Open all winter, €15 each way for the tunnels, and no long closure before the end of September 2027.
From the Walserberg border to Salzburg Nord you need no vignette; beyond that you do. The A10 Tauern and Katschberg tunnels charge €15 one way for a car on top. Preparatory works until summer 2027 close single lanes and, on a few announced nights, the road. The main refurbishment starts at the end of September 2027 and runs to June 2033, with one lane each way.
A23 from Tarvisio: winter tyres or chains on board, 15 November – 15 April
Winter tyres
Austria 1 November – 15 April in wintry conditions; Slovenia 15 November – 15 March and whenever wintry
Weekend bans
None published for Salzburg in winter
The A10 runs from Salzburg south through the Tauern and Katschberg tunnels to Villach. There it splits: the A11 and the Karawanken tunnel lead to Slovenia, and the A2 and Italy's A23 to Udine. It is the usual motorway from southern Germany to Slovenia, Croatia and Friuli.
Skip the Vignette Only as Far as Salzburg Nord
Since 15 December 2019, the A1 from the German border at Walserberg to Salzburg Nord has been vignette-free, so you can drive into Salzburg without one. The A10 south of the city needs it.
2026 is the last year of the sticker; from 2027 Austria sells only the digital vignette. Online, a two-month or annual vignette is valid only from the 18th day after purchase. For a trip next week, I'd buy the ten-day vignette at €12.80.
Pay €15 at the Tunnels, Each Way
The vignette does not cover the tunnels. The A10 section from Flachau to Rennweg charges €15 one way for a car in 2026, or €7.50 for one part of it. The same again coming north.
You pay at the toll station, at a sales outlet, or online in advance as a digital section toll, tied to your plate. With the digital toll, any open lane works except the GO lane, or use the lane marked in green, and the barrier lifts on its own. If you cross often, ASFINAG sells an annual card for €90.
Plan Around the Tunnel Works, Not a Winter Closure
ASFINAG is rebuilding the Tauern and Katschberg tunnels in two stages.
Stage
When
What it means for you
Preparatory works
March 2026 – summer 2027
Single-lane stretches; on a few nights, stoppages and closures
Main refurbishment
End of September 2027 – June 2033
One lane in each direction, both in one tube
During the main stage, work pauses each year from early July to early September for the summer traffic. Winter is when the tunnels run on one lane each way.
For this winter, that means the odd night closure, announced in advance, and nothing longer. From the 2027/28 ski season onwards, budget for queues at the tunnels on Saturdays.
Turn Off for Slovenia or Italy With the Right Kit
Slovenia via the Karawanken tunnel. The A11 tunnel is another ASFINAG section toll: €9 one way for a car in 2026. Past it you need a Slovenian vignette; the shortest is seven days.
Slovenia's winter rule is strict and has dates. From 15 November to 15 March, and on any day with winter conditions, a car needs winter tyres on all wheels, or summer tyres with chains carried for the driven wheels and fitted when the road is snowy. The minimum tread is 3 mm. The rule is in the Road Traffic Rules Act, article 29, and the rules on vehicle parts and equipment, article 46.
Italy via Tarvisio. On the A23 from Palmanova to Tarvisio, kilometres 18.5 to 119.9, Autostrade per l'Italia requires winter tyres or chains on board from 15 November to 15 April. Like every Italian motorway rule of this kind, it applies whether or not it snows.
Salzburg's Weekend Bans Are a Summer Thing
Tyrol closes village roads to through traffic on winter weekends. Salzburg has done the same in summer, but I found no winter detour bans published for the Salzburg area. On the Tauern route, the queues stay on the motorway.
Parking at either end is on ParkingInEurope: Salzburg and Ljubljana.
Where to leave the car, from our sister site. Each card is the short version; the full guide has every car park, the tow pound and the charging points.
ParkingInEurope
Salzburg
Free all day Sunday, three hours on Saturday, and every central garage is 2.05 metres.
Best bet
Park & Ride, €15.00 a day, and the ticket includes the bus into town — at Messezentrum, Salzburg Süd, the Designer Outlet or the airport. At Salzburg Süd, parking alone is €6.00 for 24 hours.
Watch out
Every central garage is 2.05–2.10 m. With a ski box or roof box on the car you will not get into the Mönchsberg, and you find out at the barrier. P+R Alpenstraße Süd clears 5 m.
A car-free old town, kerbs paid every day and now at night, and a €200 tow. Park at the edge: €1.50 at a P+R buys 24 hours and two bus tickets.
Best bet
Park and ride: P+R Barje or Dolgi most, €1.50 for 24 hours including two bus tickets, paid at the Urbana machine.
Watch out
E-vignette on every motorway and expressway, ring road included: 7 days €16, fine €300. The old centre is a pedestrian zone; kerb zones charge every day 06:00–22:00, plus €2 a night.