Swiss motorway toll information.
- Just one payment to make per vehicle - easy and simple
Summary
Do you have a motorhome under 3,500 kg? Or a car and caravan? Has this page helped you to understand the Swiss toll system? Why not click on the USER RATING and share your thoughts with others?
Thank you.
MV – Motorhome Voyager.
User Review
( votes)The Swiss have a clever system for collecting motorway tolls. Rather than have a booth at every motorway junction – that would require heating, power, staff etc, the Swiss motorway tolls system is a lot more straight forward. One payment is made and this is valid for a given period of time. Cars, caravans, motorcycles, trailers and motorhomes under 3500 kg will require a Swiss motorway vignette. This is a sticker that is affixed to the inside of the windscreen. There is a different system in place for buses, coaches and motorhomes over 3500 kg. The Motorhome Voyager also details the toll information for larger vehicles – click here!
Within this article, I refer to “Swiss motorway tolls” and “Swiss motorway vignette” but the Swiss actually call this payment a “tax” or “motorway tax”.
This link will be useful to those driving cars, motorhomes under 3500 kg, caravans and motorbikes.
An example of the Swiss motorway vignette
Swiss motorway vignette – under 3500 kg
This category will cover many motorhomes, most cars and pretty much all caravans. Also included in the Swiss motorway tolls “under 3500 kg” section are motorbikes and other trailers.
For caravanners, you will note that you must purchase a Swiss motorway vignette for both the car and the caravan. Swiss motorway vignettes are available at the border and at the time of writing cost 40 Swiss Francs. The vignettes are valid for between three and fourteen months. For example, you may purchase a 2012 toll sticker from 1st December 2011 and this is valid through to the end of January 2013. Therefore you have 14 months validity. A vignette purchased in November 2011 will be valid until the end of January 2012. To sum up, the vignette is valid for the year shown on it, plus the previous December and the following January.
Swiss motorway network
Swiss motorway vignette – where to buy?
All manned Swiss border points sell the Swiss motorway vignette. At Basel for example, when arriving from France and Germany, there are staff outside with vignettes! Wind down the window, pay the forty Swiss francs fee, affix the sticker and away you go.It really is that simple. No forms to fill in. No paperwork. Nothing to worry about.
You are able to purchase vignettes from the Swiss Tourist Office in London.
Thanks for that Russell, it was very informative.
Cheers,
Jock.
I have followed your journey both ways and it makes exellent reading.keep this info coming it is most interesting and informative.as i have previously mentioned i followed your toll free journey to costa brava and may well follow the ‘The Italian Job’in the near future.also as an owner of a swift kontiki 679 albeit a 2008 model i would be most interested to read any relevent info about you new kontiki.
Many Thanks.
Mike and Pat Howard
Thanks Russell, it cleared up a lot of confusion in my mind about Swiss tolls.
Pete D
Hi Russell
Do you know where I can download a copy of the form for a motorhome greater than 3.5t, I found it last year but did not use it and have thrown it away.
Best regards
Hi
As far as I know these forms are not downloadable – they are a three part document that is carbon set. You can pick them up at any border point.
Hi Russell,
Thank you for this very informative article. It will be of great help to use during our next adventure
Happy travels
Stewart
Hi Russell
We followed your very useful advice last June and purchased the ten day tax document (we have an Autotrail Chieftain – over 3.5tonnes) at Basle on the way to Venice. We used two days each way as we stayed overnight in Switzerland so we have six days left. We will be going again at the end of May and will be spending about 3 days in Switzerland. Our document will still be valid then but when we return in September it will have expired. My question is where do I buy a new document on the return journey? We didn’t go through any sort of check point on the way from Italy into Switzerland as I can recall. But that would mean travelling through Switzerland to Basle without a valid document. So do I need to buy a new one on the way into Switzerland at Basle even though the one I have will be valid then? Sorry for long winded question but I hope you understand what I am trying to say!
Thanks very much.
Mel
Hi – you mention September but I presume you mean “June” not “September”.
To put this in my shoes, here goes.
I purchased my paper tax document on 9th September 2013. I used it to get me through Switzerland and return. I’m going back in April 2014 and returning May 2014, so it is still valid. My next trip is late August 2014 so again, it is still valid. As the document was purchased on 09/09/2013, the document expires on 08/09/2014, so when I come back from Italy in late September and travel through Switzerland, I need a new document. Entering Switzerland from Italy at Como, you come down the hill and the border is in front of you. Keep to the left and park under the canopy. Go into the office that is now on your right and purchase a new document there. In the event the border is not manned, or the office not staffed, then as far as I am aware, you have to purchase a document at the “first opportunity”. I have never known the border at Como/Chiasso be not manned.
Hi,
I am going with a 17 seat minibus and a trailer rated at 2 tonne carrying capacity. How does the system work?
Hi – you need to read this page about larger vehicles.