Great report Budman! I will be following in your footsteps next Saturday when I leave with DD for Switzerland...DH already took off today to spend a week with his family before we arrive.

I have had so much work lately that I have barely done research for this trip. We have a high level plan and hotel reservations but that is about it! DH is Swiss (has not lived in CH for more than 20yrs though...)so I am not having lack-of-preparation panic attacks. I am also armed with all recent Fodor's trip reports and itineray discussions so I should be OK.

I am kind of scared that after three weeks in CH we will have to take a home equity loan to pay it off ;)

Oh, one thing about credit cards in Switzerland. I used mine religiously for just about everything. I can't remember one place that didn't hold on to my credit card and match the signature on the charge slip. Since we in the U.S. don't have a chip/PIN, it was their double check. Didn't want to get stuck with a fraudulent charge.

I just charged a couple of things here in the States today, and they could have cared less. ((b))

Buman, I'm about to begin looking at the maps for our drive through Switzerland ... I think I confused my self. Do we need to have the Vignette sticker on our car (for Switzerland) no matter what roads we take ... or do we only need this sticker if we plan on taking the toll roads? I guess I'm wondering if we have the sticker does that mean we don't have to pay the tolls?

Schuler mentioned that the fee is good for a year so I'm wondering that we have this sticker than we won't have to pay the tolls? I do recall reading on another post that the sticker isn't that expensive and could be bought right before crossing the border (germany into switzerland). We are renting our car outside of Frankfurt so I doubt the sticker would already be in there. I'd prefer to take the backroads anyway as I think they are more scenic ... but wasn't sure if we did this if I needed to still get the Vignette.

Sorry if I'm confusing everyone.
Thanks!

I've never traveled on toll roads in Switzerland, but it is my understanding that there are no toll booths (similar to Austria). You just need to purchase a vinette prior to traveling on the toll roads. If you are stopped for any reason without a vignette (sticker), you will have to pay a hefty fine right on the spot. I think the vignette is around 40 Sfr from reading other posts.

You do not need to purchase a vignette if you take back/secondary roads. You do if you take the toll roads. ((b))

Budman, thank you very much!! You cleared that up 100%!

Toll roads = Autobahn

There aren't any toll booths but the police do inspect cars time to time at the exits or entrances of the Autobahn.