Clean air stickers for travelling in France/ Switzerland

You need Crit'Air for zones around French towns. This is the official website. It costs under 5€ and lasts for the life of the car.
www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/

Does a sticker somehow clean the exhaust emitted by a car?

Aveline

Does a sticker somehow clean the exhaust emitted by a car?

Well you could try not having one and see how you like the fines! 😂

Some areas you will not be able to enter depending on the Crit'Air number allocated to your car. One of our cars is 27 years old and is limited as to where it can travel.

When you cross into Switzerland, you will also need to buy a Vignette which must be appended to your windscreen. To be caught without it means a heavy fine. Cost is CHF40.00, but perhaps you already know this?

We are spending June driving round an area of France which I don't think requires a certificate, so didn't bother. But I remember reading that places like Grenoble and Strasbourg do.
As an aside, there are so many speed warnings now on the road, they are quite distracting. They flash at anyone over the new limit and you can find yourself being caught out. Yet French drivers still come tearing past way over the speed limit!

Rouen does as well and that is probably on a route for many British tourists.

Mamie I understand that it is a vital sticker but what does it prove or demonstrate? Does your car have to be assessed in some way? Information missing.

Yes it rates your car on emissions. So our electric car has a 0 and the most polluting vehicles are a 6.
There are restrictions on vehicles with high emissions.
The fines can be quite hefty.
I thought the ULEZ scheme was similar in London?

I'm not in London or likely to be. I certainly wouldn't be driving there.

Mamie

Yes it rates your car on emissions. So our electric car has a 0 and the most polluting vehicles are a 6.
There are restrictions on vehicles with high emissions.
The fines can be quite hefty.
I thought the ULEZ scheme was similar in London?

Bristol has a Clean Air Zone too.

You've got to have a pretty oldish car in London to have to pay. Off the top of my head, 2009. The zone is being extended way out into the suburbs this year. Ironically, I was always surprised that more deaths are caused outside London by pollution than in the city iself.

Or diesel.

Thank all for your posts. Useful

Mamie

You need Crit'Air for zones around French towns. This is the official website. It costs under 5€ and lasts for the life of the car.
www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/

Only for a few towns though- and not necessary in most of France.

The Swiss vignette for 40 CHF is great value- and can be bought at the border crossing. This is not required for normal roads, only MWays- but as a tourist you will probably use MWays. Where will you be crossing into Switzerland, and where will you be visiting there?

I would refer to your Automobile club website for information about what is required.

Ours provides not only the information but can organise many of the vignettes and stickers for you. They also send you a package with relevant maps and guide books and other helpful bumph.

Ours is a German Club, though, of course . I don't know how much the AA or RAC have this service. You can probably look at the websites even if you're not a member.

Fleurpepper

Mamie

You need Crit'Air for zones around French towns. This is the official website. It costs under 5€ and lasts for the life of the car.
www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/

Only for a few towns though- and not necessary in most of France.

The Swiss vignette for 40 CHF is great value- and can be bought at the border crossing. This is not required for normal roads, only MWays- but as a tourist you will probably use MWays. Where will you be crossing into Switzerland, and where will you be visiting there?

Hmm I think that is changing Fleurpepper. I know of a few people caught out driving round Rouen, for example. Seriously, why would you not pay a few euros for a sticker that lasts for the lifetime of the car to be on the safe side?

Yes it is changing, we live in a rural area but the sticker is necessary in a couple of local towns.

Worth having a good look at the map you have provided and see if you are going anywhere near any of those by car. For any of those towns, I'd stay outside and take public transport to go into town.

I have sticker for France but it's faded. I wonder if one can get replacements?

Also, don't forget your zone blue parking disc.
These disque de stationnement can be bought on Amazon for very little before you travel and are a godsend.