# Swiss roads and vignettes.



## stonflo

The more I read about Swiss roads and vignettes the more confused I get . We have an Eldiss 165 23.7ft long/ 9.10ft high. 
weighing 2931kgs /57.57cwt. (MIRO). and intend to go through Switzerland on our way to Italy. 
Please advise me. 
Mike


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## bognormike

easy! under 3.5 tons you need a normal vignette - valid for a year (?), you can buy in advance or at the border.

http://www.travel-swiss.co.uk/passes-motorway-vignette/vignette.html


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## Grizzly

You'll have no difficulty at all; have your money ready and, in our experience over many years, your cab door will be opened, the money whipped from your hand and a vignette handed over. Sometimes the person handing it over has even greeted us but we no longer expect that.

Then comes the hard bit ! The vignette is designed to stick to the inside of your windscreen and it is also designed not to be able to be removed and re-used. It is made up of several concentric circles of plastic film and must be stuck so the writing is clearly visible from outside.

This is not as easy as it sounds and I'd advise you to take a deep breath before slapping it on. We've managed, over the years, to get it upside down, inside out, behind the gunge left from a previous sticker and, this time, behind all the black writing etched on the screen itself. Remember, once on you can't remove it and re-position !

G


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## barryd

I think you only need one if your using motorways.

I've always bought one but last year we entered through Basel on the motorway and there was no check point and everyone just flew through so I forgot until three days later. I just got one from a garage in lucerne. They all sell them


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## Don_Madge

stonflo said:


> The more I read about Swiss roads and vignettes the more confused I get . We have an Eldiss 165 23.7ft long/ 9.10ft high.
> weighing 2931kgs /57.57cwt. (MIRO). and intend to go through Switzerland on our way to Italy.
> Please advise me.
> Mike


See HERE

We shall be transiting Switzerland next week using the vignette we bought in December 2011.

Safe travelling.

Don


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## stonflo

Thanks for all the info in particulae Bon_Madge.
Mike


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## andyandsue

*a couple more points*

1 ; get one ....the police lurk by motorway junctions on the look out for people" just nipping through"
2 use the motorway aires as aires ,usually you wouldn't catch me kipping on a motorway service area but this is Switzerland and they are clean and safe with not much traffic . we even had free hook up on most of ours
pic below

sue and andrew


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## nicholsong

I find that the over 3500kg tax iniquitous, because if I visit my friends, who live just 5km from the French border and I park on their drive for 5 days I have to pay a disproportional amount for a 10km journey.

OK, since I know the country road, I could 'wing it' and cover up the plates on the drive. :wink: 

But the Swiss, and Austrians seem to think we are there to destroy their roads and environment. No such attitude in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, even Greece.

One Europe?

Geoff


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## rogerblack

Grizzly said:


> . . . Remember, once on you can't remove it and re-position ! G


Don't say I told you so, but a discreet, very thin film of Vaseline on the screen first will sort that . . . :twisted:


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## Stanner

nicholsong said:


> No such attitude in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, even Greece.
> 
> One Europe?
> 
> Geoff


Don't the Germans tax HGV's?

And the Belgians (both sides) are so fed up with everybody else saying how crap their m/ways are, but paying nothing toward their upkeep, they are talking of bringing in a tax in a couple of years time.

As for the French :roll: they charge the equivalent of a year's VED for travelling 2 or 3 inches on one of their precious Autoroutes.


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## andyandsue

*and so*

And so: its a great reason to drive a sub 3.5 T van and avoid French autoroutes . Travel via Germany using stellplatz also helps


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## 113016

*Vignette*



andyandsue said:


> And so: its a great reason to drive a sub 3.5 T van and avoid French autoroutes . Travel via Germany using stellplatz also helps


.

I can see that more and more Countries will be jumping onto the vignette band wagon with go box type or other ways to up the charge for over 3500kg.
My previous van was 4100kg but my replacement is now a 3500kg with a roughly 600kg pay load. We did our research and payload was a major factor and the 600kg is just about enough for our requirements.
Although I do have a full HGV licence, I decided against having an over 3500kg van for the above reasons. It would have been nice to have a tag axle with more space, but?
Just imagine if France introduced any such systems and not forgetting that most Countries are now in financial difficulties and need to raise money any way they can :wink:


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## nicholsong

Stanner wrote

'Don't the Germans tax HGV's?'

Do you know something I don't (quite possible), but if they do tax foreign HGVs how do they do it? there are no tolls booths and no 'Go-box' gantries that I have seen.

Geoff


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## 113016

nicholsong said:


> Stanner wrote
> 
> 'Don't the Germans tax HGV's?'
> 
> Do you know something I don't (quite possible), but if they do tax foreign HGVs how do they do it? there are no tolls booths and no 'Go-box' gantries that I have seen.
> 
> Geoff


Look here

http://roadpricing.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/truck-tollshgv-road-user-charging-in.html


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## nicholsong

Grath thanks.

That article is quite loosely worded as it does not define 'truck' or 'HGV.' Maybe he is referring to over 7.5 ton - not relevant to many MHs.

He also wrote that Germany is abandoning 'them' but it is not clear whether he is referring to the charges or to the plans to replace them, mentioned in his previous sentence.

If all countries introduce vignettes/go-boxes for over 3.5 ton I will soon need 6 different ones just to go from Poland to UK for my MOT  

Geoff


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