Visiting Switzerland in a Motor home/camper

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DL42846

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We are spending the weekend in a place called Nantua in France which is about one and a half hours drive from Geneva. I was thinking of driving up to Geneva and doing a tour around the lake. I have something in the back of my mind telling me that you have to buy a permit or something to be able to take a motorhome into Switzerland. Does anyone have any knowledge of this?
I have tried a search without much success.
 
Mikescuba said:
We are spending the weekend in a place called Nantua in France which is about one and a half hours drive from Geneva. I was thinking of driving up to Geneva and doing a tour around the lake. I have something in the back of my mind telling me that you have to buy a permit or something to be able to take a motorhome into Switzerland. Does anyone have any knowledge of this?
I have tried a search without much success.
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What is you MPLTM? It makes a difference
 
Mikescuba said:
What is MPLTM if its the weight of the camper its 3.5 tons
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It is and you are fine, purchase a Vignette at the Border. Go in the car lane marked Vignette. The guard will sell you one 40CHF, stick it on the left of the windscreen - job done.
 
@Mikescuba and I am sorry, I totally didn't answer your question, MPLTM = Maximum Permissible Laden Transit Mass

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My mind is a stream of disjointed consciousness today. A couple of things to add for you @Mikescuba. At some of the more remote border points, you will have to stop and ask for a vignette, but I had a quick look on the map, the most convenient crossing points for you won't be an issue.
Also may I recommend Lausanne, it is a lovely little place to visit, and there is an Olympic walk on the lake side. The public transport system is very good in Switzerland, so pitch up and use the busses to get into the towns.
Final tip, when you pay with a debit/credit card in shops etc, the machines will ask whether you want to pay GBP or CHF, select CHF and then you get your banks rate of exchange. If you select GBP [oops edited that] it is their rate of exchange which isn't as good (usually)
 
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Many thanks I managed to find something on line. Couldn't remember it was called a vignette. I see they are valid till the end of December which is great as I want to go again, next time to Grindelwald. Wont have time this time round. We live in France which is about a four hour drive from Geneva. So definitely on the cards for late August when the Cote d'Azur is still busy.
 
As far as I recall, the vignette is only required if you want to drive on the Swiss motorways. If you are happy to drive on regular roads, then you don't need one. I have to confess that we always get one, because the Swiss motorways are so convenient, but that's just personal choice.

Driving round the lake is wonderful: Lausanne is very pretty, as is Vevey, next along to the East. You should also try to stop off in Montreux, which is quite beautiful, but VERY expensive!

There are excellent walking opportunities in the hills and mountains around the lake, too.
 
I think you'll find the vignette is valid for 14 months, from Dec 1 of the previous year to January 31 of the next year.
 
JFD said:
As far as I recall, the vignette is only required if you want to drive on the Swiss motorways. If you are happy to drive on regular roads, then you don't need one. I have to confess that we always get one, because the Swiss motorways are so convenient, but that's just personal choice.
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Perfectly correct <=3,500t vignette only required for the motorway. At this weight you are also free to travel at a reasonable speed. Over this weight the speed limit is 80kph :-( Also you need to pay regardless of motorway use.
I looked at his most likely route, and it is a motorway running straight to Lake Geneva, I assumed that would be his route, but I could be wrong of course.

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We prepaid for Switzerland. vignette for 1 year and for Austria for a 2 month period. Ordered about 1 month before we travelled. Very efficient service, arrived in post within a week

https://tolltickets.com/default.aspx?lang=en-GB

For Austria you have 3 choices:

10 days for 8.80 euros
2 months for 25.70 euros
1 year for 85.70 euros

You specify the date on which you want it to start
 
We're not long back from Switzerland and loved it, we stayed at a lovely little Aire on the banks of LG just in France. When we visited Geneva we stayed at a campsite just over the border in France with cycle and bus route from campsite, the cycle route is about 10 miles and the fist couple in France on quiet roads then cycle path once over the border.
You will fall in love with Grindlewald if you haven't been before, I would also recommend Interlaken
 
DanielFord said:
It is and you are fine, purchase a Vignette at the Border. Go in the car lane marked Vignette. The guard will sell you one 40CHF, stick it on the left of the windscreen - job done.
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Hi, and if you are over 3.5t...?

Would appreciate some knowledge as may pop along that way on our travels next year....

Many thanks...(y)
 
We were there last year, ten days pass for a van over 3.5te
 
I'm there for a few days in a few weeks time, and my van is over 3.5t. You need a "LSVA", also known as a "Lump Sum Heavy Vehicle Charge". If you're not staying for long and won't be back within a year, it can be cheaper than the "standard" vignette, it'll only cost me 25 CHF.



You need one no matter what roads you go on. I'm taking the filled out form (handily available in German, French & Italian but not English) with me, though I'm sure you could get one at a manned border crossing.
 
Sas r us said:
Hi, and if you are over 3.5t...?

Would appreciate some knowledge as may pop along that way on our travels next year....

Many thanks...(y)
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You need to register at the border, you will need to tell the guard that you are 'heavy', and they will give you directions. You still follow the car lane for vignette purchase though. There are a few different tariffs, and the people at the counter are usually very helpful, ask them for help if you need it.
This is us last year registering our van:

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Sas r us said:
Hi, and if you are over 3.5t...?

Would appreciate some knowledge as may pop along that way on our travels next year....

Many thanks...(y)
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Wow, I happened to find one of our forms from 2014, here is what the completed form looks like (personal info has been redacted :D ):
090213.JPG
 
DanielFord said:
You need to register at the border, you will need to tell the guard that you are 'heavy', and they will give you directions. You still follow the car lane for vignette purchase though. There are a few different tariffs, and the people at the counter are usually very helpful, ask them for help if you need it.
This is us last year registering our van:
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DanielFord said:
Wow, I happened to find one of our forms from 2014, here is what the completed form looks like (personal info has been redacted :D ):
View attachment 116153
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Thanks very much lads..... Can you remember how much it was in €, l'm 3850kg uprated to 4000kg....(y)
 
We did Switzerland last year.. Expensive but wow what a gorgeous country.. Its worth going through the passes if you can.. Grimsel.. Furka etc.. Be prepared to be wowed by a feat of road building engineering.. The sights around every corner were stunning.. Its on my to do again list for sure

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Sas r us said:
Thanks very much lads..... Can you remember how much it was in €, l'm 3850kg uprated to 4000kg....(y)
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How likely will they check, as you look like any 3.5t I assume
 
Gorse Hill said:
How likely will they check, as you look like any 3.5t I assume
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Don't go down that route! I have never actually been checked BUT, strangely it is cheaper to be over 3.5t for a tourist. We are only going to want the use of the roads for a short time. My pass was 25CHF, a normal vignette is 40CHF. I am led to believe that the fine for non compliance is eye watering. All it would take is a roadside tug, and you are screwed, and holiday ruined!
 
been through swiss a few times, didn't impress me. we once stayed at fishers fritz or something like that on lake zurich,, what a shit ole, must have been the worst site we've ever been on.full of immigrants & the town resembled something from communist russia..everything concrete...prepare to be ripped off where ever you go in swiss. we tend to drive through as fast as we can, but it is cheaper to buy the 10 day pass if your over 3.5tonne, and very easy to do at the border,just go in the truck lane. we usually risk it without anything.
 
travelled through last autumn north to south at 4t, avoided motorways, no charges no problems.

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