do I need a carnet for switzerland?

[tsbnoise]

Hi there possibly a daft question, but do I need a carnet for switzerland. I live in the uk and am british. cheers guys!

kind regards tsbnoise

[mustaphapint]

no, you dont even get your pasport checked most of the time.

[tsbnoise]

cheers harley, nice one!

[andyb43]

If you buy a Vinnagaret (cant spell it) in the service station before the border they just wave you strait through.

[Tony P]

tsbnoise.
A GB citizen needs nothing more than to have his passport to enter Switzerland. His UK registered vehicle likewise.

Non-EU passport holders.
You generally require a Visa for entering Switzerland. A Schengen Visa does not cover Switzerland, although it will do at some time in the future. This should have been from October 2007 but I believe it has been delayed. Check your local Swiss Embassy.

AndyB43.
The Vignette you bought is an annual fee to use the Swiss Motorways (Autoroutes), without which there are hefty on the spot fines. Their waving you through had nothing to do with having a vignette - they just thought you looked OK (as I am sure you do ;-))

Living in UK with a girlfriend with a Russian passport for the last 3 years has made me realise the British are quite privileged in having easy entry requirements to many countries - it has also taught me quite a bit about the difficulties and proceedures others have to go through and have to put up with. If you want to do it properly "by the book", that is !

[tsbnoise]

Hi guys, two quick questions, is the vignette compulsary? and secondly how much does it cost?

Kind regards tsbnoise

[Tony P]

A vignette is compulsory in Switzerland only if you are using their motorways (clearly signed posted with GREEN signs - unlike the blue of UK). You do not need one if using other roads. Being caught without a current one on a motorway gets a large on the spot fine - £200 comes mind from a report I once read.

A vignette cost is CHF40 (£16) for a car and covers the rest of a current year plus the following January. I don't know if a bike cost is different. Each year has a different colour/design. You get a small (2 inch) self adhesive sticker that cars stick inside the windscreen. Theoretically not removable (ie. not transferrable to another car), but I have done it! 'huff' on the screen first, do not press it on too hard, and later peel it off very very carefully otherwise it will tear along the prepared cuts.
A similar motorway system operates in Austria but you can buy them for short periods. In France and Italy motorways are pay as you go based on distance travelled - roughly costing about the same as fuel consumed. Bikes pay nearly half that of cars in France but are charged the same as cars in Italy.

I believe bikes filtering in traffic is illegal in Switzerland although it seems to go on!

[DukeXTZ]

being caught without a vignette is not 200£, its only 100CHF (40£) plus the vignette (16£).

source (in german)

[PaulM]

I've been through Switzerland several times. I've always managed without using the motorways - gets you into some picturesque places. Although I've never been asked for it, don't forget to take your V5C UK registration certificate (the old log book) We were asked for it at every border crossing last year in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania also when crossing back into Poland and Germany.

[kingkoru]

As Tony P said

A vignette is compulsory in Switzerland only if you are using their motorways

I live here, you need one