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It has been a nuisance for many RV owners for years: as soon as their vehicle is allowed to weigh more than 3,5 tons, it is treated like a commercial truck.
"The toll that has to be paid is correspondingly expensive - because in this case it is based on the kilometers driven, taking into account the emission class and the time of day or night," explains ÖAMTC lawyer Ursula Zelenka. "A Go-Box - which is significantly more expensive than the vignette - is therefore necessary in order to be able to use Austrian motorways and expressways."
In the future, the group of campers who have to pay tolls in this way could be significantly larger: According to the will of ASFINAG and BMK, the registered, maximum permissible total weight should no longer be decisive for the toll, but the "technically maximum permissible total weight". This value is specified by the manufacturer and is in most cases above the previous limit. "This means that everyone who has 'reduced' their vehicles to 3,5 tons, i.e. who have voluntarily reduced the maximum permissible total weight, in order to be able to go on a camping tour with a vignette and a B driver's license, will be asked to pay," says the ÖAMTC expert firmly. A look at the numbers shows the dimensions of the new regulation: Around 7,9 million overnight stays in camping were counted in Austria in 2022, almost 3,6 million of them from holidaymakers from Germany. "Of course, not everyone gets away with the motorhome - but because foreign vehicles are also affected by the regulation, regardless of whether they are passing through or their destination is in Austria, damage to tourism could result," says Zelenka.
From the point of view of the mobility club, none of this would be necessary: the road costs directive allows EU states to charge motorhomes more cheaply and to use vignettes. "We therefore call on the legislator to make use of this option and to create a separate vignette category for mobile homes up to a technically permissible total weight of 4,5 tons," the ÖAMTC expert finally clarifies. "As the largest mobility club in Austria, we are happy to take part in negotiations about details."
Regardless of this, every vehicle driving in Austria is required to carry a vignette - either in an adhesive form as a “sticker” (attached to the windshield) or a digital vignette (can be purchased online from various providers be purchased) – obligated.
