Page 275 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Switzerland

ZVV’s ZürichCard and TPG’s GenevaPass; both which are open year­round (some have tolls),
of these also offer free entry to some city attrac­ or to drive your car onto a train to transit via
tions. Tickets must be validated in the machine the Lötschberg, Furka, Albula or Vereina tunnels.
on the vehicle as you board.
TPG Car Rental
∑ tpg.ch To rent a car, you must be over 20 years of age
ZVV and have held a valid driver’s licence for at least
∑ zvv.ch a year. Drivers under 25 may incur a surcharge.
All major international car­hire companies
Taxis have offices in the main cities and airports, and
Swiss Railways also offer a Mobility Click &
In large cities, buses and trams are ubiquitous Drive online rental service with pick up from
and inexpensive, and few people use taxis. 400 railway stations.
These cannot be hailed – they must be booked Mobility Click & Drive
in advance or engaged at a taxi rank. They are ∑ mobility.ch
expensive compared with public transport, and
metred by distance; charges are higher at night Rules of the Road
and at weekends. Marginally less expensive The legal car driving age in Switzerland is 18
Uber cars operate in Basel, Geneva, Lausanne (20 or 25 in a hire car). The Swiss drive on the
and Zürich, bookable via their app. right, and seatbelts are compulsory. It is illegal
Uber to use mobile phones while driving, or to drive
∑ uber.com under the influence of alcohol (the blood­
alcohol content limit is 0.05 per cent). Children
Driving under 12 must travel in the back seat, and
under­sevens must use a child seat. All vehicles
One of the best ways to explore Switzerland is must carry a warning triangle, a first aid kit and
by car. Driving here is pleasurable – the Swiss a reflective jacket, and full headlights should
have a high regard for rules of the road and be on at all times. In winter, drivers are required
take pride in having the safest roads in Europe. by law to use snow tyres and/or chains on
EU driving licences are valid. If visiting from mountain roads when indi cated by special
outside the EU, or if your licence is not in English, warning signs.
German, French or Italian, you may need to
apply for an International Driving Permit (IDP). Cycling
Driving to Switzerland Environmentally conscious Switzerland
If you bring your own foreign­registered car into encourages pedal power and, with the growing
the country, you must carry the vehicle’s regis­ use of e­bikes, cycling has taken on a new popu­
tration and insurance documents and a valid larity. Bike routes crisscross the entire country
driver’s licence. (marked by red signs with a white bicycle sym­
Fuel is generally less expensive than in bol) and include many long­distance paths.
neighbouring countries. Bigger petrol stations Public bike­sharing schemes are available in
are usually open from 7am to 8pm; smaller ones most major cities, such as Zürirollt in Zürich and
until 6pm. Outside these hours, petrol is widely Genèveroule in Geneva. PubliBike is a popular
available from automatic pumps. Some motor­ nationwide bike­sharing programmes. Contact
way service stations are open 24 hours. local tourist offices for details of schemes in
To use Swiss motorways, which are indicated their town. Bicycles can also be hired at main
by green signs, drivers require a sticker called a train stations (these need not be returned to
vignette, which costs SF 40. It is sold at border the same station), and can be carried on most
crossings, petrol stations, tourist offices and postbuses and trains for a fee.
post offices. Driving on a motor way without Genèveroule
a valid vignette incurs a fine. ∑ geneveroule.ch
PubliBike
Driving in Switzerland ∑ publibike.ch
Well­maintained motorways and major roads Zürirollt
link the major towns, and there are some spec­ ∑ zuerirollt.ch
tacularly scenic routes over mountain passes
and down alpine valleys to more remote towns Hitchhiking
and villages. Most of the high alpine passes are
open between June and October; alternative Hitchhiking is illegal on motorways or other
ways of crossing the Alps is to take advantage of major roads. Always consider your own safety
the Gotthard and San Bernardino road tunnels, before entering an unknown vehicle.

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