Help! Travelling via, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy ANY ADVISE - FIRST TIMERS!!

[jasmine]

We are thinking of travelling through France, then edging into Germany, then through Switzerland, down through Italy and then across to the south of France. With our dog who in under the PETS scheme, microchipped and with passport.

PLEASE could anyone tell us whether we need a visa to travel in any of these countries and any tips on the trip would be appreciated? As, we have only travelled down through France in our Motorhome.

In Switzerland if we stay on the main road via Basel, Luzern then Italy, Lugano, Como, Milano to Genova to Monaco, is this a good route for a Motorhome ie not up in the mountains.

All the best

Jasmine oh:

 

[olley]

Hi Jasmine, you do not need a visa for any member of the EU plus Andorra, Switzerland, and one or two others in mainland Europe. I believe technically you don't even need a passport for EU countries, just some form of identification like a photocard driving licence.

Olley

 

[potjoe]

how big is your m-home

:thumb:Hi you will after buy your road tax as we call it "if" you go on to M-ways in Sw-land about £18.00 for one year upto 3.5t or by the day if more than 3.5t price???. Now if you go down Gremany (m-ways are free)A81,E41,A98 to Friedichshafen then onto boat over to sw-land take the A13 and onto E43 the St Bernardino Tunnel,then into Italy.We did this comeing from Garda and it was nice with lots of camperstops as well so low cost,hope this helps and have a good trip.John

PS: Fill up in Luxembourg Lower prices!

 

[Don Madge]

We are thinking of travelling through France, then edging into Germany, then through Switzerland, down through Italy and then across to the south of France. With our dog who in under the PETS scheme, microchipped and with passport.

PLEASE could anyone tell us whether we need a visa to travel in any of these countries and any tips on the trip would be appreciated? As, we have only travelled down through France in our Motorhome.

In Switzerland if we stay on the main road via Basel, Luzern then Italy, Lugano, Como, Milano to Genova to Monaco, is this a good route for a Motorhome ie not up in the mountains.

All the best

Jasmine oh:

Hi Jasmine,

If you use the Swiss motorways/express roads you will have to pay a toll
vehicles up to 3.5 tons must buy a Vignette costing 40 Swiss Francs and valid for 14 months (1 Dec 2007 - 31 Jan 2009) caravanners/trailers have to buy two.

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Payment is easy (Euros, Sterling, Credit Cards or Swiss currency accepted. Exchange rate about 1.90 Swiss Francs to the Pound). If you pay for the vignette with Euros or Sterling you might get Swiss Francs in change.

The vignette can be bought in advance at service areas on main routes approaching the border or in the UK before you leave.

If your motorhome is over the 3500kg limit you can only get a permit at the border post. If you are travelling mid week be prepared to wait as you use the same counter as the truckers.

Permits can be bought for one day (3.25 SF), 10 days (32.50), one month (58.50) or a year (650.00). Just make sure you tick the box for the days that you are travelling if you have the 10 day/monthly/yearly permit.

When we had the Laika (4200kg) we would buy a 10 days pass to transit Switzerland out and back. The ten days don't have to be taken consecutively, so the pass is good for a return journey too, provided it's within one year.

Excellent value, as the motorways include the 10-mile St Gothard Tunnel through the Alps into Italy!

Safe travelling

Don

 

[moandick]

Hi Jasmine

If you are towing a car behind you on an A Frame be very careful of some of the Swiss Tunnels - which do not allow A Frames.

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[Don Madge]

Hi Jasmine

If you are towing a car behind you on an A Frame be very careful of some of the Swiss Tunnels - which do not allow A Frames.

Hi Dick,

Thanks I did not know that.

I knew they were not allowed in the Mont Blanc but not the Swiss ones.

Don

 

[moandick]

Hi Don

I take no credit for what is merely hearsay from somebody telling me at one of the Shows.

Graham on the ARV Forum said that the San Bernardino Tunnel was good value - 15Km and free - but someone else told me that they knew of at least one Swiss tunnel where A frames were not allowed - although they could not remember the name of it. (Wonder if they read the same post and assumed the Mont Blanc was Swiss?)

Hence the reason I said to be very careful - just in case.

 

[Zozzer]

I know nothing with reagrds to pets. But you will only need a passport if you are a British citizen and want to enter Switzerland. The UK is not part of Schengen Treaty which allows travel between member countries using id cards, driving licenses. Visa's are not required. We have just returned from our holiday last weekend and we bought our Swiss vignette for 25 euro at an Austrian filling station. We paid chf2.25 per litre for diesel in Switzerand. Since returning home we have learned you need a GB sticker on your van in Switzerland EVEN if you have GB numberplates.

In Italy the minium standard of electric allowed is a measly 3amp.

Using our Nationwide Visa debit card, the exchange rate was £1 = chf2.03
and £1 = 1.259 Euro when drawing money from Bank ATM.

Your route seems fine, but try to avoid Basel around peak period, the Autobahns are an M25 clone.

 

[vanessa]

I believe you also need special car insurance to go into Switzerland ... check with your insurance company to be certain.

Of course, to leave the UK mainland (and especially to return!!) you will need your passport anyway, so needing a passport to go into Switzerland is slightly academic for a Brit