Car Rental Zurich

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Zurich provides one of the most stimulating backdrops of any European city, whether you are strolling through the charming cobblestone Old Town, pausing near a fountain or observing the lake and the Alps in the distance. Within in these dramatic surroundings are quaint guild houses, churches, town squares and the winding lanes that connect them. Zurich guards its image as a conservative banking town, but also has its rebellious side. Zwingli joined the governing fathers to launch his brand of the Protestant Reformation, Lenin sat in a cafe brewing his ideas of reform, and the Dada art movement emerged there, of all places. These days, there is an alternative culture that has established, with many young people dancing to a techno beat. Here you will find German, French, Italian, and Romansh spoken. However, the predominant language in Zurich is German. English is spoken widely by urban Swiss, particularly in hotels and restaurants, and by taxi drivers.

Tipping
A 15% service charge is included in the price of services and on hotel bills. It's customary to round up taxi and restaurant bills if the service has been good.

Driving in Switzerland
It's often impossible to make good time in the mountainous country if you don't use the expressways, as roads are rarely a straight line between destinations. Check a Switzerland road map carefully when planning your schedule. The minimum age of a driver is 18 years. Seat belts are required for front-seat passengers.

Blue posts are used to indicate an upcoming intersection with a priority road. Traffic going up a mountain has priority as a rule, except where signs displaying a yellow post on a blue background, indicating that postal buses have priority. A red slash going through such a sign indicates the end of the postal priority zone. Some of these mountain postal roads are one way, which is indicated by a white rectangle placed below the blue rectangle/yellow sign. When passing, do not cross a double white line. Also, remember that Police have the authority to collect fines on the spot.

Speed Limits

Area	Limit
Expressways	100-120 KM/H
Outside the City	80 KM/H
In the City	50 KM/H

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Drinking and Driving
The maximum legal blood alcohol limit is 80 mg.

Parking
Do not park where you see a sign that reads Stationierungsverbot or Interdiction de Stationner. Parking on the sidewalk is illegal except where signs indicate otherwise. Many towns have Blue Zones that restrict parking during the period 8am to 7pm on weekdays. Wheel clamps are in use in most places.

Fuel
Normal unleaded gas has an octane rating of 95; unleaded super has an octane rating of 98. Unleaded is called bleifrei, essence sans plomb, or benzina sensa piomba, depending on whether you're in a German, French, or Italian speaking part of Switzerland, respectively . Likewise, diesel is called diesel, diesel, or gasolio; and LPG is called autogas, Gaz de pétrole liquéfié (GPL), or gas liquido (GPL).

Tolls
Road numbers on green signs indicate toll expressways (which is the opposite of that in France). If the police catch you driving these toll expressways without sporting a vignette, you'll be fined 100 SwF and forced to buy the vignette on top of that.

Helpful Contact Numbers
Here are some telephone numbers you may find useful during your trip in Zurich.

• Emergency: 112
• General Information: 111
• Snow Conditions and Tourist Information: 120
• Weather: 162
• Road Conditions: 163
• Avalanche Bulletin: 187