Car & Van Hire - Linz

The third-largest city in Austria stands on the banks of the famous Danube River. It is known for its fine cultural attractions, with a wealth of art galleries, museums and beautiful old buildings. You can also use it as a gateway for exploring the surrounding area, with the river providing the opportunity to try a number of fun water activities.

Linz Schloss, the city's castle, is an imposing building right beside the river. A castle was first built on this site in the 9th century, but the current building was started in the 16th century. Today it houses a museum that contains a number of eclectic artefacts from the history of Linz. You can see exhibits from the days of the Romans and the medieval period. With artworks, armour, weapons and other items on display, the castle museum is a great way to spend a morning.

There are many art galleries around Linz, but perhaps the best is the Lentos Kunstmuseum, with over 1,500 pieces on display. There are works by great Austrian artists like Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, as well as painters from other countries.

For something entirely different, go to the Ars Electronica Centre. While most of the city of Linz consists of charming old buildings, this cutting-edge museum is totally modern. In fact, it's been called the Museum of the Future. Here you can see exhibits about technology, climate change, robotics and space exploration. It's a fascinating place to visit, but even if you're not into the exhibits, you can enjoy it. Come after dark to see the centre's colourful illuminations for an evening light show on the banks of the Danube.

Car hire in Linz allows you to see interesting nearby places outside the city. For example, the St Florian Abbey, an old Augustinian abbey, is 20 minutes' drive away. St Florian, martyred in the year 304, is buried here, and a religious community in his honour first flourished in the early 9th century. The present building was completed in the year 1751. It is still in use and is famous for its choir. If you time your visit right, you can take in a concert. If not, you can still spend a few hours admiring the beautiful Baroque architecture and artwork.

Another excellent day trip you can enjoy via car or van hire in Linz will take you to Wels. This charming old town is known for being one of the best examples of traditional Austrian architecture. It is packed with old Baroque buildings and has delightful artisan shops and restaurants in traditional shopfronts. While in the area, you might want to continue south to Windischgarsten, a lovely town with facilities for winter sports and lots of spas and wellness centres.

Linz city centre is divided into several different short-term parking areas, with spots marked in blue. The maximum parking time is usually three hours, though it may be less in some areas. There are parking apps available, allowing you to pay for a space using your phone. If you need more time, you can seek out one of the city's car parks. A few are free, including the car parks at Kremsmünsterer Straße 23, Ferihumerstraße 62 and the Stadionparkplatz. Others have fees. You will need to pay to use an underground or multi-storey car park, which is strongly recommended in the winter months.

When driving outside cities in Austria, you are legally obliged to have a vignette in your car. These pre-paid toll stickers give you access to the country's system of motorways. There are a number of different options available, with the cheapest being a 10-day vignette. If you are caught without one, you will be fined.

Winter tyres are mandatory from 1 November to 15 April. There are no country-wide regulations about snow chains. However, local police have the power to announce compulsory snow chains for a short period if necessary. If driving in winter, take care. Harsh winter conditions are a fact of life in Austria, so roads are regularly cleared. You should still be careful, particularly if you are driving on back roads. Watch out for hazardous black ice, and never drive at night in winter if you can help it. There are some English-language radio stations available for you to listen out for local weather announcements.

Linz is close to the borders with Germany and Czechia, and travellers often plan a multi-country road trip. If you would like to make any international border crossings, be sure to speak with your Enterprise Rent-a-Car agent. All three of these countries are part of the Schengen common travel area, so there are no border controls. If you plan to drive into Czechia, you will need to change money, as the euro - the legal currency in both Austria and Germany - is not used there.
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