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Toll Switzerland Motorhome - Everything About the Topic
The impressive landscapes in Switzerland attract not only car drivers, but also campers with their motorhomes. Since there is a lot to see, most travel for a few days or weeks and drive from one campsite to the next. However, there are some rules to follow that differ from the regulations in . The most important of these is the toll in Switzerland for motorhomes.
There is not only one regulation that applies to all vehicles in Switzerland, but many different regulations regarding the toll. We will explain the principle of the motorhome toll in more detail in the following article, going into more detail about prices and possible travel routes.
Motorhome toll Switzerland - rules
As mentioned at the beginning, the toll is one of the most important rules for motorhomes in Switzerland. After entering the country, motorhome drivers must either have a vignette for Switzerland or pay a so-called "heavy vehicle fee". Coming up, we will explain all the details about the motorway tolls.
The vignette for motorhomes in Switzerland
The regulation that motor vehicles and trailers up to 3,5 tons require a motorway vignette in Switzerland also applies to motorhomes that do not exceed the mentioned weight. The requirement applies to all routes that are part of the national road network.
Only the cantonal motorways are considered toll-free roads. Accordingly, if you want to enjoy the drive through Switzerland and protect yourself from possible fines, buy a vignette for Switzerland at one of the sales points at the beginning of your journey.
The principle of the vignette in Switzerland is simple. There is only one yearly vignette, which is valid from December 1st of the previous year to January 31st of the following year. Compared to Switzerland's neighbouring countries, no 10-day vignette or monthly vignette is offered.
Toll Switzerland: Motorhome over 3,5 tons
So, the described vignette regulation applies to drivers traveling by car or traveling with a "light" motorhome. Vehicles and trailers, each over a total weight of 3,5 tons, are subject to a toll in Switzerland.
There is another difference between the toll and the vignette in Switzerland: The vignette is only needed for the national roads. The tolls, on the other hand, must be paid locally for all roads.
What does the motorhome toll cost in Switzerland?
The cost of the heavy vehicle toll does not depend on the kilometres driven but on the length of stay. Basically, the longer (or more often) you stay in Switzerland with your motorhome, the higher the fees.
You can either pay the tolls before the trip via an application on your cell phone or pay directly at the border. If the border crossing is unmanned, you must contact the responsible persons by phone. As a rule, the toll is then paid at one of the nearest gas stations.
Validity and Costs
There are several options to choose from when calculating tolls.
TThe first is the one that is probably the most interesting for vacationers. For 1 to 30 consecutive days, you pay 3,25 Swiss francs (CHF) per day. However, the minimum fee is CHF25, and the maximum fee is CHF58,50. This means that even if you travel through Switzerland for only one day, you will pay at least CHF25.
TThe second option is for those who plan to travel to Switzerland more often than just once a year. For 10 days, which do not have to be consecutive, you will pay a price of CHF32,50.
TIf you plan to stay in Switzerland for a longer period you will have to pay a fee of CHF58,50 per month (for 1 to 11 consecutive months). For an entire year, the cost is CHF 650.
Tunnels and Passes
Certain Alpine passes and tunnels are excluded from the charges just mentioned. For these, a kind of "special toll" applies. For example, the Munt-la-Schera tunnel, which many vacationers use to get to Italy from Switzerland, is subject to an additional charge of up to CHF44 (round trip). The costs are charged independently of the heavy vehicle fee already paid.
Switzerland motorhome - popular travel routes with tolls
If you have not yet planned your upcoming trip with your motorhome in detail, let us inspire you with the following route suggestions. For each route, the above-mentioned tolls have to be paid.
Zurich and its surroundings:
If you travel to Switzerland via Constance, you will not only see Lake Constance, but you will also reach the country's largest city - Zurich - by a direct route. From there, it's worth taking a motorhome to neighbouring Lucerne or even as far as St. Gallen.
Across Switzerland:
The route from Zurich via Bern to Geneva is ideal for vacationers who want to get to know different facets of the country. On the way, you will not only see the big cities but also reach lakes and mountains via the motorway.
Bern and its surroundings:
Due to its location, you can discover different regions of Switzerland from the city of Bern. On the one hand, you can quickly reach the French-speaking part of the country, but you can also reach various parks and lakes (Lake Thun) within a few hours.
Zurich - Lugano:
From Zurich, there are several roads that lead to the south of the country. The drive to Lugano on the Italian border is considered the perfect route to explore Switzerland by motorhome.
Toll and Campsites
Staying at campsites also plays an important role in the calculation of toll fees. Since the costs depend on the total length of stay, the fees must also consider the time spent at one of the many campsites in Switzerland.
The sites are either "official" campsites or mountain camps, farms, or private properties that can also be used as pitches - in consultation with the owners, of course.
There are some rest stops along the motorways that also allow campers to park their vehicles for the night. It is best to follow the signs on site. Vehicles and their trailers weighing over 3,5 tons that take up one of these parking spaces for several weeks must therefore include the entire duration of the trip when paying the toll.
Other rules – Motorhome speed limits
In the beginning, we already mentioned that there are some regulations that differ from those in country. Therefore, it is advisable to become familiar with the most important of them before driving. For that reason, in addition to the toll and the vignette in Switzerland, we will also cover the speed limits for motorhomes.
The following limits apply to motorhomes on Swiss roads: In towns, the speed limit is 50 km/h, and outside of towns 80 km/h. On national roads (motor roads and motorways), a distinction is made between different vehicles.
On motor roads (expressways), a speed limit of 100 km/h applies to motorhomes. For motorhomes exceeding a total weight of 3,5 tons, the speed limit is 80 km/h.
Motorhomes weighing up to 3,5 tons are allowed to drive 120 km/h on motorways, and heavier motorhomes are only allowed to drive 100 km/h.
Vignette Switzerland motorhome - questions and answers
Finally, we have summarized the most important questions and answers about the vignette in Switzerland in an overview.
The vignette in Switzerland is required only for "light" motorhomes that do not exceed a total weight of 3,5 tons. The regulation applies to all routes that are part of the Swiss national roads.
Like the vignette, different tickets are available for the digital route toll. Some are valid for single trips and others can be used as a yearly pass for 365 days.
Drivers can pay tolls at service stations, rest stops, or in the ASFINAG online shop before they travel. Travellers who pay the digital route toll via our portal can use the tickets immediately. Various credit cards (Visa, Diners Club, etc.) and other means of payment are accepted. The confirmation with a link will be sent to the e-mail address provided.
The Austrian infrastructure company ASFINAG also offers drivers the option to pay afterwards. This works by using the FLEX service. The trips through the toll booths on the motorways and expressways are automatically recorded via the vehicle’s license plate number and charged retrospectively.
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