Please sign in to post.

Switzerland Car Rental

Hello fellow travelers!

My family and I booked a rental car for 2 days in Switzerland in July (picking up in Bern and dropping off in Basel). According to the U.S. Embassy's website, our main driver will be able to rent the car and drive with her U.S. driver's license and passport. It seems like this will be a pretty straightforward process, but we have not rented a car in Switzerland before so I wanted to see if anyone had any insights or unexpected things that have come up in their experience doing so?

Thank you all!

Shannon

Posted by
2445 posts

Things to watch out for:
- Know the road signs. They are very different from the US. A lot of roads/streets will be off limits to you.
- Watch the speed limit. There are speed cameras everywhere, and fines are steep.

- Assume pedestrians and bicycles always have the right of way. Watch out for children especially. In Switzerland children (even very small ones) walk to school and car drivers are expected to exercise extreme caution.
- Be prepared to spend some time looking for a parking spot, and paying when you find one.

(If this sounds like I am trying to discourage you renting a car, you are right :-)

Posted by
33622 posts

the national speed limit on highways unless posted different is 120 kph BUT in most highway tunnels that is reduced to 80 kph for safety reasons. Swiss road tunnels are uniformly in good condition and the entry sign will show how many metres long the tunnel is. You need to reduce your speed before reaching the speed limit sign - either illuminated and variable or painted. Be sure that the lane you are in has a green light, and if the light is red do not enter. Speed limits in and around tunnels is strictly enforced by cameras.

Basel is approached by a number of tunnels and restricted variable speeds - not the easiest place to drive into. Avoid peak travel times but always expect traffic on the approach to Basel,

If you want to drift into France or Germany from the area around Basel expect backups on the approach back to Switzerland, especially on the A5 from Germany. There are lots of signs indicating which lane you need to be in, pay attention and follow them.

If you are returning the car to Basel airport you need to cross the border into France because the airport is actually in France, and there are car returns on both the French side and the Swiss side of the airport and you need to go to the correct one.

Posted by
5490 posts

The Swiss train system is user- friendly and efficient--do you really need a car? I have traveled extensively in Switzerland by trains, which are comfortable, clean, and dependable .
Safe travels!

Posted by
1029 posts

Be aware that Switzerland is not part of the EU single market, so if you intend to drive the car across the boarder into the EU, you need to inform the rental agency before hand to make sure you are given a car with the required paper work to do so.

Posted by
1102 posts

If you are returning the car to Basel airport you need to cross the border into France because the airport is actually in France,

This is semi-true. Basel airport is indeed in France, but it has a special customs/immigration regime negotiated between Switzerland and France. From Basel, there is a dedicated, limited-access "customs road" (called "route douanière" on the French side; Flugenhafstrasse on the Swiss side) to the airport that keeps you on the "Swiss side" of the customs line, so that you do not have to cross any border infrastructure to get to the airport. Its a fascinating piece of diplomacy and one that we've taken advantage of.

Just make sure you get on that road, and not the main highway.

To make it even cooler, Basel airport also serves Freiburg, Germany, but there is no customs road there, as far as I know.