I will be picking up a rental car in Basel and driving it into Germany in September. I know I need to get an International Driver's Permit but do I really need the Vignette decal for my car while I'm in Switzerland? The border with Germany is only a short distance away.

Better triple-check that info about the International Drivers Permit, I don't think you need one for Switzerland and Germany.

I would think that the rental company will give you a car with the vignette already affixed even if you don't ask. Can't imagine them renting cars without it. It's not transferable, it stays with the vehicle, and you may or may not hit a short stretch before the border where it's required, but get a car with the vignette on it anyway, you don't know if you won't be making a detour on the way back.

WK

For expressways in Swiss you must pay up. Maybe your rental car already has the sticker?

As long as you stay off the Swiss autobahns, you won't need a vignette. But don't tempt fate by just going that "little bit" on the autobahn without it. So, far, I have never gotten a rental car in CH without the vignette, but the rental agency included a $2.50/day charge for it in its billing. It's one of those things, like the hidden charge for the local baseball stadium in the US. It's not identified as such, but there it is.

I have never yet needed an International Driver's Permit in CH, only in Austria.

I assume that you know that picking up a car in CH and dropping it off In Germany is very expensive, as is any across-border drop-off in Europe.

I assume there is a reason you are renting from a location in Switzerland rather than going just across the border and renting it there..no locations? price?

If you're picking the car up at Basle airport, the airport's physically in France anyway, and - whether you exit through the French or the Swiss channel - the mile or so to the German border isn't a motorway. Even if you're not going straight into Germany, a vignette is not needed for the zollfreistrasse into Basle if you exit on the Swiss side. The whole issue is academic, of course, if you exit through the French channel and collect your car there.

If you're picking the car up in town, it's virtually impossible to find a motorway into Germany. But beware: there is one motorway route, and you can be fined if you use it without a vignette.

Thanks for the info. I may just cross the border via train and pick up the car in Freiburg, Germany.
I'll still be dropping off in a different location but it will be Frankfurt airport so it'll be a little cheaper.
I'm still a little confused on the IDP, though. Some websites say that Germany DOES require it but lots posts here say I won't need it.

magicvoice,

The German National Tourist Board does not mention that an IDP is required, so I strongly doubt that it is. Here's the relevant link:
http://www.germany-tourism.de/ENG/infocenter/7710.htm

As mentioned in other posts, you only need the vignette decal if driving on motorways (green signs) in Switzerland. You're probably better off picking up your car in Germany however if you're going to return it there, to avoid steep charges

Hope this helps,
Andre

And here's a link to the US-specific site, which couldn't be more explicit:

"Driving in Germany
(...)
Driver’s Licenses
You may drive in Germany for up to one year on your United States of Canadian driver’s license without needing an international driver’s license."

http://www.cometogermany.com/pages/travel_by_car.html

Hope this helps,
Andre

Don't automatically assume that the "drop off in a different country incurs a surcharge" rule applies in this case.

Both Basle airport and Basle station have bits that are regarded as being in different countries for different purposes. Just as the airport promotes itself as being the local airport for Freiburg, and bits of the station are operated by DB, it's quite possible some car hire companies treat Basle area hires as being in Germany. Well worth checking before committing yourself to another railway journey.