Hi,
I'm planning a 10-day car trip arriving from the US in Zurich, renting a car, drive the same day to Strausburg, France and from there drive thru the smalls towns to Colmar. From Colmar I want to drive thru Lausanne, Chamonix, Interlaken and drive back to Zurich.
Are there any issues in driving a rental car from Switzerland to France?
Is late April safe (snow, icing conditions) to drive thru the Alps?
Thank you.
Don't drive after a long flight. Think about it - you've got jet lag, you're driving on strange roads in a strange car with road signs in another language. What could go wrong?
I agree with FastEddie about driving just after your arrival from the U.S. If I have to do that I limit myself to a maximum of a one hour drive. The drive from the Zurich airport to Strasbourg is a minimum of a 2.5 hour drive. You shouldn't have any trouble crossing borders, but I encourage you to wait until the next day to get a car. You might consider taking the train from the Zurich airport to Basel upon arrival and spend the night there. Pick up a car in the morning and drive to Strasbourg. That drive takes approximately 1.5 hours.
There is definitely still snow in April. Have you considered ditching the car in Lausanne and using trains only for Switzerland leg? (Swiss trains are a dream.)
Thank you for the replies. I have traveled by train in Switzerland before. We did the Glacier Express. I'm traveling with my 83 year old Mom and we like to stop at Belvederes and small towns and just soak the views.
Our first hotel is in Obernai and we arrive in Zurich at 10:30 AM. We should be at the hotel before night fall.
