Switzerland

[MickyP]

I am currently planning my 2019 European Tour and looking to Enter Switzerland at Constance and drive through to and exit near Geneva. I am aware of the Vignette, are there any other issues i need to be aware of? Transit planned in August are normal tyres ok this time of year? Mick

 

[JJ]

Be aware... Switzerland is very, very clean and tidy.


I hate it!


Lots of dodgy bankers and bloody noisy clocks.

Never the less I hope you enjoy your visit.


JJ

 

[MickyP]

Be aware... Switzerland is very, very clean and tidy.


I hate it!


Lots of dodgy bankers and bloody noisy clocks.

Never the less I hope you enjoy your visit.


JJ

Thanks JJ look forward to going to a nice clean place for a change.

 

[Tykatem]

Your normal tyres will not be a problem as there is no legal obligation to fit your vehicle with winter tyres.

https://www.ch.ch/en/winter-tyres/

Pete

 

[hilldweller]

Don't miss the Rhein Falls at Schaffhausen. There is an aire there.
Lucerne is a beautiful city - campsite right on the lake.
I think Chamonix is unmissable at the other end.

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[boroboy]

Make sure you are well stocked with food prior to entering Switzerland, food prices made a big hole my wallet. Beautiful though.

 

[Minxy]

Lovely country with not that many roads however the scenery is gorgeous ... but your wallet WILL take a hiding as it is expensive so stock up on food/drink etc and research night stops/campsites carefully to lessen the financial impact!

 

[peterc10]

What weight is your motorhome? That will decide whether you need a vignette or the 10 day in any year pass.

 

[Jaws]

Very expensive .. a vignette is expensive, for a 3.5t van is about €35.60 ..
If you have a larger van things get REALLY expensive
On top of that, if you have a trailer that will also need a vignette at the same price.
Switzerland has some beautiful sites, but we will not go back there any more because of this

 

[peterc10]

Very expensive .. a vignette is expensive, for a 3.5t van is about €35.60 ..
If you have a larger van things get REALLY expensive
On top of that, if you have a trailer that will also need a vignette at the same price.
Switzerland has some beautiful sites, but we will not go back there any more because of this

John, I am not sure what you call expensive, but we paid 32 Swiss francs for our 4.5t moho for a pass that covered us for any 10 days in a period of a year in 2016. Has it gone up that much in the last 3 years? Enabled us to drive through Switzerland on their excellent motorway system to Italy and also come back a few weeks later. A lot cheaper than using French motorways and the Mont Blanc or Frejus tunnels. And a more direct route via Basle, the Gotthard tunnel and Como saved diesel.

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[Tykatem]

Very expensive .. a vignette is expensive, for a 3.5t van is about €35.60 ..
If you have a larger van things get REALLY expensive

I concur with #peterc10, last year for our 4.2t Hymer it cost 32.50 Swiss Francs which works out at about 29 Euros for 10 days.

Pete

 

[Minxy]

Very expensive .. a vignette is expensive, for a 3.5t van is about €35.60 ..
If you have a larger van things get REALLY expensive
On top of that, if you have a trailer that will also need a vignette at the same price.
Switzerland has some beautiful sites, but we will not go back there any more because of this

I think you're confusing this with other countries such as Austria?

AFAIK for Switzerland any vehicle up to 3500kg only needs a vignette if they use it on the national roads (motorways or semi-motorways), but any vehicle over 3500kg needs one to drive on ANY roads.

However ... there are some exceptions:

Broken Link Removed

Which roads require a vignette?
In Switzerland, a vignette is not necessary for all roads. For example, in the canton of Zurich, you do not need a vignette for the Forch motorway between Zumikon and Hinwil.

Here you can find a map showing which roads do or do not require a vignette:

https://www.ezv.admin.ch/ezv/en/hom...taxes/motorway-charge-sticker--vignette-.html

 

[Jaws]

I think you're confusing this with other countries such as Austria?

AFAIK for Switzerland any vehicle up to 3500kg only needs a vignette if they use it on the national roads (motorways or semi-motorways), but any vehicle over 3500kg needs one to drive on ANY roads.

However ... there are some exceptions:

Broken Link Removed

Which roads require a vignette?
In Switzerland, a vignette is not necessary for all roads. For example, in the canton of Zurich, you do not need a vignette for the Forch motorway between Zumikon and Hinwil.

Here you can find a map showing which roads do or do not require a vignette:

https://www.ezv.admin.ch/ezv/en/hom...taxes/motorway-charge-sticker--vignette-.html

Been there recently mate ( for someone else who had to pay so I was not worried ! )
Over 3.5t you need other paperwork which you can sort out at the border

Some time ago I passed through Switzerland on the bike.. At the border crossing I ( we ) was told to stop at the crossing office as we did not have vignettes.. I said we will not be going on any motorways.. Woman pointed out the window and said ( and I kid you not )
"Unless you can fly, as you leave here you will be on a road that requires you to have a vignette"
So be careful where you make entry !!

 

[Minxy]

Been there recently mate ( for someone else who had to pay so I was not worried ! )
Over 3.5t you need other paperwork which you can sort out at the border

Was that for a commercial vehicle though rather than a private one?

 

[hilldweller]

Very expensive .. a vignette is expensive, for a 3.5t van is about €35.60 ..

Not really. We paid that for an hour on a French motorway, the Vignette lasts for 13 months starting Dec ( approx ). So whatever way you look at it it it beats the French.

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[The Wino]

We have hired a car before from the French side of Geneva airport so no vignette . It is possible to get to France and back without one but very easy to end up on a motorway by mistake. I think the vignette is quite good value at the price compared to French tolls. While you are over that way try Alsace its great.

 

[Jaws]

we, like many others, do not use French tolls, so it is not really a valid argument

 

[The Wino]

we, like many others, do not use French tolls, so it is not really a valid argument

It is possible to do the same in Switerland just akward!!!! We had to do a u-turn at the border as the pther side was a motorway but found a way around sat nav should do it set to no period charges

 

[hilldweller]

we, like many others, do not use French tolls, so it is not really a valid argument

I've gone right off the idea too. But after some miles on N roads with all the new(ish) 30kph and massive speed bumps I thought we might as well pay up. I remember following an HGV who had pushed past us on 80kps straights, ignoring the limits, but even he was down to 10kps over the ridiculous bumps, many of them so progress through the small villages was chronic.

But it is a valid argument for the general forum many of whom do use tolls.

One year in May we took the cheap option in Switzerland, riding along happily on normal roads to be confronted with 2m of snow across the road. Only option was take a chance on a motorway and we got away with it.

 

[MickyP]

What weight is your motorhome? That will decide whether you need a vignette or the 10 day in any year pass.

3300kgs

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[peterc10]

3300kgs

Then you just need a vignette if you want to use motorways.

 

[MickyP]

Then you just need a vignette if you want to use motorways.

Yep thanks

 

[Dorwyn]

we, like many others, do not use French tolls, so it is not really a valid argument

But some others, like me, do use French tolls. It didn't seem to me he was arguing, just stating his opinion.

 

[Jaws]

But some others, like me, do use French tolls. It didn't seem to me he was arguing, just stating his opinion.

??????????
The term 'valid argument' does not mean you are arguing !

 

[DBK]

We crossed Switzerland in a 3.5t PVC without a vignette but I've since convinced myself I only did it as a bet! We had to take some very scenic and narrow roads to avoid the motorways.

Wild camping is illegal but I've heard of folk getting away with it - but in August? Which is my other concern. It looks a long way from Constance to Geneva and though it can be virtually all done on motorways it would be a long drive and throw in a few traffic jams it may be too much for a single day - well it would be for me.

CamperContact and other apps will find campsites but they could be eye-wateringly expensive in August (€50+) and you may not find anywhere for a single night due to minimum stay requirements. Booking ahead would be wise.

Switzerland is a delight to visit but I don't think you can easily use it as a cheap shortcut. My limited experience of Swiss ATMs is the smallest note they issue is CHF50 (about £40) and you will need a few of them.

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[G-RMPS]

Wish I still lived there, and my pension was paid in SFR!

 

[Feltwell]

I loved Switzerland, the alps are beautiful. Yes, it is expensive. Public transport is essential to explore in the alps properly, some places are only accessible by funicular / cable car unless you like climbing! I don't think the vignette is that expensive really - at 4t for my van, getting a 10 day vignette was cheaper than one for sub 3.5t, as for sub 3.5t you could only get one for a year. Not much use when I only intended to visit once.

Avoid the tourist trap that is Interlaken - or rather go there but drive straight through it - because the area immediately around it is stunning. Camping Wang (yes, really) a few miles from Interlaken has the best views from a campsite I've ever seen. Sat outside in the early morning sunshine with a cup of tea watching a pair of golden eagles circling in the valley below was very pleasant!

 

[Dorwyn]

There are a few ACSI sites (out of season). We've stayed at a couple and they were fine.

 

[WESTY66]

I loved Switzerland, the alps are beautiful.

Avoid the tourist trap that is Interlaken - or rather go there but drive straight through it - because the area immediately around it is stunning. Camping Wang (yes, really) a few miles from Interlaken has the best views from a campsite I've ever seen. Sat outside in the early morning sunshine with a cup of tea watching a pair of golden eagles circling in the valley below was very pleasant!

Thanks we’re heading down Interlaken/Grindelwald/lauterbrunnen in June

 

[Feltwell]

Thanks we’re heading down Interlaken/Grindelwald/lauterbrunnen in June

No bother. Don't expect big pitches, it is after all on the side of a mountain, but it is a lovely small site and the owners are very friendly (no English though - German only - not that that would be a big problem if you don't speak it). I'd say any van over 8m would be too large, we were OK at 7.5m. It's expensive, like everywhere in Switzerland, but what a view!

Cable car station about 1.5 miles away, you can take the cable car up the mountain or a funicular down to Lake Thun, it's well worth the boat trip from there to Thun itself - lovely trip, and a nice town to wander round. You can get a bus back to the funicular.

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