Central Europe: Route through the Black Forest and Lake Constance, tailor-made by car

Important remarks

- Triple rooms in Europe are generally rooms with twin beds or a double, in which a folding bed is installed to accommodate the third person. Due to the inconvenience this causes, we advise against using this option as far the possible.

- We recommend buying the so-called "Zürich Card", which can be found on sale at the central railway station, the airport or the Schweizer Heimatwerk store located on Uraniastrasse.This will give you free or discounted access to more than forty museums, public transport (including the cable car), guided tours, cruises along the River Limmat and many tourist attractions.It can also be bought online.

- Driving in Switzerland: 1. It's compulsory to drive with headlights on at all times, even on the brightest summer's day. Seatbelts are mandatory for all passengers. 2. Speed limits. 2.1 Built-up areas up to 50 km/h. 2.2 Roads up to 80 km/h. 2.3 Dual carriageways and motorways up to 120 km/h. 2.4. There are many radars in Switzerland, especially in speed-controlled sections, and radar detectors are forbidden. Fines for speeding are very high, so make sure you stay within the limits at all times. If you are fined, the police can demand on-the-spot payment. 3. In Switzerland, blue road signs indicate secondary roads, while green ones indicate motorways. 3.1. Make sure that your rental car has a Swiss motorway vignette on the windscreen. This means you can use all Swiss motorways for free over a one-year period (in Switzerland there are no toll roads as such). 4. Studded tyres are allowed from October to April, but they're not allowed on most roads throughout the rest of the year. The speed limit with these tyres is 80 km/h. 5. A red warning triangle and a reflective yellow vest must always be carried in your car in the event of a breakdown or accident. 6. Alcohol. The legal limit is 0.25 g/l. There are severe penalties for drivers that exceed the allowed limit. 7. Parking. All the major cities in Switzerland have metered parking. 7.1. If you want to park on the street, take careful note of the road markings. Yellow line: parking prohibited. Blue line: free parking, but limited to one hour (except at night). You can get a blue parking disc free of charge at tourist offices in any city and it will be valid for the whole of Switzerland. White line: metered parking for a limited time (varies depending on the location). You have to pay at the special parking meters.

- The proposed excursions and tours for each day are purely suggestions, as you can tailor the trip to suit your times, tastes and needs.

- A credit card is considered a guarantee, so sometimes you will need one for check-in at hotels.

- Hotels usually have cots available. Otherwise, babies will have to share a bed with an adult.

- To pick up your rental car, you'll need a credit (not debit) card in the name of the person who made the booking, who must also be the named driver of the vehicle.

- You must give notice that you are going to cross the border while collecting the vehicle. Authorisation may be required to drive through certain countries or areas/states (as is the case in the US and Canada). Depending on the conditions set out in the rental contract and the company hired, you might be charged a surcharge payable at the destination office.