A toll free route to Switzerland is a good money-saving option, It’s ideal for those travelling through France and to Switzerland itself, but also for those heading towards Italy. The good thing is that much of the routing is on motorways and dual carriageways. As a result the actual distance covered on a toll free route to Switzerland is similar to the conventional route via the A26 and A4 motorways in France, the overall time for the journey is more or less the same.
Toll free route to Switzerland via Chateau Salins
This is a particularly straight forward route and using Calais as a starting location, it is simply a matter of following the signposts as detailed. It may of course be cheaper to take a ferry to Dunkerque. This has the added advantage of chopping a few more miles off the journey.
Calais – Dunkerque – Lille -(towards Belgium) Tournai – Mons – Charleroi – Arlon – Luxembourg – Metz – Metz Est – Chateau Salins – Sarrebourg – Phalsbourg and then here, a little cheat. It is worth joining the A4 motorway for one junction at J44 and leaving at J45 – this avoids a steep hill and the town of Saverne. Of course Saverne is a pretty enough place for an overnight stop, but the traffic can be busy. From J45 of the A4, head for Molsheim – Obernai – Colmar and the French/Swiss border at Basel/Mulhouse. It really is that simple. We have done this route many times with a conventional motorhome and also the tag axle – it is a very easy drive.
A Google map of the route is shown. The actual distance is 462 miles with a Google time factor of 8 hours 53 minutes. Obviously, us motorhomers and caravanners may take longer than that anyway, but I make reference to the timings for information only.
Toll free route to Switzerland via Nancy
This route starts off in the same way – so Calais – Dunkerque – Lille – Tournai – Mons – Charleroi – Arlon – Luxembourg and Metz. From Metz, head south on the toll free A31 motorway towards Nancy – Epinal – Bussang – Thann – Basel
This route comes out at 459 miles and an anticipated journey time of 8 hours 10 minutes. I like this route but have only done it Northbound. The “Coline de Bussang” is quite steep but it used by buses and trucks. We have driven this route both north and south at various times of the year and had no problems with passing villages or the hill.
Toll free route to Switzerland via Germany – just!
This is the last of my tried and tested toll free routes to Basel. The quirk being a short stretch on the German autobahns! The mileage for this route is 462 with a time factor indicated by Google maps of 8 hours 54 minutes. The routing is the same start as far as Luxembourg then onwards towards Saarbrucken in Germany before re-entering France at Sarreguemines, then on the N61/D1061/D661 towards Saverne, before continuing again via Molsheim, Obernai, Colmar and finally Mulhouse/Basel.
The non toll free route from Calais to Basel is via the A26 motorway and the A4 motorway. This comes in at 474 miles and a traveling time of 8 hours and 4 minutes. As you can see very little time difference between the routes.
Full details of the cost or routing via Reims is available on the French Autoroutes website.
Another advantage of a toll free route to Switzerland
The three toll free routes to Basel that I have tried and tested have a common factor – routed via Luxembourg. Diesel is Luxembourg is amongst the cheapest in Europe. Compared to France, you could save up to one euro per gallon. By planning your journey carefully, adding diesel at Calais to get you as far as Luxembourg and then filling “to the neck” with cheap diesel once in Luxembourg, you can make further savings to your journey. This reduces further the cost of your toll free route to Switzerland!
My toll free route is Dunkirk to Ieper via the N8 then motorway to Mons, Namur, Lux, Mets, Nancy, St Die des Vosages – motorway ends. St Marie aux Mines (toll tunnel or over the mountain), motorway from Selestat to Basel
– 450 miles – about 50 miles are non motorway
Hi – are you in a car, truck or motorhome for your journey? Any idea of the toll cost in the tunnel at St Marie aux Mines?
Hi.
In response to youe query, I go by car – the cost of the toll at St. Marie aux Mines is 7.50 for a car.
Would you say the route over the top is OK for a motorhome or a car and caravan? Do trucks go that way?
May 2015
I paid just over €17 for a motorhome.
Trucks do use the mountain road. The mountain route has about 8 miles of rather twisty going, but very managable. In winter, the route is closed by the authorities when the road is unsafe because of snow. leaving the tunnel as the only option. I last crossed the mountain road in December 2010, when most of Europe was socked in by snow and, going sensibly, I had no difficulty with the mounbtain road.
Hi,
Really helpful information and thank you so much. Could you pl send me some information about parking, special traffic rules, road taxes and other important details we should know as first time traveller.
Hello, sorry I do not have anything to send out as such. Suggest a Google search but also read our article about the “Ring European Travel Kit” that contains various items that you will need when travelling overseas.