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After many years "doing France" this year we are heading into Switzerland in August ..... Camping de Vidy in Lausanne if anyone has been there?
I'm aware of requiring Swiss Francs, needing to buy a ticket to drive in the country etc, and have been advised to stick one of those red and white striped warning signs on the back of the bike rack (as if you can't spot a flipping great motorhome rear end in front of you!)
Start point is Calais, a few nights at Lac de La Liez (J05 in CC book) and then turn left and head to Switzerland.
Is there a "good route" to take across the border?
Anyone any other tips and experience they can offer?
(Keep it clean! .... .... oh, OK, not that clean ..... )
I think that you have covered the essentials.
Strictly you need a proper GB plate/sticker, but even the caravan club say that the Swiss police are unlikely to worry if you have the normal EU numberplate.
I think that this is the site we stayed at last year: if so it is a pleasant walk round the lake into the town. The site itself is quite cramped. Grizzly will come on an tell you if I am right about that.
If you go in via Basel is is an awful drive through, under, over, etc. the city. You just have to stick to it for about half an hour.
My advice is to stick to the right hand (slow lane) but watch out roads going off to the right in the tunnels.
If you are over 3.5 tonnes you come under a different set of rules and do not require a vignet. I have never done it as we are just 3.5 T. Someone will come up and tell you.
The sockets at the campsite are "Swiss type" but reception is likely to have the require adapter to French type.
In Lucerne you will be able to use Euro's but you will get a better rate of exchange by getting SF.
The following members of MHF thanked safariboy for this posting
You will love Switzerland, the scenery is fabulous, even the prices are getting more akin to UK these days. My two pennyworth relates to the over 3500kg rule. If you are over 3500kg (or even look like you are) then the Border police will move you to one side and you will either have to prove you are under 3500kg or otherwise fill in the over 3500 form. Nothing nasty about it. Its written in 3 or 4 languages, including English but you need to know exactly how long you will be in Switzerland as you need to enter it on the form. Then work out the days times the rate (used to be SF3.50 per day but may have changed for this year), enter total in the box and hand it in to the cashier along with money. They stamp it and you need this if you get stopped at any time. Normally if you are going for less than 14 days it works out cheaper than buying the vignette (except the vignette is valid for a year)
One final point - if you are towing a trailer then you need a vignette for the trailer also.
Pete
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I agree with Safariboy on the Basle thing. Lots of roadworks, and if you're using satnav, it spends half of its time without a signal since you're in tunnels, and then the sneaky so-and-sos put a junction right in the middle of the tunnel
I'd make sure you know which major town you're heading for, and follow the signs, which are pretty good.
Last year, we tried to stay in Switzerland, but we hadn't booked, and we'd left it too late to find anywhere 'on spec'. As the helpful man at one campsite said: "Full. All of Switzerland - full." This was height of the late July season. We've booked a site this year (can't remember where ), so at least we'll have a comfortable night before heading on to Lake Garda.
Gerald
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You will love Switzerland, the scenery is fabulous, even the prices are getting more akin to UK these days. My two pennyworth relates to the over 3500kg rule. If you are over 3500kg (or even look like you are) then the Border police will move you to one side and you will either have to prove you are under 3500kg or otherwise fill in the over 3500 form. Nothing nasty about it. Its written in 3 or 4 languages, including English but you need to know exactly how long you will be in Switzerland as you need to enter it on the form. Then work out the days times the rate (used to be SF3.50 per day but may have changed for this year), enter total in the box and hand it in to the cashier along with money. They stamp it and you need this if you get stopped at any time. Normally if you are going for less than 14 days it works out cheaper than buying the vignette (except the vignette is valid for a year)
One final point - if you are towing a trailer then you need a vignette for the trailer also.
Pete
Hi Pete,
When did you last buy a over 3500kg permit? Because when we last bought the over 3500kg permit it was one day (3.25 SF), 10 days (32.50), one month (58.50) or a year (650.00).
You had to make sure you put the date in the box for the days that you are travelling if you have the 10 day/monthly/yearly permit.
If you have bought a permit recently I will update my travel notes.
John,
I would definitely put a GB sticker on the van, in Switzerland the law is black and white there's no grey areas. We found at times it was easier to follow the "E" road signs.
It can get a bit confusing when you first enter Switzerland as the motorway signs are green and the N roads are Blue unlike France as it's the other way round.
I have a Swiss type connector which you are welcomed to if you would like it. I've not used it for 20 years, I thought the Swiss sites would have the latest connections by now.
Switzerland is a beautiful country if you are in to alpine walking there are some fantastic well marked paths.
Don
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The site I checked out of before I checked in in Switzerland needed those three pinned adaptors like Don's photo. The other site I stayed on was the "usual" blue type.
Leave Calais and travel toll free via Lille, Charleroi, Arlon, Luxembourg as far as Metz and the A4. See the Italy touring section for more detailed toll free routes.
You do need a GB sticker as the ones on the registration plates are applicable to EU countries. Switzerland is not in the EU.
Russell
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Lausanne is one of our favourite places, we have visited many times, but not in our motorhome. We used to stay in a hotel just a few hundred yards away from Camping de Vidy. The site is quite away out of the main part of the city and you will need to travel in by using the frequent bus service. A tip here is to purchase a 24 hr ticket, this will cover you for all bus journeys and for use of the fenicular railway up to the shopping and commercial centre of the city. The scenery is stunning all along the lake, we found that the best way to enjoy it was to take a boat trip from the quay at Ouchy along to Montreux. Montreux is also well worth a visit, if you have time take the cog railway up to Rochers de Nye and look down from above the clouds for panoramic views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. Eating out can be very expensive, we can recommend Manora's a self service restaurant up in the shopping area and also the White Horse Pub at Ouchy as giving good value for money.
Other outings you might like to consider are a boat trip across the lake to Evian, or a trip on the railway to Gruyere. Switzerland is a beautiful country, dont forget to take your camera and most of all enjoy!!
______________________________________________________________ Brian Matthews
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It was last year that we went to Kandersteg and having looked at the carnet form (enclosed) it was SF3.25 as you say not 3.50, my mistake. It is consecutive days from the date stamped by the customs official, however you can buy month or year again as you say.
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