Exploring Switzerland And Austria: Understanding Their Toll Roads

Switzerland and Austria both have toll roads, but they operate slightly different systems. Switzerland uses a vignette system, which is a form of road pricing based on time rather than distance travelled. This is a sticker that you need to apply to the inside of your windscreen. The vignette is valid for one calendar year, and costs 40 Swiss francs. In addition to the vignette, there are some roads, tunnels and bridges that require additional tolls. Austria, meanwhile, also has toll roads, but it offers vignettes for shorter periods of time, such as 10-day or 2-month vignettes.

Switzerland's toll sticker requirement

Switzerland has a two-class highway system: motorways with separate roads for oncoming traffic and a standard maximum speed limit of 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph), and expressways with oncoming traffic and a standard maximum speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph).

To use the Swiss autobahn/autoroute system, you need to purchase a vignette (toll sticker) for one calendar year. This costs 40 Swiss francs for both passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss vignette is only offered as an annual toll sticker. Trucks also have to pay a toll based on tonnage and distance.

The vignette is a form of road pricing imposed on vehicles, which can be in addition to or instead of a road tax. It is based on a period of time instead of the distance travelled. It is a sticker that must be applied to the inside of the windshield of your car. It must not be covered by tape or anything else, or it won't work. It is valid for the calendar year, regardless of when you purchase it.

You can buy a vignette at most border crossings, gas stations, and post offices in Switzerland and neighbouring countries. You can also buy one online, which will save you time at the border as you can use the fast lane. It costs 40 Swiss francs or 40 euros.

The vignette is obligatory for driving on the national road network ("Nationalstrassennetz"), which consists of motorways/highways and includes a few smaller roads. It is required for both Swiss citizens and tourists.

The fine for driving without a vignette is CHF 200, plus the cost of the vignette. If you have a sticker vignette that is not applied correctly or is damaged, this is considered driving without a vignette.

The roads for which a vignette is required are indicated with signs that have white text on a green background. These roads have the letter A as a prefix, such as the A3 motorway connecting Basel to Zurich.

In addition to the vignette, you'll have to pay extra in a few cases, including two tunnels between Switzerland and Italy: the San Bernardino tunnel and the Munt la Schera tunnel at Livigno.

Vignette costs and where to buy them

Switzerland

In Switzerland, a vignette (sticker or e-vignette) is required to drive on certain roads. The vignette costs 40 Swiss francs and is valid for 14 months, from 1 December of the previous year until 31 January of the following year. It can be purchased at border crossings, gas stations, and post offices in Switzerland and neighbouring countries, as well as online from the Swiss Post website or www.e-vignette.ch.

Austria

In Austria, a toll sticker or digital vignette is compulsory for all cars, motorbikes, and camper vans up to 3.5 tons to drive on motorways and expressways. Vignettes are available with periods of validity of 1 day, 10 days, 2 months, or 1 year and can be purchased from over 6,000 outlets in Austria and abroad, as well as in the ASFINAG toll shop or the App Unterwegs. The cost of the vignette varies depending on the type of vehicle and the length of validity. For example, a 10-day vignette for a car costs €11.50, while a 2-month vignette costs €29, and an annual vignette costs €96.40.

Avoiding tolls in Switzerland

Switzerland's motorway network is close to 20,000km. To drive on the country's motorways, you'll need to buy a motorway sticker, or "vignette", which costs 40 Swiss francs for one calendar year. Vignettes can be purchased at border crossings, gas stations, and post offices in Switzerland and neighbouring countries. They can also be bought online.

However, there are ways to avoid tolls in Switzerland. Here are some tips:

• Use the Michelin mapping website, which gives you the option of "avoiding tolls".
• If you are driving to Geneva from London, you can avoid Swiss roads altogether until you cross the border near Geneva. One route is to go through Belgium and Luxembourg, starting with Calais to Reims, then on to Troyes, Dijon, Besançon, Champagnole, and then take the Col de la Faucile over the Jura and down to Gex, before crossing into Geneva.
• Remember that in Switzerland, vignettes are only required for motorways. Normal roads are signposted in blue and white, while motorways are signposted in green and white.
• If you are renting a car in Switzerland, it will already come with a vignette.
• If you are driving a vehicle that weighs 3.5 tonnes or more, you will need to pay a heavy transport fee, the LSVA, which is based on weight.

Additional tolls on top of the vignette

In a few exceptional cases, you will be required to pay an additional amount on top of the vignette. This includes the following:

• Two tunnels between Switzerland and Italy: the San Bernardino tunnel and the Munt la Schera tunnel at Livigno.
• Some car ferries, for example, the one between Horgen and Meilen on Lake Zurich, and the one between Gersau and Beckenried on Lake Lucerne.
• A few private roads and smaller roads, such as the one from Kandersteg into the Gastern Valley.

It is worth noting that the vignette is not required for these additional tolls. However, if you plan to use any Swiss motorways or expressways, the vignette is mandatory.

The vignette is a form of road pricing imposed on vehicles and can be purchased as a sticker or an e-vignette. It is typically valid for 14 months, starting from December 1 of the previous year and ending on January 31 of the following year. The cost of the vignette is CHF 40.00 (Swiss francs) or EUR 40.00, depending on the purchase location.

The vignette can be easily purchased at most border crossings, gas stations, post offices, and customs offices in Switzerland and its neighbouring countries. Alternatively, it can be bought online through the official Swiss e-vignette shop or private providers.

It is important to display the vignette sticker correctly on your vehicle. Place it on the inside of the windshield, either in the lower left corner, the upper left corner, or in the middle near the rearview mirror. Ensure that it is clean and clearly visible from the outside.

If you choose to purchase the e-vignette, it will be linked to your vehicle's license plate, and its validity can be automatically checked through database access. The e-vignette offers several advantages, including avoiding waiting times and the convenience of ordering from home.

The fine for driving without a vignette

Vignettes are compulsory when driving on national roads in Switzerland and Austria. In Switzerland, vignettes are valid for one calendar year, regardless of when you purchase it. In Austria, vignettes are valid from 1 December of the preceding year until 31 January of the following year.

If you are caught driving without a vignette in Switzerland, you will be fined at least 200 CHF. The fine will be issued if you are pulled over by the police and asked to show proof of your vignette. There are no camera-based controls to check for vignettes in Switzerland, although this is set to change in the future with the introduction of the e-vignette.

In Austria, the fine for driving without a vignette is between 300 and 3,000 EUR, depending on the type of vehicle and the driver's conduct during the control check. The Austrian Government has introduced an extensive AVK camera system to monitor vehicles and scan for valid vignettes. Drivers may also be stopped on the road for routine checks by SKD patrols, who will verify their identity and check for valid proof of road tax payment.

It is important to note that the vignette is not required if you are only driving on municipal roads and rural routes in Austria. However, if you plan to use national expressways and motorways, the purchase of a vignette is mandatory.

Frequently asked questions