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Cars 4 Rental Guide To Travel In  Switzerland

International Airports Zrich (ZRH) (Kloten) (website: www.uniqueairport.com) is 11km (7 miles) from the city (travel time – 20 minutes). Trains run every 10 to 15 minutes from under Terminal B. Regional and night buses are available. Passengers arriving in Switzerland by air can purchase a special Fly-Rail Luggage ticket from their airport of departure which will enable them to have their luggage delivered directly to a Swiss railway station. With the Fly-Rail Baggage service, passengers leaving Switzerland can check their bags in at the railway station up to 24 hours before their flight. Taxis to the city are available (travel time – 15-30 minutes). Geneva (GVA) (website: www.gva.ch) is 5km (3 miles) north of the city. Taxis to the city are available. There is a regular train service to Geneva Cornavin Station (travel time – 6 minutes). The no. 10 bus runs from the airport to the city centre. Bern (BRN) (Belp) is 9km (5.5 miles) southeast of the city (travel time – 20-30 minutes). Bus services are available to Bern station. A rail service runs from Bern to Zrich Airport. Taxis are also available. Basle (BSL) (Basel-Mulhouse) is 12km (7 miles) from the city. Bus runs to Basle SBB Luftreisebro. Taxis are also available. Departure tax: None. Back to Top Air Travel All services are operated by Swiss. Domestic air travel is fast but expensive, and with the exception of the Geneva to Zrich flight (travel time – 45 minutes), many businesspeople prefer to travel by rail or road. Switzerland’s national airline is Swiss (LX) (website: www.swiss.com). Approximate flight times: From Basle, Bern, Geneva or Zrich to London is 1 hour 50 minutes. From Geneva to Los Angeles is 17 hours and from Zrich is 14 hours 35 minutes. From Geneva to New York is 9 hours 45 minutes and from Zrich is 7 hours 20 minutes. Back to Top Rail Rail transport is particularly well developed in Switzerland, with excellent services provided by Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB) (website: www.sbb.ch) and many other operators. Use of the Swiss Pass (see below) is a superb way to view the scenery, although mainline services are geared to the needs of the hurried business traveller. Trains run at least hourly from the major centres and there is a country-wide timetable of regular services. There are dining cars on many trains, and snacks and refreshments are widely available. Independent railways, such as the Rhtische Bahn in the Grisons and the Berner-Oberland-Bahn, provide services in certain parts of the country. The SBB has introduced specialised cars for disabled people using wheelchairs. Facilities include a lift for wheelchairs, a specially adapted WC and radios adapted for people with hearing difficulties. There are also a large number of mountain railways which are sometimes the only means of access to winter resorts. Some of these are attractions in their own right: the Gornergrat-Bahn in Zermatt is one of the oldest mountain railways and climbs to a height of over 3000m above sea level, offering a spectacular panorama of the Matterhorn and surrounding mountains; for further information, see online (website: www.rail.ch). Travelling from the UK, the quickest way is to travel by Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel to Paris (travel time – 3 hours) and, from there, to Switzerland. For further information and reservations contact Eurostar (tel: (0870) 0000 792 (travel agents) or (08705) 186 186 (public; within the UK) or (01233) 617 575 (public; outside the UK only); website: www.eurostar.com); or Rail Europe (tel: (08705) 848 848; website: www.raileurope.co.uk). Travel agents can obtain refunds for unused tickets from Eurostar Trade Refunds, 2nd Floor, Kent House, 81 Station Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PD, UK. Complaints and comments may be sent to Eurostar Customer Relations, Eurostar House, Waterloo Station, London SE1 8SE, UK (tel: (020) 7928 5163; e-mail: new.comments@eurostar.co.uk). General enquiries and information requests must be made by telephone. Other connections from London via the main channel crossings are available (minimum travel time of about 14 to 15 hours to Basle and Lausanne, the main points of entry). There are also through trains from many other European cities. Back to Top Cheap fares: Available from Switzerland Tourism. The Swiss Pass gives unlimited travel on rail services, those of other main regional operators, boats, an extensive network of buses and city trams, as well as reduced price travel on other mountain railways not included in the full scheme. Tickets can be purchased for 4, 8, 15, 21 or 28 days. An STS family card allows children up to 16 years of age free travel when accompanied by parents. There are also regional tickets for unlimited travel in different parts of Switzerland at various rates. Other offers include a Swiss Transfer Ticket allowing return travel from a Swiss border or airport to a selected destination. A leaflet describing all the schemes is available from Switzerland Tourism. A comprehensive timetable for all Swiss public transport can also be purchased. InterRail cards are valid. Back to Top Travel By Road Traffic drives on the right. Road quality is generally good. Many mountain roads are winding and narrow, and often closed in heavy winter conditions; otherwise chains and snow tyres may be necessary. Rail is often more efficient than driving. Bus: Postal motor coaches (website: www.post.ch) provide a service to even the remotest villages, but under the integrated national transport policy few long-distance coaches are allowed to operate. Taxi: All taxis have meters for short and long trips, although it is advisable to agree the fare for longer distances out of town. Car hire: Available in all towns from hotels and airports and at all manned rail stations. All major European companies are represented. Regulations: The minimum driving age is 18. Seat belts are obligatory and children under 12 years must travel in the back of the car. Dipped headlights are compulsory during the day. Drink-driving fines are heavy. Speed limits: 80kph (50mph) on country lanes; max 120kph (75mph), min 60kph (37mph) on motorways; and 50kph (31mph) in towns. Organisations: The AA and RAC in the UK are linked with TCS (Touring Club Suisse) (website: www.tcs.ch) and ACS (Automobil Club der Schweiz). Contact the Automobil Club der Schweiz (ACS), Wasserwerkgasse 39, CH-3000 Bern 13 (tel: (31) 328 3111; fax: (31) 311 0310; e-mail: acszv@acs.ch; website: www.acs.ch). In emergencies, there is a breakdown service offering assistance throughout Switzerland (tel: 140). Motorway tax (vignette): An annual road tax of SFr40 is levied on all cars and motorbikes using Swiss motorways. An additional fee of SFr40 applies to trailers and caravans. The vignette (sticker) is valid between 1 December of the year preceding and 31 January of the one following the year printed on the vignette. These permits, which are available at border crossings, are valid for multiple re-entry into Switzerland within the duration of the licensed period. To avoid hold-ups at the frontier, however, it is advisable to purchase the vignette in advance: call the Swiss Travel Centre (tel: (00800) 1002 0030) for more details. Documentation: A national driving licence is sufficient. Green Card insurance is advised – ordinary domestic insurance policies are valid but do not provide full cover. The Green Card tops the cover up to the level provided by the visitor’s domestic policy. URBAN: Highly efficient and integrated urban public transport systems serve as a model for other countries. There are tramways and light rail services in Basle, Bern, Geneva, Neuchtel and Zrich. These and a further dozen cities also have trolleybuses. Fares systems are generally automated with machines issuing single or multiple tickets at the roadside. Tickets are also available at enquiry offices. Fares are generally zonal. There is a day ticket for travel in one or more Swiss cities on any given day at a standard fare. Taxis are widely available and drivers expect a 15 per cent tip. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Zrich to other major cities/towns in Switzerland. Air Road Rail Basle 0.30 1.10 1.05 Bern - 1.15 1.10 Geneva 0.40 2.45 2.55 Lugano 0.45 3.00 3.00 Switzerland can be reached by road from Austria, France, Germany and Italy. Some approximate driving times to Geneva and Zrich by the most direct routes are: Calais– Geneva: 12-13 hours (747km/464 miles); Dunkirk–Geneva: 12-13 hours (732km/454 miles); Calais–Zrich: 13-14 hours (790km/490 miles); Dunkirk–Zrich: 14-15 hours (880km/ 546 miles). Coach: There are coach services to Switzerland as well as scheduled coach tour operators. Contact Switzerland Tourism for further details (see Contact Addresses section). In the UK, Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves destinations in Switzerland. For further information, contact Eurolines, 4 Cardiff Road, Luton, Bedfordshire L41 1PP, UK (tel: (08705) 143 219; fax: (01582) 400 694; website: www.eurolines.com or www.nationalexpress.com). Back to Top

Car Hire Switzerland

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout the Switzerland.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

Hire a car in Switzerland