# Touring in Switzerland.



## sennen523

Hi All,
We are touring Eastern France, Belgium and Luxembourg in October and would like to visit a bit of Switzerland.
Our MH is MGW of 4005 Kg. Can you get a Vignette for a short period? Any advice and current vignette cost would be appreciated.
Thanks.


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## rickwiggans

The weight of your van wouldd mean getting an HGV vignette, which are available for short stays. It works out at about 3.5 CHF per day, and is available, from memory, for 1, 10 or 30 days. 

Rick


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## Rapide561

*Switzerland*

Hi

You will have two possibilities...

1) For vans 3500kg and less, you buy an annual pass for 40 SFR. I got one of these for a 4000 kg Kontiki. They are working on a "best guess" basis when the border staff look at your van.

2) Officially, this is what you need. You can buy a permit that costs 3.25 SFR per day, but the minimum charge is 25SFR! However, a pass that is valid for ten days worth of travel over a 12 month period costs 32.50 SFR. If you want a blank form, send me a large stamped address envelope. PM me and I will let you have my address. You fill the form in with the required info and pay at the border.

Russell


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## Rapide561

*Tolls*

Hi

I have had a few emails about toll passes in Switzerland, I am no expert, but as a summary.

If your van is under 3500kg, you buy a vignette at the border. It is a sticky back plastic thing that the staff will affix to your windscreen. This costs 40 SFR and is valid for between 3 and 14 months depending upon when in the year you make the purchase.

For example,

Purchase a 2009 toll in September 2009 and it is valid until the end of 2009, plus January 2010.

Purchase a 2009 toll in November 2009 and it is still only valid until the end of January 2010.

For vehicles over 3500 kg, the charge is 3.25 SFR per day. The minimum charge is 25 SFR though, and only allows one day. A 10 day pass costs 32.50 SFR for 10 days worth of use over a 12 month period. Thee are the ones I used for my van - 5000 kg.

Russell


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## colonel

Hi Russell

Oh wise Swiss expert!, tell me can you get the HGV vignette (the 10 day one) at any border crossing?

I'm sitting near Lake Konstanz (Bodensee) and trying to decide which way to head - Austria or Switzerland. The nearest major border crossing point is probably Breganz to Austria and Schafhausen to Switzerland but there are many smaller crossing points. However, I wonder if I will be able to get the Vignette I need at smaller ones.

What do you think?

Regards


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## peejay

> I'm sitting near Lake Konstanz (Bodensee) and trying to decide which way to head - Austria or Switzerland.


Probably no good for you Colonel Sir, but anyone near Lindau and the Lake wanting a cost effective shortcut through Austria to Switzerland without having to pay for a full Austrian Vignette might want to consider a 'Corridor Vignette'. Unfortunately it doesn't apply to m/homes over 3500kg GVW 

See here for more info...

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-675355.html#675355

Pete


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## malkay

Hi From Lindau to Switzerland via Bregenz it is not necessary to travel on Austian Autoway. Follow the lake side road and you will come to the boarder post. i would assume all crossings that allow HGV access will have the forms.

Good luck and have fun Mal.


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## peejay

malkay said:


> Hi From Lindau to Switzerland via Bregenz it is not necessary to travel on Austian Autoway. Follow the lake side road and you will come to the boarder post.


Thanks Mal, you're right, but at just €2 for <3.5t vans the 'Korridor' is a cost effective quicker option and saves the drive through Bregenz. Not an issue if you're not in a rush of course and fancy a looksie around Bregenz. :wink:

Do you know if there are any 3.5t weight limits on the B190/202 roads that transit Bregenz? If there isn't, that would be a good option for >3.5t vans.

Pete


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## Rapide561

*Border*

Paul

As far as I know, all Swiss border points can issue the Swiss vignettes. For your van, even though it is probably 4000kg, I doubt they would check, and for ease are likely to offer you the annual pass costing 40 SFR - the sticky back version.

Russell


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## ob1

Just for clarity, you cannot buy a vignette for vehicles over 3500kg, you need simple documentation only available at a border entry points. 

For full info on the Swiss road tolls look at 'Swiss Road Tolls -Amended' under the Swiss section of the Touring Forum.


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## colonel

Thanks to everyone for the information. Just to clarify, I'm not looking for a cheap way into Austria or Switzerland, I'm happy to pay for the correct vignette or toll badge as we will be touring around. From my previous visits to Switzerland by car there aren't too many places you can get to without using the autobahns which doesn't also involve mountain passes which Mrs Colonel is none too fond of. 8O 8O 

I just didn't want to turn up at an obscure border crossing to be told they can't issue a heavy goods 10 day pass or in Austria - a GO box. So it sounds like it's probably best to stick to the main crossing points at Bregenz or Salzburg for example.

I'll let you know how I get on later next week. Wish me luck. :wink: 

By the way, if you've not been to Germany it's well worth a visit. Clean campsites, friendly people, excellent toilet facilities and wonderful scenery (We did the Moselle Weinstrasse, the Rhine and the Black Forest). We hope to travel the "Romatic Route" across the southern part of Bavaria taking in Nueu Schwanstein castle and Fussen. For those of you brave enough to use Stellplatz there are literally hundreds of them especially down the Moselle valley and along the Rhine.


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## ob1

Colonel Sir

On no account miss Rothenburg on the Romantic Road. Enjoy your trip.

Ron (Private)


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## colonel

ob1 sorry I managed to miss Rothenberg but we saw a lot of the Romantic Road.

Just to update you all on the Go Box for Austria if you are over 3,500 kilos. You must stop at a service station either before the border or as soon as possible afterwards. You then have to purchase the Go box and load it with a mimimum of €75. Add the one off cost of the box and that's €80. I was surprised by how much they want as a mimimum and I argued to see if I could get a lower amount but no dice. I even phoned the office of the comapny who manage the system on behalf of the Austrian Government. Still no dice. You can apparently reclaim any unused portion but they told me that it costs €45 to reach the Italian border from Kufstein and that is only 100 Km. This would make it about 45 cents per km when it's supposed to be 15.6 per km. I felt that maybe the garages were paid a commision on how much you load initially and so they try and get as much as they can out of you. €75 is enough for nearly 500 km and it's highly unlikely that we would do that sort of mileage.

So watch out those of you who are over 3500 kilos weight. I'll let you know how we get on when we leave Austria but cynic that I am, I expect to have a few problems reclaiming my money.

Apart from this we are on a nice campsite near Worgl. Shame about the weather which is now rain rain and more rain expected for the next week. I hope we can get a TV signal in these mountains.


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