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Driving in Zurich

Posted by (Normal, IL, usa) on

We are flying into Zurich in August and renting a car for subsequent driving to some hard-to-reach towns in Germany and France before returning to Zurich.

  1. We arrive on a Tuesday at 6:20 a.m. and need to drive to Winterthurerstrasse 170 in Zurich to do some genealogy research. What do I need to beware of at that time of day? Rush hour? Is that a difficult drive? What about parking?
  2. We will drive the next week through Germany and France. Are there any issues with taking a Swiss rental car into those countries?

D&B

Posted by
1443 posts

I advise against driving the same day you arrive (presumably from the States). Jet lag adds an extra layer of difficulty on top of driving a strange car on strange roads in a strange country. I once drove 4 hours immediately after arriving in Dublin while jet lagged. Foolish in retrospect. Zurich has a good public transportation system so maybe that will work for you.

Posted by
1216 posts

Hi Dennis and Bonnie. Previous poster makes a good point to be aware of jet lag, but I wouldn't rule out getting a rental car if it makes sense. Looks like you would only be driving a short distance to the University? Should be a quick and easy drive as long as you have a good map. You might contact them for parking info, but I'm guessing there would be parking available there since it looks like it is not right downtown.
As far as taking your Swiss rental car into France and Germany, it should be fine; I've done it many times. Usually only restrictions are for Eastern European countries. Check the web site of your car rental company - usually they have a section covering this. Enjoy your trip!

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