Strangely, they don't skimp on the cars around here either. Golf GTis and Focus ASBOs seem to be the favourites:
To avoid putting anyone else off, I would actually strongly disagree with that. Lessons around here are CHF 70 or so per hour - bear in mind that the guy has to pay for the car, fuel, servicing, etc. out of that AND make a living - they're not going to get rich. This is less than most people I know are paying in southern England.
1 year
Yes - just about any optician will do it - very basic - you will get a stamped form.
There is no exam or test at all for you if you change within the year.
There would be no benefit for you.
Thank You for the replies.
I've driven twice here this week - both times from Oberrieden to the airport. It all seems pretty much to what I am accustomed to except for the idea that you have to stop for the guy on the right to get into the road and......... that SCARY TRAM !
I'm going to memorize all the signs this weekend and book a driving instructor (driving with my husband brought back all the memories of my father teaching me at 16 - groan/LOL)
Fraueli
My wife just took (and passed) the driver's license test. They're REALLY anal about this here in Basel (Basel has the lowest passing-rate in all of Switzerland, not surprising after what I've seen here).
You should first take theory classes and make sure you know all of the traffic rules by heart - they can (and will) spend quite some time asking you all kinds of questions about that. Then take a couple of lessons with an instructor - and don't go to the test unless he or she tells you you're ready to do so.
Also make sure your car is in perfect condition because they will check your car before the license test. You need to know your vehicle very well as they'll ask you about your vehicles properties (technical things, tire pressure, where your emergency equipment is, if it has a fog light, how to turn on the emergency signals etc.)
As for the MFK: the car has to be in very good condition. Some rust on the body is fine but there can't be any rust on the underbody. The usual way to get your MFK check is to bring the car to a garage, have them fix everything that's not ok and have THEM take it to the MFK to get it checked out. If your car is fine, this'll cost you about 500 Fr. Usually an MFK check and the preceeding work done at the garage costs about 1500 Fr. in my experience.
peter
Only if there are no road markings . Give way markings are becoming the norm.
Around here it's going the other way - they're taking the give way lines away in a few spots (typically shopping streets where they want to slow traffic down).
More scary than giving way to the right is the vast number of Swiss drivers that don't realise they have to do it at all (or don't want to).
Dawiz, are you saying that I am not allowed to drive someone else's car during the test? The point is we have only an automat car but I am going to use someone else's car for the test, so hopefully I get the license for both automat and manual car.
You can take the driving test in any car as long as you insured to drive it.
you can drive any car - it just hast to be in good shape and you need to know how the car's features work and some technical details (easy stuff - what kind of gas it needs, how much the tire pressure has to be (and where it says on the car), how many passengers it allows, how heavy it is, how fast you can go with the type of tires that is currently installed etc.). Most of the stuff can be found in the car's "Fahrzeugausweis". A driving instructor will tell you exactly what you need to know about it. If you pass your license test in a stick-shift, you automatically get the license for both manual and automatic transmissions - just not the other way round.
peter
Giving way to the right is this Yellow sign you see when entering a built up area, it means you are on the main street and you have the right of way. No yellow sign means you give way. Nomally the lack of markings on the junction is a give away.
As for the car it has to be very clean inside and out like for the MFK. Nothing to block your view, Nothing rolling around on the floor etc.
Edit: http://www.alltravelswitzerland.com/...Road_Signs.htm Sorry priority road not main street.
DC