# Switzerland/vignette/motorway charge for over 3500 tonnes?



## ruthiebabe

Can anyone tell me what the chargew in Switzreland is for a MH over 3500kg? It is 40 Swiss francs for up to 3500kg but I can't seem to find any info on how it is priced for over that? I know it is as a HGV but how much is the charge? We are 4.2 tonnes. 

Are they strict i.e. do you need proof of your weight? Or is it like the French autoroutes where you are usually lumped as one unless you are huge?

TIA, Ruth


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## colonel

Hi Ruthiebabe,

This is all I can find on the web.



> For heavy vehicles, a mileage-based tax has to be paid for all types of roads. The rate is calculated between departure and arrival point using the most convenient route


But from experience, if there is a higher charge to pay, the Swiss will make sure you pay it, believe me.


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## Don_Madge

Hi Ruth,

Vehicles up to 3.5 tons must buy a Vignette costing 40 Swiss Francs and valid for 14 months (1 Dec 2008 - 31 Jan 2010) caravanners/trailers have to buy two. 

Payment is easy (Euros, Sterling, Credit Cards or Swiss currency accepted. Exchange rate about 1.84 Swiss Francs to the Pound). If you pay for the vignette with Euros or Sterling you will get Swiss Francs in change.

The vignette can be bought in advance at service areas on main routes approaching the border. 

If your motorhome is above the 3500kg weight limit you will need a special permit for one day (3.25 SF), 10 days (32.50), one month (58.50) or a year (650.00). Just make sure you put the dates in for the days that you are travelling if you have the 10 day/monthly/yearly permit. There's a minimum charge so don't buy a one day pass.

If you are travelling mid week be prepared to wait as you use the same counter as the truckers.

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


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## Don_Madge

colonel said:


> Hi Ruthiebabe,
> 
> This is all I can find on the web.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> For heavy vehicles, a mileage-based tax has to be paid for all types of roads. The rate is calculated between departure and arrival point using the most convenient route
> 
> 
> 
> But from experience, if there is a higher charge to pay, the Swiss will make sure you pay it, believe me.
Click to expand...

This does not apply to motorhomes only goods vehicles.

Don


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## ruthiebabe

Brilliant info, Don, thanks. I take it that it's not worth buying ahead just buy it at the booths as you arrive?


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## pomme1

Hi Ruth,

I crossed into Switzerland on the road between Pontarlier and Neuchatel this summer. My 'van is 3850kg and I was charged the 'taxe poids lourds' at the rate Don sets out. Despite the name of the tax I believe it applies to motorhomes as well as goods vehicles, but I will dig out the paperwork tonight and confirm. I also had to wait in line behind a couple of HGV drivers carrying out what appeared to be extremely complex and slow transactions. Beware also, that the customs post I was using at least, closed for the customary two hours lunch.


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## Don_Madge

ruthiebabe said:


> Brilliant info, Don, thanks. I take it that it's not worth buying ahead just buy it at the booths as you arrive?


Hi Ruth,

You can't buy the permit in advance like the vignette it is only available at the border post.

Don


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## tommytli

dont know if this will help? http://www.switzerlandtravelcentre.co.uk/vignette.html


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## smiler

Ruthiebabe, the 10 day pass valid for any 10 days in a year will cost you 32.50 swiss francs, just make sure you date each day you use it as the Swiss do check


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## Rapide561

*Swiss tolls*

Hi Ruth

The toll price is charged on a daily basis at 3.25 SFR per day. The minimum payment is however 25 SFR, so it is therefore worth taking out the annual option. This allows upto 10 days worth of use in a 12 month period. Note it is not a calendar year such as "the whole of 2008", but is a 12 month period. I bought my last one in September 2007 and it remained valid until September 2008. (Well it would have done, but I sold the motorhome, and the toll thing has the registration plate on, so is not transferable.) You have ten boxes on the form and simply fill in the date in a box.

In respect of the toll at 40 SFR, I was once sold one of these with the 4000 kg Kontiki. I could not be bothered to argue the case so I went along with it.

Russell

If you read this link, you can view a copy of the toll form that you will need to fill out for vehicles over 3500 kg.

Swiss toll image


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## darach

Can anyone help me clarify the 10 day pass. You write in the day you are on the road, I have been told this includes motorways and first class roads. If I am travelling across country between ski resorts for example on road 11 between Chateau-d-Oex and Zweisimmen would this be classed as a first class road. 
Any information about aires or skiing in Switzerland would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Derek


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## Rapide561

*Swiss tolls*

Hi

I had always thought that this 10 day permit thing for Switzerland applied to motorways only, but here is the text from the latest toll form.

"Cancellation by the driver. Before entering Switzerland and prior to each supplementary day during which the vehicle is staying in Switzerland, enter the day and the date, eg, Tuesday 20.08.08"

Russell

I have several blank forms acquired last week if anyone would like one. You can fill the form out with your details etc, and then simply take your payment to the toll office, rather than fill the form out there and then. The forms relate to vehicles over 3500kg.


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## darach

Emailed Swiss authorities about the pass for motorhomes over 3500 and it is every day you are in the country whether you are driving or not needs to be paid. If on a camp site you must still fill in your dates on the 10 day pass.
Derek


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## Don_Madge

Hi Derek,

Thanks that's another one sorted.  

Don


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## harburner

*Switzerland Vignette*

In July this year I travelled from Germany into Switzerland at Basle and on reaching the border the 'official' approached my vehicle, which is 4000kg and asked for 40SF which like Russell I handed over without argument. Although more expensive it saved the hassle of filling in the forms. On leaving Switzerland the 'official' glanced at the windscreen and waved me through. Seemed to me that they treated all motohomes the same regardless of weight.


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## Rapide561

*Swiss touring*

Hi

This puzzles me a bit.

If I cross into Switzerland on 3rd March 2009, then I add this date to the form. That is all well and good. If I then roll onto a campsite for a week, then according to the above post and also the info from the form, then a box has to be filled in, but how on earth would the authorities know?

My own journeys are usually into Switzerland and out on the same day. My return journey is filled in a week or so later. No one has ever asked me where I have been in between the dates. That said, I had never been searched at the Mulhouse/Basle border until a couple of weeks ago.

Russell


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## ob1

This has also puzzled me over the years. What is to stop a driver entering on the form just the day he enters Switzerland, camp up for a fortnight, and then enter the date that he leaves again? The outgoing border guards would surely assume that you are just passing in and out on the second day that you had entered. So long as you left your vehicle on the campsite it would seem that the only problem would be if someone was actually coming round the campsites checking the permits, but I have never known this to happen in over forty years. I hope I'm not giving people wrong ideas here but it does seem odd. Anyone know the answer?

Also, for the sake of clarity, the under 3500kg vignette only applies to Swiss first and second class roads, although you would have a job avoiding these and it's not worth the bother. However, the over 3500kg permit system is a general heavy vehicle tax and applies to ALL Swiss roads.

Ron


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## 96090

*Re: Switzerland Vignette*



harburner said:


> In July this year I travelled from Germany into Switzerland at Basle and on reaching the border the 'official' approached my vehicle, which is 4000kg and asked for 40SF which like Russell I handed over without argument. Although more expensive it saved the hassle of filling in the forms. On leaving Switzerland the 'official' glanced at the windscreen and waved me through. Seemed to me that they treated all motohomes the same regardless of weight.


We had a similar situation in 2007 and took the 40SF vignette.

However, we were pulled onto the weighbridge on our exit of Switzerland. They were weighing every MH that passed through that particular day.

I protested, and was told if I didn't cough up the Police would be summoned.

In the end, I was refunded for the vignette, had to pay 32.50 for the heavy vehicle duty and was fined either 130SF or £130 (sorry, I can't remember which it was).

The van was searched, the border guards do carry guns, the kids were upset, we were aghast.

It's really not worth running the risk.


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## ob1

And to make matters worse the Swiss Travel Service have for years sold vignettes via their website without any warning that they dont apply to vehicles over 3500kg. It's easy to see how people get caught out.


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