Guest Derek Uzzell Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 In the "road tolls" posting of 10/06/2005, Roy asked about motorway tolls in Switzerland for a 4 ton motorhome. I did my best to reply sensibly, but I was far from happy with my answer. In the current (July) Caravan Club Magazine (page 11) there is a reference to the road tax payable by vehicles over 3500kg entering Switzerland. This says that the rate is 3.25 Swiss francs per day and the monthly charge is 58.50 Swiss francs. So it may be as simple as that - if your motorhome is over 3500kg GVW you pay a fee for every day (or month) you drive it in Switzerland whatever type of road you use. Alternatively, it may not! The CC reference is actually a correction to Page 613 of the 2005 edition of "Caravan Europe 2", which I assume is a CC publication. If any forum reader has access to a copy of this, it would be helpful if they could summarise what it says about Swiss road-charging regulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PeteC Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Hi derek Yes the Caravan Europe 1 & 2 are indeed publications of the Caravan Club I havent read the last 4 months CC mag as yet as we have been away so I dont know if there is anything in about Tolls in Switzerland - but it wouldnt supprise me There is a toll for vehicles over 3500kg in Austria, and so I'm told in Italy there is a new blanket speed limit for ALL vehicles equal to 55mph due to be introduced in Nederlands going through theire parlement to be in force for 1st Jan 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Neal Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Derek I don't have a copy of Caravan Europe 2005 but I can advise that, for the last 2 years, I have bought a "certificate" from the the Swiss border police to allow me seemingly unfettered access to the Swiss roads (inc motorways) for SF32.50. This is for my RV (weight 7 tonnes) and has an expiry date of 12 months from date of issue. Having never been stopped by Swiss traffic police I cannot advise further. Regards Neal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek Uzzell Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 Funny thing coincidence - I notice that full details of the charges have appeared in a letter in the latest MMM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RonB Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Neal I think that you somehow got away with paying the ten day rate for an over 3500kg of SF32.50. How can you pay only SF32.50 for an RV when an ordinary car rate is SF40 per year, plus another SF40 forits caravan if applicable? The rates shown in the first posting on the subject are correct - your rate for a year should have been SF650? Regards Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Neal Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Ron I can only re-itterate what is in my previous posting; it is all true. Incidentally, I have followed exactly the same routine since around 1996/7 which makes for about 10 trips through CH, 5 in each direction. Each time I was stopped at the border when heading south and was dealt with by Swiss border police. I have only done exactly as directed by them on each occasion. As I said, I have never been stopped by Swiss traffic police and so cannot state whether I had inadvertantly broken any laws. I have only done as directed by Swiss border police, honestly! Regards Neal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RonB Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Neal I think that you and I have been down this road previously and I don't disbelieve you for a second if that is what you say you paid, I'm only interested in how you get away with it!However,to avoid misleading other people I am saying that you are paying the wrong rate somehow. I have my copy of the customs declaration (form 15.91)which I recently used in Switzerland in front of me. In Swiss franks the charges for vehicles over 3500kg are 3.25 per day, 32.50 per ten days, 58.50 per month, and 650.00 per year. Cars and other vehicles under 3500kg pay 40.00 per year, but under a different 'vignette' based system. You must surely agree that it makes no sense for a car to pay 40.00 per year and you, an RV (if over 3500kg - arn't they all) to pay less. On the other hand I wonder if you have been going through under the 'vignette' system. If you have,and not filled in any forms,then again you have been paying the wrong rate under the wrong system. The problem is that, if checked, pleading ignorance is no defence in law, even if the border police are sloppy. Then again, if you have been getting away with it for this long then the fine is probably covered! Regards Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Neal Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Ron You got me thinking there so I went to the motorhome and I have my certificate from last year right in front of me. You are absolutely right, it covers me for 10 days usage of the Swiss motorway network but is valid for 1 year. It actually expires on 29 Aug 2005 (written in by the border cop) which is 1 week before my next visit!! So, my simplistic view is that I am covered for any number of days, up to 10 in total, over a 1 year period. How does that fit with you? Regards Neal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RonB Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Neal It doesn't fit very well I'm afraid. My document shows an expiry date one month after I paid for a one month stay and it's pretty obvious that your document has been given an incorrect expiry date. If you think about it how on earth would anyone be able to check which ten days you were driving on in any yearly period? Again, why would they have a yearly rate (at twenty times yours)if you could run around as per your method - nobody would be daft enough to pay it. Of course, you could try to get away with the same document again but I wouldn't bet on you succeeding, but the best of luck if you do. Regards Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Neal Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 Ron You are either missing the main point I keep making or you just don't believe me!! I have used exactly the same method since aquiring an RV over 3.5 tonnes; that is, I do exactly what I am told by the Swiss border police! This document is about the 5th one I have used in this time. ALL of them are valid for 1 year from date of inception, ALL of them are issued and completed by the border police. I wouldn't have known what to do or what I needed without them telling me. I cannot believe that different officers have made the same mistake every time I have visited Switzerland since 1996!!!!!Surely you cannot believe that either??? Give me your email address and, from there, we'll exchange postal addresses and I'll send you my current certificate. It might shed some light on things (for both of us). Must go to work now! Regards Neal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RonB Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 Neal Having read your latest posting I think I know where your problem is. Please read the form. The part you want explains the day restrictions and how you should be using the form. Let's sum up like this: For vehicles over 3500kg the sum of SF32.50 will buy just 10 days use on Swiss toll roads. The options are either 10 consecutive days, or 10 seperate days in any one year. Both options are restricted by the need to pre-date the days to be travelled. To be fair, this is light years removed from your claim to have unrestricted access for a year for the same money. I think we should draw a line under this one as we are both repeating ourselves like a pair of parrots. Regards Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Neal Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 Ron I agree; the certificate is valid for one calender year (as I claimed) but the distinct qualification is that it only allows me access to the motorway network for a maximum of 10 days during that period (as you stated). Fortunately, as we are not yet retired, this fits the bill for us, but it may not do for others. Line being drawn under this, as requested. 'Till the next time then? Regards Polly...I mean Neal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.