Wekiva

We'll be driving from Bregenz to Salzburg for 2 days at the end of this month. The route will take us through Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy and back up to Austria. We are renting through Hertz. I understand that a vignette sticker is required for driving in some of these areas and that there will probably be tolls as well. We are driving on some back roads for much of the trip, but will surely get on larger roads at some point.

For the vignette sticker, how does this typically work with a rental car? I can't imagine they want each renter to put a new sticker on the windshield. Will the rental company have a sticker in there already and we just pay them?

For tolls, with rental cars here in the United States you can pay extra and get a toll transponder in the car so you don't need to pay tolls. You may pay a bit extra, but it's worth it for avoiding the toll booths. Will there be something similar for Hertz or will we need to go through toll booths. And will there always be a toll booth, or do some REQUIRE a transponder.

I'm going to be asking Hertz these questions as well...but with some of the people who have answered their phone lines I'd love validation from this group as well.

ticino

If your rental car already has a vignette for 2016 you won't need a new one for that country.

In Switzerland you need a vignette and there are no tolls, but there is a tunnel close to Livigno (IT) that you have to pay to get through.

In Italy no vignette but you have tolls when you exit the autostrada. Hertz Italy can give you a transponder, it costs 3EUR per day + VAT. It's called Telerent. I doubt Hertz in other countries will have Italian transponders though. It's seldom a problem not to have Telepass, you can pay with credit card and lines are usually short. You can also pay cash.

Austria uses both vignettes and tolls. You'll see the signs if you need a vignette, and if you don't have one you stop at a petrol station and get one. Same in Switzerland.

Dayle

I'll just mention that some of my coworkers recently had a business trip in Switzerland and Germany. They drove and are now sorry that they did. They found the Swiss speed limit enforcement tactics very shady. Basically entrapment.

They said several times they were going the proper posted speed limit, or less, and suddenly encountered a new sign with a lower limit. The camera was posted right AT the new limit sign and the "guilty" flash would go off before they even had a chance to slow to the new limit. One instance was on the exit from a tunnel where you had no chance to see the sign from any distance.

They ended up with two Swiss speeding tickets which has convinced me never to drive in Switzerland.

I know others here will dispute this experience and have probably had good experiences in Switzerland, but I think I'll take a pass on the Swiss driving if I ever get there!

Ingo

It depends on your exact route if you will need a vignette for Switzerland and/or Austria. In Italy you pay for the distance driven on the motorway when taking the exit - cash or card.

kleeblatt

Dayle: Dispute this? Even Swiss police officers admit that these tactics make upright citizens into "criminals." I know quite a few people who have had to give up their license for three months because of speed traps.

Even though I've lived in Switzerland for 30 years, I still find the speed limits confusing and agree that the cameras are a form of entrapment.

Dayle

Thanks for a local's confirmation. I dont know if I will ever be able to visit switzerland since it is so ridiculously expensive for Americans. I may stick to the French Alps and Italian Dolomiti!

Shall we assume the Swiss tourist board just doesn't care if they discourage visitors?

kleeblatt

The Swiss Tourist Board has little impact on the police, Dayle. I'm sure they'd love to see them removed just like the rest of us.

I, for one, would like to see an improved system of knowing what the speed limit is. It's not fair to have all these speed cameras set up when it's so difficult to know how fast one may go.

Having said that, I've been the victim of fines in Austria and Italy too.

Switzerland's magic lies in its mountains. I hope you'll change your mind and come back someday!

Dayle

Wekiva,

I apoligize for hijacking your thread. I does look like Ticino answered your questions!

Kleeblat, I hope I do get to visit Switzerland soon. Haven't yet. I live in the Wasatch mountains of Utah, where we hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and I do love the high altitude. I have skied in the Dolomiti and loved it. Spectacular mountains.

Switzerland is just SO expensive! Any tips for a budget trip for a solo traveler?

kleeblatt

Stay in hostels or rent vacation apartments for a week.
Bring a tent and sleep in camping sites.
Buy your food at grocery stores or eat at Migros, Coop or Manor cafeterias.
Above all: do lots of hiking. The scenery here is magnificent!

Wekiva

Thanks for all the replies. I'll be checking with Hertz to make sure I understand what they provide vs. what I need to get. I'll be on the safe side and drive a bit slower than usual. This trip is already costing me enough!

moonwillow

WOW, reading these posts?? When did they start having a Vignette requirement? and what is it?? When I drove all over Europe in 2005 I didn't know about any of this stuff. But I never had a problem!

michelhuebeli

Switzerland has no tolls but requires the vignette for driving on the major highways, and it's difficult to get from A to B by avoiding them (it's much easier to avoid the toll roads in France by taking the departmental roads for example).

Austria ditto; in Austria you can buy it for shorter time increments than in Switzerland.

The Czech Republic also requires a vignette - their own of course.

This is not news, it's been in force forever. A rental car will have the vignette installed, but only in the country where you rent it, so if you cross the border, buy one.

Switzerland has no tolerance of speed limit excess like the US seems to have where doing 66 miles in a 60-mile stretch seems to be tolerated. That's ten km over the limit - in Switzerland, depending on the technology used (camera, radar, etc.) 2 or 3 km over the limit get you nailed. But the Swiss drive, a lot, so it can't be as bad as previous posters make out.