Which resort in Switzerland has no traffic? What are the features of traveling around Switzerland by car? Internet to help

We decided to go home through Switzerland. This was our first superficial experience of getting to know this beautiful and expensive country. While still at home, we made inquiries and made sure that Switzerland is part of the Schengen zone and with our Finnish visa we have the right to enter there.

Swiss toll roads

It is well known that tolls on Swiss roads are paid using a vignette, which is valid for 14 months - from December 1 of the previous year to January 31 of the following year.

In general, it’s a rip-off, you can travel through Austria using a vignette for 8-50 euros (valid for 10 days), but in Switzerland there are no benefits for travelers; travel for one day and travel for a year are the same price. And the vignette is valid for more than one year from the date of purchase.

But it’s better to pay 40 euros once than, like in Italy, to pay tolls every time you use a toll road. We traveled around Italy for as much as 80 euros, only travel from the border with Austria to Ravenna along the E45 highway (440 km) cost us about 30 euros.

Border crossing Italy - Switzerland highway A9 - E35

We saw a line at the border, dug out our passports in the glove compartment, but the Swiss border guard immediately said: “No passports. Only money! Thus, right on the Swiss border, money is collected from everyone who does not have a vignette. They charged us 40 euros in cash because we didn't have Swiss francs and weren't going to buy them.

Attention, this number may not be accepted now! It all depends on the euro to franc exchange rate, if it is profitable to accept payment in euros, then they will accept the difference, “honest Swiss border guards” take it into their pockets, if the exchange rate changes, they may stop accepting payments in euros.

Photos of Swiss roads and impressions



The landscapes around the road are impressive, at first we drove along the E43 autobahn with two lanes in both directions, then the road became narrower, with one lane in each direction. There are no opportunities to overtake on such a road, but there is no strong desire either; it’s better to drive slowly and look around, it’s very beautiful there.



Gorgeous Swiss landscapes along the road

Very often there are waterfalls on the sides of the road, mountain rivers, almost like in Norway. Russian birches also grow in the Swiss mountains. The weather was excellent +27. And even at the very crest of the San Bernardino Pass it did not become cooler; this was not observed in Norway; there it immediately became much colder at altitude.

We drove up the entire first half of the journey, climbing to the pass. Plastic water bottles reflected pressure changes. The pressure decreases with altitude, the bottles spontaneously make a “fuck” from a loosely closed cork. Then the bottles slid down and crushed loudly inside, making a characteristic sound.

Our car went uphill poorly. We were driving behind a jeep pulling a huge boat on a trailer and lagged behind it, with the gas pedal on the floor. The variator obviously chose the wrong gear for driving uphill. We had to turn it off and change gears manually, we immediately drove faster and overtook the jeep and boat.



Rest area near San Bernardino Pass

There are not many good viewpoints along the road. There is absolutely nowhere to stop, there is practically no roadside. We stopped by one viewing platform almost at the very high point San Bernardino Pass. This site was completely cosmic and free toilet, I have never seen anything like this in my life. This toilet is visible in the photo above. Behind the space toilet there was an ordinary kiosk with fast food and souvenirs. The kiosk accepted cash in euros. We saw a scene that shocked us to the core.



Gorgeous Swiss landscapes along the road

The travelers bought sausages on plastic plates at the kiosk, the same plastic forks were attached to the plates, the girl accidentally dropped the fork and asked the saleswoman for another one and they sold her a plastic fork for 1 euro! I have never seen such greed anywhere, even in Russia, where there are shortcomings, I cannot imagine this.



Gorgeous Swiss landscapes along the road

It's much easier to go down. Only 18 km downhill 8%, that’s what was written on the sign and a picture of a truck with smoking wheels, I didn’t have time to take a photo of this sign. This obviously does not apply to passenger cars.



Gorgeous Swiss landscapes along the road

In Switzerland, food is expensive, and gasoline is cheaper than in Italy, and even cheaper than in Germany, and a little cheaper than in France. Here is such a phenomenon in one of the most expensive countries In Europe, gasoline is cheaper than in its neighbors.



Border crossing Switzerland - Austria

There was no border ambush on the Austrian side; there was no one at all at the border checkpoint. Our Austrian vignette, purchased on the way to vacation, was valid for the last day, so we did not violate any Austrian rules.

Driving on mountain roads is an exciting adventure in itself. The views along the sides of the road are amazing. This process can be compared to watching a movie in a cinema; at every turn a new scene begins, different from the previous one.

We drove all day, covered 790 km, and we weren’t bored at all. We stopped near the German city of Ulm, in a very cheap campsite (the absolute cheapest record holder for all our travels), but more on that in the next post.

In this review I will talk about a new country for me - Switzerland. What do we associate Switzerland with? If you asked me, I would probably immediately imagine Swiss watches, Swiss chocolate, mountains and lakes. It was for the sake of the natural beauties of Switzerland that we decided to go there. The decision was made - in principle, not to waste time on cities. Yes, they probably have their own interesting features and attractions. But the nature of Switzerland is so much more interesting that the cities, in my opinion, do not deserve close attention, at least on the first trip to the country.

Route

It is very convenient that Switzerland is a small country. To get to any point of it, say from the middle, you will not need to travel more than 150 kilometers. True, the roads in Switzerland are not easy. If we take the highways, then everything is fine with them. But where they are not, the traveler will have to face narrow and winding mountain roads, driving on which is quite dangerous. It is not for nothing that in Switzerland the maximum speed limit on roads outside populated areas is 80 km/h. On some roads this speed seems overly optimistic. Read more about Swiss roads and traffic rules in one of the future articles on our website.

So, about the route. Our starting point was Brussels, so we had a fairly long day's drive ahead of us, the end point of which was the Rhine Falls, located near the city of Neuhausen. After that, after another 100 km. The first hotel was waiting for us, located in the town of Heutzwald, which is about 30 km from Zurich.

All other days we spent the night in a hotel located in the town of Gluringen - almost in the very center of the country. Schematically, our route looked like this:

View on a larger map

Read more about all the points of our trip below.

Briefly about Switzerland

Day 1.

Day 2.
Lake Lungerner, located near the town of the same name, is very beautiful. The calm azure waters of the reservoir glow against the backdrop of the surrounding mountains. By the way, there is a very convenient bike path around the lake, which is especially good - without significant changes in height.

Lauterbrunnen Falls Valley and Trummelbach Falls
The valley of the Lauterbrunnen waterfalls is located between high mountains. There are a total of 72 waterfalls here, including the Staubbach Falls, the second highest in Switzerland. A little nearby is the Trummelbach waterfall - an amazing and powerful waterfall inside the rock, which can be seen using a specially created tunnel system.

Ascent to the town of Mürren
Mürren - high mountain resort town, located near the valley of the Lauterbrunnen waterfalls. You can get there by cable car and narrow gauge train. The Mürren area offers stunning views of the landscape below. mountain valley, and those around high peaks with snow caps.

Day 3.

Climbing to the Eggishorn peak to the Aletsch glacier
Very close to our second hotel is the town of Fiesch. Eggishorn goes from there to the top cable car. The peak is interesting primarily because it offers an excellent view of the Aletsch mountain glacier - a winding icy river. At the intermediate station, there are several restaurants with excellent views and a base for hang gliders.

Grimsel Pass: Dammed Lakes
The Grimsel Pass is one of the highest mountain passes in Switzerland. The landscapes here are completely different. Sparse vegetation. Pale green rocks surround equally pale green artificial lakes, separated by a dam. Some kind of "cosmic" place.

Day 4.
To be honest, this point in our trip was not planned in advance. Simply, driving along the highway near the city of Sion, we saw two twin castles standing on neighboring hills. So, we turned off the road and made a short stop here to take some photos and look at these interesting buildings.

Chillon Castle in Montreux near Lake Geneva
Chillon Castle stands on a cliff near the shore Lake Geneva, not far from resort town Montreux. From the outside it doesn't look very impressive, but when you start to examine it from the inside, it turns out that it is simply huge. The prison dungeons of this castle were described in Byron's famous poem "The Prisoner of Chillon".

Everything a tourist needs to know about car rental in Switzerland: cost, documents, insurance, traffic rules, toll roads, as well as the main car rental companies in Switzerland.

Renting a car in Switzerland and going on an exciting trip with the goal of, say, visiting all the local lakes, enjoying the magnificent landscapes, breathing in clean mountain air and seeing enough of the cozy towns and climatic resorts along the way is an excellent option for traveling at any time of the year. The destination of your trip may be Swiss castles, ancient cities or search for the best panoramic views for stunning photos, and practical information for all cases of “life behind the wheel” we have you covered.

In German, renting a car is autovermietung. At your service international companies car rental (you can pre-order online), numerous brokers and small private agencies that you can contact upon arrival in any city in Switzerland.

The approximate cost of renting a class C car with insurance is 100-120 CHF per day.

When planning a trip around Switzerland by car, keep in mind that some resorts, for example Zermatt, Murren, Wengen and Braunwald, can only be reached by train or tram - there is no road connection with these cities.

Almost 220 tunnels have been built in Switzerland, total length which are about 200 km.

Documents, insurance

To rent a car in Switzerland you will need an international driver's license, a national license and credit card. The driver must usually be over 21 years of age and have at least one, two or three years of driving experience (for different models auto - different requirements). If you want to rent a car in a class higher than standard, be prepared to present two credit cards and be at least 25 years old. Sometimes, if the driver is over 21 years old but under 25 years old, the rental price increases (approximately 20-25 CHF per day).

Some resorts, such as Zermatt, Murren, Wengen and Braunwald, can only be reached by train or tram - there is no road connection to these cities.

The cost of car rental in Switzerland usually includes: airport tax (if you rent a car immediately upon arrival), local tax, unlimited mileage, accident insurance with or without a deductible, theft insurance and civil liability insurance, vignette (road tax). Explanation of insurance options: 3rd (Third) party liability (civil liability to third parties), CDW - Collision Damage Waiver (our CASCO with a franchise), Theft Waiver - theft insurance.

Additional charges include: child seat rental, roof rack rental for transporting skis, second driver, navigator rental, snow chains and winter tires. If you plan to leave Switzerland with a rented car, please inform the rental company about this. You may need to purchase additional insurance, and some agencies prohibit taking their vehicles out of the country altogether.

Fuel and gas stations

Typically, the ordered car is provided with a full tank of gasoline, and you are required to return it with a fully filled tank. Gas stations in Switzerland sell 95 and 98 unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel; leaded gasoline is not allowed for sale. Gasoline can be transported in cans, but not more than 25 liters.

The cost of gasoline in Switzerland is 1.47 CHF per liter of 95.

Swiss roads

Traffic Laws

Swiss traffic rules are not much different from the norms of behavior on the road in other European countries. The requirement to use low beam headlights in most cases is advisory in nature and is mandatory only in tunnels. For children under 12 years old and less than 1.5 m tall, the use of special chairs is mandatory. Seat belts must be fastened for everyone in the car. Talking on the phone while driving should only be done hands-free.

Speed ​​limit in Switzerland. Locality: 50 km/h. Outside settlement: 80 km/h. Highway: 100 km/h. Motorway: 120 km/h. The minimum speed limit on the highway is 80 km/h.

Make sure that the car you rent has a warning triangle (and it should be located not in the trunk, but in the cabin of the car) and a first aid kit. Radar detectors are prohibited for use and transportation. The navigator's speed camera detection feature must be turned off. Before sharp turns with limited visibility, the driver is required to sound the horn during daylight hours or blink his headlights during dark hours.

Fines

Small fines in Switzerland can be paid on the spot; the police officer will issue a receipt for the funds received. Or it is possible to pay fines issued later, but not more than 30 days after the offense.

The permissible blood alcohol content for a driver in Switzerland is 0.5 ‰.

Some fine amounts: drunk driving - from 500 to 1000 CHF and/or deprivation of rights for up to 3 months; absence of a vignette - 200 CHF (and you need to buy it immediately); failure to comply with the rules for transporting children - 60 CHF; speeding - from 40 CHF and up to half of the total wages(for residents); wrong parking - 80 CHF; failure to use seat belts - 60 CHF; talking on the phone without hands free - 100 CHF.

Previous photo 1/ 1 Next photo

Toll roads

To travel on the roads of Switzerland, you must purchase a vignette, the cost of which for a passenger car is 40 CHF, valid from December 1 to January 31 of the following year (a vignette for each year is always valid for these 14 months). A rented car will most likely already have such a vignette, but if you cross the border with Switzerland in a personal car, take care of purchasing it (at customs, at the post office or at gas stations). Of course, the vignette must be installed correctly - that is, firmly glued to the windshield.

Roads of Switzerland

There are several areas in Switzerland with special fees. Great St Tunnel Bernard connects Switzerland with Italy; traveling along it in a passenger car will cost 29.30 CHF one way and 46.90 CHF both ways (you must return within 30 days). Entry prices from the Italian side are no different. To travel in both directions through the Munt la Schera tunnel (also between Switzerland and Italy) you will have to pay 38 CHF. The width of the tunnel allows only one car to pass through, so the movement in the tunnel is reversible.

Parking in Swiss cities

Parking in Swiss cities, as almost everywhere else in Europe, is strict. It is worth remembering the differences between zones of different colors. White zone: park safely for an unlimited time, after first looking around and making sure that there are no parking machines. Blue zone: awaits the lucky owners of blue discs (you can buy them at the travel office, at the bank or at the police station); it happens that you can stand for up to 90 minutes for free. Red zone: up to 15 hours of free parking, but only for those who bought a red parking disc (sold in the same place as blue ones). Yellow zone: sorry, you can't park here at all.

You need to set the arrival time on the parking disc (except for parking between 19:00 and 8:00. Many streets are equipped with parking meters: you just pay for the time you park. The cheapest thing is to leave your car at the entrance to the city - in Park & ​​Ride parking lots, and then move around on public transport. The most expensive option is to leave your car in the underground parking lot.

Prices on the page are as of November 2018.

Toll roads in Switzerland.

If you are planning a road trip around Europe, then you also need to know about toll roads. The tolls for traveling on them are quite reasonable.

Tolls are often paid using a vignette. Vignette for the autobahn - this is a sticker on the windshield, which indicates the duration of its validity; when checking, you can immediately see whether the toll has been paid.

Word vignette – French origin, previously meant including label on a wine bottle, later acquired a number of other meanings. Nowadays, this word is used mainly as a synonym for "sticker".
This is how tolls are collected on the Autobahn, Switzerland, Slovenia and Romania.

Switzerland

Driving on Swiss autobahns and motorways (national roads) is subject to toll. The fee for vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tons and trailers is paid through the purchase of a vignette. For the absence of a vignette on the windshield, the police impose a fine of 200 francs.

Attention!!! If you rent a car in Switzerland itself, then you do not need any vignette; the cost of renting a car already includes tolls. But if you took the car to neighboring country, for example, in Germany or the Czech Republic and you are traveling to Switzerland or in transit through Switzerland and MUST stop at any gas station, a little before the border with Austria (10-15 km) and buy a vignette - matrix for Austria and Switzerland. The fine for its absence is 120 euros. If it is impossible to pay on the spot, the amount increases to 300.

Autobahns and freeways for which travel is required vignette :

To enlarge the scale, click on the picture.

Toll roads in Switzerland are indicated by green and white signs.

This is what the autobahn looks like, with 2 toll lanes and one free road.

This is what the autobahn looks like, with 2 toll lanes and 2 free lanes.

Where to buy a vignette?

Switzerland

In Switzerland, stickers can be bought at gas stations, at the offices of the Tourist Club of Switzerland (TCS), at the border, they are sold customs authorities, at the post office, in garage parking lots, even at gas stations and at kiosks on highways or tobacco shops.

Abroad

Outside Switzerland, vignette stickers are sold by automotive organizations. On the Swiss border, they are also sold on the motorway at gas stations and tobacco kiosks (tabacconists) (Austria).

Outside Switzerland, vignette stickers can also be ordered online and delivered to your home from the Swiss Travel Center and in Germany Deutsche Post and ADAC.

Appearance of the vignette in 2019.

Where to glue the vignette? Anbringen der Vignette

Police control

Happens all the time. If the vignette is missing or incorrectly attached, a fine of 200 francs will be imposed. In addition to the fine, you must buy a vignette on the spot.

You cannot attach a vignette as shown below!
It is glued directly from the inside - and in no case with tape, etc.!

Cost of a Swiss vignette in 2019

To travel on the Swiss autobahn (marked with white and green signs), you must buy a vignette. From 01/01/2019 annual vignette costs 40 Swiss francs. A separate fee is charged for travel through some tunnels and passes (with loading of vehicles onto special equipment).

Appearance of the vignette in 2012.

Appearance of the vignette in 2013.

Fines

For traveling without a vignette, you will have to pay a fine of 200 Swiss francs. The same applies to incorrect use of a vignette (if you glued it in the wrong place).

(French Tunnel du Grand-Saint-Bernard) is a road tunnel that complements the road through the Grand Saint Bernard Pass. Connects the Swiss commune of Bourg-Saint-Pierre (canton of Valais) with the Italian Saint-Rémy-en-Bosse (Valle d'Aosta region). The name of the tunnel is given by the name of the pass.

A1 - Motorcycles with or without sidecar;
A2 - Vehicles with 2 or more axles, the height to the right of the front axle is less than 1.30 m and the total height of the vehicle is less than or equal to 2 m;
B1 - Vehicles with 2 or more axles, total height greater than 2 m and less than or equal to 3 m;
B2 B3 - Trucks and vans 2 axles, total height greater than 3 m;
3A 3B - Trucks and vans with 3 axles, total height greater than 3 m;
4 - Vehicles with 4 or more axles, total height greater than 3 m.

Prices for travel through the tunnel in 2019 (in euros):

A1 - 16.40 euros one way, and both ways - 22.20.
A2 - 27.90 euros one way, and round trip - 44.60.

On the one hand, it is interesting to move around - there are so many beauties to see! - and at the same time problematic (where to park?! And drive according to the rules?!!! This is outrageous!).

The main rule is FOLLOW THE RULES! Well, unless you are a local oligarch, of course. Local fines for violating the rules very quickly train even very dull drivers... By the way, if an accident occurs due to your fault, all police visits, all repairs of fences, etc. will be paid for by you. Why bother with this when you can be a law-abiding citizen for a change?

Autobahns in Switzerland

Travel on the autobahn (they are indicated by a green and white icon) in Switzerland is paid, but it costs less than in most European countries (except for free Germany). You need to buy a sticker for the front window at gas stations (you can also do it at the post office and customs) - vignette. It is valid for a little more than 1 year: from December 1 of the previous year to January 31 of the next and costs 40 francs (quite moderate, considering the typical 10 euros per 100 km in Italy and France). But if you came for a day and in general, in passing, it’s a shame, of course, but nothing can be done, Switzerland requires sacrifices... Financial, first of all...

Are you thinking of entering Switzerland without a vignette because, honestly, you won't be driving on the highway? This, unfortunately, is unlikely to happen: border guards simply do not allow cars in if there is no vignette. No, of course you can try, but...

Trailers and camping trailers require a special additional vignette.

For cars and motorcycles weighing up to 3.5 tons, the cost of a vignette is 40 francs (27 euros). The vignette must be glued to the glass; vignettes that are not glued are not valid.

Map of roads in Switzerland where a vignette is required (marked in red):

Rules in Switzerland

This word is unpleasant, rules... But in Switzerland this word is law! Any respectable citizen monitors their compliance. Did you miss a pedestrian? Have you talked on your cell phone while driving? Parked in the wrong place? Good Swiss citizens will not sort things out with you (why would they do this? You weigh 100 kg in net weight, and here is a cute Swiss gnome!), but will simply call the police, and within 10 minutes you will be evacuated / fined / checked. The law is for everyone and everything is for the law, yes!

So, let’s read and remember!

Main traffic rules In Switzerland:
  • Insurance is required.
  • Seat belts - be sure to fasten.
  • A child seat is mandatory for children under 7 years old; children under 12 years old and less than 150 cm tall must be in a child seat in the front seat. It's sacred, yes.
  • Car horns are prohibited after dark ( Well, not everything is so terrible, of course - in critical situations you have the right to honk, but in general the Swiss do not like noise, and honking without a clear need is simply a disturbance to peace. Exception - large football matches when screams and car horns can be heard past midnight)
  • The minimum driving age is 18 years.
  • Mobile phones can only be used with a hands-free system.
  • In tunnels, headlights are required.
  • It is advisable to use headlights during the day, especially on main routes ( and the driver of the oncoming bus is still blinking at you, well, you’re, like, crazy, drive without headlights! Scoundrel!).
  • The driver must have following documents: driver's license, insurance, emissions certificate, car registration ( whiskers, paws and tail will not work as documents! What is an Emissions Certificate - Don't even ask! More precisely, they never asked me, but, perhaps, if a penny from the 70th year of production moves in with them, they might ask)
  • Helmets are required for all passengers and drivers of scooters and motorcycles.
  • Radar detectors are prohibited.
  • It is mandatory to have a warning triangle in your car.
  • Alcohol in the blood is allowed up to 0.5 ppm (a glass of wine or a can of beer). True, if an accident happens and you are a little drunk, then you will automatically be at fault.
  • The ring is the main road (those driving along the ring have priority)
  • Priority is given to a car going up a hill rather than a car going down.
  • Pedestrians ALWAYS have priority. Passing of pedestrians in Switzerland is mandatory, even if the pedestrian still doubts whether to cross the road. REMEMBER THIS RULE! Otherwise, sympathetic people, outraged by your discourtesy, will then call the police and dictate the number of the person who did not give way to grandma. It's a shame for grandma! And where else, besides Switzerland, can you see a series of pedestrian crossings located about 20 meters apart. And after all, each has its own grandmother!
Follows road rules in Switzerland:

As for checks, they check rarely, but accurately. In general, in 10 years we were checked only once, on Friday evening (this is the most likely time - people were relaxed, a restaurant, wine...). But they check just like in a movie about gangsters - with flashlights, three people surrounded the car, documents, please breathe...

But we must pay tribute: the local police do not aim to make money from you, but rather to maintain order in the country. Many cameras have warnings in front of them, since the goal is not to get a fine, but to prevent accidents. If the travel system suddenly changes, then at first a policeman will stand by and direct those drivers who, out of habit, have now taxied in the wrong direction. Poliesky operates without any penalty, but solely for informational purposes.

It is important to remember that in Switzerland they are very sensitive about speeding. Especially within the city. It is usually designed in such a way that you won’t speed up where you shouldn’t, but if you still succeed, then remember about punishment up to prison.

Politeness is a very important concept in Switzerland, including on the roads.

Speed


Speed ​​limits in Switzerland:

  • 120 km/h - autobahns
  • 100 - 80 km/h - tunnels (in accordance with signs), suburban highways
  • 80 km/h - outside populated areas
  • 50 km/h – populated areas
  • 30 km/h - some streets in cities marked with a corresponding sign

Speeding is considered to be 3-5 km/h with a limit of 50 km/h, and about 7 km/h with a limit of 120 km/h. There are cameras in many places. To avoid being fined, it is better to focus on other road users.

In Zurich, the most cameras are located on Buheggstrasse, after Hardbrücke. There, on an area of ​​one kilometer, there are, if I’m not mistaken, 3 (!!) cameras. Exceed by 5 km/hour - get a fine of 40 francs!

And yes, Switzerland does not forget fines... Do you want to be a debtor and not allowed to enter Schengen? Then you probably don't have to pay. But still not worth it. You never know...

Signs

Yes, it’s difficult to travel abroad without foreign languages. But you can still find your way around quickly on the road. The German version is listed first (or only). You will find it in most of the country. In the French-speaking part, everything is different (about

 

It might be useful to read: