 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello. I'm planning a two week trip in February of 2022. Most of it will be spent in Austria. I'm considering a side-trip to either Switzerland or Italy.
I'm flying into Munich from the U.S. and then renting a car.
My question: Will there be some kind of check at the border between DE and AT? And between AT and IT or CH?
I traveled the same route in 2019, so I'm aware of the need for the AT car vignette.
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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Switzerland is a different case as there are customs checks (not passport) though that rarely affects non Swiss cars normally commercial traffic only. In general you simply drive through. For the other borders the answer is no unless there is still a big virus issue, though in that case your trip would be off.
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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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@monkbeer, if you are on Swiss autoroutes which is probable/certain, you need a Swiss vignette as well.
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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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@monkbeer, in theory no. This is all part of Schengen. But at present there are some border checks to ensure compliance with Covid travel regulations which of course are subject to change.
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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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The official Swiss Tourism website MySwitzerland.com is a good source for recommended routes for tourist drives, ordering vignettes and information about the various regions (cantons) and usually has accommodation offers too, plus info like traffic rules. You can also get them to mail you various attractive tourism brochures for your coffee table, which I always think are nice to read in the run-up to any trip.
The customs concerns re car drivers is mainly focused on people bringing in furniture for 2nd homes etc not paying the 8% import tax, and/or nationals bringing-in food from cheaper adjacent countries in wholesale volumes. So you shouldn't fall foul of these regulations, but you may be asked about what you're carrying, so it's worth being prepared for the conversation.
If you're spending any time in CH then it may be worth downloading the official Swiss Weather app before you leave, it should be on your app store as 'MeteoSwiss'. And if it is still in operation, the Swiss Covid Tracker App is 'SwissCovid'. There's also quite a good customs app with all the allowances and rules etc. called, with Swiss literality 'customs' (grey background with CH flag top left and 'Customs' in white lettering bottom right).
In terms of driving, it's also worth doing some homework on the key signage: I find the 'No Parking' signs to be quite unobtrusive and easily missed (at least to UK eyes). They also have some odd traffic-calming road markings in urban areas which I still don't quite understand. And prohibition signs don't have the line through them that I'm used to in the UK. Some town centre roads (like in the middle of Basle) are strictly 'no vehicles except for delivery/access' - but by the time your satnav tells you, it's too late and you're the subject of stony stares from cyclists and pedestrians .... None of these are major issues but it's worth spending a few hours doing some Google research. If' I'm planning to drive into the centre of an unfamiliar city, I often drive the route to my accommodation/parking via Google Earth Streetview beforehand. Oh, and there's the bizarre situation we found ourselves in on the main route from Gruyères to Lausanne, where the mainline rail track joins and shares the road itself, tram-like, for about 3 Kms .....
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Tue 27-07-21 14:46; edited 10 times in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I’ve been stopped/stuck in traffic because of checks at the Austria/Germany border heading towards Munich on the A1/8.
I’ve seen checks on the A12/93 too, but not been caught in them.
Both these were a couple of years ago when there was a big worry about immigration.
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Not done the drive along the Inntal Autobahn since last summer so it is possible things might have changed since. There was the "issue" with concern over large numbers of asylum seekers getting into trucks and heading north which meant checks and queues at Kaprun, Salzburg etc going into Germany. However by last summer this had morphed into an area for checking trucks at the side of the road which did not seem to be creating any delays for cars. There have been occasions when the Austrians have imposed restriction on the number of southbound trucks due to "concerns" over pollution levels going up to the Brenner, this has led to long queues between Rosenheim & Kaprun but not heard of this recently.
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Presumably Kufstein, not Kaprun… 
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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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@ousekjarr, Indeed, not enough travelling recently 
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@monkbeer, In my (pre-pandemic) experience the queues were always far worse on the Inntal Autobahn crossing from Austria to Germany, with the service station on the north side of the border bridge being used as a customs check by frequently zealous German Polizei; this often added a further 'frisson' to the already challenging return to Munich Airport and the concomitant heavy Sunday evening traffic during the ski season.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Snowsartre, I was referring to this when I put in Kaprun rather than Kufstein. It was a pain a couple of years back (it is not a customs check but checking for asylum seekers), at one point it was not just the Autobahn but the side roads too. In recent times the queues have pretty much disappeared as the police are diverting trucks into the old services you mention whilst cars get ignored, the checks on the side roads have gone. It has only been for show to make a political point.
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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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On our annual (we'll it was pre-covid) car tour, we often crossed multiple borders in a day. Usually on a+b roads rather than motorways and regularly lost track of which country we were in.
The only times we have had border checks have been from Switzerland into Italy and the Italians seemed to be just doing enough to cause a queue without actually checking anything... Like it was just to p1ss off the Swiss
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Every border seemed to be different. Inntal at Kufstein there was always a checkpoint due to the immigrant issue, but I always just got waved thru. There may have been one at some point at the Bregenz/Lindau border, but I don't recall ever going thru a check point there. On the non-autobahn back road between the 2 towns it was just a couple of police parked up from time to time, and nothing iirc on the weekend immediately before the first lockdown. Also nothing whatsoever on the Italy-Austria border at Brenner, other than a few police parked up at the toll booth, but there's always a few there anyway.
I don't recall any checks at the border crossing Austria-Switzerland or Liechtenstein even when the immigrant issue was a thing, but haven't done those crossings since lockdown. All camera operated, and maybe only trucks getting stopped.
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You know it makes sense.
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| monkbeer wrote: |
... I'm flying into Munich from the U.S. and then renting a car.
... My question: Will there be some kind of check at the border between DE and AT? And between AT and IT or CH? ... |
Swiss borders are a bit different and at least the routes I drive there's usually a queue of trucks, but it's not an issue/ delay for cars.
For Munich to Austria, the Fernpass rooute has no checks and no border, although there is infrastructure where the border is.
If you're travelling that way, then there's often a speed trap just on the Austrian side of the border.
You need to tell the hire car company where you're going, and if you're intending to drive on the faster roads then you need
a Vig, but I usually just drive to Sölden for which you don't need that unless you get badly lost.
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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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No border checks coming in to Austria from Germany on the Autobahn at Kufstein on Sunday, although it was tipping down so may have been hiding. The checkpoints are still there but weren't manned. I believe some going through the motions regarding covid compliance is still going on but there are very few restrictions driving into Austria at the moment.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just did a roadtrip going from Denmark through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy France and back. Only borderpatrol was coming over Fernpass into Germany, where two officers was looking at cars, but didn’t stop any. At the Danish border all non DK cars was stopped, but that is far from where you are going. Essentially no checks anywhere. Came home last Saturday.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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in Germany they want that everyone which comes from another Country (from Holidays) must make a PCR Test
However it is not clear what will happen for them they are vaccinated, and what will happened for transit travellers.
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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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@turms2, Yes very unclear what the actual proposal is and from when it will apply. Horst Seehofer said no tests for people who have been fully vaccinated but not sure that is true.
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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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@turms2, are you suggesting that they'll be checking at German land borders?
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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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@adithorp, no the proposal is not for that though there "might" be spot checks (which is actually the case at the moment). Assuming it happens it would just be a change to the existing situation where anyone arriving in Germany by whatever means (not sure about on foot!) has to fill in a form with address, phone number etc, you can upload vaccination status, test results etc. This is more to do with concerns about folk going off to Mallorca, Croatia etc spending their time "partying" and getting the virus than anything else. For instance currently arrivals from the UK and other areas classified as "high risk" need to be vaccinated but not have a test if they wish to avoid quarantine this would possibly mean a test as well. I guess it would exclude transit and also short stays (commuting, day trips etc). This is a good summary of the current situation https://www.sueddeutsche.de/reise/urlaub-reiserueckkehrer-testpflicht-hochinzidenzgebiet-1.5365653
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I only asked as the thread is about crossing road borders and whether there'd be checks.
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| adithorp wrote: |
| @turms2, are you suggesting that they'll be checking at German land borders? |
nope...they said they will make not check every car...to be honest they dont know exactly how, and since when
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| munich_irish wrote: |
| @turms2, Yes very unclear what the actual proposal is and from when it will apply. Horst Seehofer said no tests for people who have been fully vaccinated but not sure that is true. |
you are right...however is unclear right now. And if there are childrens under 12 y. Old in the trip, then they need a test....
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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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| LaForet wrote: |
In terms of driving, it's also worth doing some homework on the key signage: I find the 'No Parking' signs to be quite unobtrusive and easily missed (at least to UK eyes). They also have some odd traffic-calming road markings in urban areas which I still don't quite understand. And prohibition signs don't have the line through them that I'm used to in the UK. Some town centre roads (like in the middle of Basle) are strictly 'no vehicles except for delivery/access' - but by the time your satnav tells you, it's too late and you're the subject of stony stares from cyclists and pedestrians .... None of these are major issues but it's worth spending a few hours doing some Google research. If' I'm planning to drive into the centre of an unfamiliar city, I often drive the route to my accommodation/parking via Google Earth Streetview beforehand. Oh, and there's the bizarre situation we found ourselves in on the main route from Gruyères to Lausanne, where the mainline rail track joins and shares the road itself, tram-like, for about 3 Kms ..... |
Don’t forget the a$$load of speed cameras, even in some small residential streets and the fact they have zero tolerance for speeding. Das autobahn in CH it is not 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Different border, but no checks from FR/CH in either direction from airport to/from Chamonix
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