 Poster: A snowHead
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We are driving down to Champery and aim to cut into Switzerland on the E23/N27 from Dijon / Basencon to Lausanne then via Montreux on the E27..
I assume that we will need to buy a vignette but is it bleedin obvious for an idiot where to stop & buy one ??..
I assumed I would be able to stop at the border to buy one, as it doesn;t seem to be a big border crossing.
This seems to be the most direct route - keeping to larger roads / peage toll roads, so we can cruise down, unless some one knows better ?...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You definitely need the Vignette. We needed to buy one going the other way when driving from Chatel home in the summer. We drove down past Morgins and through a tunnel. We emerged to find ourselves on the motorway with no vignette. We stopped at a service station and asked the lady in the petrol kiosk who sold us one. I'm not sure if there is a more obvious place to buy one heading the other way.
Sorry to hijack your thread but I also have a query about the vignette. Are they just valid for the calendar year in which they are purchased? We purchased ours in August thinking we might use it again within a year. However I'm now thinking we will have to buy another vignette should we want to drive through Switzerland in 2015, as the current one says 2014.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@noisey, YES! You will cross the border at Vallorbe and yes it is 'bleedin obvious' where to stop and buy one  It's like a toll station and they often have guys wandering about outside selling them to you through the window if it's busy. Sometimes you have to go inside. I don't know if it is staffed in the night. What time are you planning to drive through?
This is a good route, we take it all the time. We have a couple of tweaks now on minor roads but it's roughly the same.
You can also buy the Vignette in the UK from Swiss Travel Service in London, they will post it out quickly.
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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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you can sometimes get them cheaper on ebay. worth a look.
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The Petrol station at Vallorbe crossing also sells Vignette stickers. When you cross into Switzerland at Vallorbe you are not on Motorway, but the roundabout beyond the crossing is the access point, and you'll need one from then on. The route towards Montreux has speed cameras, watch out for changes to the national limit. If a local piles on the brakes, join them 
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| pam w wrote: |
| you can sometimes get them cheaper on ebay. worth a look. |
Techically they are not transferrable, and they are designed not to be able to be removed and re-attached for this reason. If it's obviously 2nd hand they they can fine you if they find it.
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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: |
If it's obviously 2nd hand they they will fine you if they find it.
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FIFY. Never underestimate the enthusiasm of the Swiss to relieve you of your money
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If you are following the route via Valorbe at a peak holiday week it is really bleedin obvious where to buy the vignette. It is at the front of the 3km bleedin queue at the border. Schengen - forget it - whether you already have a vignette or not you will be stuck in the queue. There is a minor road that turns left at the last French village before the border and misses most of the queue but if it is snowy (and you'll be hoping it is!) it is a bit sketchy. Still the best route for Champery but it is a pain after a long drive from the UK
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| sarah wrote: |
@noisey, Sometimes you have to go inside. I don't know if it is staffed in the night. What time are you planning to drive through?
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. There is a vending machine inside. Credit Card goes in, Sticker comes out.
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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 purchased mine online in the UK before leaving, affixed it with sellotape! On arrival at the border, they do thoroughly check and took mine out of my window, removed the sellotape and then re afixed, mumbling something I couldn't translate into English. They've obviously had dealings with 2nd hand ones etc....But, I managed to salvage it and resold on ebay... Just thought I would forewarn you.
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you were lucky. iirc the sticky side and the side that faces inwards are easily distinguished. and they probably see chancers all the time.
for austria vignette, there is no border post, so when you do get stopped (there's often a compulsory check), you have already committed an offence rather than being caught about to attempt to commit an offence. €150 or €200 fine or something, plus the cost of a vignette. (fine is double for fraudulent use, compared to having none. not sure what swiss fines are).
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You know it makes sense.
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I sold one on ebay but it had never been stuck to a windscreen - so was in pristine condition. I bought it for a hire car at Ferney then managed to not actually stick it on.
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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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If you smear a bit of Vaseline on the screen first, then affix your Vignette it can be removed and used on another car....allegedly!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I once had quite a bad stone chip on the windscreen on the way home from the first trip of the season with brand new vignette, fortunately the Autoglass people managed to transfer the vignette intact to the new windscreen. I've no idea how they did it as I struggle to get them off even when not trying to salvage them.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nearly all petrol stations and many supermarkets plus post offices, etc sell them. If the customs post is manned you can just get one there.
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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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| Quote: |
I struggle to get them off even when not trying to salvage them
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+1 I had to wait a long time in the car once for my sleeping grand-daughter to wake up. It took me ages but I scraped all 6 old ones off the windscreen - a good way to pass the time.
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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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@pam w,
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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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Last year, when I tried to sell mine on EBAY it was withdrawn due to "breaching sale of govt documents" or some other similar crap
Afraid that one is over!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
not sure what swiss fines are).
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200 CHF
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You can buy a Vignette in advance from the Swiss Tourist Centre in London (www.stc.co.uk) either in person, or for £29 on-line at
https://rail.stc.co.uk/en/products/motorwaysticker
I generally do, just so that I can press on if we're passing through Creux (the border crossing) later at night than expected, although I've never known the BP station there to be closed. If you can't get one there for some reason, you'd have to risk driving on the Autoroute until the Restoroute du Bavois on the way to Lausanne.
Be aware - since April 2014 new import rules have been set, and I was stopped in both August and October at the Creux crossing when they saw ours was a UK vehicle. The full rules are at
https://www.ch.ch/en/how-clear-personal-goods-purchased-abroad/
The key things they asked about were whether we were bringing in more than 1Kg of meat; over 5L of wine or 1L spirits; and/or more than 300 CHF per person of goods bought in France. The other thing they're hot on is importing furniture, on which there is VAT to be paid (lots of British property owners bring furniture in from the UK and Poland because of the limited choice in CH).
The other thing: you may be carrying new-looking laptops or cameras - my Canon SLR equipment was checked but fortunately, it's obviously not new. This is re the CHF 300 limit. So if you do have new equipment, you might want to have the receipts.
And in passing, they'll always ask if you have a Vignette.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 13-11-14 20:40; edited 4 times in total
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@msej449, thanks for the heads up on the new import restrictions. Which border crossing was that? Not sure I know Creux. We fairly regularly drive through Vallorbe and the one at Morgins and never been stopped but good to be aware.
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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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I meant Vallorbe: Google Maps calls the Border crossing itself 'Creux'.
If you have an iPhone, there's a good app from Swiss Customs - look in the Appstore for 'travel & goods' and all the info is in there in English.
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@msej449, ok, thanks 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
because of the limited choice in CH).
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I wouldn't say a limited choice, but maybe more expensive.
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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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That is brilliant info guys, really helpful - as usual....
I was hoping to re-use the Vignette as we fly in Geneva in Feb for a 3V visit so it will save using all the back routes !! I had been warned about the sellotape trick, so hope to use some clear plastic to stick it to then stick that to the window with double sided tape....
We will hopefully be at the border 3 to 4pm on Friday, so we can ski Saturday, so hopefully it won;t be too busy, but maybe that is a bad thing if the vignette is flapping around on sellotape and they have more time to explore !!
So you have to stop at Swiss borders ? so old world ! ha ha....
Thanks again for the help, may just buy in advance to save any possible hassle and nerves !!
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@noisey, we've never had to stop unless we've wanted to buy a vignette. If you want to try fudging it with Sellotape then order and buy in uk so you have plenty of time to get it sorted then you can just drive through the border hopefully!
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You know it makes sense.
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I have been able to move a vignette between cars by only very lightly attaching it at the corners. I wouldn't recommend anything obvious. Like anywhere, if the police think you're deliberately bring evasive they can make things inconvenient, at the very least.
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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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I looked at the link posted by @msej449 and this raised a smile:
If no border guards are present, you can declare the goods that need to be declared in writing using the declaration boxes ... The relevant forms can be found next to the boxes
I have often observed that the Swiss are far more honest than the British in their daily lives - but really?
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Poster: A snowHead
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@sanman, it is however important and beneficial if you are detaxing...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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