Mountain pass · 15 km off the route
Sudelfeld Pass
- Summit
- 1,123 m summit
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Road trip route · Germany · Austria
Munich to Salzburg drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 1 hr 36 min
- Distance
- 145 km
- Fuel (est.)
- €17
- Tolls (est.)
- None
The Munich to Salzburg drive
The drive from Munich to Salzburg covers 90 miles (145 km) and takes about 1 hr 36 min without stops. That makes it a comfortable one-day drive. Leave in the morning and you'll arrive with the day ahead of you.
Most of it is one road: the A8 carries 87% of the distance. You pass Rosenheim and Traunstein on the way. The border from Germany into Austria comes between Traunstein and Salzburg, about 125 km in.
There's real climbing in this one: the road gets up to roughly 703 m near Traunstein, with something like 644 m of ascent over the whole drive. The Sudelfeld Pass is 15 km off the route if you have time for a detour.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around €17 one-way with no significant motorway tolls on the way. Austria requires a motorway vignette (~€12.4 sticker (10-day/weekly)). Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 90 miles this is longer than 15% of the 144 routes covered here, short enough to fold into a bigger itinerary without losing a day. Even in a single day it crosses 2 countries, so keep documents where you can reach them.
The road, kilometre by kilometre
Towns within a few kilometres of the fastest route, with the time it takes to reach them without stopping, plus where you cross the border.
- StartMunich
- 62 kmRosenheim41 min in
- 104 kmTraunstein1 h 9 min in
- 125 kmInto Austria
- 145 kmSalzburg
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- A8126 km · 87%
- A112 km · 8%
Famous roads on or near the drive
From the 500-plus passes and driving roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app. None are on the fastest route, but these are close enough for a detour.
Mountain pass · 18 km off the route
Rossfeld Panoramastrasse
Best stops between Munich and Salzburg
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Natural Wonders
Königssee
A pristine emerald-green lake nestled between steep mountain walls, famous for its echo and the pilgrimage church of St. Bartholomä.
Castles & Palaces
Herrenchiemsee Palace
Ludwig II's unfinished replica of Versailles built on an island in Bavaria's largest lake, featuring an even longer Hall of Mirrors.
National Parks
Berchtesgaden National Park
Germany's only Alpine national park, surrounding the pristine Königssee and the dramatic Watzmann massif.
Photo Spots
Ramsau Church St. Sebastian
The 1512 parish church above the Ramsauer Ache with the Reiter Alpe behind is Bavaria's most-painted postcard; the classic angle is from the small wooden Malerwinkel footbridge a minute from the road.
Mountain Passes
Sudelfeld Pass
The 1,123 m summit of the B307 between Bayrischzell and the Tatzelwurm gorge, part of the German Alpine Road and one of Upper Bavaria's favourite weekend driving and biking loops.
What you need for this drive
Rules for each country on the route, in the order you meet them.
Germany
- Tolls
- No motorway tolls
- Must carry
- warning triangle, hi-vis vest, first-aid kit
- Winter tyres
- Required in winter conditions
Low-emission zones: Umweltzone (about 36 active, incl. Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne).
Austria
- Motorway
- 130 km/h · 50 in town
- Tolls
- Vignette (ASFINAG)
- Must carry
- warning triangle, hi-vis vest, first-aid kit
- Winter tyres
- 1 November - 15 April
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Famous drives in Germany and Austria
Legendary routes you could bolt onto this trip, with real distances and stop counts.
Großglockner High Alpine Road
Austria's most spectacular pass: 36 hairpins to 2,504m and the country's highest peak
72 km · 1.9h driving · 5 stops · 1 days
Black Forest High Road (B500)
Cuckoo clocks, dark-wood villages, cake, and a high road that floats above the canopy
158 km · 3.2h driving · 4 stops · 2 days
Romantic Road
Half-timbered villages, walled medieval towns, and Bavarian beer all the way to Neuschwanstein
333 km · 4.6h driving · 6 stops · 5 days
Munich to Salzburg FAQs
How long is the drive from Munich to Salzburg?
Driving from Munich to Salzburg takes about 1 hr 36 min nonstop, covering 90 miles (145 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Munich to Salzburg?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly €17 one-way. There are no significant motorway tolls on this route. Austria requires a motorway vignette (~€12.4 sticker (10-day/weekly)). Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Munich to Salzburg in one day?
Yes, at about 1 hr 36 min of driving, Munich to Salzburg is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
Which roads do you take from Munich to Salzburg?
The fastest route uses the A8 (about 126 km), the A1 (about 12 km). It passes Rosenheim, Traunstein.
What other drives can I plan on Plan Your Road Trips?
We publish drive times, distances and fuel estimates for 144 routes across Europe and beyond, including 13 other drives in the same country. Browse them all on the routes index.
What are the best stops between Munich and Salzburg?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Königssee, Herrenchiemsee Palace, Berchtesgaden National Park: see the full list of 5 stops on this page.
More drives from Munich & Salzburg
Berlin → MunichMunich → FrankfurtMunich → InnsbruckMunich → PragueMunich → VeniceMunich → ViennaMunich → ZurichVienna → Salzburg
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free Germany road trip planner, browse every destination we cover or the Austria planner, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in Austria guide.