What is a special toll?
Special toll routes in Switzerland are tunnels that are associated with higher construction and maintenance costs. Many aspects must be taken into account when building tunnels and mountain pass roads, leading to a significant increase in price. A crucial role is played by geography, as Switzerland is a mountainous country and tunnels as well as pass roads often have to be built through difficult terrain.
Construction is therefore associated with greater technical challenges, which in turn lead to higher costs due to specialized machinery and technologies. At the same time, maintenance is also more expensive, as the condition of pass roads is significantly affected by weather conditions. These include snowfall, rockslides, or other natural events that regularly damage the infrastructure and contribute to additional maintenance costs.
Who has to pay the special toll?
An additional fee must be paid to use the special toll routes, as special toll routes are exempt from the vignette requirement but are still subject to tolls. This means that, regardless of whether you have already purchased a vignette or paid a heavy vehicle fee (in Switzerland, the heavy vehicle fee exists instead of a distance-based toll — see heavy vehicle fee), you must pay an additional amount for certain tunnels.
Accordingly, every vehicle owner must pay the special toll as soon as the special toll route is used. Please note that most special toll routes can be reached via access roads subject to the vignette requirement or routes subject to the heavy vehicle fee.
Which routes are subject to the special toll?
In Switzerland, two tunnels are subject to the special toll, while the Alpine passes themselves are free of charge. Vehicle shuttle trains (Lötschberg, Furka, Vereina, Simplon) also incur additional costs. The tunnels subject to the special toll include the Great St. Bernard Road Tunnel and the Munt la Schera Tunnel. You will need a pass or ticket to use these tunnels. This ticket covers either a one-way trip or a round trip. In addition, the prices of the passes vary depending on the vehicle class.
Great St. Bernard Road Tunnel (Switzerland–Italy)
In Switzerland, the following vehicle classes apply to the Great St. Bernard Road Tunnel:
Category A1: Motorcycle, motorcycle with sidecar, motorcycle with trailer
Category A2: Vehicles with two or more axles, front axle height below 1.30 m, total height max. 2 m
Category B1: Vehicles with two or more axles, total height over 2 m and max. 3 m
Munt la Schera Road Tunnel (Switzerland–Italy)
The prices of the passes for the Munt la Schera Road Tunnel vary depending on the day of the week and season. In addition, the tunnel has only one lane and therefore operates with alternating one-way traffic controlled by traffic lights. The Munt la Schera Tunnel is 3.5 km long, has a height of 3.6 m, and a width of 2.55 m. The vehicle classes are as follows:
Cars and vans up to 9 seats and up to 3.5 t GVW: GVW stands for the gross vehicle weight, including occupants.
Caravans/motorhomes
Motorcycles
Vehicle shuttle trains
The Swiss Alpine passes are free of charge. However, the vehicle shuttle trains, which transport your vehicle through a rail tunnel by train, are subject to a fee, for example at the Lötschberg (Kandersteg–Goppenstein), the Furka (Realp–Oberwald), the Vereina (Klosters–Sagliains), and the Simplon (Brig–Iselle). Prices depend on the vehicle, season, and day of the week and are paid directly to the respective operator. For more information, see our guide on vehicle shuttle trains.
Where can a pass be purchased?
You can already purchase passes for the various special toll routes online and pay by credit card. You can also purchase passes on-site at the special toll routes. However, please note the opening hours of the various toll stations.
The Europamaut team wishes you a pleasant journey
We wish you a pleasant journey to Switzerland and lots of enjoyment on your exploration tour through the country's impressive natural scenery. Please make sure to inform yourself in good time about the applicable toll regulations. In addition, our route planner is available to help you plan your trip optimally and display the appropriate toll products. If you have any questions, we will of course be happy to help. Feel free to contact us at any time by email.
About the author
Michelle Albrecht