Switzerland's
road network is
comprehensive and well planned, and
although the mountainous terrain can
make for some circuitous routes
there is, of course, the
compensation of impressively scenic
mountain drives.
Speed limits
are 50kph in built-up areas, 80kph
on main roads and 120kph on
motorways. To drive on motorways
(signposted in green) you must pay
Sfr40 for a
vignette or tax
disc, which is valid for a year and
available from Swiss tourist offices
abroad, at every border-post and
most petrol stations. It's easy,
though, to stick to main roads
(signposted in blue), which are fast
and free. The Touring Club Suisse (
www.tcs.ch
) operates a 24-hour breakdown
service on tel 140.
Car rental
costs upwards of Sfr130/day for
unlimited kilometrage, or about
Sfr750/week. Most firms require the
driver to be over 21.
Hitching is feasible on
the main routes linking the cities
of the north and east, or on a
through-trip to the south, but the
really scenic bits of Switzerland
are so widely scattered that it's
usually difficult to get a direct
ride. The risks attached to hitching
are the same as in any country.
Given the nature of the
landscape, cycling is not the
easiest way of exploring the
country, but the scenery often more
than compensates for the extra
effort required. It's a popular
Swiss pursuit, especially along
valley floors and around lakes;
there are nine national
long-distance cycle routes, and
bike-lanes abound in cities. Tourist
offices can give you a map showing
routes. You can rent a
brand-new country- or mountain-bike
at over 130 train stations
nationwide for Sfr27 per day, Sfr21
if you hold a Swiss travel pass,
less for a half-day. For an extra
Sfr7 you can pick the bike up at one
station and drop it off at another
(this charge is waived on rentals of
two days or more). It's always a
good idea to reserve a few days
ahead at any train station or online
( www.rent-a-bike.ch ). The
city councils of Zurich, Geneva and
Bern also operate free or cut-price
bike-rental schemes (ask at tourist
offices), and some HI hostels rent
bikes for Sfr15/day. You can take a
bike on regional/InterCity trains
for Sfr6/12, but many people take
the sweat-free option of going by
train into the high Alps, then
renting a bike at the top station
and freewheeling the whole way down
again.
