Dusty_roads

We're planning a driving trip this summer and Google maps will give me an estimate on my gas. Is there some way to calculate the potential tolls? I understand these can really add up. We'll be driving in Germany, Switzerland, Alsace and Netherlands. Our Rhine route tour.

Thx!

Jean

I've never checked its accuracy, but viamichelin.com will estimate fuel and toll costs.

http://www.viamichelin.com/

Dusty_roads

Thanks! I'll try that. I've used Michelin maps but not the online features.

adeben

1* The autobahns in Germany are free for car users.
2* The autoroutes in Alsace are free to car users.
3* The autoroutes in Switzerland require the purchase of a vignette which is attached to the inside of the car windscreen. The charge is 33 euros, and the vignette allows multiple entries, and is valid for a year. The vignette can be purchased at the border, or online. Fines for using Swiss autoroutes without displaying a vignette can be quite steep.

quokka

Very easy:
Germany = zero
Switzerland = 1 Vignette = 40 CHF

Dusty_roads

Thanks everyone! Google maps kept mentioning toll roads, but I wasn't seeing the costs. Thanks for the warning on the vignette.

Need a car to get to some remote areas for family history tour, ie. great grandfather's farm in the Alsace and family roots in Swiss Emmental region. But will drop off car as we enter the Netherlands and switch to trains.

treplow

Just in case you are not aware of it: The moment you take a car from the "pick-up"country to a different "drop=off" country you usually incur a steep drop-off fee, which sometime is more than the cost of the rental itself. So, try to pick up and drop off the car in the same country. Quite often it can be done just near a RR station near the border.

Dusty_roads

Thanks treplow! We're using AutoEurope and are looking at doing that very thing. Picking up at Munich airport and dropping off in Munster before taking train to Amsterdam for Netherlands portion of trip. We're avoiding any rental in Switzerland.

FoFoBT

If you're dropping the car off in Muenster NRW, take some time to drive the backroads in Muensterland between villages and around the water castles. A scenic area off the usual tourist radar and fun to explore.

Dusty_roads

Interesting - any particular villages or castles? We enjoy wandering off the beaten path. My husband wanted to see Munster with the cages hanging from the cathedral. He's a big student of Reformation/Anabaptist history. Our kids (age 17 & 14) would love some castles. We were thinking of touring Burg Elz on the Rhine. Any other particular ones not to miss?

lavandula

You might like this if you like castles:

http://www.thelocal.de/gallery/travel/1323/

What I like about this list is that it's not just the Rhine or Bavaria, but other areas as well.

Lavandula

FoFoBT

These are not the huge castles shown in The Local link above, they're smaller, set on level ground rather than on mountaintops or fortified crags, and not nearly as well known. Take the back roads between exits 79 and 77 on the E37/A1 west of Muenster. Our favourites include Vischering http://www.burg-vischering.de/ and Nordkirchen.

The Ems Canal runs through the area. One of the pretty villages by the canal is Seppenrade, with an outstanding rose garden (sorry for the long link)
https://plus.google.com/photos/10454...01711194535105

Dusty_roads

Wonderful! I was just looking at the links. Love the moat around Vischering.

We're also looking at Trachselwald castle in Emmental region of Switzerland and Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle in the Alsace.

Thanks so much!