Driving from Switzerland to Italy via the Gotthard tunnel
The A2 motorway takes you through the middle of Switzerland, under the Alps in the Gotthard road tunnel and on through Ticino to the Italian border at Chiasso. If you are doing the drive for the first time, two things matter most: you need a Swiss motorway vignette, and the Gotthard tunnel is a bottleneck where queues are normal on busy days. This guide covers both, plus the alternatives and where to check the traffic before you set off.
Live Gotthard traffic · Traffic forecast · Gotthard webcams
Before you go: the Swiss motorway vignette
Swiss motorways are not free to use. According to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), the motorway charge applies to all motor vehicles and trailers weighing up to 3.5 tonnes. The Gotthard tunnel is part of the A2 motorway, so you need the vignette to drive through it; according to the German motoring club ADAC, the regular vignette is enough there, with no separate tunnel toll. Switzerland has no short-stay vignette: there is one vignette, valid for 14 months, from 1 December of the previous year until 31 January of the following year, and its price is generally CHF 40.
You can buy it in two forms. The e-vignette is linked to your number plate and is valid immediately after purchase; FOCBS sells it in its official Via webshop and recommends using only that or other trustworthy providers. The sticker is sold at post offices, most petrol stations and garages. If you tow a trailer, such as a caravan, the trailer is also subject to the charge.
The Gotthard road tunnel: what to expect
The tunnel runs for about 16.9 kilometres from Göschenen in the Canton of Uri to Airolo in Ticino. It is a single tube with two-way traffic: one lane in each direction, oncoming traffic right next to you, and a speed limit of 80 km/h. With clear traffic the drive through takes about 13 minutes.
At most 1,000 passenger car units per direction per hour are allowed into the tunnel, with a lorry counting as three. When more vehicles arrive, traffic is metered at the portals: traffic lights let vehicles in a batch at a time, and the queue deliberately forms outside on the motorway rather than inside the tunnel. The Swiss Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) calls a half-hour wait “safety time” and only speaks of a queue caused by traffic overload once the wait reaches two hours. Why the tunnel works like this is explained on our Gotthard road tunnel page.
Two-way traffic will remain until both tubes are in service: according to FEDRO’s timetable, the second tube is due to open in 2030, after which the existing tube will be refurbished until 2033. More on the second Gotthard tube.
Where and when the queues build up
Heading south to Italy, the queue forms in front of the north portal at Göschenen and can stretch back towards Amsteg and Erstfeld. Heading north on the way home, it forms in front of the south portal at Airolo and can stretch back towards Quinto and Faido. Each side has its own page: Gotthard tunnel southbound and Gotthard tunnel northbound.
The peaks are very regular: summer weekends in July and August, public holidays and the start of the school holidays. Southbound queues build up mainly on Fridays and Saturdays, northbound queues more often on Sundays. The Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) advises travelling on weekdays and outside peak times; your best bet is Monday to Thursday, early in the morning or late in the evening. The Gotthard traffic forecast shows the expected queue in each direction for the next 6 hours in 15-minute steps and for the next 48 hours by the hour, plus a jam calendar with the longest reported delay of each day.
Night closures
Every week, the tunnel is closed to normal traffic from 11 pm on Wednesday to 1 am on Thursday so that abnormal loads can pass. On top of that, FEDRO closes it for maintenance on a number of nights each year, usually in March/April, June and September/October, mostly from 8 pm to 5 am. While the Gotthard Pass is open, cars are diverted over the pass road wherever possible; in winter the pass is usually closed from November to May. If you plan to drive late in the evening, check our Gotthard closures page first.
Alternatives to the Gotthard tunnel
The main alternative is the A13 via Chur, Thusis and the San Bernardino tunnel to Bellinzona, where it joins the A2 again. It is the only alternative that is open all year, safe in winter and motorway or expressway all the way. Without queues, the TCS reckons on 2 hours 45 minutes from Zurich to Chiasso through the Gotthard tunnel and 3 hours 15 minutes via the San Bernardino.
A detour only pays off if its extra driving time is shorter than the expected delay at the tunnel. When the Gotthard is congested for hours, part of the traffic moves to the A13 and you end up queuing there instead, so if you switch, do it early, not once everyone else has. The Gotthard Pass is open in summer only and takes considerably longer than the tunnel; the German motoring club ADAC does not recommend it if you are towing a caravan. All the options are compared on our Avoiding the Gotthard page.
Into Italy: motorway tolls
Once you cross the border at Chiasso, a different system applies: Italian motorways, such as those run by Autostrade per l'Italia, are tolled. You can pay in cash or by credit card, or electronically if your car has a toll device such as Telepass.
Check the traffic before you set off
Stauportal.ch has no measuring points of its own: it checks FEDRO’s traffic reports every 5 minutes. The home page with the live traffic situation shows the queue length and delay in each direction and how the queue has developed over the last few hours. The Gotthard webcams at Göschenen and Airolo show what it looks like at the portals. Let a passenger check, or do it at a service area, not while you are driving.
Driving Switzerland to Italy: frequently asked questions
Is there a short-term Swiss motorway vignette?
No. According to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), Switzerland has no short-stay vignette. There is one vignette, valid for 14 months, from 1 December of the previous year until 31 January of the following year, and its price is generally CHF 40. You can buy it as an e-vignette linked to your number plate or as a sticker.
Does the Gotthard tunnel have one lane in each direction?
Yes. The Gotthard road tunnel is a single tube with two-way traffic: one lane in each direction and a speed limit of 80 km/h. It is about 16.9 kilometres long, so with clear traffic the drive through takes about 13 minutes. Each direction will only have its own tube once the second tube has opened, which FEDRO expects in 2030, and the existing one has been refurbished, by 2033.
Which day is best for driving to Italy through the Gotthard?
Between Monday and Thursday, early in the morning or late in the evening. Avoid summer weekends in July and August, public holidays and the start of the school holidays: southbound queues build up mainly on Fridays and Saturdays. The Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) also advises travelling on weekdays and outside peak times.
Do Italian motorways charge tolls?
Yes. Once you cross into Italy, motorways such as those run by Autostrade per l'Italia are tolled. You can pay in cash or by credit card, or electronically if your car has a toll device such as Telepass.
Information provided without guarantee. Official information from FEDRO and the cantonal police always takes precedence.