Switzerland
Plan
Switzerland has a reputation for being expensive, not always. I note diesel is about the same as in UK and France.There appears to be a good choice of non-campsite stopovers and facilities for getting fresh water and the disposal of waste. I have earmarked many of these as well as some camp-sites
Switzerland has a reputation for being expensive, not always. I note diesel is about the same as in UK and France.There appears to be a good choice of non-campsite stopovers and facilities for getting fresh water and the disposal of waste. I have earmarked many of these as well as some camp-sites
Switzerland - actual
Saturday 29th June 25 miles to Les Ponts de Martel:
Very nice drive, simple purchase of Swiss Vignette@40CHF = £33.
Good parking and services at sports complex. Coolish @1300ft
Lots of activity and a big dinner (250 plus) tonight inside complex, this marking 50 years since the opening
Sunday June 30th at Les Ponts de Martel:
Most cars gone so we move to the proper aire and some shade
Lots of volunteers clearing up after the night before a very pleasant UK man invited us to the snack lunch from all the leftovers. He also suggested a short trip to a local viewpoint (will do tomorrow).
Free leccy so fridge on leccy
Same UK man invited us again for food at tonights party. All very friendly and pleasant.
Saturday 29th June 25 miles to Les Ponts de Martel:
Very nice drive, simple purchase of Swiss Vignette@40CHF = £33.
Good parking and services at sports complex. Coolish @1300ft
Lots of activity and a big dinner (250 plus) tonight inside complex, this marking 50 years since the opening
Sunday June 30th at Les Ponts de Martel:
Most cars gone so we move to the proper aire and some shade
Lots of volunteers clearing up after the night before a very pleasant UK man invited us to the snack lunch from all the leftovers. He also suggested a short trip to a local viewpoint (will do tomorrow).
Free leccy so fridge on leccy
Same UK man invited us again for food at tonights party. All very friendly and pleasant.
Monday July 1st 10miles to Lac des Tailleres:
After some shopping to the above: Huge car-park with water,toilets and electricity all free.
This area is known as little Siberia as temperatures of -40 are often recorded !
Very quiet and pleasant.....nice outlook. Minor repair to leak on waste water system.
Tuesday July 2nd at Lac des Tailleres:
Tidying up of motorhome paintwork.
English vehicle and fellow Wildcamper
After some shopping to the above: Huge car-park with water,toilets and electricity all free.
This area is known as little Siberia as temperatures of -40 are often recorded !
Very quiet and pleasant.....nice outlook. Minor repair to leak on waste water system.
Tuesday July 2nd at Lac des Tailleres:
Tidying up of motorhome paintwork.
English vehicle and fellow Wildcamper
Wednesday July 3rd 45 miles to Hagneck:
Very nice drive over the hill to Couvet and on to Neuchatel. City a bit of a pain.
Then on to Le Landeron...nogo finally to Hagneck.
This a truly wild spot: a simple car-park up a short tarred dead-end road.
A few cyclists and walkers.
Very nice drive over the hill to Couvet and on to Neuchatel. City a bit of a pain.
Then on to Le Landeron...nogo finally to Hagneck.
This a truly wild spot: a simple car-park up a short tarred dead-end road.
A few cyclists and walkers.
July 4th Thursday 45 miles to Thun:
Easy motorway drive with service point en-route
Nice car-park in Thun near the Thunnersee 4 francs
Easy motorway drive with service point en-route
Nice car-park in Thun near the Thunnersee 4 francs
Friday July 5th 25 miles to Wilderswil (Interlaken):
2 failed attempts at LPG but then Ok at Interlaken-Ost.
No toilet facilities anywhere so booked into "Oberei Camp-site" 4*, very nice, 38 francs.
Superb views of the Jungfrau and Moench.
Flat tyre !...Friday afternoon we started to drive up the Lauterbrunnen valley to Stechelberg. This was just past the Grindelwald turning near Isenfluh. Phone call to Comfort/Aviva/AA and a TCS (Swiss breakdown) man duly arrived after about 1 hour and changed the wheel. Our spare is the original and so 13 years old !
We went to Oberei camp-site and the owner directed us to a small garage 100metres away. He was still open !
He retrieved the damaged tyre from its housing under the vehicle and he will resolve next week.
We will need 2 tyres. No 1 to replace the very old "spare" and no 2 to replaced the damaged tyre.
The 2 new tyres are best on the rear and the existing good tyre will become the new spare !
All 4 tyres in use were new in March 2015 and so we hove done a few miles on them.
So we at Oberei camp for 6 nights (Friday to Wednesday) as he cannot complete the repair until Wednesday pm.
The camp is very good (4*) and has excellent views and we have free local transport. So not a bad place to be stuck !
The motorhome is drive-able but one tyre is too old and we have no spare ! So we will await the repair.
A bit costly @ £31 a night but I believe we will get some reimbursement from our breakdown insurance . Hey-ho !
Saturday/Sunday quiet day and thunderstorms.
Double click on photos to enlarge
2 failed attempts at LPG but then Ok at Interlaken-Ost.
No toilet facilities anywhere so booked into "Oberei Camp-site" 4*, very nice, 38 francs.
Superb views of the Jungfrau and Moench.
Flat tyre !...Friday afternoon we started to drive up the Lauterbrunnen valley to Stechelberg. This was just past the Grindelwald turning near Isenfluh. Phone call to Comfort/Aviva/AA and a TCS (Swiss breakdown) man duly arrived after about 1 hour and changed the wheel. Our spare is the original and so 13 years old !
We went to Oberei camp-site and the owner directed us to a small garage 100metres away. He was still open !
He retrieved the damaged tyre from its housing under the vehicle and he will resolve next week.
We will need 2 tyres. No 1 to replace the very old "spare" and no 2 to replaced the damaged tyre.
The 2 new tyres are best on the rear and the existing good tyre will become the new spare !
All 4 tyres in use were new in March 2015 and so we hove done a few miles on them.
So we at Oberei camp for 6 nights (Friday to Wednesday) as he cannot complete the repair until Wednesday pm.
The camp is very good (4*) and has excellent views and we have free local transport. So not a bad place to be stuck !
The motorhome is drive-able but one tyre is too old and we have no spare ! So we will await the repair.
A bit costly @ £31 a night but I believe we will get some reimbursement from our breakdown insurance . Hey-ho !
Saturday/Sunday quiet day and thunderstorms.
Double click on photos to enlarge
Monday 8th excursion to Schynige Platte:
Short walk to Wilderswil Bahnhof and then a slow steep and twisty climb on one of the earlier cog railways taking 55 mins.
Nice Alpine garden at the top a bit cloudy so not good images as before.Picnic lunch at the top station.
Only 40 mins downhill. back tom our camp and heavy rain.
This morning we moved the MoHo 1 pitch and are using my homemade wooden anti-slip "mats" (with grips on the underside) on the front and also the "yellow blocks" on the rear to assist with not getting stuck. We have also turned round so we can be towed out forwards if necessary using the towing eye. I believe we will not get stuck as the initial movement will be helped by gravity thanks to using the blocks and some grip on the wood...We shall see !
Short walk to Wilderswil Bahnhof and then a slow steep and twisty climb on one of the earlier cog railways taking 55 mins.
Nice Alpine garden at the top a bit cloudy so not good images as before.Picnic lunch at the top station.
Only 40 mins downhill. back tom our camp and heavy rain.
This morning we moved the MoHo 1 pitch and are using my homemade wooden anti-slip "mats" (with grips on the underside) on the front and also the "yellow blocks" on the rear to assist with not getting stuck. We have also turned round so we can be towed out forwards if necessary using the towing eye. I believe we will not get stuck as the initial movement will be helped by gravity thanks to using the blocks and some grip on the wood...We shall see !
Wednesday 10th July to Boltigen 25 miles:
After our enforced 5 nights at Wilderswil...the camp was very nice and the owner helpful but 5*£31 is not in our game-plan !
The garage nearby resolved the puncture and more
10:30 Check with garage (550CHF) ...Cash needed so walk to bank. Cash also needed for Camp-site (190 CHF)
Bank EKI by station so total of 800CHF say £650 (£640 + fees)
Very "posh" garage with all the kit. Owner did as requested total cost £440
A The 2 new tyres fitted to front.
B Previous front tyres to rear (2015).
C Good rear tyre to spare (2015)
The old spare was 13 years old Job done in about 1 hour. Shopping in Lidl in Interlaken and then to Boltigen.
Station car-park, lots of room and toilet/water. As Mr Punch would say "that's the way to do it !"
Nice drive up the valley from Spiez
After our enforced 5 nights at Wilderswil...the camp was very nice and the owner helpful but 5*£31 is not in our game-plan !
The garage nearby resolved the puncture and more
10:30 Check with garage (550CHF) ...Cash needed so walk to bank. Cash also needed for Camp-site (190 CHF)
Bank EKI by station so total of 800CHF say £650 (£640 + fees)
Very "posh" garage with all the kit. Owner did as requested total cost £440
A The 2 new tyres fitted to front.
B Previous front tyres to rear (2015).
C Good rear tyre to spare (2015)
The old spare was 13 years old Job done in about 1 hour. Shopping in Lidl in Interlaken and then to Boltigen.
Station car-park, lots of room and toilet/water. As Mr Punch would say "that's the way to do it !"
Nice drive up the valley from Spiez
Friday July 12th 25 miles to L'Etivaz:
Very nice drive with a lovely gorge just before L'Etivaz
Diesel and food shopping in Zweisimmem
Parked up near here
No ! moved to here
Very nice drive with a lovely gorge just before L'Etivaz
Diesel and food shopping in Zweisimmem
Parked up near here
No ! moved to here
Saturday 13th July:
Friday evening we moved about 3 miles up towards Col des Mosses to a lovely area away from the road near the ski-lift L'Arsat. Cows a oicnic area, lovely views a stream. We will stay here again tonight !
Friday evening we moved about 3 miles up towards Col des Mosses to a lovely area away from the road near the ski-lift L'Arsat. Cows a oicnic area, lovely views a stream. We will stay here again tonight !
Sunday 14th July 95 miles to Morel:
A fussy and long day to
The early drive to Leysin then Aigle was great firstly descending from Col des Mosses then up to Leysin and down, down, down to the Rhone valley at Aigle Route
And England win the ICC Worldcup
Monday 15th July 25miles to Nufengen:
Overnight rain but after shopping an excellent drive to Nufenen campsite. One very hairy hairpin ! Campsite needed to dispose of of Poo ! a very nice campsite and OK @ 36CHF so not overly expensive and after 5 cheap/free nights
Camping by the river at 4,400 ft so the top of Ben Nevis ?
A fussy and long day to
- Leysin EHU but no connections
- Visp warning of 2,000CHF fine ..No thanks
- Brig TomTom useless
- The station in Morel 9CHF quiet and serviceable.
The early drive to Leysin then Aigle was great firstly descending from Col des Mosses then up to Leysin and down, down, down to the Rhone valley at Aigle Route
And England win the ICC Worldcup
Monday 15th July 25miles to Nufengen:
Overnight rain but after shopping an excellent drive to Nufenen campsite. One very hairy hairpin ! Campsite needed to dispose of of Poo ! a very nice campsite and OK @ 36CHF so not overly expensive and after 5 cheap/free nights
Camping by the river at 4,400 ft so the top of Ben Nevis ?
Tuesday 16th July 20 miles to Guttannen:
Absolutely brilliant. Lovely drive firstly the Furka then the Grimsel ....Loads of Hairpins but really good road. Even Nida was not too worried ! Lovely sunny weather..Loads of Photos
Absolutely brilliant. Lovely drive firstly the Furka then the Grimsel ....Loads of Hairpins but really good road. Even Nida was not too worried ! Lovely sunny weather..Loads of Photos
Wednesday July 17th to Hergiswil (Lucerne) 45 miles:
Very nice drive down the valley to Innertkirchen and Meiringen and then up and over the Brunig pass to Giswil for services.
Shopping in Sarnen and on to Hergiswil overlooking Lake Lucerne access a bit narrow and steep but easy enuff.
Stellplatz a bit cramped 5 narrow slots. A dutch couple took up 2 , a car arrived to overnight and then a land-rover with a roof tent. we had to squeeze across to allow them room....Such is camping!
Very nice drive down the valley to Innertkirchen and Meiringen and then up and over the Brunig pass to Giswil for services.
Shopping in Sarnen and on to Hergiswil overlooking Lake Lucerne access a bit narrow and steep but easy enuff.
Stellplatz a bit cramped 5 narrow slots. A dutch couple took up 2 , a car arrived to overnight and then a land-rover with a roof tent. we had to squeeze across to allow them room....Such is camping!
Thursday July 18th 110 miles to Bellinzona via the St Gotthard pass:
Earlyish start as too many in our overnight spot. Minor error with navigation as in trying to stay off the M-way we (I) went the wrong way so 5 miles up and back down a hill. Sometimes in Switzerland the M-way or toll-road is the ONLY option.
Anyway got to near the entrance to the tunnel and TomTom did its job in sending us up to Andermatt. This was a steepish and twisty climb but all very safe decent wide road etc. After Andermatt a more leisurely climb to the top and lunch at the top. Too cold to overnight so descend to Airolo...very impressive road building and again very safe and easy.
There was a motorhome service point so we used that and on to Bellinzona and a car-park (£10).
Images below of various days ! and passes.
Earlyish start as too many in our overnight spot. Minor error with navigation as in trying to stay off the M-way we (I) went the wrong way so 5 miles up and back down a hill. Sometimes in Switzerland the M-way or toll-road is the ONLY option.
Anyway got to near the entrance to the tunnel and TomTom did its job in sending us up to Andermatt. This was a steepish and twisty climb but all very safe decent wide road etc. After Andermatt a more leisurely climb to the top and lunch at the top. Too cold to overnight so descend to Airolo...very impressive road building and again very safe and easy.
There was a motorhome service point so we used that and on to Bellinzona and a car-park (£10).
Images below of various days ! and passes.
Friday 19th July to Splugen 50 miles via the San Bernadino pass:
Route
This a much more demanding drive as you go from the valley floor to the summit, and down again, in a relatively short distance.
As you may see from the route, very very twisty. The road is perfectly good but only just 2 lanes and over 50% of the hairpins need real care. Indeed the way down (going north) there were 2 series of severe hairpins where in a 6metre vehicle you have to use all the road and so take care there is no oncoming traffic. On a few occasions we had to wait for a coach/bus/lorry to complete the bend before proceeding. We got to Splugen and the overnight a bit bland so a failed excursion to look for others before returning to Splugen. So our actual travel was 65 miles.
Route
This a much more demanding drive as you go from the valley floor to the summit, and down again, in a relatively short distance.
As you may see from the route, very very twisty. The road is perfectly good but only just 2 lanes and over 50% of the hairpins need real care. Indeed the way down (going north) there were 2 series of severe hairpins where in a 6metre vehicle you have to use all the road and so take care there is no oncoming traffic. On a few occasions we had to wait for a coach/bus/lorry to complete the bend before proceeding. We got to Splugen and the overnight a bit bland so a failed excursion to look for others before returning to Splugen. So our actual travel was 65 miles.
Saturday 20th to Bad Ragaz 45miles:
Useful day...Lidl in Thusis, Moho Services at a dealer in Zizers and lovely forest camp area next to the Hinterhein just south of Bad Ragaz.
Our wanderings have caused me to look (again) at rivers, passes etc. so I have a new page dedicated to this.
This will be focused on areas, rivers and passes that we have used or followed.
Late afternoon thunderstorm but it cleared the air a bit.
Very nice wils area very near the Rhine just down stream from the confluence of the "Vorder and Hinter Rheins...so the "Rhein Proper"
Useful day...Lidl in Thusis, Moho Services at a dealer in Zizers and lovely forest camp area next to the Hinterhein just south of Bad Ragaz.
Our wanderings have caused me to look (again) at rivers, passes etc. so I have a new page dedicated to this.
This will be focused on areas, rivers and passes that we have used or followed.
Late afternoon thunderstorm but it cleared the air a bit.
Very nice wils area very near the Rhine just down stream from the confluence of the "Vorder and Hinter Rheins...so the "Rhein Proper"
Sunday 21st to Glarus only 30 miles:
A nice short drive following the Rhine north and near the border with Liechtenstein then turning west
The site a nice aire with 5 wide pitches and all service plus EHU so 2 or maybe 3 nights here. The immediate outlook is a bit drab but lovely views of the surroundings.
Monday 22nd at Glarus:
Resting & washing..very Hot
Tuesday 23rd to Lottstetten (DE) 70 miles:
2 main routes and TomTom took us via Zurich and virtually through the centre not great problem but annoying!
Lottstetten is in a small area of Germany which is almost an enclave of Switzerland.
Nice enough stellplatz German pricing (5 euros) and German Lidl
Wednesday 24th to Schaffhausen (Rheinfall) then Hufingen (Germany)
So back into Switzy for the Schloss Laufen certainly well worth a visit and only 5CHF each with free parking.
The a short journey north initilly in Switzerland but then Germany.
We stayed here in 2014 a lovely town and very good stellplatz.
Minor addition to my rivers theme
The source of the Danube is only about 25 miles north of Hufingen
The Danube flows mainly eastwards to the Black Sea via or bordering Germany Slovakia Hungary and Romania.
Slightly further north is the source of the Neckar which runs north and joins the Rhine at Heidelberg
A nice short drive following the Rhine north and near the border with Liechtenstein then turning west
The site a nice aire with 5 wide pitches and all service plus EHU so 2 or maybe 3 nights here. The immediate outlook is a bit drab but lovely views of the surroundings.
Monday 22nd at Glarus:
Resting & washing..very Hot
Tuesday 23rd to Lottstetten (DE) 70 miles:
2 main routes and TomTom took us via Zurich and virtually through the centre not great problem but annoying!
Lottstetten is in a small area of Germany which is almost an enclave of Switzerland.
Nice enough stellplatz German pricing (5 euros) and German Lidl
Wednesday 24th to Schaffhausen (Rheinfall) then Hufingen (Germany)
So back into Switzy for the Schloss Laufen certainly well worth a visit and only 5CHF each with free parking.
The a short journey north initilly in Switzerland but then Germany.
We stayed here in 2014 a lovely town and very good stellplatz.
Minor addition to my rivers theme
The source of the Danube is only about 25 miles north of Hufingen
The Danube flows mainly eastwards to the Black Sea via or bordering Germany Slovakia Hungary and Romania.
Slightly further north is the source of the Neckar which runs north and joins the Rhine at Heidelberg
Above: a selection of our last few days many at Rheinfall.
End of Switzerland start Germany
End of Switzerland start Germany