Scenic Viewpoints
Danube Valley (Donautal)
The scenic Austrian stretch of the Danube from Passau to Vienna, passing Baroque abbeys, ruined castles, and the Wachau wine region.
← All routes
Road trip route · Germany · Austria
Munich to Vienna drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 4 hr 25 min
- Distance
- 403 km
- Fuel (est.)
- €48
- Tolls (est.)
- None
The Munich to Vienna drive
The drive from Munich to Vienna covers 250 miles (403 km) and takes about 4 hr 25 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.
It's split between the A1, the A8 and the B148, with no single road carrying more than 41% of it. You pass Waldkraiburg, Traun and Amstetten on the way. The border from Germany into Austria comes between Waldkraiburg and Traun, about 146 km in.
Expect gentle hills rather than climbs. The high point is around 527 m near Munich.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around €48 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 250 miles this is longer than 69% of the 144 routes covered here. 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
- 67 kmWaldkraiburg44 min in
- 146 kmInto Austria
- 225 kmTraun2 h 28 min ingood place to stop
- 278 kmAmstetten3 h 3 min in
- 403 kmVienna
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- A1165 km · 41%
- A850 km · 12%
- B14837 km · 9%
- A2521 km · 5%
Best stops between Munich and Vienna
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
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 Vienna FAQs
How long is the drive from Munich to Vienna?
Driving from Munich to Vienna takes about 4 hr 25 min nonstop, covering 250 miles (403 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Munich to Vienna?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly €48 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 Vienna in one day?
Yes, at about 4 hr 25 min of driving, Munich to Vienna is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
Which roads do you take from Munich to Vienna?
The fastest route uses the A1 (about 165 km), the A8 (about 50 km), the B148 (about 37 km), the A25 (about 21 km). It passes Waldkraiburg, Traun, Amstetten.
Where should I stop on the way from Munich to Vienna?
If you stop every couple of hours, Traun comes up about 2 h in. All are just off the main road.
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.
More drives from Munich & Vienna
Berlin → MunichMunich → FrankfurtMunich → InnsbruckMunich → PragueMunich → SalzburgMunich → VeniceMunich → ZurichVienna → BudapestVienna → PragueVienna → 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.