Avoiding France

10/20/2010 - 18:40

Good evening all, I have a couple of questions that i am having trouble finding the answers to that i wondered if someone may be able answer. We have to drive down to Piemonte at the end of next week to take a trailer load of fixtures and fitting to our little Ciabot near Murazzano this includes a staircase and kitchen that i have made but mainly lights and white goods that i have bought very cheaply over the last year, my dilemma is that in light of the french strikes i shall avoid France and was thinking of driving through Belgium and Switzerland but i was told that i may have to pay tax on the white goods in Switzerland,obviously this is a little scary! Is this true? Secondly is there a problem driving through Switzerland with a dog, our border collie has had her rabies jab and her passport is all up to date but other than rabies there is no other stamp in her passport and i cant seem to find out much about it regards and thanks,Jasper.

Comment

Remember, Switz is not EU.

I'd take my chances with France/Italy Schengen non difficult stuff: so you encounter a strike? Live with it - probaby less of a delay than the Swiss can create. Just my opinion. Good luck.

Now (in my opinion) Switzerland is NOT an option. Unless (though my info is not abosoutely current) you have full export credentials for your trailer .. not only are you going to have to face the double vignette scenario, you are going to face big delays at the border. Remember, Switz is not EU. I'd take my chances with France/Italy Schengen non difficult stuff: so you encounter a strike? Live with it - probaby less of a delay than the Swiss can create. Just my opinion. Good luck.

The problem is that there is no fuel available in france at the moment ,so maybe a little detour via Austria!

Why not fill up at Dover, drive via belgium to luxemburg [cheap plentiful petrol]. Then drive down through France .........Metz - Besancon - Dijon - Annecy ......about 450miles max and into Italy - Near Besancon you are close to the Swiss border - drop the trailer [with someone guarding it] and drive into Switzerland and fill up. This assumes you have a trailer, and not a 'box van' Good luck

Why not take some Jerry Cans of Fuel in the trailer....problem solved..

"Why not take some Jerry Cans of Fuel in the trailer....problem solved.." Brilliant idea! - Obvious once someone says it. However, I don't think you can take filled cans on ferries or through the Channel Tunnel - so fill them in Belgium or Luxembourg

I think what i am asking is am i allowed through switzerland with my fridge,cooker shower etc even if i have to queue or will i have to pay a tax.......thanks for the ideas but having checked i can only do 350 miles on a tank of diesel and this doesn't include towing i have a few jerry cans but it doesnt seem to be a realistic option other than selling the fuel in france!! As i would need over 10 cans to get to Italy.

"i can only do 350 miles on a tank of diesel and this doesn't include towing i have a few Jerry cans but it doesn't seem to be a realistic option ..........As i would need over 10 cans to get to Italy." But if you take the Luxembourg - Besancon - Aosta route I detailed above, and filled the tank at the service station just before you leave Luxembourg - you'd only need to get about an extra 100 - 200 miles worth of Diesel [5 to 10 gallons max - 2x5 gallon Jerry cans] even allowing for towing Or am I missing something?

No Alan you are being helpful and thanks.....we were to be staying with a friend in france on the way down so the trailer would be safe overnight and now things have changed a bit! So with a trailer we now have to really drive non stop in shifts which is a little tiring but not impossible , i worry about the prospect of not being informed hence the post, i have checked the info on the swiss portal and it seems to be ok to take personal stuff thru CH but we may have to pay a deposit which gets refunded at the other end (bit of a pain). I shall put all the variables into via michelin and make a desision then and it will probably involve jerry cans! However much i worry there is no doubt that an adventure is on the way with a bottle of red at the other end.....chin.

Does this help? http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_privat/zu_beachten/02179/index.html?lang=en I think you used to have to list all items and give an indication of value so may be worth preparing one in advance? Or contact the Swiss embassy in London, they may be able to offer advice as I doubt this is a first. Yesterday, daughter and husband drove 'Alan H's route', from a different post, for the first time, ie Dover/Dunkirk ferry (bargain at 25gbp!) and the route down to Mulhouse heading to Basle, Lucerne, Gottard..................- they topped up when not in France and encountered no problems. Thought it an excellent route and so much better as not paying extortionate French motorway tolls! So a big thank you Alan H!

This site http://www.carbu.fr/ which is normally a way to find cheap petrol, is offering a way to find out about petrol station closures in France by Departement - click Accédez à la carte des stations fermées ou en rupture de carburants From a brief look, only a fairly small proportion are closed, and I didn't see any closed on autoroutes. Remember that in the UK there is always massive media hype about the extent of disruptions in France due to strikes and protests. Why not just go through France and fill up when you're half empty rather than empty?

Wow! That was SUCH a useful site! thanks for that! I have bookmarked it and it will keep my OH happy for hours looking at all the different permutations of routs and petrol stations! Thank you.

Fuel aside Jasper........ Hi 'paesano' we have a farmhouse not far from Murazzano, in fact we get our cheese and salami there!! Good luck with your restoration.

Thanks for that link Tassi ,since i checked on saturday another 1000 have closed! Hi Rosi are you in Monesilio ,my geometra lives there and i travel through a lot as my sister has a house in Levice. We love Murazzano it seems to be becoming more important as each time we return more buildings seem to be renovated and the food gets better in Ca d' bruc and LeLe.!

Avoid Switzerland at all costs..

They now have variable speed limits sometimes change 4 times in less than half a mile. All seem designed to catch the unaware.

Have experience one fine. Cost me 1500euro on the spot and then a follow up sent to me in the UK advising me it was just a deposit and asking for a further 500 euro, within 10 days or it transferred to a prison sentence.

If you don't have to don't, expensive but it is pretty.