Switzerland highways: requires you to buy a vignette, or sticker for your windshield. It costs 40 Swiss Francs. (In USD right now, it's almost the same, and they last one calendar year). Last time we drove through Switzerland we avoided the highway and therefore the charge, but this time we couldn't avoid it (nor did we have extra time to spend on side roads).
Speeding is a no-no, as is driving on the highway without a vignette. The Swiss may be neutral about many things, but it sure isn't driving laws.
Good thing we still had Swiss Francs - we stopped at the border, handed over our cash, and had a pro affix the vignette:
This is an example of an amateur placement. Note the center, slight angle of it all.
Hipster.
You also have to sit in traffic to go through long tunnels (like this one that we were in for about 20-30 minutes and had a top temp of 90 degrees F). This particular tunnel had a stoplight ON THE HIGHWAY to make sure not too many cars were inside at once:
But.... you get to check out the Alps while you sit there.
You can also find delicious Alpine milk and Swiss chocolates at rest stops. Mmm...About halfway through the country, the languages shift from German to Italian on road signs, depending which country you're closest to, so if you're driving around, make sure you know key words like exit, caution, etc. in both of those languages.
In Italy, the Autostrada (highway) is a toll road. You can get an EZ-pass like device to cut the line, or pay cash and sit in line like a sucker. Here's what the ticket looks like when you first get on:
Secret option 3 for paying? Credit card with a chip like we have! Works like a charm. Plus when you pay, the machine says,
Arrivederci! Neat.
The card did not work however at these self-service gas station thingys. A necessity when everything was closed. Cash worked, though.
You can get yummy sandwiches at rest stops. Not pictured: a Marc Jacobs designed diet coke. Because we are fancy and in Italy.
Anyway, the roads in Italy are nice when you're up high enough to see mountains and clouds gently hugging the sides.
We know that yellow Honda.
There are a bunch of tunnels to break up the pretty views along the Mediterranean. Not the worst thing, but when it's sunny and you have sunglasses on, you don't know how long the tunnel is going to be so you have to constantly keep taking them on and off. Only to exit the tunnel and drive directly into the next. First world problems.
Our parking spot in Germany prepared us for this parking spot in Cinque Terre.
We also know the guy in the red Mustang and blue Sky Saturn.
But Italy is still full of sketchy people, so when you park here all shiny and bright, you may have to hang out to make sure the strange onlookers don't key your car while the ladies go get pizza.
We are in Italy, after all.
If you park here though, you get to see this giant tree that looks like a pineapple plant:
The drive was way too long for us for such a short trip, so maybe next time we won't try to fit in as much to do to make the drive more pleasant. And go when it's a tad warmer.
