Car rentals in Salzburg

Part of our guide to car hire in Austria.

Driving and Parking in Salzburg: What You Need to Know

• Driving side and limits: Austria drives on the right. Limits are 50 km/h in towns, 100 km/h on rural roads and 130 km/h on motorways. Holding a phone while driving is banned, and the blood alcohol limit is 0.5 per mille.
• Vignette: Motorways and expressways need a vignette. The supplier states that Austrian rentals include the required vignette, so confirm it at collection rather than buying a second one. Separate tolls apply on some Alpine sections, including the A10 Tauern motorway south of Salzburg, which the vignette does not cover.
• The July and August city centre rule: In July and August 2026 the city restricted the centre around the Staatsbrücke to cars registered in the Salzburg area, with exceptions for hotel guests, delivery traffic, people with disabilities and people working in the Altstadt. Entry points were Müllner Hügel, Neutor, Imbergstrasse and Schwarzstrasse. The city has said the rule may be extended, so check the current position before a summer trip and plan to leave the car outside the centre.
• Winter tyres and equipment: From 1 November to 15 April, winter tyres or snow chains are required when the road is covered in snow, slush or ice, and chains are compulsory on signed Alpine routes. A warning triangle, a first-aid kit and a high-visibility vest must be in the car, and the vest is worn when you leave the vehicle on a motorway. Check all three and ask which tyres the car carries before you drive away, and photograph the car at collection so that any existing marks are recorded.
• Short-stay zones: All parking areas in the city centre are short-stay zones. One guide lists charges Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm at coin-operated street machines, with free parking on Saturday afternoons if you display your arrival time, so read the signs rather than relying on blue lines. The same guide gives a maximum stay of three hours on Saturdays, and the limit and hours can change, so the sign at the space is the rule that counts.
• Mönchsberg garage: The Mönchsberggarage, officially Altstadtgarage 1 and 2, is built into the Mönchsberg rock and is the most central garage for the Old Town. Shops and restaurants in the Old Town can stamp your ticket for a discount.
• Park and ride: The city runs four park and ride sites with more than 4,000 spaces, including P+R Süd and P+R Messe at the exhibition centre, which has both a multi-storey car park and an open lot. The sites connect directly to city buses or local trains. A combined ticket costs €15 a day and covers a car and day bus travel for up to five people, and in July and August it costs €7.50. The car must leave by midnight on the day of use.
• Near the station: Free parking can still be found in streets around the railway station, in northern Parsch, south of Nonntal and in parts of Maxglan, though these areas are shrinking and are about a 20 minute walk from the centre.
• Airport and the road to Germany: Salzburg Airport lies about 4 km from the centre, roughly 15 minutes by car. The Bavarian border is close, and Munich is about 141 km away, in roughly 1 hour 25 minutes, so confirm that your hire allows travel into Germany.

Top Places to Visit from Salzburg by Car

• Berchtesgaden — about 23 km south-west, in roughly 24 minutes. The Bavarian Alpine town lies across the German border, so check the supplier's cross-border terms before you go. It is the shortest mountain trip from the city.
• Werfen — about 44 km south, in roughly 31 minutes. The village in the Salzach valley sits below its hilltop fortress, and the road follows the river, which makes it an easy half-day. Check opening times for the fortress and the nearby ice caves before you set out, since both are seasonal.
• St Wolfgang — about 49 km east, in roughly 45 minutes. The lakeside village on the Wolfgangsee is in the Salzkammergut region, so allow extra time in summer.
• Hallstatt — about 75 km south-east, in roughly 1 hour. The lakeside village is a popular destination, so arrive early and allow more time on summer weekends.
• Zell am See — about 81 km south, in roughly 1 hour 13 minutes. The lake resort lies in the Pinzgau valley, and the route suits a full day with the lake and the mountains behind it.
• Munich — about 141 km west, in roughly 1 hour 25 minutes. The route crosses into Germany, so confirm with the supplier that your hire allows it. It is a full day trip, or a one-way drop-off if the supplier offers it.
• Vienna — about 296 km east, in roughly 2 hours 51 minutes. It is a long day rather than a day trip, so most visitors treat it as a one-way journey or break it at the lakes of the Salzkammergut.

When is the Best Time to Hire a Car in Salzburg?

Peak season: July and August are the busiest months. The Salzburg Festival fills the city from 17 July to 30 August in 2026 and from 16 July to 29 August in 2027, and the 2026 centre restriction covered the same two months. The Christkindlmarkt at the Dom- and Residenzplatz runs from 20 November 2026 to 1 January 2027.

Shoulder season: May, June, September and October are quieter, with easier parking and lighter traffic on the lake roads of the Salzkammergut.

Low season: November outside the Christmas market and January to March are the quietest months in the city, though the roads to the ski areas in the south carry their own weekend traffic.

Event and weather planning: Hotels and car parks fill first around the festival and the Advent weekends, and the park and ride sites are the fallback when the centre is full. In winter, allow extra time on the roads towards Berchtesgaden, Zell am See and the lakes, and check tyre and chain requirements before you leave.

Advance booking: Book several weeks ahead for the festival and the Christmas market, and early for automatic cars, since most cars in Austria are manual. Free cancellation means booking early carries no penalty.

How Payment Works for Car Hire in Salzburg

A rental prepayment confirms your booking online with Instant Confirmation, and you pay the balance directly to the supplier on arrival. The price and vehicle class shown at booking are the terms you receive at the desk, and cancellation is free. The supplier may place an excess hold on the main driver's credit card, so check that the card in the driver's name has enough available limit.

Car Hire Suppliers in Salzburg

Car hire in Salzburg is available through the following supplier.

• U-Save Car Rental

Car Hire Pick-Up Locations in Salzburg

Your booking confirmation from eCarBookers locks in your price and your vehicle class before you arrive. You pay the balance at the desk on collection, and the terms confirmed at booking are the terms you receive. Always confirm your hire in advance to guarantee your price from the moment you collect the keys.

• Salzburg Airport (SZG)
• Salzburg Railway Station
• Salzburg Downtown