VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
The Grossglockner road by motorhome, from Salzburg
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road by motorhome: toll, gradients, where to sleep, opening season and a 3-day itinerary from Salzburg.
The Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse is Austria's most famous alpine road: 48 km of hairpins up to 2,571 m at the Edelweissspitze, facing the country's highest peak (3,798 m) and its glacier. In a motorhome it demands respect but drives beautifully — here's how.
From Salzburg: the approach
Count 1.5 hours from Salzburg to Bruck an der Grossglocknerstrasse, the northern gate, via Zell am See — a pleasant staging post with several lakeside campsites. The road is open from early May to early November, daytime only; in May and October, walls of snow still line the tarmac.
Toll and vehicle size
It's a private toll road: about €45 per vehicle up to 3.5 t (day ticket), not covered by the Austrian motorway vignette — which you still need for the approach. Gradients reach 12%: climb in a low gear and, above all, descend on engine braking, not the brakes. A campervan or semi-integrated RV manages easily; in an 8 m A-class, drive early to meet less traffic in the hairpins.
Where to sleep
Overnighting on the road itself is not allowed (car parks close at night). Southern base: Heiligenblut, a postcard village with a campsite. Northern base: Zell am See or Bruck, with plenty of sites and stopovers. The ideal plan: one night each side, with a full day on the road — Edelweissspitze, the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe viewpoint and its marmots, the Pasterze glacier trails.
3-day budget from Salzburg
- Campervan: €85–140/day in summer on Yescapa, Goboony, Roadsurfer or Indie Campers.
- Grossglockner toll + vignette: about €60.
- Fuel (250 km, mountain included): €50–60.
- Two campsite nights: €50–80.
First time in the mountains? Our guide to driving a motorhome for the first time covers the essential reflexes before you set off. And with a fourth day in hand, add a detour to the Krimml waterfalls — Europe's highest — on the way back to Salzburg.