For France, get a liberT pass (I think you need a French or UK bank account, not sure... I have mine still linked to my UK account):
https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/

Costs 1 euro a month for the months you use it, and nothing if you don't use it (plus obviously the toll).

For Italy, get a telepass:
https://www.telepass.com/it?gclid=CL...FYKKswodLIUGYA

Then, in general:
CH sticker on the car (Switzerland isn't part of EU, so our plates don't have the blue EU part showing which country you are from).

Also, remember you may need to carry spare bulbs, triangles, etc... see image (you can ignore headlamp converters as that's only for RHD cars. Also, the GB sticker is a CH sticker ). The image isnt complete - as some countries have a requirement for a spare pair of glasses or contact lenses, like Spain.

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You probably have an Italian card. You probably also think the bancomats always work. Sadly international cards often don't work in atms and on the motorway. It's getting better but that's why I say telepass is so much easier. There are now roads that only work with telepass too (like the pedemontana). If you don't have it you need to go to a site and pay later. Real pain in the ass.

Had a discussion yesterday at the (Mercedes) garage about this, the sticker is required and "they" say this is being enforced a lot more than the last few years also that if stopped the Police will also check the rest of the kit required in the car. Reflective vests are required for all passengers but I can not find out if this is the case or just for the driver?

Just the driver, and it must be in reach of the driver without leaving the vehicle.

Tom

I don't, I have a Swiss UBS card, and never have had it not work on the autostrade tolls.

Tom

Lucky you. I have a about 10% fail rate. Normally I use telepass but sometimes forget to put one in a car I use less often.

Very lucky - I too am Italian (di Torino, ma di origine Veneta)...

The biggest challenges in Italy with cards I find are:
- ATMs that get turned off at night (what's the point!?)
- Automatic petrol stations don't seem to accept the UBS credit (visa/mastercard) nor debit cards (maestro)
- Tolls sometimes won't take either... sometimes will take one, but not the other...
- Some shops will either add a CC processing fee or pretend their machine is broken... I refuse to shop there usually...

I tend to carry cash just in case as well... Oh, and I've found that on tollroads, if you go in the CC lane and the CC doesn't work, after a certain time and number of attempts it lets you go printing a ticket saying you need to pay elsewhere...

It's a pain, but it does mean you aren't "stuck".

M.

Recommended, but not required. Required only for driver.

As in Switzerland, cars must drive with dipped beams or running lights at all times.

If we are talking about Italy still, this is where it gets fun. The high vis vest is a legal requirement to wear when you stop and get out of the car on a motorway:
http://www.aci.it/fileadmin/document.../documenti.pdf

(summary: 41-168 euro fine and 2 points on your license if you don't wear it when stopped outside of town).

I think it does not matter, as a safety precaution you should really always carry enough reflective vests to cover the number of passengers travelling in the vehicle. Aldi and Lidl often sell them dirt cheap.

Not generally true.

Only true when not in urban areas.

Tom

Officially:
http://www.poliziadistato.it/articol..._di_chiarezza/
So also passengers, should they step out of the vehicle.

So while they cannot fine you if you don't have them in the car while you're sitting in the car... should you step out of the car (for example to put up the triangle), you can get fined for not having one. Same goes for your passengers.

Ahm, the government disagrees (article 30):
1) Abblendlicht (dipped beams) must be used from the beginning of dawn until daylight, in case of poor visibility, and in tunnels. [..]
2) At all other times Tagfahrlicht or Abblendlicht are to be used. [..]

Also see this recent bulletin.

We are talking about Italy, NOT Switzerland.

Tom

Ok. That wasn't clear after Sbrinz's comparison.

it'd be funny if you got out the car to get the reflective jacket from the boot and got caught mid way!

That's why the going advice is that it needs to be within reach of the driver. I seem to remember a country where it legally HAD to be within reach of the driver, but can't remember where.

If this list from the German ADAC can be trusted it is France. You also have to wear the vest the very moment you step out of the car.
https://www.adac.de/_mmm/pdf/Warnwes...TIB_166056.pdf

Italy, for one.

I keep it in the pocket behind the driver's seat in the cars, though within reach on a bike is more problematic.

Tom