Quote:
Originally Posted by Spud 7
Hi Andy
Thanks for the reply. I was just a little worried about the timescale that we had, if it was possible to to "take in scenery" on the way down to Geneva as well as doing the route......
I was told that the carnet may have been required as Switzerland isn't part of the EU so there could be issues with regard to taking the bikes in/out.
Were you referring to the toll sticker you get for the Swiss "A" roads and Motorways ?
As the planning gets a little more involved I may well be intouch for some routes.
Many thanks
Brian
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Your right, the Swiss thing is called a vignette and it is valid for a calendar year (+ 1 month last time I bought one).
For the Route des G A you don't need to go into Switzerland too much, but if you do then the vignette is virtually essential - otherwise you can't make much progress because the country is pretty crowded with lots of towns near to each other and the attendant speed limits/traffic.
Switzerland has cut a lot of deals with the EU and it is easy to enter and leave nowadays - they used to check you out very closely at the border in the days when the border crossing highways were prepared for tank obstacles to be placed quickly. Now, a UK registration plate is basically waved through.
For Geneva itself, you can "get away" without having a vignette - it's surrounded by France basically.
Your timescale is very doable (I've driven northern Switzerland to Wiltshire in about 15 hours and Zeebrugge to the Jura in about 12 hours, the latter on a bike and by 4 wheels).
Personally, I prefer ferries - more "entertaining" than the boring train, by which I mean that it feels like part of the journey.
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Dave
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