We'll be driving from Munich to Florence and back north to Zurich in early/mid-March. What are the driving conditions like in that area at that time? We are from Florida and are not used to snow and ice, but would really like the flexibility of having a car. Thanks.

<BR><BR>I live in Zurich. It is hard to anticipate whether there will be snow in mid-March, but provided you are taking major highways, you should not have any problems, as they are regularly cleared. You will probably be taking the Gottahrd Tunnel into Switzerland from Italy, which eliminates a lot of the weather issues. Please note that traffic in the tunnel is very heavy on Fridays and Sundays, as weekend skiers return to Zurich. Try to avoid travelling on those days. Pleas also note that if you are driving in Switzerland in winter, you MUST have snow tires, as it is required by law. Make sure your rental company ahs put snow tires on the car.<BR><BR>You will also need a vignette sticker to allow you to drive on highways in Switzerland. You can purchase them at the border, or your car rental company may already have one on the car.<BR><BR>If you are taking the mountain passes rather than tunnels, you may need chains as well. Many mountain passes are closed in winter.<BR><BR>I don’t know what whether highway vignette stickers are required for driving in Germany, Austria or Italy (but I assume they are), you should confirm this with the rental company.<BR><BR>Two helpful websites for driving in Europe are:<BR><BR> twenj.com<BR> drive-alive.com (you can put in your destination and get a road map)<BR>

No vignettes are required in Germany. Austria does require a vignette.<BR><BR>Last May, we purchased a 10 day Austrian vignette for E7.50. You can buy them for various time periods. <BR><BR>In Switzerland, whether you are there one day or a year, it is the same vignette and costs E27.50.<BR><BR>Prices in Switzerland are higher on just about everything, compared to neighboring countries like Germany and Austria. <BR><BR>Dick

I'm actually not renting a car. I'm picking up a BMW that I'm purchasing in Munich to drive for the week and then having it shipped to the US (this is part of a BMW European Delivery Program). The car will have all-season tires - not snow tires. Can I use chains instead? Are they mandatory? If so, any ideas on options or will I have to stay out of Switzerland? Thanks for you input.

You can only use chains on roads where they are required; generally mountain passes. You would not be allowed to use them on the highways. I agree it is crazy to require snow tires when you have good all-weathers -- this is one of the many idiosyncrasies about Switzerland...I don't know the answer to your question, but if you are driving into Zurich (i.e. getting off the intercoutnry highways and driving on local roads), you may have a problem if you are caught driving without snow tires. The way I understand the rules is that if you have an accident while it is snowing and you do not have snow tires, your car insurance will not cover you. Now as you are buying in Germany I don't know what your insurance coverage will be during the period you are driving in Europe. You should probably check with BMW to determine what they would require in terms of snow tires and coverage in various European countries.<BR><BR>I would suggest you try asking BMW, the Swiss embassy in DC or consulate nearest to you, or the US embassy in Geneva or consulate in Zurich. <BR>