Yes you can buy your vignette at the border - I believe the current rate is 40 SFr or 30 Euros. No other currencies are accepted.

Incidentally petrol is cheaper in Switzerland than in France or Italy!! Make sure you have plenty of small notes or change in Euros for the ITALIAN motorway tolls!! Service stations in Switzerland take Euros too - and they are usually of a high standard.

If you are crossing at Basel, why not send me a pm and we could perhaps meet up for a coffee and a chat en route.

Thanks.

Have booked the holiday now. Used my Tesco vouchers to the value of £970 so the accomodation and uinsurance has only cost me £50 !

Have decided to do the Dover-Dunkirk crossing so the driving route starts in France, goes through Belgium, Luxembourg, France (again) Switzerland anf finally Italy.!

We are plannng to do the first night somewhere around Mulhouse then the second night around Milan so we can take our time to see the views on the way down.

Now you've decided on the Milan area for a stop you've accidentally duplicated a query from earlier in the year!

This thread http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=119506 should be useful to you.

Hi Alsacienne,
I have replied to your pms but my message seems to be stuck in my outbox so I'm not sure if it actually left me and went to you. Can you confirm receipt?

PM´s will remain in your Outbox until the recipient reads them when they will move to your Sentbox.

luci

Hi Hi de Hi!

Thanks for getting in touch. I received your pm this morning and have sent you a long winded pm in return!

All good wishes!

OK, booked the ferry over the break. Dover-Dunkirk for £42 return. It was so cheap I have upgraded to 1st class and it is still a bargain compared to the other fares. I shall be sorting out the overnight accomodation soon and taking Alsacienne's advice. I shall pm Alsacienne when I get things sorted.

Presumably you intend to get the car serviced before you go. If you plan on doing the highly recommended Gotthard pass (or any other of the Swiss mountain routes) check what the manufacturer says about high altitudes, especially regarding the brake fluid. British garages may not properly understand the concept of high altitude - the Gotthard pass road rises to 6869ft which is 99ft more than the highest peaks in England and Wales added together! On a fine day the southbound drive is fantastic.

Thanks for the concern, it is a new car and should still be well ahead of it's service interval when we go. I'll check out about the brake fluids etc although I have taken cars from the same manufacturer (Renault) high into the Alps before without a problem. I'm hoping the weather is fine so we can get the top down during the trip.

If it's new there won't be a problem. When I win the Lottery I'm going to do this run in a convertible (but it will be a classic!).