 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, looking for some practical guidance.
I’m Jan I’ll be driving from Chamonix to Geneva airport to pick up a couple of family members and then taken them back to Geneva a week later. In my U.K. registered car.
Given the short distance between the boarder and the airport and the duration ( less than an hour I hope ). Will I need to purchase a vignette autoroutière?
I remember a couple of years ago driving to Chatel - via a route over the north side of Lake Geneva and there was no problems without a vignette autoroutière.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Crashnburn, You don't need a vignette if you don't go on Swiss autoroutes, the map of alternative routes is here.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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But if you do use the Swiss autoroute crossing in to Switzerland on the A40/A411 at Thonex you are very likely to be pulled over by the border guards who will require you to buy a vignette.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| But if you do use the Swiss autoroute crossing in to Switzerland on the A40/A411 at Thonex you are very likely to be pulled over by the border guards who will require you to buy a vignette. |
Really? Having lived in Thonex for 3 years and neighbouring Chene-Bourg 10 years this surprises me ... although obvs we always had a vignette...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| But if you do use the Swiss autoroute crossing in to Switzerland on the A40/A411 at Thonex you are very likely to be pulled over by the border guards who will require you to buy a vignette. |
Really? Having lived in Thonex for 3 years and neighbouring Chene-Bourg 10 years this surprises me ... although obvs we always had a vignette... |
Ive frequently seen it when driving in to Switzerland at that crossing to get to the airport. Cars are directed to pull over to the side, and the staff wear some sort of belt-mounted payment or cash holder. I was pulled over once as I’d mistakenly stuck my vignette to the sunblock strip at the top of the windscreen, so it was not easily visible from the outside and the staff thought I needed to buy one.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@rob@rar, Are you thinking of the crossing at Bardonnex?
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| rjs wrote: |
| @rob@rar, Are you thinking of the crossing at Bardonnex? |
Yes, might be, let me check on the map.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| rjs wrote: |
| @rob@rar, Are you thinking of the crossing at Bardonnex? |
Yes, might be, let me check on the map. |
Yes, apologies, brain freeze on the previous post regarding location. Point remains the same about being directed to purchase a vignette there.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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At least going in to CH you can buy, if they catch you at Bardonnex on the way out they’ll just fine you 300chf if they feel like it.
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Thanks for the info.
Sounds like…
I could use the Yellow Route B on the map which avoid the AutoRoutes.
Or use the route which goes via Bardonnex and either buy one upon entry or ‘hope’ I get out without a big fine ( probably not the best option as I have to do the trip twice in a week ).
Or buy one and let the sat nav pick the best route at the time.
I understand a vignette is about £25. Can they be purchased online from the U.K.?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@rob@rar, sorry, should have thought of that myself  Thonex crossing somewhat quiet ish!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I drove there a couple of times without a vignette (from Tignes). Avoided the autoroute and in via Ferney-Voltaire. But the 2nd time was on a Saturday morning and seemed to take forever. After that I thought 30 or so Euros wasn't that bad 
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| Quote: |
I understand a vignette is about £25. Can they be purchased online from the U.K.?
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Correction £40
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
I drove there a couple of times without a vignette (from Tignes). Avoided the autoroute and in via Ferney-Voltaire. But the 2nd time was on a Saturday morning and seemed to take forever. After that I thought 30 or so Euros wasn't that bad
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As I’m going to be time challenged I think I agree…
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Crashnburn, Just decide whether you want a vignette or not.
If yes, buy one at Bardonnex and use the autoroute both ways each time.
The yellow route is fine but you wouldn't bother using it if you did have a vignette.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Crashnburn wrote: |
| I understand a vignette is about £25. Can they be purchased online from the U.K.? |
Yes, in advance from the likes of The Vignette Shop for £45, versus the retail price of CHF 40 (£31.50) at the border, in petrol stations and shops. This includes a £10.50 'handling fee'. All the sites do this and the usual fee is more like £20, so this is the cheapest of them. Beware - a lot of the ticket sites don't mention the booking fee 'till late in the entry process and just lead with postage options. It's not 'till you've got past inputting all your delivery details and payment details that they mention the additional handling fee.
This big handling fee nonsense is a relatively new thing, so for the first time in 18 years, for our summer trip to CH this year we just bought ours at the border.
On other threads, people have mentioned that French border areas often sell CH vignettes, so @Crashnburn - it may be worth checking if you can get one in Chamonix, given its proximity to Martigny and Verbier. Also. I'm tempted to comment that for the people you're ferrying from/to Geneva, them paying £45 for your vignette is peanuts in comparison to what the transfer would cost by commercial transfer/taxi/rail!
FYI the vignette is valid through January of the subsequent year. So your 2022 vignette will be good for January 2023 as well, if that's at all relevant to you.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 28-10-21 11:42; edited 8 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Last time (2020) I bought my vignette from tolltickets.com who only charged 2.50€ postage. But I just looked on their website and it's not clear if you can buy a 2022 vignette yet.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I did find the website charging the £10+ fee. Seems a little steep for doing very little. I think picking one up at the boarder seems the obvious way to go. Thanks for all the info.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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If you go on non autoroutes you do not need a vignette and to get to the airport you dont have to ...you dont have to go into switzerland ..you can go into the airport and park on the French side
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Crashnburn, its so easy - there is a specific little office if they're not stood outside waiting to sell them.
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Of course what you must not do is buy one, place it against the screen by wedging with a duster or clear tape and then selling it when you get back home.
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| Quote: |
Of course what you must not do is buy one, place it against the screen by wedging with a duster or clear tape and then selling it when you get back home.
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Now, that’s an idea… not to consider publicly.
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its so easy - there is a specific little office if they're not stood outside waiting to sell them.
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I’ve been told a few years ago there could be quite a wait to purchase at the boarder crossing. I hope the process is somewhat quicker nowadays.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
Of course what you must not do is buy one, place it against the screen by wedging with a duster or clear tape and then selling it when you get back home.
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You will probably find the border guard standing over you insisting it's stuck on. The Swiss authorities are not known for making it easy to evade taxes.
When your group is spending thousands of pounds on a ski holiday and buying expensive drinks on the slopes, why make your journey slower and more stressful than it need be? Traffic in Geneva can be a right pain.
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From Cham, the Autoroute takes you thru Bdx where they will check, but you can buy it there for 40 chuffs.
Checks away from the border only normally happen in February (after the previous year has expired).
There's plenty of routes coming off at Annemasse or Etrembieres which mean you don't need one, and if you're feeling cheeky you can always rejoin the Autoroute after the border (as that is the normal point of enforcement).
TBF, 30 quid versus the price of a ski holiday is probable less than 1% and 40 chuffs is also the price of a G&T in the Geneva Hotel Kempinski to put it into context.
Also the queue to buy them is mythical these days, anything which might slow down or hinder parting you from your money will have been addressed as a priority.
Just pay up.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@WindOfChange, yep never had to wait more than 5 minutes at any border crossing to be relieved of my 40CHF over the years.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Gilberts Fridge wrote: |
| @WindOfChange, yep never had to wait more than 5 minutes at any border crossing to be relieved of my 40CHF over the years. |
Try coming through the Jura to Vallorbe - frequently an hour.
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The simply option appears to just get the ticket at the main boarder crossing at Bardonnex. The cost is pretty incidental considering the cost of everything else.
Seems a low chance of delay.
ThNks
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You know it makes sense.
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I've done a lot of shared transfers from Geneva to/from Morzine and so taken both the vignette and non-vignette routes over the years - and can't say one has been noticably quicker/slower than the other on average. So up to you if you want to pay the money or save it and just add an extra 30min safety margin onto your journey times (and then it's only the return one that really matters - your friends can just have a drink at the airport if you're delayed picking them up).
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