaning relief from road traffic will not materialise in the near term. Alternative routes such as the Gotthard, San Bernardino or Tauern tunnels are available but also experience congestion.