Switzerland by campervan: driving, tolls and rules
Driving a campervan in Switzerland: speed limits, tolls, low-emission zones, required equipment and key road rules. What to know before you go.
Published 18 September 2026Last checked 18 September 2026
Currency
Swiss franc
CHF, not the euro. 0.9462 francs to €1 on 18 September 2026
Languages
German, French, Italian
Romansh is the fourth national language
Driving
Right
Motorway 120 km/h, expressway 100, other roads 80
Power
230V, type J
A Schuko plug usually will not fit. Bring an adapter
Motorway
CHF 40 vignette
One sticker, the whole network, up to 3.5 t
Emergency
112
Police 117, ambulance 144, air rescue 1414
Driving
Driving
One sticker covers every motorway in the country and it costs 40 francs. The amount is set in the National Roads Charge Act, it buys a calendar year, and it runs from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the next, so a single sticker is good for fourteen months. Buy it as a windscreen sticker or as an e-vignette registered against the plate. Driving without it is a 200 franc fine, and a trailer needs its own.
Speed limits, and what the weight changes
| Vehicle | Motorway | Expressway | Outside towns | In towns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 3,500 kg | 120 km/h | 100 km/h | 80 km/h | 50 km/h |
| Motorhome over 3,500 kg | 100 km/h | 100 km/h | 80 km/h | 50 km/h |
| Other vehicles over 3,500 kg | 80 km/h | 80 km/h | 80 km/h | 50 km/h |
| Towing a trailer up to 3,500 kg | 100 km/h | 100 km/h | 80 km/h | 50 km/h |
The vignette, in five lines
- CHF 40, set by law, for national roads I and II. There are no other road tolls in Switzerland.
- Valid 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following year. It is charged per calendar year and is not refunded.
Over 3.5 tonnes: a different tax entirely
- The vignette is not payable by vehicles that fall under the heavy vehicle charge, so a heavy motorhome does not buy one.
- The flat rate heavy vehicle charge covers heavy motorhomes and caravans by name, and unlike the vignette it applies to the entire road network.
Alpine passes: heights, limits and what TCS says about taking a van over
| Pass | Height | Route | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furka | 2,429 m | Obergoms (VS) to Realp (UR) | Trailers banned, 18 t limit. TCS advises against it in a motorhome. Car train through the tunnel all year |
| Gotthard | 2,108 m | Andermatt (UR) to Airolo (TI) | The old Tremola road is limited to 3.5 t. The motorway tunnel below is open all year and free |
| Great St Bernard | 2,469 m | Martigny (VS) to Aosta (I) | 28 t limit. A tolled tunnel takes the traffic when the pass is shut |
| Klausen | 1,948 m | Altdorf (UR) to Linthal (GL) | Maximum width 2.30 m. TCS advises against it with a caravan or motorhome |
| Albula | 2,312 m | Bergün to La Punt (GR) | Steep and in poor condition in places. TCS advises against it and names the Julier as the alternative |
Car trains, when the pass is shut or too much
- Furka: Realp to Oberwald, all year, just under 20 minutes against 45 over the pass. From CHF 33 for a single trip in September 2026.
- Lötschberg: Kandersteg to Goppenstein, linking the Bernese Oberland to the Valais. Cars, caravans, trailers and motorhomes up to 5 t. From CHF 26 booked online against CHF 28 otherwise, in September 2026.
Fuel, parking and clean air
- Diesel was 2.33 francs a litre and petrol 2.03 on 14 September 2026. Diesel is the dearer of the two here, the opposite of most of Europe, because the tax on it is higher.
- Switzerland has no permanent low emission zones. Nothing to register, no sticker to buy before you arrive.
TCS carries live status for the 77 most important passes, with the usual winter closure for each. For the Furka and the Gotthard it states the window in words: usually closed from late October to May or June, depending on snow. Every pass in the table above was open on 18 September 2026. Check the day you travel, not the week before.