Cost Of Tolls Through France

[anaxcrosswords]

I'm starting to plan a road trip this summer which will involve driving from Calais to Basel, taking the northern route via Strasbourg.
Is there any way I can find out how much the tolls through France will cost? BTW, onwards from Basel will be south through Switzerland to Locarno, but I don't know if Swiss roads have tolls - advice appreciated!

[Buenchico]

>>>Is there any way I can find out how much the tolls through France will cost?

Dead easy. Simply use the ViaMichelin Route Planner (which is the only online route planner that you should consider using for European travel anyway). It automatically displays the costs of the tolls for any chosen route (and allows you to select 'Avoid tolls' if you'd prefer to). It also has further options that you might like to use (such as 'Avoid vignettes'). You also switch from the 'recommended' route to 'quickest', shortest', 'economical' or, for exploring the area 'discovery'):
http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/

[bhg481]

I travel that route several times a year but manage to do it toll-free, apart from Switzerland.
I head for Luxembourg city via the free Belgian and Luxembourg motorways, then south past Nancy, then the N66 through Col de Bussang, past Cernay to Mulhouse, where you can pick up the free French motorway to Basel. Apart from a short stretch through the col the route is all free motorway of dual carriageway.
Swiss motorways require a one-off vignette, costs 40CHF and lasts a calendar year. If you happen to be towing you also need a vignette for the trailer/caravan.
The Swiss motorway vignette means there are no tolls for the tunnels on the Swiss motorways, which you will pass through on the way to Locarno.

[anaxcrosswords]

Thanks Buenchico - good link! Thankfully the tolls are nowhere near as expensive as I feared, although I'll have to look further into the Swiss road tax thing as I'm not sure how it works.

[anaxcrosswords]

We crossed, bhg. Is the Swiss vignette something you pay for in advance (ie I could do it online) or do you call in somewhere when you reach the border?

[bhg481]

Swiss vignette is simple - most customs posts and garages near to the border sell them. You buy the sticker and stick it on your windscreen; if it's not STUCK to the windscreen it's not valid. Swiss police check cars all the time so DO NOT try to get onto a Swiss motorway without having one - they will not accept any excuse (I'll buy one at the next services etc).

[bhg481]

We've just crossed again - You can buy them online in advance, but we always buy them at the border, sometimes they accept credit cards and sometimes they require cash (any currency will do, we once paid using a combination of Swiss Francs, Euros and English pounds).

[anaxcrosswords]

At first I was slightly concerned about paying for a year's travel in Switzerland despite only passing through, but the end of this trip is a week in an apartment overlooking Lago Maggiore - close enough to the border for us to take day or two in Switzerland anyway (my daughter wants to visit the fantastic model village in, er, er, I forget) so it's worth the outlay.
Have to say that, despite this being extremely early stages, I'm getting rather excited about this holiday. In the past we've always flown in/out, but the road trip idea is going to make the journeys there and back as memorable as the stay.

[bhg481]

Paying for the Swiss Vignette in one lump makes it feel expensive but we've discovered over the years that the pay-per-mile motorways in France, Italy, Spain etc cost far more at the end of the day. Incidentally, by Calendar year I mean eg 2014, NOT Jul 2014 to Jun 2015, although I think there is flexibility around the year-end.

[anaxcrosswords]

But even in France, not as bad as I feared. Sounds naïve I suppose, but it’s so many years since I drove abroad (like I say, always flown) I honestly thought I might be paying about £200 there and back to get through France. The reality is nearer £70; there and back fuel is going to be about £300 – then add whatever I use once we’re there. I checked flights Manchester-Malpensa yesterday and even now it would be £400 return for both of us, and that’ll only go up between now and the time when I know I can get things booked – that’ll be another months probably.
Of course, the main journeys will involve overnight stays (camping, hopefully, so not expensive) and meals out, but if we flew to Malpensa I’d have to hire a car for one week anyway. My mum will be at the apartment with her car but she’s only staying for one week, so I’d need to get a hire car for the rest.
Yes, of course, there will be a difference between using flights and going for the road trip, but it won’t be massive.
The only significant variable for now is how I approach Italy’s lakes. Ultimately we could avoid Switzerland altogether and head more directly south through France and travel along the Sud. I’m imagining that camping down in that neck of the woods would be more ‘summery’ than, say, Strasbourg!
All unnecessary information, I know, but gorblimey I’m getting excited.