My family will be finishing a few weeks of European travel in Colmar, France. We need to get from Colmar to Munich for our flight home, which looks to be about a 4 1/2 hour drive if we travel through Germany on first route viaMichelin suggests. As I have been looking at the map, I've been starting to play around with the idea of driving through Switzerland instead to get the view of the Alps on our journey back to Munich. Only looks to add an additional hour at most if I put in Colmar to Lindau to Munich. We will be driving on a Saturday in July and wondering if this is reasonable and in fact better scenery - we've done the romantic road on a previous trip so thought this may be a good option. Any suggestions or thoughts would be great!
Posted by
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
425 posts
I drove from Salzburg to Colmar in May of this year. I even made a stop in Liechtenstein and had lunch on a bench overlooking the castle in Vaduz. That drive took between 6-7 hours. Remember to get the permit (i can't remember the name, but you get a sticker for your windshield, and they DO check) as soon as you enter both Switzerland and Austria. It was a real nice drive with some great views! Some of those tunnels are a little unnerving, but fun.
Posted by
OP
Frederick, MD, USA
2 posts
That sounds like a nice route - and thank you because I had no idea about needing to get a sticker for the windsheild. This must be for the Swiss and Austian road tax ?(I did notice it might be a more expensive route, but had figured it was added as a gas tax or something). Where can we get the stickers and do you remember if it's a flat fee?
Posted by
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
425 posts
Most gas stations will have them. Be sure to stop as soon as you get in country. Arriving in Austria I stopped at the border and got one. The first exit I took there were police at the stop light checking for the stickers. In Switzerland I stopped and got one at a gas station. As soon as I hit the autobahn there was a police officer on the side of the road peering at the car windshields as they drove by. I guess they have the tourist routine down pat and know where to position themselves.
Posted by
Auburn, Washington, USA
515 posts
My parents and I drove through Austria, Switzerland and Germany 4 months ago and honestly, driving through germany was more beautiful then switzerland and austria. The alps are popping out, the green hills with the odd looking houses was breathtaking. You need to buy a sticker to get into switzerland and austris. If I remember if was around 34 euros each for both countries. The cops are very aggresive about the stickers.
Posted by
Ojai, CA
591 posts
No need to drive into Switzerland to get a view of the Alps - Drive from Freiburg throught the Black Forest (B31) and on to Meersburg.... the view of the Alps driving from Meersburg to Lindau looking beyond Lake Constance is spectacular.
Posted by
Kent, WA, USA
4 posts
Does anyone know how much extra rental car companies charge to drop a rental car in a different country than where you originated? We're travelling from Paris to Munich and are trying to decide whether to drive or take trains (stopping in Reims, Strasbourg, Colmar and Karlsruhe). Any thoughts either way?
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
I've only done it once, and as I recall, the cost was about 300 euro. That may seem like a lot, but it wasn't that significant compared to the overall cost of a three week rental.