Bolzano to Interlaken by Car

If you pick up the car in Italy and drop it off in Switzerland, you will incur a very large international drop-off fee.

Do you realize that renting a car in one country and returning it in another will incur a drop-off fee of $600-1,000? If you do drive the vehicle, make sure to get the motorway vignette (road tax sticker). Otherwise you can be fined CHF 200 + CHF 40 for the vignette. Happy motoring!

both previous posters give good advice.

Yes, you need to buy the Vignette (costs CHF 40) before you drive in Switzerland and stick it in the correct place on the windscreen, and it will cost a huge drop off fee to drop the car in Switzerland.

If you are OK with both of those, go for it.

Suggest you drop the car in Bolzano then train to Interlaken. Bolzano-Innsbruck-Zurich-Luzern-Interlaken Ost. That way is a little longer timewise than ...Zurich-Bern-Interlaken, but much more scenic.

Train travel needs several changes and traveling by car needs driving a couple of passes and generally driving on mountain roads. Scenery is glorious but you can take only some scenery while driving, before getting tired; unfortunately, it is the nature of traveling in the Alps that places that look not so distant as the bird flies are unconfortably distant on the ground. Is there a way to regroup your destinations?

After getting the information here, we will cut a day in Dolomites and instead head from Bolzano to Milan. From there we will head to Interlaken.

Question: If getting to Milan from Bolzano in the shortest amount of time was the only criterion - would it be better to:

a) drive from Bolzano to Milan and drop off the rental car there

b) drop off car in Bolzano and take the train to Milan Central?

Google maps is showing both options will take around 3 to 3.5 hrs.

I would prefer taking the train, but wasnt sure if the drive is scenic especially around Lake Garda area.

TIA

You will not see Lake Garda from the Autostrada as there is a high mountain ridge separating them. It is pretty scenic down the Adige Valley with high limestone cliffs on either side. Rail line follows the same path.

Where will you drop the car in Milan? You could drop it at Linate airport then take the bus to Milano Centrale. or drop it at Malpensa and then taxi to Gallarate and get a train to Switzerland from there. There may be a place to drop near Milano Centrale, but you should check that out with whoever you rent the car from.

We have rented with Sixt and they seem to have an office right near the Duomo.

I am now thinking just driving from Bolzano to Milan and then dropping the car there, might be the most convenient option.

there is a large very expensive ZTL in central Milan - be careful

Sixt also has an office near Milano Centrale, outside the ZTL. If you intend to spend the night in Milan, that might be the best option as there are plenty of hotels near the station. You can then go see the Duomo on the Metro, after dropping you bags at the hotel.

The ZTL is not active on the weekends, so that may be a factor. Also, I understand you can buy a pass for 5 EUR. https://www.sicurauto.it/news/attualita-e-curiosita/pagamento-area-c-milano-online-come-fare/

u all are the best!

I had no idea about ZTL and was just looking at the sixt location near the train station.

It might be a great idea to stay in a hotel in this area and catch the train to interlaken next morning.

thanks all!

There are trains from Milano Centrale with only a single connection at Spiez at 7:20 and 11:20. Takes 3 hours and 6 minutes. There are trains requiring more connections at other times, taking a little longer, at least on the current schedule.

@sam - this is from milan to interlaken via spiez?

Yes it is.