Buy all your VW California Accessories at the Club Shop Visit Shop

First European Tour

Wrinkly Ninja said:
will we need an Austrian vignette do you think to just do the Zugspitz resort?...it's the only bit of Austria we are visiting.
Click to expand...

You only need a vignette for the Austrian motorways and expressways (ie the big dual carriageways) so given your itinerary it looks unlikely you'll need one unless you end up going down as far as the A12 autobahn.

However unlike the Swiss vignettes the Austrian ones are pretty cheap, min 10 days for 9 euros. If you do decide you need one because your route plans change, you can buy at any fuel station.

For Switzerland, we drove across west to east earlier this month and didn't bother with vignette as we avoided all the motorways, just stuck on the main roads which were much prettier of course.
 
Gazellio said:
Here comes my question...whilst the Zugspitz resort is only just over the border from Germany into Austria and from there we will then be travelling across to Konstanz to visit friends who live there, will we need an Austrian vignette do you think to just do the Zugspitz resort?...it's the only bit of Austria we are visiting.

The easy answer is NO you only need it if you use the Auastrian Motorways.

Love you van by the way its fantastic
Itinerary is brilliant from start to finish I may even use it on my next trip :)!

PS: You will LOVE the Zugspitz resort make sure you eat in in the hotel Restaurant best food EVER

PPS: Its 20-30 minutes from Garmisch to Zugspitz Resort or vise versa there are no borders and the road follows a lovelly mountain river.

Gaz
Click to expand...

Great re vignette. Shame we have to buy a year's worth for the short time we are in Switzerland.
Still, they need the money don't they?
Glad you like the van...we get such great comments about it everywhere we stay.
My wife made these for it out of tea towels ..
20170226_141019.jpg 20170226_141030.jpg
The red and white that you have was the original inspiration for us to have ours painted when it landed in the UK

Here's the rear roundel
IMG_3751.JPG
 
Gazellio said:
Here comes my question...whilst the Zugspitz resort is only just over the border from Germany into Austria and from there we will then be travelling across to Konstanz to visit friends who live there, will we need an Austrian vignette do you think to just do the Zugspitz resort?...it's the only bit of Austria we are visiting.

The easy answer is NO you only need it if you use the Austrian Motorways.

Love your van by the way its fantastic

Itinerary is brilliant from start to finish I may even use it on my next trip :)!

PS: You will LOVE the Zugspitz resort make sure you eat in in the hotel Restaurant best food EVER

PPS: Its 20-30 minutes from Garmisch to Zugspitz Resort or vise versa there are no borders and the road follows a lovelly mountain river.

PPPS: While in Garmisch/Zugspitz area Eibsee is well worth a visit as is a trip up the Zugspitz either directly from the Zugspitz Resort or from Eibsee on the German side.

PPPPS: Great site near Lahr in Black Forest https://spacamping.de/

We also go to Grindewald great choice best part of northern/Middle Switzerland. Next time go to Locarno on Lake Maggiore in the south.

Gaz
Click to expand...

Restaurant at Zugspitz earmarked.
Eibsee sounds and looks great thanks :thumb
Wanted to go up the Zugspitz cable car but we will have our little Beage Ollie with us and they apparently insist dogs are muzzled :sad...it's his holiday too!
Originally planned on doing Como and Maggiore (we've been to Garda a few times) on this trip but we would have spent all our time on the road...maybe next time.

Beau...the Wrinkly Ninja
 
Wrinkly Ninja said:
Hi Gazellio

We've chatted before about VW Retro alloys. Got them and I love 'em. Especially as they work so well with the Candy white. :):).
You asked for a picture or two...please see attached.
The lower colour is from original VW type 1 split screen. The rear door VW roundel is colour matched. Awning cover in Candy white to coordinate.:thumb

View attachment 37297

View attachment 37298

We are doing our European tour from 6th to 25th September...and I have a question..

Having read your post (and a few others) we have incorporated some of your great ideas. Our route will be:
First night west of Aachen (site - gastmolen.nl)
Then pick up the Romantic Rhine route (overnight near Mainz)
On to Rothenburg for a couple of days ( camping-tauberromantik.de)
Next, thanks for the recommendation to Zugspitz-resort.at for 3 days visiting Fussen, Garmisch, The Neuschwanstein, Lauterbrunnen and the Ehrwald/Lermoos/Bibier trio etc
Here comes my question...whilst the Zugspitz resort is only just over the border from Germany into Austria and from there we will then be travelling across to Konstanz to visit friends who live there, will we need an Austrian vignette do you think to just do the Zugspitz resort?...it's the only bit of Austria we are visiting.

In case you are interested our itinerary continues ..

Konstanz for 2 days(fliesshorn.de. site)
Grindewald for a couple of days (eigernordwand.ch site)...Yes we will need a vignette for Switzerland
Frieburg (Kirnemartes.de site)
Up to Vaals (gastmol;en.nl site again)
Brugges foe a couple of days (Camping Memling)

Any more good suggestions of places/things on our route?

Hope to hear from you soon:thanks
Click to expand...

That is a fantastic looking cali! Did you have the lower half resprayed or wrapped? Same for the awning? Quite possibly the nicest T6 cali ocean I’ve seen :thumb
 
Velma's Dad said:
You only need a vignette for the Austrian motorways and expressways (ie the big dual carriageways) so given your itinerary it looks unlikely you'll need one unless you end up going down as far as the A12 autobahn.

However unlike the Swiss vignettes the Austrian ones are pretty cheap, min 10 days for 9 euros. If you do decide you need one because your route plans change, you can buy at any fuel station.

For Switzerland, we drove across west to east earlier this month and didn't bother with vignette as we avoided all the motorways, just stuck on the main roads which were much prettier of course.
Click to expand...

thanks Velma's Dad
Yes the Swiss vignette really takes the P*** (Er...advantage :)) of short term trips through.
As we are using non motorways for all of our trip until we leave Grindewald to head back up to Freiburg I felt it would take too long on the more scenic roads..maybe I'll re-think it.
 
Ryemslie said:
That is a fantastic looking cali! Did you have the lower half resprayed or wrapped? Same for the awning? Quite possibly the nicest T6 cali ocean I’ve seen :thumb
Click to expand...

Hi...many.. :thanks

I had lower half and awning resprayed by a VW approved paint specialist (they are also Porsche/BMW/Ferrari etc approved) company near Bristol.

I felt that it would give me what I was after...a modern version of a Classic Icon...the "Splittie"
 
Hope you have a great trip! Share some pictures and intel
Enjoy and happy camping

BTW: Swiss Motorway Sticker is cheap. I mean CHF 40.- for 1 year and no tunnel toll or Pass toll at all (happy to be corrected).
 
I love my RED Beach two tone but your GREEN Ocean two tone is fabulous. We should start a club lol...:)

greaocean.jpg

rebeach2.jpg
 
Last edited:
sapto said:
Hope you have a great trip! Share some pictures and intel
Enjoy and happy camping

BTW: Swiss Motorway Sticker is cheap. I mean CHF 40.- for 1 year and no tunnel toll or Pass toll at all (happy to be corrected).
Click to expand...

I agree...very cheap if you use it all year for motorways, tunnels and passes. But for 100km of motorway in one year it's not too great :(
 
We recently returned from eight fantastic weeks in Europe including one night in Austria on the way home. If we were to do it again I’d buy a vignette regardless for the sake of €9. I accidentally took a wrong turn which ended with me getting slapped with a €120 fine for what turned out to be less than 2miles of Austrian motorway driving!
 
Ryemslie said:
We recently returned from eight fantastic weeks in Europe including one night in Austria on the way home. If we were to do it again I’d buy a vignette regardless for the sake of €9. I accidentally took a wrong turn which ended with me getting slapped with a €120 fine for what turned out to be less than 2miles of Austrian motorway driving!
Click to expand...
That´s the deal in Austria. I was told many years ago that if you get
caught without one they don´t half wallop you.
 
westfalia said:
Green one looks like it´s been lowered slightly. Lol.
Click to expand...

Well spotted. Had Heavy duty anti roll bars factory option then when it arrived straight to a dealer to fit 30mm lower springs. 18" retro alloys on later with Continental 255/45 Premium Contact tyres. Mated to the 205 bhp and DSG it's like driving a well sorted car...love the handling...and the ride :)
 
Ryemslie said:
We recently returned from eight fantastic weeks in Europe including one night in Austria on the way home. If we were to do it again I’d buy a vignette regardless for the sake of €9. I accidentally took a wrong turn which ended with me getting slapped with a €120 fine for what turned out to be less than 2miles of Austrian motorway driving!
Click to expand...

Wrinkly Ninja said:
Well spotted. Had Heavy duty anti roll bars factory option then when it arrived straight to a dealer to fit 30mm lower springs. 18" retro alloys on later with Continental 255/45 Premium Contact tyres. Mated to the 205 bhp and DSG it's like driving a well sorted car...love the handling...and the ride :)
Click to expand...

sorry...pressed the reply button by mistake..

What I was going to say was...Ouch! For the sake of €9 I'll get one anyway.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
westfalia said:
That´s the deal in Austria. I was told many years ago that if you get
caught without one they don´t half wallop you.
Click to expand...

It was an honest mistake but there was no talking to them, I couldn’t turn back. Came round the corner onto the motorway slip & was flagged in, another camper already parked up in the same situation. Had to pay fine there & then.
 
Ryemslie said:
It was an honest mistake but there was no talking to them, I couldn’t turn back. Came round the corner onto the motorway slip & was flagged in, another camper already parked up in the same situation. Had to pay fine there & then.
Click to expand...

It's a pity that some Eropean Police are not a little more tolerant or undersatanding when you consider the benefit of tourism.
I bet they have a good Christmas party though! :Grin
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

H
VW Hannover and Wolfsburg tour and Poland visit.
Replies
24
Views
4K
Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky
Californiaman
Ireland - campsite/stopover recommendation?
Replies
2
Views
1K
Californiaman
Californiaman
WelshGas
2016 European Tour - with a difference.
Replies
11
Views
2K
cockleshell
cockleshell
Jabberwocky
First Trip Outside UK..........
Replies
8
Views
2K
soulstyledevon
soulstyledevon
Pitstop Penny
Bruges and the Netherlands tour! Here we come
Replies
20
Views
2K
erik.godderis
erik.godderis

Useful links

VW California Club

  • Comfort Insurance
  • VIP Membership
  • Comfort Insurance
  • CampervanBits Accessories
  • Conquest
  • Hire a Vw California

About us

The VW California Club is the worlds largest resource for all owners and enthusiasts of VW California campervans.

Our Partners

Our Partners

Back
Top