I have decided to get winter tyres fitted, I appreciate it's not compulsory, my question is should I get them fitted in the UK before we leave or when we arrive in Basel?
Probably a question that's been asked before but .....
Pros:
- less language hassle
- may be cheaper
- of course not a bad idea if you're driving here in December
Cons:
- long way to drive on winter tyres if you don't need them (noisy, worse fuel consumption)
- have to carry a set of tyres
- do you know where you'll be storing the other set?
If you do it here, expect to pay something like 80 CHF for the switch. Many garages also offer a storage option for the other set, for a fee.
You can order tyres online e.g. Reifen Direct - if you want to compare prices.
What car, what tyres? What are you concerned about, price, safety, wear? When are you travelling?
For prices, you can check what are the "best" prices around here at https://www.reifen-pneus-online.ch/
Otherwise the route between UK and Basel is never that high to _need_ winter tyres... you would be really unlucky to get caught in a snow storm even in deepest winter, rain would be far more frequent
Just bought them, I find them good
Cheers :-)
Honda Civic Tourer.
17" Alloys.
Arriving 30th October for 1yr.
Based in Basel but aim to travel widely including Italy.
That reminds me: time to put winter tyres on the bicycle. (30 seconds passes...). Ok, that's done.
Good move, that little bit of rubber is all that keeps you and your... and anyone else's safe in winter conditions. The web and these hallowed halls are full of posts and video's of all seasons getting the stamp, but just not performing as well as the proper winters.
Personally, I'd get them here, save lugging a set of tyres around and may cost a little more, or maybe not if you use https://www.reifendirekt.ch/ and newtoswitz pretty much nailed it with their post.
Seeing as you'll be in Basel, if you want to be cheap you can buy a set of winter wheels/tyres from ebay Germany and have them delivered to LAS Burg.
What I like is what my garage told me for winter tyre usage:
O bis O
or October to Ostern (Easter)
but I prefer to wait for the first snow followed by the subsequent melt and then the onset of real winter
I wait for summer to end, which generally means late November, early December.
Tom
2 of my Winter tyres were too thin, I bought 2 Bridgestone winter tyres last week in Lörrach, just over the border in Germany, cost me €150 inclusive fitting, then I got the 19% VAT back.
http://www.reifentek.de/reifensorten/winterreifen.html Ob der Gas 25, 79540 Lörrach, Germany.
I don't try that in Italy, if they are fitted in Italy you won't get the 21% VAT back, only if you bring them back unmounted.
Tom
You *may* get away with crossclimate tyres for a year. Get them in UK as cheaper, keep them on until they wear out. However, I am sure some CH expert will tell us if that is sufficient over here.
I have bought winter sets for the UK car several times. Each set has lasted longer than I've had the car... best time to sell the ones that no longer fit is right now, on ebay. Maybe you can buy part worn on there?
In CH, I have mine on another set of wheels and the garage stores them for 40chf and charges another 40chf for the swap. At least that's what they told me when I bought - getting them changed next week, so will know then if I have been Switzerlanded.
Regards
Ian
Thanks for all the information, we leave the UK on Wednesday & arrive in Basel on Friday so it’s all getting real now!!!!