ChrisK5 Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Hi all. We are off to Switzerland this year for the first time staying on the shores of lake Geneva. Question is, does anybody recommend places to visit in Switzerland and what are the cost implications for a tag axle motorhome on the swiss motorways. I await your reply's with anticipation Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Hi We stayed at a campsite near lake Lucerne, it was an ACSI site and cost e16. The site was Steinbachried, and was an easy cycle to the Lake. If you van is 3.5 tonne and under a Vignette is needed costing 40 swiss Francs, but over that you have to buy a heavy goods vehicle tax, I believe daily.. But someone will give you a better idea soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Been to Switzerland many times and never bought a motorway ticket yet. Stay off them and stick to the mountain roads, more scenic, much more interesting. Would not bother with the lake at Geneva on the Swiss or French side. A place I would recommend is Grindlewald, an ACSI site here within easy walking distance of the village. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Over 3500kg you have to pay heavy goods vehicle tax to travel on any road, it is a daily rate dependant on your emissions. You pay a daily rate for the days you are on the road if you are parked up on site you don't need to pay for those days. You can pay for 10 days or 1 month or yearly. The 10 day and monthly ones are I think a scratch card type where you fill in the days you are on the road. If you are not on the road every days can work out cheaper than a under 3500kg van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 ....just to amplify Lenny's post: For a motorhome not over 3.5t, a vignette is only required to use the Swiss motorways, the majority of other roads are toll free. For a motorhome over 3.5t (as that of the OP most likely is), HGV documentation is required when using ANY Swiss road, motorway or not (and with it a vignette is not additionally required for motorway use). The documentation is pretty easy to get hold of at the border (or at least, was in my experience), but you may find some delays at the larger/busier border crossings. As the HGV documentation comes in various selectable flavours, including a number of days (subject to a minimum), it can work out to be cheaper than the cost of the annual (under 3.5t) vignette, depending of course on how many days you are actually in Switzerland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 A real 'must do' is the Jungfrau mountain railway. http://www.jungfrau.ch/en/quick-navigation/contact/railway-stations/ Not cheap.....but it's a trip of a lifetime you will never ever forget. The views and scenery are magnificent but do try to pick the right day. When i went we were really fortunate and the weather was glorious all day with clear blue skies. Allow a whole day to do it and a good time to start is around 8 - 8.30am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 If near Lucerne then visit the train museum, its on the lake shore. There are boat rides on the lake and nearby is the mountain of Pilatus with a cable car or a funicular ride to the top. On the opposite shore and close to the town is the rail station proper, if you have a day to spare take a train ride to Lake Constance and if more time take the ferry across the lake to the Zeppelin Museum at Friedrichshafen and step inside a reconstructed part of the airship and its huge internal construction which held the gas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollybear Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 lennyhb - 2014-02-28 5:36 PM You pay a daily rate for the days you are on the road if you are parked up on site you don't need to pay for those days. Sorry, Not correct, you get all the information from here: http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_firmen/04020/04204/04208/04246/index.html?lang=en Fact sheet on the Swiss lump-sum heavy vehicle charge (PSVA): 2/3 Rates1 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...
Barryd999 Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I agree with the poster earlier. Lake Geneva or Lake Leman isnt the best of Switzerland IMO. The French side is nicer than the Swiss side. Lucerne is much nicer and there is a cracking Farm campsite like a big CL on a hill at Weggis. The Jungfrau valley up from Interlaken and that whole area around there and the two lakes either side of Interlaken is just stunning. There is a good ACSI site at the top of the Jungfrau Valley just before the road runs out. I dont think its that expensive in high season either. Not much Wilding or Aires around there though so if you do go out of ACSI season it gets expensive and those trips on the trains and cable cars are an arm and a leg. Wonderful scenery though. You can read my 2011 ramblings about Switzerland here https://sites.google.com/site/hanktestsite2/blog/summer-2011/switzerland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 ollybear - 2014-03-01 7:29 AM lennyhb - 2014-02-28 5:36 PM You pay a daily rate for the days you are on the road if you are parked up on site you don't need to pay for those days. Sorry, Not correct, you get all the information from here: http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_firmen/04020/04204/04208/04246/index.html?lang=en Fact sheet on the Swiss lump-sum heavy vehicle charge (PSVA): 2/3 Rates1 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). You didn't read your link did you. (lol) Applicable charge periods The following possibilities exist for paying the PSVA: Between one and thirty consecutive days Ten freely chosen days during a given year* Between one and eleven consecutive months One year *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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 lennyhb - 2014-03-01 9:33 AM ollybear - 2014-03-01 7:29 AM lennyhb - 2014-02-28 5:36 PM You pay a daily rate for the days you are on the road if you are parked up on site you don't need to pay for those days. Sorry, Not correct, you get all the information from here: http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_firmen/04020/04204/04208/04246/index.html?lang=en Fact sheet on the Swiss lump-sum heavy vehicle charge (PSVA): 2/3 Rates1 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). You didn't read your link did you. (lol) Applicable charge periods The following possibilities exist for paying the PSVA: Between one and thirty consecutive days Ten freely chosen days during a given year* Between one and eleven consecutive months One year *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. ....and it appears that you didn't follow the quoted reference in that link: ollybear - 2014-03-01 7:29 AM Fact sheet on the Swiss lump-sum heavy vehicle charge (PSVA): 2/3 Rates1 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). The rumours that you don't need to pay if you are parked-up have been around for some time. Some years ago, following conversations I had at the border, I was told that payment is required for every day the vehicle is in Switzerland, parked or not, and the Customs officials sold me an "n" days consecutive use document. (at the minimum fee the number of purchased days covered the period I was going to be in Switzerland anyway). Even without the explicit clarification, the wording quoted above implies to me exactly the same (" as well as at the start of each subsequent day the vehicle spends in Switzerland"), not that you can avoid the charge if you are parked off-road (In Switzerland). The ten freely chosen days option was explained to me as being one used by vehicles "in transit", where they could pre-pay for a number of such transits, and then freely choose them as and when they were required. Such use helps those who enter and exit the country in either one or a small number of days. Given the potential difficulty of catching someone who was not validating the documentation whilst parked up, I can believe that it is possibly misused in such a manner, but it is not in accordance with the regulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter21 Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Does anyone know the current '10 day' rate for a 4.5 ton motorhome in Switzerland? Thanks Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter21 Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Does anyone know the current '10 day' rate for a 4.5 ton motorhome in Switzerland? Thanks Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 peter21 - 2014-04-23 8:22 AM Does anyone know the current '10 day' rate for a 4.5 ton motorhome in Switzerland? Thanks Peter For a 3850Kg motorhome the cost of the vignette was £16.79 in 2012 for a 7 day pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevec Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 If you do do a trip up the Jungfrau, take things easy and aclimatise. I suffered a bit of altitude sickness when we went. That was a fair number of years ago but I don't think there will be any more oxygen there now compared to then! I'd agree that the Interlaken area is a beautiful place to visit. Expensive though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 stevec - 2014-04-23 8:43 AM If you do do a trip up the Jungfrau, take things easy and aclimatise. I suffered a bit of altitude sickness when we went. That was a fair number of years ago but I don't think there will be any more oxygen there now compared to then! I'd agree that the Interlaken area is a beautiful place to visit. Expensive though. We stayed at an ACSI site on the outskirts of Interlaken and the 16€ per night (or whatever it was) included free public transport in the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 The vignette seems to be based on your weight, if over 3.5K, the minimum for ten days (on or off a campsite) is 25 Swiss francs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Switzerland in the Jungfrau region is my first love but it is definitely expensive. Best to do research beforehand as tourism is important to the Swiss and there are lots of cheap passes for the transport system including the journey up the Jungfrau. If you do decide to do this make sure you have some very warm clothes with you as when clouds come over the temperature drops like a stone. Make sure you get off the train (twice) to look out of the windows inside the Eiger mountain. If you go into the ice palace, or anywhere else at the top, walk slowly as if you rush you will definitely suffer altitude sickness and do NOT smoke up there. I first went up that mountain in 1964 in the days when I did smoke but my goodness I wished that I hadn't! (Gave up the habit many, many years ago). The 3 passes is a lovely day out if you like mountain roads and I have driven it in a smaller motorhome but the passes are closed for several months of the year, even in the summer. Lots of hairpin bends and long descents (I clocked 27 miles in one drop) but fabulous scenery ( in those days the road surface was very bad). For a special treat go on the Glacier Express - fabulous and you can enjoy the views. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwyn Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 There's an ACSI site just outside Zermatt which offers a minibus in then go on the train to Mont Blanc, not cheap but worth it. We stayed at an ACSI site on Lake Geneva about 5 miles from the French border and really enjoyed it and the boat across the lake to Montreux and Chignon Castle. A nice site with cycling on the Swiss part of Lake Maggiore, another site near Lake Lugarno where we got the local train almost into Lugarno then got the funicular up the mountain overlooking the place at a ruined castle. We also stayed by Lake Murten, nothing stunning but very enjoyable. We found that the swiss people were very friendly although Switzerland itself is expensive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWO Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 And don't forget the sunglasses. It can be blindingly bright when you get out of the train at top of Jungfrau. HWO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter21 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Thanks to all for your helpful comments. I loved Barry's account of Switzerland....I shall look at the Swiss in quite a different light now. Wish I'd packed the flak jackets. ...Barry...did you stay at the site at Stechelberg? Looks like that's the one at the top of the Jungfrau. We are at Annecy which is lovely...there are pics on the blog if anyone is interested. We will head into Switzerland shortly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George.. Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Hi Chris You'll love Switzerland, would certainty go to Stechelberg and Grindlewald, try Kandlesteg if you can. Have a look at stoppsblog.co.uk for some ideas of Switzerland. Enjoy George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 gwyn - 2014-04-23 3:55 PM There's an ACSI site just outside Zermatt which offers a minibus in then go on the train to Mont Blanc, not cheap but worth it. We stayed at an ACSI site on Lake Geneva about 5 miles from the French border and really enjoyed it and the boat across the lake to Montreux and Chignon Castle. A nice site with cycling on the Swiss part of Lake Maggiore, another site near Lake Lugarno where we got the local train almost into Lugarno then got the funicular up the mountain overlooking the place at a ruined castle. We also stayed by Lake Murten, nothing stunning but very enjoyable. We found that the swiss people were very friendly although Switzerland itself is expensive Think you may be getting in a muddle here Gwyn. No campsites at all near Zermatt and train to Mont Blanc region from here would take about four hours and several changes of train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwyn Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Sorry meant Matterhorn but campsite is correct...Camping Attermenzen, ACSI site 16€ in 2012, its only just outside Zermatt, some people were cycling in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 peter21 - 2014-04-24 7:17 AM Thanks to all for your helpful comments. I loved Barry's account of Switzerland....I shall look at the Swiss in quite a different light now. Wish I'd packed the flak jackets. ...Barry...did you stay at the site at Stechelberg? Looks like that's the one at the top of the Jungfrau. We are at Annecy which is lovely...there are pics on the blog if anyone is interested. We will head into Switzerland shortly. I have been trying to figure out which one it was. I think it was this one http://www.campingcard.co.uk/gb/en/europe/switzerland/espace---swiss-plateau/campsite-breithorn-107091/ There are only two at the top of the Jungfrau Valley and this one was the last one on the right before the road runs out. I dont think we have been anywhere quite as stunning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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