Swiss motorists cross into Austria for cheaper fuel

Swiss drivers are taking the search for bargains to the fuel pump. As prices climb amid conflict in the Middle East, motorists are crossing into Austria, particularly from communities close to the border. The move extends a familiar pattern of Swiss shopping tourism beyond supermarkets and shopping centres to petrol stations. Austria’s lower prices have made the extra trip worthwhile for some drivers, even when it means travelling farther to fill up.

The pressure is being felt as petrol prices reach record highs and Brent crude moves above $110 a barrel. For motorists near Austria, the border offers an immediate alternative: fuel priced at roughly 20% less than in Switzerland. One driver living near the frontier said they regularly head to Vorarlberg, Austria’s westernmost state, where the difference is about 30 cents per litre.

The shift is now visible in the customer mix at stations on the Austrian side. A Vorarlberg business representative says Swiss motorists make up half of the cars and customers there.

The price gap is large enough to draw regular customers across the frontier. Petrol in Austria was reported at €1.85 per litre, equivalent to CHF 1.72. Diesel cost €2.18 per litre, or CHF 2.03. Overall, Austrian fuel prices were around 20% lower than Swiss prices, while one motorist described a difference of roughly 30 cents per litre at stations in Vorarlberg.

That calculation matters most to drivers who live close enough to make the trip practical. The motorists interviewed by Swiss public broadcaster SRF described the Swiss price as markedly higher. “It’s a good deal. In Switzerland, you pay a lot more. I don’t know why,” one driver said. Another called the difference shocking.

The figures add a fuel stop to the cross-border bargain hunt already associated with Switzerland’s high prices. For those motorists, the Austrian pump has become a place to compare costs directly, with the displayed price offering a clear incentive to fill up before returning home.

Swiss customers have become central to business at petrol stations near the Austrian border. Petra Girardi, spokesperson for the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce, said one in two cars and one in two customers at those stations are Swiss. She added that Swiss visitors currently generate the bulk of turnover at border-area petrol stations.

The flow reflects the pull of lower prices across a short distance. A motorist interviewed by RTS said they live near the border and often fill up in Vorarlberg. The same driver put the gap at about 30 cents per litre. For local stations, those visits bring customers from Switzerland; for drivers, they offer a chance to pay less for fuel than at home.

Fuel shopping also intersects with a wider pattern of cross-border purchasing. Swiss shoppers have long travelled to neighbouring countries for lower prices, and Markus Schnyder, a Swiss People’s Party politician, argues that cheaper fuel can encourage motorists to combine filling up with shopping abroad. He says this risks giving neighbouring countries an advantage over Swiss businesses.