Olten is a city in the Swiss canton of Solothurn best known as one of the country's busiest rail junctions, where several main lines converge, but it also sits directly on the A1 and A2 motorway network, making a rental car a useful complement to the train for visitors who want to explore the surrounding countryside rather than only pass through by rail. Rental desks in Olten are modest compared with Zurich or Basel, run by international and local operators serving a smaller regional demand, and the town's central location within Switzerland means most major cities are within a comfortable hour or two by road.
From Olten, Basel is roughly forty-five minutes north via the A2, while Zurich lies about forty-five minutes to an hour east along the A1, and Bern is a similar distance southwest, making Olten a genuinely central base for day trips around the Swiss Mittelland. The Jura foothills rise just west of the city, offering quieter, more rural driving than the busy motorway corridors connecting the larger cities. The Aare river valley just south of town adds another easy half-day loop for anyone renting a car rather than sticking to the rail network alone.
Driving is on the right throughout Switzerland, and the country's motorways require a vignette, an annual sticker or, increasingly, an electronic version linked to the vehicle, purchased once and valid regardless of how many times you use the network; rental cars based in Switzerland typically already carry a current vignette, but it is worth confirming this at pickup rather than assuming. Roads are excellent by any standard, well signed and well maintained even on smaller routes into the Jura hills. Winters bring snow to the higher ground around Olten, though the city itself sits at a modest elevation, so conditions are generally milder than in the Alps further south, with winter tires common rental-fleet practice rather than a strict legal requirement.