Blue zones, white spaces, yellow lines – what do they mean? How to navigate parking rules Did you know that a tire outside the parking space can cost you a 1250 Swiss franc fine? Blick reveals how to park correctly in each zone! And where you should avoid parking altogether. You arrive at your seemingly correctly parked car – and are annoyed: a 40-franc fine or more. Let's be honest: Who knows that white spaces aren't a free pass, or that there's a lunch break extension in the blue zone? Or that a parking fine can sometimes be a hefty 1250 francs (see the section "Parking on the line costs" below for a specific example)? And what do crossed-out yellow lines actually mean? Our parking guide explains. White spaces are often misleading At parking meters, it's clear: maximum duration, price, and free parking times are displayed. But what if the machine is broken? Use a parking disc and observe the maximum parking time. Things get tricky where there aren't any: a white space doesn't mean "free parking." Long-term parking on public land requires a permit. The only difference is that virtually all municipalities used to waive permit requirements. Today, however, even rural communities have parking regulations. Generally, long-term and overnight parkers need a permit, while short-term parkers (such as at motorway service areas) use a parking disc. So far, so unclear: the regulations vary enormously and are often poorly signposted. For example, the sign indicating the parking disc requirement (e.g., "maximum six hours") might only be at the entrance to the village – and easily missed. At night, rules like "no permit required twice a month" might apply – something you only find out about on the municipality's website. And just like that, your weekend visitor gets a ticket. So why aren't those white spaces requiring a parking disc simply blue? Because the Blue Zone – see below – is uniformly regulated: If the spaces were blue, the Blue Zone regulations would apply. Our tip: Ask residents and look for permits or parking discs in other cars. Or check online: Permits are usually available online as well. If in doubt, use a parking disc; this reduces the likelihood of a fine in the first few hours. The Blue Zone is confusing The nationwide Blue Zone also has its quirks and a lunchtime rule that almost no one knows about. From 7 p.m. to 7:59 a.m. and on Sundays and equivalent public holidays, parking is unlimited (of course, only if nothing else is indicated). From Monday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 6:59 p.m., you can park for one hour, up to a maximum of 89 minutes, using a parking disc, depending on your arrival time. An important, yet surprisingly often overlooked exception is the extended lunch break: Anyone arriving between 11:30 a.m. and 1:29 p.m. may stay until 2:30 p.m.! By the way, the parking disc is often set incorrectly – see below. Parking within the lines costs Whether white or blue: In principle, the entire car must be within the space; neither the bumper nor the side mirrors may protrude. "In principle" because: Due to increasing car sizes, it is usually (but not always!) tolerated if only the wheels are within the line. Caution: If the tires are on top of the line instead of inside it, this is already considered "outside"! Absurd, but true: "Within the line" is also mandatory if the car is simply too large or if you wouldn't be able to get out if the wheels were correctly positioned within the line. Then you have to maneuver or find another parking space. What could it cost if the wheels are, for example, a hand's breadth outside the line? Sometimes as much as 1250 Swiss francs! This happened to a Zurich resident with a resident parking permit who parked for over ten hours – because then the fine is no longer 40, 60, or 100 francs depending on the duration, but a report is filed. After three days, this amounted to an outrageous 700 francs in fines plus 550 francs in fees. Setting the parking disc correctly Parking time is often wasted by incorrectly setting the parking disc. The pointer should be set to the half-hour or hour mark following your arrival time. If you arrive between minutes 00 and 29, set it to the next half-hour mark; if you arrive between minutes 30 and 59, set it to the next hour mark. The parking disc must be clearly visible. If you don't use an official parking disc, you can be fined. Advertising on the front or using a parking disc that is too small (minimum 11 cm wide and 15 cm high) can cost 40 francs. Anyone who, after the time limit expires, simply moves their car within the blue zone instead of driving away and leaving the blue zone will be fined the same as for resetting the parking disc: 40 francs. Yellow usually means yes and no. A yellow zigzag (e.g., public transport stops), yellow lines interrupted by crosses, and yellow areas with a yellow diagonal cross (e.g., taxi ranks) mean: no parking! You are legally allowed to stop here to let people in or out, or to load and unload, as long as you don't obstruct anyone. However, parking is prohibited – and this has nothing to do with the duration. Anyone waiting for someone in a no-parking zone with unloaded items will be fined.