Caddies104 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Hi Have searched forum and Swiss tourist board but cannot get an exact figure for the cost of driving on Swiss motorways for our van which is 3650kg.(i.e over 3.5Tonne) . Found only old info, cannot find a website that gives the cost now.. Hope to travel in May this year and visit Interlaken ... Forum mentions that you buy by the day but was confusing over if when parked on site. do you count that day... Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Derek See point 13 on this site:- http://www.tolltickets.com/country/swiss/vignette.aspx?lang=en-GB&mnu=c#articles 3.25 Swiss Francs per day with a minimum 25 Swiss francs which is cheaper than the car vignette at 40 Swiss francs (although that lasts a year) From memory of a couple of years ago, once you enter Switzerland you will be charged each day you stay whether you use your vehicle or not. It was all very straightforward and all the paperwork was done at the border crossing point. You need your log book and insurance certificate and 25 Swiss Francs - I paid with credit card so didn't have to purchase any Swiss francs. They will often accept euros BUT they will always give change in Swiss francs and the rate they use is not good - be warned! Further info on this site http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_firmen/04020/04204/04208/04246/index.html?lang=en Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 The border guards are often standing there selling vignettes for the Swiss motorways and if you simply buy one and drive on the chances of getting stopped in a MH that looks like it might be 3.500 kg are probably negligible. If you get stopped the chances of being taken to task in the unlikely event that they spot the extra 150kg on your vehicle plate are probably small, even in Switzerland. I tried to do it he right way in Austria and getting the GoBox (or rather finding somewhere to return it afterwards as we left Austria) was a nightmare. Next time I go I will steer clear of motorways instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I disagree with the last post. I have been stopped twice at the border, once going in & once going out. Each time we were there about 45 mins and they turned everything out while we had to stand infront of the vehicle with an armed officer covering us. These were both a small border crossings. The Swiss are very thorough and it is my impression that if you step out of line they will throw the book at you. Fot the sake of 25 Swiss Francs, about £17, for a week it's simply not worth trying to fiddle it - besides which it's wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney123 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 The OP does not say how long he is going to be driving in Switzerland. For over 3.5 you can purchase a 10 day pass which entitles you to drive on the Swiss motorways for any 10 days during the year. On each day which you wish to drive on the motorways you enter the Day/date on the form and that's it, you must remember to put in the Day/date because if you get stopped, you get done. The cost is 32.50 swiss francs and you can pay by card, pay by Euros and you get swiss francs change like was said earlier. So if the OP will not have his vehicle on the road all the time (say parked up on a site) he/she dosnt need to fill in any day/date on the form. If you ever get stopped, you just show the completed form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Stay off the Swiss motorways, unlike Austria it is not difficult and all the most scenic roads are off them anyway. You can get to Interlaken easily and visit Grindlewald, one of our favourite places while you are in the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 Hi Thanks for the replies.. We will probably be in Switzerland for around 10 days, so looking at the websites that Jeremy put on, the 10 day pass would suit.. Works out about the same cost of the vignette we used to buy, I know it lasts a year but we only ever used once... I will look into the option of not using the Motorways but is it easy to avoid...? Thanks all Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Caddies104 - 2015-02-20 8:14 AM Hi Thanks for the replies.. We will probably be in Switzerland for around 10 days, so looking at the websites that Jeremy put on, the 10 day pass would suit.. Works out about the same cost of the vignette we used to buy, I know it lasts a year but we only ever used once... I will look into the option of not using the Motorways but is it easy to avoid...? Thanks all Derek Yes it is, just as easy as in France. It will take you longer but the alpine passes in Switzerland are good and as I said scenery is better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vandaemon Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 ALL vehicles over 3.5 tonnes have to pay even if not using motorways. Also they have to pay for every day in the country even if off road. see : http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_firmen/04020/04204/04208/04246/index.html?lang=en I used to think it was for being on the road but the official website says otherwise. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Vandaemon - 2015-02-20 11:36 AM As far as I know - I'll look for the link later - ALL vehicles over 3.5 tonnes have to pay even if not using motorways. Also they have to pay for every day in the country even if off road. I used to think it was for being on the road but an official website says otherwise. Alan Both these statements are correct. So, over 3.5 tonnes you need the chargeable "HGV" paperwork for any use in Switzerland, not just motorways. (As opposed to the situation up to 3.5 tonnes, where a vignette is used instead, but is only required if you use motorways). Edit to add: ...and on the option for 10 separate nominated days, filling it in even when you are on-site, not on the road, is a requirement - though they might find it difficult to catch you out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Barney123 - 2015-02-19 8:09 PM ....For over 3.5 you can purchase a 10 day pass which entitles you to drive on the Swiss motorways for any 10 days during the year. On each day which you wish to drive on the motorways you enter the Day/date on the form and that's it, you must remember to put in the Day/date because if you get stopped, you get done. The cost is 32.50 swiss francs and you can pay by card, pay by Euros and you get swiss francs change like was said earlier.... I wasn't aware of that system but it sounds both easy to use and reasonable value - much easier than the Austrian GoBox system. The first time I crossed into Switzerland in the MH, quite a few years ago, we were towing a trailer and I remember that I had to buy a vignette for the MH and another one for the trailer. They didn't say anything about weight so presumably they assumed I was under 3,500kg. Not taken the MH to Switzerland since then. However once I'd learned about the difference if you are over 3,500 kg, and that the Austrians could be sticky about it, I made sure to do the right thing - but to my subsequent regret when it turned out we only needed one junction on the motorway as it entered Austria (before we exited and re-entered Germany to get to Berchtesgaden) and we couldn't find anywhere to get rid of the GoBox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney123 Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 {Edit to add: ...and on the option for 10 separate nominated days, filling it in even when you are on-site, not on the road, is a requirement - though they might find it difficult to catch you out! } I will spell it out.............. Each day you take your vehicle on the road, you must fill the day and date in on the form. If you are on a site.....you are not on the road, so dont need to fill in the form....simple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Barney123 - 2015-02-20 1:55 PM {Edit to add: ...and on the option for 10 separate nominated days, filling it in even when you are on-site, not on the road, is a requirement - though they might find it difficult to catch you out! } I will spell it out.............. Each day you take your vehicle on the road, you must fill the day and date in on the form. If you are on a site.....you are not on the road, so dont need to fill in the form....simple ....so will I ;-) I enquired about this option when I was sold a continuous 10 day form (which was quite sufficient for what I wanted, but as I would be on-site for some of the days, the 10 individually selected days would have given me more flexibility if indeed, there was no requirement to nominate days when on-site.) I was informed that the form would need to be filled in even if on-site, which is entirely in alignment with the official information given in the link quoted above, viz: *In the case of proof of payment for ten freely chosen days, you must independently validate it before entry as well as at the start of each subsequent day the vehicle spends in Switzerland.. I was told that the 10 individual day option was largely targeted at HGVs in transit, as they often needed only one day at a time, and it gave them the option to minimise delays at the border for subsequent in-transit crossings. Edited to add: the following guidance, downloadable from the following link referenced by the link above, is explicit about the need to pay even when only on a campsite: http://tinyurl.com/pay-you-must Foreign vehicles subject to the lump-sum heavy vehicle charge are taxable in the same way as vehicles registered in Switzerland for each day spent in Switzerland, even if they are only parked and not driven (e.g. motorhome on a campsite). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I agree with Robin - I researched this in depth 2 years ago. You pay even if you are not on the road, so you need to know the length of your stay in Switzerland when you buy at the border. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney123 Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Well I have just used the Swiss motorways, I paid 32.50 CHF for any 10 days throughout the year. I have only used 3 of those days so far in Sept/Oct 2014 and I have until September 2015 to use up the other 7 days if I wish. The procedure was all explained to me at the crossing point in Basel where I purchased my ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 Can see why people get confused with so many different opinions, but thanks to all for the explanations. Guess I will get the 10 day pass, surprised to hear that I needed one even if not using the Motorway, wonder how many over 3.5 Tonners new this, guess not many...... Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 See if this helps. Look at the first paragraph on page 2, where it is explicit that the number of days charged are the number of days spent in Switzerland, even if spent off-road, and not the number of days spent on Switzerland's roads. The document is dated 2013, but is the latest version as downloaded from the Swiss government website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Note (from the info sheet in Brian's post above) that the heavy vehicle charge applies across the complete road system in Switzerland, not just motorways. If your MH is over 3,500kg you cannot avoid charges by staying off the motorways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 Brian Thanks for info, explains it all very well and destroyed the myths.... Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 The AA website gives a lot of such information in one place - click the link 'Touring Tips By Country' http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/index.html?ico=homepage&icl=driving_abroad&icc=header Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheasantplucker Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I recently contacted the Austrian go-maut.at for advice on the Go-box, and it appears to be valid for 5 years on a post-pay arrangement, anyway. Pre-pay requires an upfront 75 euro payment. Wondering why you would try to returm it, rather than let it fade away Stalwart? Also advised that I could order within 3 months of my trip and would be sent a code to ease collecting at any go-box point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 In Austria it was the non-availability of GoBox points that was the problem. We paid the deposit (I vaguely remember it was 80€) at the last motorway services in Germany and I wanted to return it because we weren't going back to Austria again for at least a year, maybe several, and nor did I plan to use any more Austrian motorways on that trip. Couldn't find one in Austria anywhere. Eventually I gave up and almost as an afterthought looked for a GoBox point in the first motorway services we stopped at on our way back through germany, which was about 40 miles from Ausytria - and there was one. I got amost 50€ back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 I can also confirm that you need to fill in the said form for every day you are in Switzerland - on any road or not for over 3500kg vehicles. This subject was researched for a guide that I wrote on Interlaken and its surroundings and the information sourced direct from the Swiss customs at Bern who control the road charging system. Derek - if you would like a copy of the guide, written specifically for motorhomers, please let me have your email address and I will forward on. I think you will find it interesting and time saving. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Hi Thanks Ron have PM'd you, look forward to the read... Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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