We are bringing a limited amount of cash with us, at least to start, on our trip to Switzerland and France. Whenever practical we will drive on local routes, mostly to enjoy the villages and make stops along the way. There will be times, however, when we will be using the major toll highways and I'm wondering whether the tolls must be paid by cash or so they accept credit cards or E-Z pass-type devices?
Thank you.
Bob
Swiss highways have no tolls, but you must have Swiss vignette. If you rent the car in Switzerland, it will have a vignette already, but if you rent the car in France you will need to stop and buy one at the border and attach it to your windshield in the proper spot. 40 CHF I believe.
French toll stations take credit cards, but must be true chip & PIN cards and even then it might not work because your bank and the particular bank the tollway uses are not interconnected, so have some cash to be safe.
Thank you Sam.
Does the car rental company then bill me for the tolls used on the trip?
Bob
There are several reports here that the various French highways are run by multiple different companies, so you card can work in one toll booth and not another. This includes reports from people who have a true chip and PIN card issued in the US. So, you can never count on your card working in a French toll booth.
There are also reports that the French EZ Pass devices are not easy to get for short term visitors.
Just go to an ATM before your drives, so you're prepared.
EDIT: no, the rental car company does not bill you. You have to pay the tolls at the time you use the roads. And as Sam said, for Switzerland you have to have the vignette (pronounced veen-YETT-uh) before you use any Swiss highways, or you'll get fined.
You also need an International Driver's Permit to drive in France. You get it a AAA (if you live in the US), even if you're not a member. It's good for a year, but you can start that year on any date. You carry it with your US license; it does not substitute for it.
Suggest you reference the 3/27/17 post of "Driving in France" which should be helpful. It has a link or reference to this topic which is well covered in the RS website. Here are my comments to that posting.
"Within Rick Steves website (this one) within the section driving in Europe, France and your questions are addressed. France's toll roads are owned and managed by at least 10 companies. The credit card systems are not altogether compatable, especially for US chip cards. Therefore always carry ample cash/coin and use toll lanes that accept cash/coin to be safe. Use ViaMichelien Maps app for toll / mileage estimates."
In France you will need to discern which toll line to enter. Some toll lines are card only and if your card doesn't work you have a big problem. Safely head to the cash and card lines. Keep the cash option available always. So you might consider a good reserve of paper and coin in hand. You can see examples of these lines by Googling the subject finding both pictures and video.
So now I am confused. Maybe I misunderstood Sam, who indicated that there are no tolls on Swiss highways.
I am assuming that the rental car, which I will be picking up at the Zurich Airport, will have a vignette. So does the vignette only allow the vehicle to be operated on the toll highways and has no effect on paying tolls?
There are no toll roads in Switzerland. You buy the vignette and it is good for one year, that is the toll. A car rented in Switzerland will have the vignette already attached, so no worries there.
Bob, The Swiss Vignette is the toll payment. Instead of paying by distance you pay by time, CHF 40 for a calendar year.
You only need the Vignette if you drive on Motorways(German: Autobahn, French: Autoroute), not on normal roads (I avoid the use of the word "Highway" as it means different things to different people).
It is possible to drive into Swizerland on a non-motorway road and avoid the toll, but it is very difficult to drive any distance in Switzerland without going on a motorway. See here for map of Swiss toll Motorways: https://www.autobahnen.ch/images/vignette_required_en.jpg
If you rent a car in Switzerland, it will already have a 2017 Vignette on it, a foreign registered car will only have one one it if somebody has already driven it in Switzerland in 2017.
For France; I recommend always to have enough Euros on you, just in case your card doesn't work. The same would apply for going into a restaurant.
Also, Sam, carry smaller bills to pay tolls in France -- we once had to use a €50 bill to pay a toll and got the change in €2 coins...a LOT of coins!
