Living in Austria - Autobahn

Here in Austria the highways (autobahns) are the easiest way to get from one place to another. Unlike back home in WI though they are not free. Here you have to pay a sort of toll so you can use the highway. But, unlike driving to Chicago there isn't nice little booths with friendly people that glady accept your money, over here you are supposed to buy something called a Vignette to put on your window. The Vignette goes on the windshield (either behind the rear-view mirror or off to the side on the upper right or left corner of your windshield - so it doesn't obstruck your view while driving) and is automatically read when you go past certain points (cameras on the highway).
The prices for a car:
10 day pass is: 7.70 Euros
A month pass is: 21.80 Euros
A year pass is: 72.60 Euros

It is possible to get to places without using the highways but it would take a lot longer, especially as there are a lot of tunnels that go through the mountains instead of going around or over them. (I think that is why you have to pay to use the highways here because of the cost to build them - they have to recoup that money somewhere - and I am sure a tunnel isnt cheap to drill)