mva Posted 8 March , 2017 Share Posted 8 March , 2017 " The sticker is valid all over Germany and for an unlimited period. Foreign vehicles must also comply with these rules, and tourists therefore need to obtain the appropriate sticker for their vehicle before entering an environmental zone. A vehicle’s Pollutant Class can be determined on the basis either of the year of initial registration or of the European emission standard stated in the vehicle documents. " ( Germ. Amb. London : http://www.uk.diplo.de/Vertretung/unitedkingdom/en/04/Transport/EnvironmentalZones.html ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 8 March , 2017 Share Posted 8 March , 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, mva said: I entirely agree ! In Rom, do as the Romans do ... It is true there should be an Europe-wide system (UK too ?) You would be surrised just how politicians will block pretty well anything that someone else proposes (no one knows why) or say that it should apply to every country except theirs. To get an EU wide sticker would require everyone to agree on the standards to be aplied. I'm only glad I've retired. Edited 8 March , 2017 by healdav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony N Posted 8 March , 2017 Share Posted 8 March , 2017 20 minutes ago, IRC Kevin said: I think the same sticker applies to any of the Green Zone cities, but the only one I regularly visit is Berlin. Last time I looked, it was Eu.15 for foreign registered cars, direct from TüV (then add the non-Sterling fee that banks put on top of this when you pay by card). Dearer if you go via commercial websites. Ah I see. Thanks for the clarification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 8 March , 2017 Share Posted 8 March , 2017 Some German hotels will buy an Umweltplakette for you. In that case you just pay the hotel what it cost. I believe the cost on the spot is ~ 6€. It costs more if you buy it online. I bought ours in 2012; I just sent the hotel the relevant information (year of vehicle, chassis number, registration number, registration certificate), they bought the sticker and they posted it to me. If there was insufficient time, they would have emailed me a copy to show to anyone who asked and given me the sticker when I arrived. I just paid the cost when I checked in. It's always worth asking. Compared with the vignette required to use the Swiss motorways, (CHF40, 38,50€, £34.50 annually) the emissions stickers are a bargain. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 8 March , 2017 Share Posted 8 March , 2017 So we buy a sticker, how does that help pollution levels? Perhaps someone has answered this question and I have missed the answer for which I apologise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony N Posted 8 March , 2017 Share Posted 8 March , 2017 9 minutes ago, keithfazzani said: So we buy a sticker, how does that help pollution levels? Perhaps someone has answered this question and I have missed the answer for which I apologise. On high pollution days in a Low Emission Zone the authorities might say only vehicles which a certain emission level are allowed into town, whether it be level 1 emissions, level 2 or whatever they'll decide depending on the pollution level. If you're caught in the area with the wrong sticker then it's a fair cop and you'll no doubt pay a fine but whether it's policed to a high level or even at all is anyone's guess. I suppose trust plays a part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 8 March , 2017 Share Posted 8 March , 2017 40 minutes ago, keithfazzani said: So we buy a sticker, how does that help pollution levels? Perhaps someone has answered this question and I have missed the answer for which I apologise. It keeps the most polluting vehicles out of the urban areas where pollution is highest. It's one of several measures being either implemented or investigated. In a typical anticyclonic period such as we've had at times this winter, when the usual layers of temperatures are reversed, air containing pollutants is trapped at low altitudes. The fine polluting particles are a danger to the health of vulnerable people. People are also being urged to share cars or to walk or cycle. Obviously vehicle emissions aren't the only cause, which is why people in some areas are also being required to refrain from using wood burners, or burning matter such as dead leaves outside. Pollen will also be a problem in summer. In some areas there are daily updates on the state of the air, so people can decide whether to stay indoors or indeed make decisions about their transport Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 8 March , 2017 Share Posted 8 March , 2017 6 hours ago, mva said: Gogole may help ! Not sure about Gogol, but I did notice that one of the linked articles (for which many thanks, mva) refers to the scheme as Ubu-esque ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 9 March , 2017 Share Posted 9 March , 2017 (edited) On 01/03/2017 at 00:13, Mick D said: Can't get my purchase price to change from €29.65 ! Any ideas ? This is the site quoted above. Go to the French site, and it is 4.80 euros. I have no idea what for, but whatever it is, that is what it costs. There is an option for vehicles registered outside France'. I got through easily except for attaching a photo of my Grey Card (whatever that is in English) and all went through. Then it suddenly accepted it (after cropping in PAINT) I presume successfully. If I ever find someone who knows what it does I will let you know. What with Swiss vignette, Austrian, German (no idea how to get it), and now French I will need a new windscreen. Edited 9 March , 2017 by healdav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 9 March , 2017 Share Posted 9 March , 2017 (edited) As I said... German stickers - Freiburg tourist office gave me these links: http://www.tuev-sued.de/auto_fahrzeuge/feinstaub-plakette/feinstaubplakette_ausland and http://www.dekra.de/environmentalzones but in the end my hotel bought it for me for the on-the-spot price rather than the online price. I suppose there has to be a plus side to the UK getting rid of tax discs - it frees up some space for all these stickers. Gwyn Edited 9 March , 2017 by Dragon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 9 March , 2017 Author Share Posted 9 March , 2017 At some stage, a Eurocrat will decide to fine vehicles where the driver cannot see through the windscreen for vignettes, Toll Tags, parking permits and each nationality pollution permits..... Oh for the days of just a couple of furry dice.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mva Posted 9 March , 2017 Share Posted 9 March , 2017 what about riding a horse or a bicycle ? why not ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Tomlinson Posted 10 March , 2017 Share Posted 10 March , 2017 I believe there is legislation specifying where, on a windscreen, you may display such stickers - something like 4" from the nearside edge if I recall correctly. Trouble nowadays is that every parochial little minion expects the whole world to understand and comply with their petty little obsession! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 10 March , 2017 Share Posted 10 March , 2017 Not forgetting that the nearside edge is on the other side in a right-hand drive car ... Are the vignettes 'dumb' or can they be read electronically? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 10 March , 2017 Share Posted 10 March , 2017 The instructions just say 'lower right hand corner of the windscreen'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 10 March , 2017 Author Share Posted 10 March , 2017 Quote every parochial little minion Oi!!! Blumock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 10 March , 2017 Share Posted 10 March , 2017 20 hours ago, KevinBattle said: At some stage, a Eurocrat will decide to fine vehicles where the driver cannot see through the windscreen for vignettes, Toll Tags, parking permits and each nationality pollution permits..... Oh for the days of just a couple of furry dice.... Us Eurocrats don't decide anything, we merely propose. The national governments dispose. We have windscreens as well, you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 10 March , 2017 Share Posted 10 March , 2017 5 hours ago, Ray Tomlinson said: I believe there is legislation specifying where, on a windscreen, you may display such stickers - something like 4" from the nearside edge if I recall correctly. Trouble nowadays is that every parochial little minion expects the whole world to understand and comply with their petty little obsession! Don't forget that the British tax disc had by law to be displayed on the left hand side of the windscreen on the lower corner. Put it anywhere else and you could be fined. It helped police to just walk down the pavement and look. As far as I am aware most vignettes are put upper middle behind the rear view mirror. The French insurance ticket is usually on the lower part of the windscreen, but i is so small it doesn't really matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 10 March , 2017 Share Posted 10 March , 2017 British legislation says that stickers (or satnavs, pennants, other decorations) shouldn't intrude more than 10mm into Zone A of the windscreen. This is a 29 cm vertical area centred on the steering wheel, within the swept area of the windscreen. Stickers shouldn't intrude more than 40 mm into Zone B (the remaining part of the swept area). Given that most windscreens are so angled that the corners of your windscreen are barely noticeable, I don't imagine that a couple of emissions stickers and a Swiss vignette would be unlawful and "seriously obscure the vision of the driver". The vignette can go behind the rear view mirror anyway. Reference: Department for Transport Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 11 March , 2017 Share Posted 11 March , 2017 Air Quality Certificate (vignette) arrived this morning with instructions to fix it at the bottom right of the windscreen. Ordered in mid-Feb so about 3 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRC Kevin Posted 11 March , 2017 Share Posted 11 March , 2017 1 hour ago, Don Regiano said: Air Quality Certificate (vignette) arrived this morning with instructions to fix it at the bottom right of the windscreen. Ordered in mid-Feb so about 3 weeks. Mine too, though ordered 1 Feb. I suspect that this went live before the machinery to implement it was fully in place and that future orders will be turned around a lot quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Scorer Posted 13 March , 2017 Share Posted 13 March , 2017 I'm glad to say that none of this affects me, as I don't drive, but you do have my sympathy. However, I've just heard an advert on the radio for Eurotunnel, encouraging everyone to (basically) just get into their car and drive all over Europe (travelling by Eurotunnel, of course!). There was no mention of any restrictions (nor that I would expect there to be on an advert as it's too short), but what advice do Eurotunnel and the ferry companies give to people who book travel with them? Do they make a point of stressing that you'll need a vignette for certain areas, or say nothing and leave it up to you to find out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 13 March , 2017 Share Posted 13 March , 2017 Brittany Ferries have the information on their website and they advise drivers to buy the sticker in advance, with a link provided to the government website where it can be bought. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beselare Posted 13 March , 2017 Share Posted 13 March , 2017 Living in Belgium? We seem to be getting a better service by living in Belgium. I made my application last Monday. Automatic confirmation and a copy for temporary display came the next day. The actual sticker arrived this morning with an accompanying letter in English so one week is the time-frame here. The only problem I had was reducing the size of my scanned road tax document so that it reached their stated limit. An IT neighbour sorted that out for me in about two minutes. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 13 March , 2017 Share Posted 13 March , 2017 3 hours ago, Dragon said: Brittany Ferries have the information on their website and they advise drivers to buy the sticker in advance, with a link provided to the government website where it can be bought. Gwyn You don't have any option but to buy it in advance. It is available only on-line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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