Driving in Switzerland, Austria and southern Germany
 

We are planning an itinerary where we fly into Zurich and home through Munich. Have some questions about driving:

(1) I was able to rent a car one-way through Hertz, but it is very expensive. Any European agencies that might rent a one-way car more reasonably? (I also called Budget, they don't do one-way rentals b/w these 2 cities).

(2) How stressful is driving in these countries? We found driving very stressful in England (that left hand side of the road thing).

(3) How accurate are the driving times listed on the viamichelin website? Conservative or the best time possible?

(4) How much extra time should we allow for border crossings?

We are traveling in late June.

Thanks for any insights.

(1) There is no known way to avoid the drop-off charge, especially from one country's registry to another's.
(2) No stress at all IMO. Hopefully you'll have a compact car for the narrower local raods and parking spots.
(3) Take with a grain of salt and make allowances for stops for scenery, etc.
(4) No extra time whatsoever.

Renting from local car rentals we have found to be cheaper than the major ones. Just returned from Austria where we drove a manual shift thru the mountains in the Arlberg and on the highways with no problem and we are in our 70s. On the internet, access the city and not the major rental sites. Then when you get the city info, try to find local agencies there. We spent a month in Greece and just walked around checking agencies in Athens and bargained. We travel in the fall so June is busier and you should plan ahead. Make sure your rental in Zurich includes the sticker to drive on their roads. You don't want to get stopped without it. Only thing to watch out for is their very speedy driving habits!

I would check on the price deal with Auto Europe. It negotiates with the big agencies. I just returned from driving a rental from Germany through Austria to Switzerland.

Bear in mind that if you use the motorways or autobahns in Switzerland and Austria you need a vignette for taxes. The Austrian one can be bought for a 9 day period; the Swiss one was longer and more expensive. Even so, the vignette is cheaper than a fine for not having one.

Stress? Depends on which roads you drive. One day in Switzerland, we left Lauterbrunnen and drove via the train ferry between Gopenstein and Kandersteg to Castle Chillon. Then we went up the St.Bernard Pass to the top to see the sights, and the dogs.

Mountain driving can be stressful for some people. My wife was at the wheel on the St. Bernard pass and for her, after the Grimsel, Furka, and Sustern passes it was routine. Be careful of course but Swiss roads are sell engineered and built.

As for for border crossings, it depends on where. When we crossed from Germany to Austria there was no check at all. When we got to Switzerland, the check consisted of a guy waving his arms saying in effect, Come on in.

I don't pay much attention to the estimated times. I stop and do other things along the way.

When you land at Zurich and the rental company happens to have a German-registered car that nees returning, they may do a deal with you with no drop-off fee. But it isn't something you can arrange in advance and depends purely on chance. Otherwise expect to pay. You can drop your car off in Switzerland and do your final leg to Munich by rail, having toured the Bavarian Alps by car (you don't want a car in Munich). If you get a Swiss-registered car, it will definitely come with a current Swiss autobahn vignette. You'll have to pay for the Austrian one if you are going to use their autobahn. No tolls for Germany. Staying out of city centres, driving is usually relaxing and stress-free. Driving over high Alpine passes requires a head for height and plenty of wheel-turning. Visibility can change with sudden fog or mist without warning. And looking at fabulous scenery is only for passengers while on the move! Driving time depends on lots of things - congestion, weather, car's power, how leisurely you want to drive etc. Always overestimate, esp in the hills.

Depending on your travel plans you might consider taking a train or other transportation from Zurich to Bodensee then picking up a car on the German side of the lake to save the drop fee. Contact Bob or Any Bestor at Gemutlichkeit Travel Gemut.com about your car rentals. They have gotten me good deals in France and Germany.