Tips for visiting Switzerland in your campervan

October 24, 2018

Switzerland is among our closest neighbours and many motorhome owners visit this beautiful country every year. One of our clients visited this summer in her newly acquired motorhome and really enjoyed her trip. She has very kindly written up some tips for others who might want to visit. Here are Debra’s top tips and some of her stunning photos to whet your appetite for a Swiss adventure.

Preparing to use a camper in the Swiss summer (July):

• In advance I purchased my highway vignette and a Swiss half fare card. Both can be purchased on-line, and then shipped to the depot. Easy!
• The Swiss half fare card is highly recommended if you are planning to see the big sites. The trains, gondolas, and chair lifts are numerous and expensive. There is excellent, on-time service to all of the Swiss highlights. The half fare card can pay for itself rather quickly.
• Swiss Terrior is the French Passion counterpart, and it works much the same way. You will find a predominance of vineyards and restaurants, and fewer farms. It should be kept in mind that the vast majority of the sites are in the west Jura Mountain region, north of Lake Geneva, and in the southwest Valais. There are little to no options in the major tourist areas, around those big magnificent peaks that are on everyone’s list. (Deservedly So!). In these areas you will rely solely on CampGrounds. These are numerous and well maintained. In some areas you may want to plan ahead and make on-line reservations. I especially recommend Camping Jungfrau in Lauterbrunnen, where you could easily spend 4-7 days.
• Campercontact.com I also found very useful for planning purposes and in using their phone APP while traveling throughout Switzerland.
• Driving is straightforward and not unlike the mountainous regions of the French Alps
• Your costs will be significantly higher for almost everything. Your budget should adjust to approx. 30% more than France.
• You can easily obtain the local Swiss currency after crossing the border at any ATM.
• Plan to swim in those big beautiful cobalt lakes. In July it was hot, and the water was warm!

Debra takes regular European trips in her beautiful Knaus 590 MF motorhome and we hope she will share tips and photos from future adventures. In the meantime, we just happen to have a brand new Knaus 590 MF in stock at our depot so do get in touch if this gorgeous, compact motorhome might be of interest – here are the details.