Driving in Switzerland: licences, car rental and road rules

Use this table to decide before you book anything. If your trip is city-to-city by rail, a car adds cost and parking pain. If it is a loop through Valais side valleys, Graubünden or the Jura with luggage and children, a car can pay for itself.

Step 1 — Check your licence. A US, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand or Irish licence is normally accepted for a short visit. Carry it with your passport. An International Driving Permit is not always required but is cheap insurance if your licence has no photo or is not in Latin script; some rental desks ask for it.

Step 2 — Book the car. Pick up at Zurich or Geneva airports for the widest choice, or at a city station branch to avoid airport surcharges. Automatic cars are limited and cost more; book early in summer and at Christmas. Cross-border use into France, Germany, Italy or Austria must be declared and may carry a fee.

Step 3 — Buy the vignette. The annual motorway sticker costs CHF 40 and is sold at border crossings, petrol stations, post offices and online. Driving on a motorway without one means a fine. It sticks to the windscreen; a damaged or removed sticker is void.

Step 4 — Know the rules. Drive on the right. Speed limits are 50 km/h in towns, 80 km/h on ordinary roads, 120 km/h on motorways, and lower where signed. The alcohol limit is 0.05%, and 0.01% for drivers under 21 or with less than three years' experience. Headlights or daytime running lights are required in tunnels and in poor visibility. Seat belts are compulsory, children need approved seats, and phones must be hands-free.

Step 5 — Park and pay. Blue-zone street parking usually needs a blue parking disc, available at petrol stations and tourist offices; set it to your arrival time. Multi-storey car parks charge roughly CHF 2–4 an hour, CHF 20–40 a day in cities (2026 estimate). Never park on a yellow-marked area or a bus lane.

Step 6 — Winter and mountains. From roughly November to April, mountain roads can require winter tyres or chains; several passes, including some in Valais and Graubünden, close for the season. Carry chains if you drive above 1,000 m in winter. Tunnels and long descents need low gears, not constant braking.

These are 2026 estimates for a compact car in high season. Rail passes often beat the total for a two-week trip, so compare before booking.

Zermatt, Mürren, Wengen and Gimmelwald ban private cars. You park at Täsch, Lauterbrunnen or the valley station and continue by shuttle train or cable car; factor in the parking fee and the transfer time.

Mountain passes close in winter and sometimes in spring after heavy snow. A tunnel may be the only year-round link, and it can add tolls or a train shuttle, such as the Lötschberg car train.

Fines are real and enforced: speeding, running a red light and using a phone without hands-free all carry penalties, and camera coverage is dense. Tolls are otherwise rare because the vignette covers the motorways.

Sunday and holiday driving is easy, but petrol stations and village shops may be shut. Fill up the day before.