Travelling around Switzerland in November by car
A traveler named JYrafael is visiting Switzerland in mid-November and wants tips for renting a car. They are concerned about driving conditions, winter weather, and if their planned itinerary is feasible, which includes stops in Lucerne, Zermatt, and Italy.
- Be prepared for winter conditions and consider winter tires when renting a car in November.
- Parking is available at Täsch for Zermatt, as you can't drive into the town.
- The Swiss rail system is a convenient alternative for many areas you plan to visit, especially in winter.
- Most mountain passes might be closed in November; stick to motorways for safer travel.
AI-generated summary-
Greetings to all,
I’m travelling to Switzerland this November during mid month (end of 2nd week to 2nd last week of Nov) and planning to rent a car to drive around.
Will like to seek advise and insights from people who are familiar to Switzerland on,
1. What I will need to be aware of, and in preparation (e.g. other than winter tyres) to rent a car during this period.
2. What is the weather generally like if I am to drive during this period? I understand that it is still in Fall, but googled around only to realise that there might be snow in some areas.
3. Is it common for people to travel by car around Switzerland in November? this will be my first time to Switzerland.
3. Is my itinerary feasible for driving? Below is a summary.
Day 1: depart from Zurich to Lucerne.
Day 2 & 3: Brünig
Enroute Engelberg (cable car).
Enroute Aletsch Glacier via Fiesch (Gondola) [if time permits] & Enroute Interlaken, Grindelwald, Jungfraujoah (switch to Train)
Day 4 & 5: Berne (Enroute to Blausee possible?)
Day 6 & 7: Zermatt (I’m aware we are not allowed to drive into Zermatt. Any advise or suggestion where to park the car?)
Day 8: Lugano
Day 9 & 10: Varenna, Italy (Which are the ferry point options to drive and cross to Varenna?)
Day 11: Liechtenstein
Day 12: back to Zurich
I feel it will be a valuable/interesting experience to drive in a different country and climate, and would like to do so if conditions permit. However, I do also want to ensure it is generally safe first and foremost and having some precautionary measures.
Really appreciate if fellow members could advise on my concerns and or any suggestions.
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Hi JYrafael,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
It’s generally safe to drive on Swiss roads in autumn and winter time. It’s not unusual to find snow in November. If you are not familiar driving in winter or the mountains, the following links provide some useful information for your trip and answers to some of your questions:
- Driving in winter: http://www.myswissalps.com/car/winter
- Driving on Swiss mountains: http://www.myswissalps.com/car/drivinginthemountains
That’s right, you won’t be able to drive all the way to Zermatt. The furthest you can drive to is Täsch, where you’ll have to park your car. There is a big parking garage next to the train station. You can find further details here: http://www.myswissalps.com/zermatt/travel
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Anna
Are you adamant about driving? Most/all the places you mentioned are easily accessible by train. The Swiss Train system is remarkable, easy, and probably more affordable than renting a car (nowadays). Comfortable too. Just a thought.
Hi JYrafael,
in my opinion, driving in the mountains during winter time can be tricky. If you are not used to drivng in the mountains, I do not recommend it. As Eurogal wrote, the Swiss rail system is great.
Please, have a look at this page: http://www.myswissalps.com/carversustrain.
At http://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/compare-train-and-car-costs-of-a-switzerland-trip you find a spreadsheet, please feel free to use that to compare your travel costs.
Regards,
Ildiko
MySwissAlps.com recommends reading this: Car rental in Switzerland
Hi Anna,
Thank you for your input.
Is there any car transport like the Autobahn you would know that I can take to ferry over to Italy? Or across Switzerland if the mountain passes (if any) are closed base on my itinerary?
Rafael
Hello Eurogal,
Pleasure to speak to you. I’m not particularly adamant, but thought driving itself will be an experience as well as I do enjoy driving.
Based on my itinerary, would there be tricky path that I may encounter?
Rafael
Hi Ilidiko,
Appreciate your input.
As mentioned to Eurogal, I think I will be an interesting experience if I am to drive across Switzerland.
on my itinerary, would you be able to advise if I wil be driving on mountain passes alot? Or which are the path that I may be coming across tricky mountain pass as mentioned by you. I’m going in November, understand that it’s not winter yet, will it still be as tricky?
Rafael
Hi Rafael,
Driving in Switzerland is fairly fast and safer if you stick to the motorways and tunnels. But the views are less interesting than if you were to follow the mountain passes. In November however most of the mountain passes are closed due to safety reason. So you’ll have to take a car train in some cases (http://www.myswissalps.com/car/cartrains) to reach your destination for instance to Zermatt and to Fiesch, depending on which route you take.
Regards,
Anna
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