Swiss Vignette

[CAPP0]

I'll be driving from Lake Garda to Rigny, France (NE of Dijon) next month, and we'd like to go via the Stelvio, just because we can. However, most routes seem to suggest going through Switzerland, which of course entails a vignette purchase unless we stick to minor roads. Anyone got any other suggestions for a route to avoid the vignette? I don't mind the principle of paying but I'm not likely to go back through CH this year so it seems something of a waste really. Shame they don't do a day ticket, maybe something like a scratch-the-date parking ticket, for a fiver or so.

Thanks.

[eyebeebe]

If you really want to go via Stelvio I don't think you can get away with it, short of taking a massive detour through Austria and Germany, but you are going to end up paying more than the cost of the vignette in extra fuel and the Austrian vignette, not to mention time.

All the other routes direct from Garda on Google maps go via Italy and France. I reckon there's actually a fair chance that it will cost you more to use the toll roads in those two countries than the vignette. I think via michelin will calculate tolls for you if you want to compare...

[CAPP0]

Ah, that's a good point! Hadn't thought of it that way. Thinking about it, isn't there something similar which you're supposed to have in Austria anyway?

[cptsideways]

Quick tip on vignettes,

Put some clingfilm neatly in the corner of the screen & attatch sticky vignette to it, can then be swapped around on different cars

[eyebeebe]

CAPP0 said:

Ah, that's a good point! Hadn't thought of it that way. Thinking about it, isn't there something similar which you're supposed to have in Austria anyway?

Yes the Austrian's have a vignette, which is more expensive than the Swiss for an annual one, but they do a short term one for, I think, €8).

Here's a route for you that is as direct as I can see without using Swiss motorways. You do enter Switzerland but you follow lake Constance using the coast road until you get to Constance and then cut across Germany, head south and then over the French border.
http://goo.gl/maps/5yQyt

This is the most direct route involving Swiss tolls. (Note you can't just put Stelvio Pass in Google Maps as it only gives you half of it).
http://goo.gl/maps/ZwEJI

Looks like there is 100km and two hours in it. Up to you to do the calculations on your fuel costs and time.

[CAPP0]

Thanks very much for that! It's quite a big time and distance difference, there's getting on for half the price of the vignette in fuel for the extra distance anyway, and as we're looking to do that in a day, 9 hrs will be better than 11! Thanks for the help. Is it best to just buy the vignette over there, or in advance?

[Puggit]

If you enter Switzerland on a motorway, they tend to pull you over and make you buy the vignette then and there. I believe you can acquire 2nd hand ones on ebay

[eyebeebe]

CAPP0 said:

Thanks very much for that! It's quite a big time and distance difference, there's getting on for half the price of the vignette in fuel for the extra distance anyway, and as we're looking to do that in a day, 9 hrs will be better than 11! Thanks for the help. Is it best to just buy the vignette over there, or in advance?

Have you done major pass driving before? The reason I ask is that it's physically draining. I normally find that the drive home from the major Swiss passes to Zurich (which is about an hour and a half) is plenty. Maybe I'm just a wuss but I'd consider stopping somewhere cheap enroute for the night if you can spare the time.

As Puggit says at any major border crossing you'll be able to buy them or get a second hand one online.

[CAPP0]

Puggit said:

If you enter Switzerland on a motorway, they tend to pull you over and make you buy the vignette then and there. I believe you can acquire 2nd hand ones on ebay

I heard they fined you €200 or some such? Yes, there are some on eBay but they seem to be selling for something very very close to the cost of a new one! €33 = £28 new vs £26-27 on eBay! Crazy....

I'll have to remember the clingfilm trick, don't want it stuck on anyway, I'd probably have stuck it in the tax disc holder otherwise.

[CAPP0]

eyebeebe said:

Have you done major pass driving before? The reason I ask is that it's physically draining. I normally find that the drive home from the major Swiss passes to Zurich (which is about an hour and a half) is plenty. Maybe I'm just a wuss but I'd consider stopping somewhere cheap enroute for the night if you can spare the time.

As Puggit says at any major border crossing you'll be able to buy them or get a second hand one online.

I have, yes. Not too concerned about my own staying power, more whether MrsC will put up a journey that long!

[heebeegeetee]

cptsideways said:

Quick tip on vignettes,

Put some clingfilm neatly in the corner of the screen & attatch sticky vignette to it, can then be swapped around on different cars

Ooh, this sounds good, but is it sound advice?

[eyebeebe]

CAPP0 said:

I heard they fined you €200 or some such? Yes, there are some on eBay but they seem to be selling for something very very close to the cost of a new one! €33 = £28 new vs £26-27 on eBay! Crazy....

I'll have to remember the clingfilm trick, don't want it stuck on anyway, I'd probably have stuck it in the tax disc holder otherwise.

The fine is CHF 200 or about £140. You can also be fined for putting it in your tax disc holder.
http://www.autobahnen.ch/index.php?lg=001&page...

They do come off with a scraper, but are very sticky!

[Amateurish]

CAPP0 said:

I heard they fined you €200 or some such? Yes, there are some on eBay but they seem to be selling for something very very close to the cost of a new one! €33 = £28 new vs £26-27 on eBay! Crazy....

I'll have to remember the clingfilm trick, don't want it stuck on anyway, I'd probably have stuck it in the tax disc holder otherwise.

Just buy it when you cross the border. They sell it at all border posts, and take credit cards.

[Sevenman]

Amateurish said:

Just buy it when you cross the border. They sell it at all border posts, and take credit cards.

And don't pull off at the services offering the "Last chance to buy a vignette before Switzerland".

As we were headed straight onto Swiss Motorway, it seemed the sensible thing to do.

But it was a 20% overpriced vignette and the Swiss were efficiently selling them right over the border.

Fuel in Switzerland was a lot cheaper than Italy.

[nutsytvr]

cptsideways said:

Quick tip on vignettes,

Put some clingfilm neatly in the corner of the screen & attatch sticky vignette to it, can then be swapped around on different cars

Good advice. Used that trick to get two cars into LM camp sites on one pas.

[Fuchs]

cptsideways said:

Quick tip on vignettes,

Put some clingfilm neatly in the corner of the screen & attatch sticky vignette to it, can then be swapped around on different cars

and you think that the Swiss police dont know about this?

[cptsideways]

Fuchs said:

cptsideways said:

Quick tip on vignettes,

Put some clingfilm neatly in the corner of the screen & attatch sticky vignette to it, can then be swapped around on different cars

and you think that the Swiss police dont know about this?

If you trim the clingfilm they are none the wiser unless they try unpeeling it

[Fuchs]

cptsideways said:

Fuchs said:

cptsideways said:

Quick tip on vignettes,

Put some clingfilm neatly in the corner of the screen & attatch sticky vignette to it, can then be swapped around on different cars

and you think that the Swiss police dont know about this?

If you trim the clingfilm they are none the wiser unless they try unpeeling it

From the Swiss customs website" Motorway tax stickers affixed only with adhesive tape, foil or other aids are not tolerated and are punished according to the legal provisions."

That will be 600 chfs and a new vignette.

[CAPP0]

In the end I bought a vignette from a petrol station in Davos, but we ended up changing our route and therefore the vignette is still in pristine, un-peeled, unstuck condition. Decided to follow the suit of many others and sell it on eBay. Halfway through the listing, an email pops up from eBay saying that it contravenes their policies and they've pulled the listing - despite there being 16 completed sales in the past two weeks! And in addition, none of the banned items which they sent me a list of bears any relevance to the vignette. I tried to respond to their email and got a convoluted "you can call us if you have 27 hours of your life to waste" reply. Bloody annoying!

[Al Murphy]

Cappo,

I'm off for a jaunt round Europe in a couple of weeks and will be in Switzerland for a few days so will be needing to buy a Vignette. If you still wish to sell it I'm happy to pay full value for it, and don't have the same moral objections as ebay do

Al