Swiss vignette for motorhomes

severndale
severndale Forum Participant Posts: 6
edited March 2019 in Overseas Campsites & Touring #1

We are off to Switzerland and are confused with the Vignette limits. Our motorhome Mass in service weight is 3285kg. According to the rules you need to be under 3.5 tonne for the std vignette. Can anyone tell me if this 3.5 tonne limit is the mass in service weight or is it the fully packed weight?

Comments

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2019 #2

    Stay away from the autoroutes? As I understand it, they are only required for them. Can anyone confirm?

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2019 #3

    Severndale, if your v5 document says your vehicle is over 3.5 tonnes you need to present that document at the border control as proof, and instead of a vignette valid till the end of the year they will sell you a different sort of pass - which can be for a minimum of ten days - or longer if you prefer. If your v5 document says your vehicle is under 3.5 tonnes they will sell you the normal vignette. 

    Unlike a vignette which is only required for motorway standard roads the  pass for larger vehicles is required for all roads in Switzerland. You yourself mark off on the paper the days when you are using it on a Swiss road. If you are stopped the police will check your honesty. 

    Curiously, for someone just passing throughSwitzerland to go to Italy this system means it is actually cheaper with a Motorhome over 3.5 tonnes than with one below that figure. But which permit they sell you all depends what your v5 document says when you arrive at the border.

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2019 #4

    PS. A correction. If you buy a 10 day pass for a heavy vehicle it counts as one of the ten days even if you are parked up on a campsite and don't take the vehicle out. It is actual time spent in the country which counts. 

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2019 #5

    The vignette is for motorways only. If you are entering via Basel, a couple of tips:

    Occasionally there are long queues for lorries and they stack up on the inside lane. Drive past on the outside lane(s). 

    You can pay cash (Euros or SF) at the border and the border officer will lean in and stick the Vignette. If you wish to pay by credit card then park up and go to the office. You then fix the vignette yourself.

  • severndale
    severndale Forum Participant Posts: 6
    edited March 2019 #6

    Thank you eurotraveller. This is the first time I have used Club together and you have sorted out our confusion. Our V5 documents states our vehicle is under 3.5T so a normal vignette is all we need. I believe it can be purchased online before we go so this should save any hold ups.

  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,564 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2019 #7

    One can also buy the vignette at many petrol stations shortly before reaching the Swiss border.

    Weightwise, they Swiss will go by what's on the vehicle's weight plate. The V5c is not required for that purpose.

    The vignette is required not only for motorways, but also for some main roads, too. Here is a map of all roads involved:

    https://www.ezv.admin.ch/dam/ezv/de/dokumente/archiv/2011/07/karte_der_abgabepflichtigennationalstrassen.pdf.download.pdf/karte_der_abgabepflichtigennationalstrassen.pdf

  • severndale
    severndale Forum Participant Posts: 6
    edited April 2019 #8

    After checking our vehicles weight plate it does appear that as our motorhome as an uprated chassis 4400kg then we will have to get the hgv vignette. We will be staying in Switzerland for 6 weeks+ so it will have to be a 2month vignette so it will be a lot dearer than we first thought. I'm sure it will be worth it though.

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