If you are driving from Switzerland to various European destinations this summer, be ready to stumble upon toll booths and toll cameras. Here’s what you should know.
Motorists in Switzerland are lucky because, contrary to their European counterparts, they can drive on most of the country’s roads without having to pay any tolls.
That’s because the annual, 40-franc ‘vignette’ allows them to drive, toll-free, on most motorways, with just a few mountain tunnels still collecting the toll.
That is why you hear Swiss drivers often complain about having to stop and pay at toll booths in foreign countries.
What you should know before crossing a border by car
Chances are high that you will encounter at least one (but more likely several) toll booths on your way to and from your holiday destination.
You can pay with either a card or cash.
But an increasing number of foreign countries, as well as individual regions and municipalities within them, have replaced physical booths with the modern ‘free-flow’ toll system.
This means, literally, barrier-free travel because billing is done online.
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This is how it works
Cameras installed on many highway sections abroad automatically record each vehicle, and its license plate, as it passes.
You will then receive a bill in the mail which you will have to pay within a defined time period. (You are not anonymous even when you are abroad: your data is shared via the European Car and Driving Licence Information System (Eucaris), which holds records of all vehicle owners in Europe).
Or, to simplify this process, you can also register online with the relevant motorway operator using your license plate. You can then pay the toll using this account.
This system is in place on the following roads (this list is not exhaustive, as new automated tolls are popping up all the time)
- France: A4, A79, A13, A14
- Italy: A36, A59, A60
- Spain: A636
- Portugal: Extensive network of electronic toll stations, including A4, A8, A13, A17, A19, A24, A41/42
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What else should you know if you are driving abroad?
Anticipate heavy traffic and bottlenecks on the roads leading towards Italy, France, Spain and Portugal — the most popular vacation spots for tourists from Switzerland.
Knowing the traffic rules of the country you are going to (or driving through) can make the journey easier and more pleasant. For instance, according to AXA insurance:
In Austria, you can pre-pay motorway tolls online, which should save you time by not having to queue up.
In Italy, “foreign vehicles can be seized on the spot if you can’t pay a fine”, so make sure you have the means to do so if you commit an infraction.
In France, if you exceed the speed limit by 40 kilometres per hour or more on the motorway, “the police are authorised to seize your driver’s license on the spot”. It is then forwarded to the Swiss authorities where legal proceedings will await upon your return.
READ ALSO: What Swiss drivers should know if they commit driving offences abroad
