+1. I know of one camera around Lausanne that has a marking on the road. It's the only one I've ever seen. None of the others have road markings. By the time you spot the camera, it can be too late. But the Geneva-Lausanne motorway is something of an exception with all its cameras. On most Swiss motorways they are few and far between. Beware tunnels (a favourite spot on entry or exit and sometimes inside) and ring roads. Some of the boxes (the older ones are large, grey and ground-mounted) contain nothing at all, but we locals tend to know which they are. The other good news is that quite a few flash you from the front only. No numberplate on a bike, no problems. I got flashed by one of those at about 170 kmh once not far from Zurich (not my locality) in the dark when I was keen to get home after riding from Munich. I sweated that for a couple of weeks but never heard anything - was fairly sure it was front only. The bad news is that they are doing an average speed camera project on the motorway between Lausanne and Sion (a continuation of the Geneva Lausanne one). It's on a very long straight at the beginning of the Rhone valley. Not supposed to be functional yet, but don't expect me to know the date it is. I concur that the Austrians are far worse than the Swiss. I probably haven't ever ridden much more than 200 kms in Austria but picked up a fine last year. Never saw that one coming. They sent it to my home here in Switzerland. If around the bottom of the Susten/Grimsel, beware the very long straight cantonal road between Meieringen and Interlaken. There is a barn in the middle of it where they like to hide a mobile radar trap. The place is lousy with bikes doing the passes in the summer and the temptation to wind it on here is great. Generally speaking though, I would like to stress that there are far fewer cameras in Switzerland than the UK per square mile. Switzerland is pretty bike friendly - lots of tourism. But bikers do continually get over-enthusiastic on the passes and I guess the local fuzz get bored of clearing up the mess. You can't blame them. As I say, for the vignette, I'm not sure I'd bother unless i was specifically asked about buying one at the border. Actually maybe it's expensive for 3 days, but for a year it's perfectly reasonable - far more so than continually coughing up in France. And Swiss motorways are feats of engineering - they are worth the cash.
I'd have to agree with that, there aren't many places in the world where you find yourself slowing down on a motorway to enjoy the scenery, but Switzerland has plenty like that. And anyway, if you're on holiday you don't want to be restricting your riding. 40-odd euros ain't exactly a deal-breaker, you can spend double that in a day blasting through France.
In February you absolutely need one as that is the date they roll over every year, but your probably not touring on your bike in Switzerland at this time. As was said above, you are only going to be asked to buy one if you come in to the country on the motorway. But- if you get caught without one on the motorway without one, it is fairly expensive. 45 francs-Is pretty good value and gives you piece of mind. If you want to check out the roads you can use without ever hitting a motorway- have a look at Routes
Think I'll risk it and not bother. On the subject of enthusiastic riding (ahem), I use a Garmin. Is it worth loading the Swiss speed camera POIs? It seems they're mainly based around the towns and tunnels so not too much risk on the passes?
Well if I had that info I'd definitely load it in. Can't see what harm it will do. I can't think of any permanent radars on the passes, so all you have to avoid are the impromptu speed traps (not that there are that many of those - this isn't a police state). Generally in the summer, there are so many other bikers on the passes that you are normally warned of any of these by on coming bikers miles before you get to them, so they aren't really an issue. Just don't speed in villages.
They are, it's just that the system for giving you tickets and the necessary corroboration on the Continent is different than that here. Radar or Piezo cable triggered cameras, same as here, forward or rear facing, same as here, just very rare to have paint on the road. They're a Dutch invention by the way, originally designed to help Mr G to drive round bends faster in his rally car. Later they came up with the idea of flogging them to slow folks down!
Speed Camera detection in Switzerland The use of ANY device that indicates the position of speed or red-light cameras in Switzerland is illegal and can be punished with a large fine and confiscation of the vehicle. And yes, it's happened.
Well yes. But on previous experience if you don't have, or is not clearly visible, a current vignette then you will get stopped by the several, friendly but ruthless, customs men at the border who are there for that sole purpose. And if you have a visible device showing then expect to have it examined at that time. People often complain that UK speed cameras are a 'cash-cow'. In Switzerland vignettes, speed cameras and parking fines are part of the national economy. But, unlike the UK, the money raised IS allocated for spending on the road infrastructure. In a move likely to infuriate many drivers, the price of the Swiss vignette looks certain to soar from 40 francs ($43) to 100 ($107) francs after the upper house gave the green light on Thursday. Defending the plan, the Swiss government claims the price is still low compared to the cost of tolls or road tax in other countries. The proposed hike is expected to come into effect in 2014 or 2015, or whenever reserves for the upkeep of Swiss motorways - financed both by fuel taxes and the vignette - drop below one billion francs.
As I mentioned, I haven't bothered to buy a vignette for the bike this year, seeing as I have one for the car. In legal terms, it's not an excuse, but in moral terms, I think it is. So I will be even less likely to buy a CHF 100 vignette for the bike. But in year 1 after they have just introduced the new price, you can bet that checks will be severe as there will be plenty of people who don't feel like paying it. So I'll have to get one that year. Sob.
We did exactly this coming from the other direction. We paid to go through a 17k tunnel and about 5k the other side got fined for not having said ticket. At the swiss border at least the border people tell you to buy the pass not like the tunnel personnel who take your money but dont tell you about said ticket.
