[Removed user]

29 September 2019 at 23:10:23 #824029

Hello!

My girlfriend and I are on the way back to Paris after a long drive through Southern France and Italy.

Venice is our last stop before returning the car in Paris. After comparing routes, it looks like one through Switzerland may actually be the cheaper / more beautiful option. The tolls through Italy and France are quite expensive.. it seems like a great excuse to check another gorgeous European country off the list!

Hopefully someone would be so kind as to give us some quick answers before we commit. We have run into some tolls and route changes that the online maps didn’t show already on this trip..

We know a vingette must be purchased to drive on the highways (36.50 euros). Is buying at the border quick and easy or is it best to order ahead of time?

Secondly, we have seen online that there are car trains. They are optional, yes? The route we have chosen doesn’t seem to show any, but with only cell phones to do our mapping, things can be missed.

Please let us know if after a vingette is purchased, that we are good to pass through any / all parts of the country that google maps etc. sends us through.

Thanks in advance!

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[Slowpoke]

30 September 2019 at 0:58:28 #922878

Hi Davidchristo-

Welcome to My Swiss Alps-

<<“The route we have chosen doesn’t seem to show any, but with only cell phones to do our mapping, things can be missed.”>>

It would be easier to help you if you provided these data:

1.- Chosen route, and,

2.- Why you are averse to car-trains.

And, for your future convenence,

<<“vingette”>> is spelled “vignette.”

Your spelling sounds a bit like like –“get the wine.”

😉

Slowpoke

[Removed user]

30 September 2019 at 5:23:02 #922879

Hello DavidChristo,

Buying the motorway vignette at the border is easy but you can also skip that and buy online. And yes, with it you can use ALL the motorways you’ll find throughout the country.
– http://www.myswissalps.com/mo torwayvignette

If you’re not on any route including car trains, then you don’t have to take them, correct! I personally use viamichelin for planning trips.
– http://www.viamichelin.com/

Hope this helps, enjoy your short trip through Switzerland.

Best,
Steph

[Removed user]

30 September 2019 at 7:15:01 #922880

Thanks for the replies!

It is my phone trying to spell check! Get the wine! Haha.

We aren’t averse to the car trains, we are just trying to budget and beat the tolls. We didn’t want to end up at one only to have it cost more than the other route.

Via Michelin is fabulous but we always check google maps as well.

Viamichelin says:

– Enter Switzerland through Cernobio on the E35/2

– Exit just S/W of Boncourt on the E27/16

Google maps has a slight change to the exit point at Basel, but the time and distance overall is almost exactly the same.

Its exciting to add this to our trip!

One more quick question, we may be entering the country around 8 or 9 pm. Are we able to purchase the vignette from a machine?

Thanks again for the quick and helpful replies! Much appreciated!

[Slowpoke]

30 September 2019 at 7:33:18 #922881

Hi Davidchristo –

<<“Viamichelin says:

– Enter Switzerland through Cernobio on the E35/2

– Exit just S/W of Boncourt on the E27/16″>>

I’ve driven every bit of that route, although some parts were done many years ago. You avoid car trains by driving over ( and, for a while, under) the Gotthard Pass.

That alpine crossing can be done entirely by car. The conventional motor way route does have one rather long smelly tunnel. It is possible to use the older routes and drive entirely over the pass….slower, of course. Not blocked by snow yet, either.

You’ll pass near Lucerne. Nice old town, but full of tourists.

Looks like about a 4 hour drive. But, if you cross the Gotthard on a holiday weekend, expect substantial delays. Also, when I was in Luzern last week, there were signs indicating that the Gotthard was closed at night …I guess for repairs.

Slowpoke

[Removed user]

30 September 2019 at 7:47:53 #922882

Awesome! Thanks again for all your help. We can’t wait to pass through!

[Snowman]

30 September 2019 at 17:18:10 #922883

On the E35 there will be officials selling the vignette round the clock. If you don’t have 40CHF, have 40EUR ready, change will be returned in Swiss coins. Maybe they accept credit cards these days.

[Removed user]

30 September 2019 at 22:55:52 #922884

I have driven in most of Switzerland over the last 40 years

first of all the car trains thing is a red herring, there are only two main car carrying trains through tunnels and they are on specific routes (and most people avoid them by going round via the motorway system anyway)

Cernobbio is the Italian border point on the Italian A9 motorway, which is the E35, and becomes National motorway A2 in Switzerland. This is the Gotthard motorway. It is a trunk route between southern and northern Europe so there is no way that you will not be able to get a vignette at the border. Far from it the Swiss border control is likely to be quite firm in telling you to park and walk to the vignette office. Buying one over the counter takes about 2 minutes.

You will then be on the Gotthard route.

The Gotthard road tunnel has a traffic control system as it is only a single bore with a two lane road. This sometimes causes tailbacks, as there is also a control on lorries introduced after a fire in 2001.

If you are following the general south east – north west axis, you will end up near Luzern, and if you continue following A2 it will take all the way to the border at Basel.

If you want to go more northwest towards the Boncourt (Delle) border you should diverge at the Y junction junction 45 Härkingen, and join the A1 to Biel/Bienne. From Biel/Bienne, follow the recently completed Trans Jura A16 to Belfort

To avoid motorway tolls in France but get to Paris on mainly dual carriageway roads do either

1) go to Basel then Basel – Mulhouse – N66 – Col de Bussang – Epinal – N57 – Nancy – N4 – St Dizier – N4 – Paris

2) got to Boncourt then Boncourt – Lure – Luxeuil les Bains – Epinal and as per (1) above