Car hire Geneva airport

A snowHead

I checked with Budget Swiss side via Rentalcars.co. They said if they didn't have an Eu registered car available to drive into France but only Swiss reg then we couldn't take it to France. If we took a Swiss reg car into France this would be illegal and our insurance would be void. Based on this we have booked on French side at double cost as chances of getting an EU car on 23 Dec may be slim. I checked the Ts and Cs online and they were pretty clear. This is appalling, but I would hate to be in an accident in FRance and have to rely on "I am a consumer and no one told me" if the insurance company refused to pay out. I think the car hire companies need to sort this. Either stock up with enough EU reg cars for Swiss side or get the law clarified so EU resident car rental customers are not treated as importing cars into EU and can lawfully cross into France. Oh well at least I have found one problem which will be solved by Brexit Wink

A snowHead

@snowdave, thanks, I'll double check that.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@rob@rar, sorry, I should have been clearer. Holidayautos were wrong (mistaken? lying?) when they insisted I had no 3rd party cover. The rental was through Avis who told me that all their rentals in Geneva included 3rd party cover, it wasn't possible to delete it.

@Minnie, Budget = Avis. They were absolutely clear with me 2 weeks ago (when I rented a car from them in GVA to go to France) that there was no problem. Did you try calling them direct at Geneva, rather than asking the agency?

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This is a non issue. The law was brought in to stop a VAT fraud by people living close to the border. French people were buying expensive cars in Switzerland and then renting them to themselves to avoid the VAT.

If your hire company say you can't take it into France, or apply any restrictions, use a different company. I've used Europcar over 10 times in the last 6 months. They've confirmed that this is not a problem and their cars, collected from the Swiss side, are fully covered in all ways when in France.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Have hired many cars from Swiss side of Geneva airport for years and have never been asked if we intend to cross boarders, but have never volunteered the information either. We are hiring a car from Dollar at Geneva then driving to Morzine at February half term, so just thought I would check with them via online chat if this would be a problem. Their response was that no it wouldn't be a problem, there would be no other charges incurred but they would need to inform the supplier. They also recommended that I mentioned it to the supplier when we collected the vehicle. I don't know whether this is for insurance purposes, but better safe than sorry. Must admit it never even crossed my mind before reading this thread that it could be a problem. I know we're probably going to get stung with some other 'hidden' charges like winter tyres etc, when we collect it, but Dollar where considerably cheaper than all the other leading car rental companies.

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I had a bit of a panic yesterday and called Hertz in Geneva (Swiss side). They said there is no problem driving in France - they have checked with French police and it is fine.

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Thanks all. I have rebooked with Hertz Swiss side as indeed their ts and Cs are ok and price ok although double what I paid Budget 6 months ago. Very annoyed with Budget and indeed Avis their parent co as their ts and Cs do prohibit Swiss reg cars going into France if you are EU resident. I would not rely on the word of a person at the Budget desk over and above their published ts and Cs. Maybe it's because I am a lawyer, maybe it's because I have dealt with insurance companies...not worth the aggro.

After all it is free

Anyone got any recommendations for a 7+ seater or mini van? Holiday autos coming up at £315 for 7 and £410 for 9 for 6 days in Dec which after fuel and tolls isnt much better than bens bus etc.

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I've now got it in writing from Alamo & Hertz that I have their approval to take their Swiss cars into France and that their insurance etc will be OK if I have a prang while i'm there. I think that they are nervous about seeming to give some sort of approval to break the EU law, so I've specifically asked about CDW / insurance / roadside assistance / extra fees and not 'is 'it OK to take your car into France'.

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Europcar put it on their website...

It won't link so have a look at conditions of use for hires starting in Switzerland.

In my searches I have been unable to find anyone who has ever been stopped for, or got into trouble for, renting a car from GVA CH and driving into France.

I really think this problem only exists on the internet.

snow reports

@bar shaker, Yup, I've seen the Europcar notice too. That seems to be OK.

The Avis notice says 'If you are EU resident and drive a vehicle with Swiss registration and number plate, you are only allowed to drive the vehicle in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. You must not take the vehicle into the EU, except for the purpose of directly returning to your place of residence in the EU, which must be stated on your rental agreement.'

I have no worries about French Police or Border staff, but there must be a doubt about whether their insurance would cover you if you tried to claim for a crash in France.

For Europcar under the General Terms and Conditions of Hire in Switzerland, it says:

II. It is permissible to use the vehicle in the following countries:

a. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands. This also applies to use of the vehicle on islands within these countries (exceptions hereto are the Canary Islands and islands outside of Europe that belong to the above-mentioned countries). The use of the vehicle in any other country shall constitute a material breach of contract and shall result in the abrogation and repeal of all limitations of liability.

Seems ok.

You know it makes sense.

For Europcar under the General Terms and Conditions of Hire in Switzerland, it says:

II. It is permissible to use the vehicle in the following countries:

a. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands. This also applies to use of the vehicle on islands within these countries (exceptions hereto are the Canary Islands and islands outside of Europe that belong to the above-mentioned countries). The use of the vehicle in any other country shall constitute a material breach of contract and shall result in the abrogation and repeal of all limitations of liability.

Seems ok.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

@Lost in the trees, some of the premium credit cards provide it - e.g. Platinum Amex, Barclays infinite etc. This can work out the cheapest option - I get 2x lounge passes, annual travel insurance (which bizarrely covers solo ski touring but not off-piste skiing unless with a guide) and full CDW all for about £150/year.

A snowHead

Good advice for future though I'm out next week so need to either buy with Europcar or my preference a third party annual policy

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Good advice for future though I'm out next week so need to either buy with Europcar or my preference a third party annual policy

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So, it's entirely possible that I'm being a bit thick, (call it 18 Hrs of work straight) but can I confirm;

As a UK Resident
EU Citizen
It's now ok again to rent from Swiss side and drive into France.
Is that correct?

Looks that way reading the above comments for Alamo, Dollar, Europcar, & Hertz

Avis, I'm not sure, would their insurance cover you?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

my 2¢ on this:

Rented from hertz GVA swiss side last weekend. (25-27th) Drove to Val Thorens.

Called Hertz Swiss on the phone to book and was was pleasantly surprised to be offered the same car on the phone 30% cheaper than the price quoted on online on hertz.com. The reduced price over the phone included winterisation fee & the standard insurance cover that you get quoted online directly from the Hertz website.

When I booked I informed the agent that I would be driving into France (main reason for calling them) they said absolutely no problem. When I picked up the car they had it on file that I mentioned I would be driving into France and again I questioned the agent on this and he said no problem, I had all the necessary insurance and paperwork.

I have to say absolutely great service from them, real simple no hassle or wasted time. Was in the car 10 mins after picking up my bag and the drop off process took 10 mins at most.

P.S. there is a petrol station 25m before the drop off location which I wish I had made a mental note of when i picked up the car as it saves you from stopping on the way to the airport elsewhere.

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@cisco43, Avis Geneva have told me it was fine on multiple occasions, I rented from them in mid-November and it was ok then, and I'm renting from them a few times this season.

@extremerob, the automated petrol station just before dropoff can get incredibly busy at peak times - I find it easier to exit a junction early and go to the Shell about 1km SE of the motorway junction. From here you can also get back to the car hire place by looping round the back of the WTC rather than having to go through the airport.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Got an email this w/e from Alamo / Enterprise with a PDF to sign that absolves them of any liability for fines etc that I may incur if I take the car to France. I think that this is fair - I know that I'm breaking the law and if I get caught I should pay, but Alamo are also indicating that they know I may take the car to France.

They also hint that nobody is getting done over this!

Petrol stations: If you are returning to the airport without using the motorway then there are two petrol stations on Avenue Louis-Casai close to the airport. You drive up this road if you've come through Geneva city centre.

After all it is free

Avis asking us to tell that at the counter where we are going (so can give us an EU registered car for France). Am thinking since it's a late night pickup, we might want to give them the info sooner, to make sure they've still got one!

AR

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@Chamcham, It's not against their expressed T & Cs. The Holiday Autos / Alamo T & Cs say that you must tell them and that travel IS permitted into France. I have written confirmation that a) they know that I intend to drive in France and b) the hire car insurance (& roadside recovery) will be valid in France, so I think that the insurance will cover it. What I wouldn't do is go ahead with just the verbal OK from the desk staff when the T & Cs that I had signed up to say that it's not permitted, which appears to be the current situation with Avis.

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@Arctic Roll, See above! I would swap some emails with them first.

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@Matt1959, You may be right, but I think if you're admitting that you're breaking the law, that probably invalidates the whole deal. I'd rather have it black and white from the hire company.

Thanks for the advice, and the tips re Petrol Stations

I've currently got a good deal with Budget
It's cancelable, but I'll double check with them before I go

Would be happier seeing it in writing than verbal, but hopefully their T&Cs confirm

You know it makes sense.

Took 90 mins from joining the Alamo queue at Geneva last night to driving away. Not enough staff and the two that were on were taking ages for each transaction. That's what you get from picking the cheapest on Holiday Autos I guess.

Help!!

Car hire Geneva airport

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