driving on highways in switzerland
 

my husband and i were staying in lake como and drove to nearby lugano. we accidentally found ourselves on some sort of highway and had not purchased the toll tkt for driving on highways. should we expect a tkt in the mail or are we ok as long as we were not stopped by the swiss police? thanks so much!!!

"should we expect a tkt in the mail"
I don't think so.

If there was a traffic camera somewhere along that stretch of road, you might get a ticket in the mail.

Wait and see.

This is one instance where the "I can go whenever and wherever with a car" method causes issues. The last time I checked, I thought the fine was at least 200 CHF.

Very strange they did not stop you at the Brogeda custom station.

You have nothing to worry about if you took the route from Menaggio on the road SS340 Menaggio - Porlezza - Gandria (borderpost/customs) - Lugano, because this is not one of the national highways where a Vignette is required, it is a cantonal road, not federal.

If you had been coming up to Lugano from Como via Chiasso on the A2 you would indeed have committed an infraction and the fine would have been CHF200 (as per www.linker.ch/eigenlink/verkehrsbussen.htm).

But I’m not sure that the lack of (or incorrect display of) the Vignette is a camera-captured infraction, I think a ticket can only be issued by a human officer on the spot.

So - which route did you take?

thank you michel for your most helpful reply. we came from como to lugaon using only minor roads, route 2 they called it. on the return trip we were headed for milan and followed the signs to route 2 again. somehow we erred and found ourselves on some sort of highway to chiasso and milan. perhaps we confused route 2 with the A2 that you mentioned. the sign just had a big 2 in red as opposed to the usual green A signs.we got off at the first possible exit which i believe was chiasso and then proceeded to the border crossing using only the minor SS roads again. nobody stopped us (it was pouring- maybe that helped)but i sure hope this is not a camera worthy offense as happens to tourists in italy all the time.