Where to buy car vignette for Switzerland

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 May 2019 at 13:21:16 #821738

    We will be drving through Switzerland for 4 days.

    1.From Schwangau Germany (for Neuschwanstein castle), where specifically can we buy Swiss car vignette? Do you know the address of that store to buy one?

    2. No option to buy sticker good for 5 days? Only good for a year?

    3. We will be going through Gotthard pass, Klaussen pass, Klontalersee pass, til we reach Brienz, and Lauterbrunnen. On our last day,passing through Basel to reach Alsace France region. Do these places I mentioned need car vignette? Or we can avoid it? If we can, how long will be the extrahours? Thank you!

  • Effortlessly learn from the questions and answers in the forum. Receive a daily e-mail with new discussions.

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    20 May 2019 at 14:17:39 #912846

    Hi Lizzie,

    You can find the answers here: http://www.myswissalps.com/mo torwayvignette.

    1. Please see the above page.

    2. Only for a year unfortunately. It’s not very expensive though. In quite some countries you’d spend more on tolls in 5 days.

    3. If you drive on motorways you will need a vignette. It’s quite hard to completely avoid motorways in 5 days, but it can be done.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 May 2019 at 14:25:57 #912847

    Thank you! There is this info for purchasing it online but we opt to buy it on the day of the travel. Would you have any idea which stores should we buy this vignette? Is it in a gas station near Schwangau and Swiss border? Aside from gas stations, where else? Thank you!

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    20 May 2019 at 14:42:19 #912848

    Hi Lizzie,

    You can buy the vignette at the border (pick the lane for cars without a vignette) and gas stations near the border in Germany and other surrounding countries. I don’t have exact addresses, sorry.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 May 2019 at 20:32:41 #912849

    Arno

    We will be traveling by car from Italy ( a rental car) – I see that rental cars in Switzerland come with the vignette, but do you know if it would come with the car if we pick it up in Italy but are returning it in Switzerland?

    Thank You

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    20 May 2019 at 21:26:56 #912850

    Hi Lizzy-

    The Klausen Pass is hard work if the weather is cloudy and rainy. Lots of curves.

    The Klontalersee route, through the Pragel Pass had some one-way sections, when I last considered driving it a few years ago. This map shows a section of lower quality starting near the Muotathal, past Pragel and Schwellaui and almost to Richisau, at some magnifications.

    map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=swisstopo&lang=e n&bgLayer=ch.swisstopo .pixelkarte-farbe&catalogNodes=139 2,1538,1396,1430,1436& layers=ch.swisstopo.sw isstlm3d-wanderwege&E=2706039.3 0&N=1206710.06&zoom=6

    It would be worth a check to understand those details, I suspect.

    This link shows steep grades on the Pragel Pass.

    I do not know what the red letters mean:

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ List_of_mountain_passe s_in_Switzerland

    Slowpoke

    Snowman
    Participant
    825 posts
    20 May 2019 at 21:41:02 #912851

    Hi Lizzie

    < No option to buy sticker good for 5 days? >

    Yes. It costs CHF 40 only. And, as a bonus, it will be automatically extended until Jan. 31

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    20 May 2019 at 21:43:40 #912852

    Hi Snowman-

    Have you driven the Pragel Pass?

    Slowpoke

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 May 2019 at 23:29:41 #912853

    You can obtain the vignette at all Swiss border crossings. Just stop at the ‘customs post’ and go to the office. The border guards will notice you haven’t got one and will expect you to get out and buy one!

    In theory you can travel across Switzerland on roads that do not need a vignette. I did it once in the early days of the vignette in 1987 and I am totally familiar with Swiss road network, but it is almost impossible to do so nowadays especially if you are an infrequent visitor.

    Coming from Neuschwanstein you will arrive at the north east corner of Switzerland . Crossing the border there it is almost impossible to avoid the motorway especially if you donlt want to take several extra hours to drive anywhere

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 May 2019 at 23:32:02 #912854

    Impossible to say. Hire cars can end up anywhere. A relative of mine hired a car at Munich airport to visit only Switzerland, and it was Italian registered and a van not even a car…!

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 May 2019 at 23:41:16 #912855

    The Klausen Pass is one of the easier Swiss passes.

    Not sure why Lizzie is proposing to drive both the Klausen and Gotthard passes on the way to Brienz?

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    20 May 2019 at 23:58:32 #912856

    Hi Lizie-

    <<“We will be going through Gotthard pass, Klaussen pass, Klontalersee pass, til we reach Brienz, and Lauterbrunnen. On our last day,passing through Basel to reach Alsace France region. Do these places I mentioned need car vignette? Or we can avoid it? If we can, how long will be the extrahours? Thank you!”>>

    That route is confusing me. In part, because you did not give your travel dates, which are important for alpine passes.

    Is your goal to get to Brienz, for which there are shorter routes, or to drive passes? I do not see how the Gotthard fits your objective, and the Pragel Pass and the Klausen Pass seem redundant. Therefore, cannot offer alternative routes.

    Please, what are your objectives?

    Slowpoke

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    21 May 2019 at 0:00:57 #912857

    <<“Not sure why Lizzie is proposing to drive both the Klausen and Gotthard passes on the way to Brienz?”>>

    I am equally confused.

    Have you driven the Pragel Pass recently?

    Slowpoke

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    21 May 2019 at 0:24:11 #912858

    You asked << Do these places I mentioned need car vignette? Or we can avoid it? If we can, how long will be the extrahours?>>

    Don’t try to avoid it. The Swiss Vignette is a steal at CHF 40 for 12 months (up to 13 if you are a one-time buyer and buy it on January 1, but that isn’t your situation). Buy it and then you will have no worries about whether it is required for this road or that road or not. You could avoid the roads requiring a Vignette, as Switzerland has many other roads one can use. The road density is over 170 km per 100 square kilometres, and much higher in the more populated regions (from Geneva all the way to the German and Austrian borders). But most of the roads (other than the autoroutes) pass from commune to commune and so the going is much slower (perhaps more interesting in some cases if you have all kinds of time) and so there will most definitely be “extrahours”.

    Make sure the car you are driving is equipped with a satnav (GPS) if you are not bringing along your own. I don’t use mine when I am on familiar roads, but I suspect that I would still be trying to find my way out of Milano had it not been for my trusty TomTom.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    21 May 2019 at 0:29:50 #912859

    Thank you 1960man – maybe we will just wait and buy it at the border.

    Snowman
    Participant
    825 posts
    21 May 2019 at 6:01:29 #912860

    Slowpoke

    < Have you driven the Pragel Pass? >

    Yes, on my motorbike ( they are only three road passes in Switzerland that I have not driven with my motorbike, a long time ago). The Pragelpass is a small road, closed for cars and motorbikes on Saturdays and Sundays. Right now (21 May) the Pragelpass is reported to be still closed due to snow.

    Text in red on Wikipedia means there Wikipedia does have a definition, but in another language.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    21 May 2019 at 10:56:00 #912861

    Hi Snowman-

    Thanks for the explanation about “red ink.” 😉

    Quite a few years ago, for a year or two, they ran a Postbus across the pass. That was when I considered driving it. What caused me to not do so was the existence of steep grades and one way sections. Since a Post Bus has right of way, I did nor want to find myself having to back down the road toa turnout, to allow the bus to pass.

    I notice 18% grades…..

    Slowpoke

    Snowman
    Participant
    825 posts
    21 May 2019 at 11:52:07 #912862

    Hi Slowpoke,

    You probably did well in not trying to drive the Pragelpaß.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    25 May 2019 at 14:58:43 #912863

    Hi guys,

    Sorry for the confusion. So to be clear, on day 1 from Schwangau Germany, it will be just a leisurely drive in Switzerland. This is the route from Germany on Day 1 —-> KLONTALERSEE, GLARNISCH, KLAUSEN PASS, ALTDORF, GOTTHARD PASS then ENGELBERG to check in for a night. Below is google map link for the proposed route.

    My husband wants to drive in this passes weather permitted. I believe car vignette is very much needed in this case, am I right? Do you think weather on the 3rd week of September is nice in Switzerland too? Thanks for the follow up!

    http://www.google.com/maps/di r/87645+Schwangau,+Ger many/Kl%C3%B6ntalersee ,+Glarus,+Switzerland/ Gl%C3%A4rnisch,+Glarus ,+Switzerland/Klausen+ Pass,+Spiringen,+Switz erland/Altdorf,+Switze rland/Gotthard+Pass/En gelberg,+Switzerland/@ 47.1053922,8.9943659,9 z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m44!4 m43!1m5!1m1!1s0x479c58 70dfc7ce7b:0x41e48add7 8c01e0!2m2!1d10.738305 2!2d47.5778534!1m5!1m1 !1s0x4785322defece941: 0xbd18b8fa9cca9c41!2m2 !1d8.9596699!2d47.0224 341!1m5!1m1!1s0x478531 c6b3bae7d1:0xfd0ada772 1c011b5!2m2!1d8.98879! 2d46.993!1m5!1m1!1s0x4 7853eb39583088f:0xc964 02d70f872af1!2m2!1d8.8 555813!2d46.8681722!1m 5!1m1!1s0x478543805f5c ea09:0x400ff8840190c10 !2m2!1d8.6428436!2d46. 8821272!1m5!1m1!1s0x47 8576eb49b3f227:0x131a5 c101ba0985f!2m2!1d8.56 23231!2d46.5588864!1m5 !1m1!1s0x478560a69df91 f15:0x965760ad7275a194 !2m2!1d8.4069918!2d46. 8200266!3e0

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    25 May 2019 at 18:13:29 #912864

    Hi Lizzie,

    Yes you need a vignette as long as you are driving on Swiss motorways, which will certainly be the case here! See more details on how to buy one on this link http://www.myswissalps.com/mo torwayvignette

    Regarding the weather, September is generally still quite nice as you can read about here http://www.myswissalps.com/be sttimetovisit.

    You can check the weather forecast prior to your visit http://www.myswissalps.com/we ather/forecast

    Hope this helps and safe travels!

    Maria.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    26 May 2019 at 0:03:28 #912865

    Thanks Maria! I used the viamichellin site too and I noticed they include cost for road tax. Do we have to separately pay this even with car vignette? Are they not the same?

Viewing 20 replies - 1 through 20 (of 28 total)
  • The thread ‘Where to buy car vignette for Switzerland’ is closed to new replies.

About MySwissAlps

We’re passionate tourists and locals. We share tips about how to plan a trip to Switzerland. MySwissAlps was founded in 2002.

Get a free account for a worry-free trip

  • Join our 10730 members and ask us questions in the forum
  • Access to member-only promotions
  • Detailed maps and weather forecasts

Planning your first Switzerland adventure?

Get a jump-start with Annika’s 20-minute e-mail course, “Switzerland for beginners”. Subscribe to our newsletter to unlock the course.