 Poster: A snowHead
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sarah, did you book direct with Sixt, or via Holiday Autos?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| sarah wrote: |
| I remember this because I asked on here to rob@rar and I am pretty sure he said he never requests them and never pays a winterization fee and that the cars always had tyres and mostly chains too. |
That is indeed my experience. Always had winter tyres regardless of which rental company I end up with. Always had chains with Alamo and Hertz, but mostly not with Budget. If you want a guarantee that you will have both chains and tyres you should pay the extra for the winterization when you book. But if you want to save a bit of money you could decline that extra fee and run the risk (small IMO) that you will need to buy chains from a local supermarket and the potential hassle that entails.
BTW, I've never been allocated a car with Sixt when booking via Holiday Autos. |
And run the risk that if they allocate you to Sixt you won't get chains unless you ask for them and pay and that you will get a bill afterwards for the tyres anyway.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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rob@rar, via HA. I think I was unlucky. I think it is unfair that HA allow Sixt to charge for both whereas Budget and Alamo include the tyres and maybe the chains, as this is not clear when you are making your booking and you have no choice of which supplier you will get.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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sarah, was it at a very busy time, New Year or half-term for example? I've never heard anyone say they were allocated a car with Sixt.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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rob@rar, nope. Very quiet time I would have thought, 3-10 Jan.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| sarah wrote: |
| rob@rar, nope. Very quiet time I would have thought, 3-10 Jan. |
Yes, one of the quietest weeks of the ski season. I shall keep my fingers crossed I don't end up with Sixt.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Hurtle wrote: |
| Hmm, we've just changed our Holiday Auto booking from Alamo to Budget |
Did you ask HA to do that for you? I've just emailed them to change from Alamo to another rental company and I'm waiting for a reply. Hopefully Alamo will get the message if they can see that they are loosing bookings because of this silly shuttle bus charge. |
To update, I've just heard back from Holiday Autos saying that I should pay the shuttle bus fee to Alamo then claim it back from Holiday Autos. Must remember to do this afterwards. Probably a good outcome: I should get chains included with the car from Alamo and will (eventually) not have to pay the shuttle bus fee.
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| Quote: |
I've just heard back from Holiday Autos saying that I should pay the shuttle bus fee to Alamo then claim it back from Holiday Autos.
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That's just what I did, though Alamo only charged us one way on the bus  . But still I reckon it's easier to walk.
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brian
brian
Guest
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| backhojo wrote: |
easycar is really clear as they are providing the service whereas hol autos are simply agents |
No, they're a broker as well.
The actual providers at GVA are:
Hertz, Avis, Budget, Europcar, National/Alamo and Sixt.
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no chains for free with Budget through Holiday Autos at GVA. All cars at GVA will have winter tyres, it's the law. Apologies if this has already been said - didn't read it all...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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All cars at GVA will have winter tyres, it's the law.
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All cars at Swiss Geneva. But the question is - will they be charged extra? The answer seems to be that sometimes they will!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Sorry sarah, I didn't realise they had charged you for the tyres as well. That really does stink.
I really do think HA have a problem with things on the voucher because they have Terms and Conditions that you effectively sign (by agreeing you have read them) and so I am fairly sure they aren't allowed in UK law at least to have any compulsory charges after that.
I'll definitely be asking for a refund of the bus charge on my return if only to cause them some 'pain' so that the policy might change in the future.
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rob@rar, what is the Virgin code please?
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| brian wrote: |
| backhojo wrote: |
easycar is really clear as they are providing the service whereas hol autos are simply agents |
No, they're a broker as well.
The actual providers at GVA are:
Hertz, Avis, Budget, Europcar, National/Alamo and Sixt. |
i thought i had seen cars with "easycar" stickers on them implying they are their own cars ?
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brian
brian
Guest
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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i see ! thanks
i am wondering if the winter tyres issue can be avoided by hiring from the french side (although I am not keen due to my past experience)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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backhojo, AFAIK cars from the French side don't come with winter tyres unless you pay for them.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
cars from the French side don't come with winter tyres unless you pay for them.
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that's my understanding, too. And unless you save a lot, it's irritating to have to buy the Swiss motorway vignette (or test your navigational skills my avoiding the motorway).
It's so difficult to get a clear picture on this snow tyres/chains question - I once, when spending a boring hour waiting for a late flight into Geneva, went round the car hire desks asking about it and getting some prices, and I wasn't much wiser afterwards. Overall, in the cost of a ski holiday, it's not a huge deal, frankly. But when I see people asserting that on the Swiss side you'll always get snow tyres and chains included in the cost, I feel obliged to correct them!!
You won't necessarily get chains even if you ask for them AND are prepared to pay for them, particularly on the French side. I realise you have your own chains (though be aware that there are zillions of different tyre sizes) but very often people don't think of chains until they're in resort and wake up to find fresh snow on the road the morning they have to drive back to the airport.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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ohhhh - its too confusing !!
I agree with everythign you have said pam w. I checked my snow chains and they fit about 25 different tyre sizes and I reckon they will fir a ford focus or similar as that is what they were bought for. I agree about the cost being only a small % of the total but everything adds up. why pay for somethign you dont need or want !! if it snows I put the chains on. if it doesnt then i drive on normal tyres ! I also resent not having the choice and being forced to pay for it.
how easy is it to avoid the swiss motorways if i have my trusty tom tom with me ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
how easy is it to avoid the swiss motorways if i have my trusty tom tom with me ?
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I don't know - I used a map initially, but now I know the way, though I generally use the motorway and always have a vignette anyway because I go to Gva airport a lot so it's well worth the modest cost. I suggest you get a route from viamichelin.com - there's an option to avoid tolls. You'll need to doctor the route you get unless you also want to avoid the French tolls, of course. A tomtom might work (I've only just acquired one, so haven't tried it, and because I've heard that satnavs which show safety cameras are illegal in Switzerland I'm not sure that I will). I have found that my tomtom takes some very odd routes around our area in the French alps - I've tried it out through curiosity and I'd be reluctant to trust it 100% in an area I didn't know well. I certainly wouldn't consider it without a paper map to fall back on.
From the airport, if you just head down to the lake into Geneva central, you can pick up signposting to Chamonix etc The signposting is pretty good, but within Geneva ALL the signposting back to the airport will be to the Swiss side.
a useful scale map is at http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/int/dyn/controller/Cartes?strCountry=EUR&strAddress=Geneva&strMerged=&x=20&y=9&ie=UTF-8
to find the French sector you need to look for Ferney Voltaire - there's no signposting to the French sector of the airport in Geneva, all signs will take you to the French side.
Personally, I'd advise people who don't know the area and/or don't have a really good map and a burning desire to save a few euros to hire a car on the Swiss side, relax and enjoy the holiday. It's not worth striving to save a few bob only to have the kind of nightmare you describe above or to find yourself kneeling in the snow mounting snowchains which are just a fraction small for your wheels.
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I think this has been said before but to put it on this thread, snow tyres are not legally required on private cars in Switzerland, but if you are involved in a "sliding" accident and don't have them the police may prosecute and your insurance company may also cause problems. If it is snowing and you are trying to get up to a resort in France the police may turn you back if you don't have chains.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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brian, skimom, thanks guys - will keep for future reference!
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| backhojo, compare them with this discount code from Holiday Autos. |
thanks for this - gave me 15% off !!
I booked over the phone as they forced the booking to go with alamo due to the chains/snow tyres issue.
I phoned up to enquire about the position with regard to snow chains and the operator knew the answer immediately - obviosuly been asked many times before. He said if you book with alamo then tyres and chains included. I asked how i do this as the website does not give me a choice - he said i could book over the phone and he can manually force the booking to go with alamo !
0871 472 5229 is the number to call
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Nice one backhojo, useful to have the number. I was contractually obliged to pay for winter tyres with Sixt a couple of weeks ago after booking through HA. It's not the money, it's the principle. Oh all right, it's the money. 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Quote: |
0871 472 5229 is the number to call
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but not for too long - it's expensive.
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i called from work !!! 
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You know it makes sense.
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or courtesy of saynoto0870.com try 01483 909697
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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One more question about car hire - do you get a map in the car??? with Alamo.
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Poster: A snowHead
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skimom, no.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cheers... will photocopy the relevant pages then, as don't want to carry our map - and the route to Grand Bornard looks very simple, but DH much happier with a piece of paper to translate the viaMichelin instructions.
One day to go... I think we are just about ready... just need to chase the people I bought the waiver insurance from as the policy email hasn't shown up!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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So - we're back.
We waited nearly 2 HOURS for a car at Geneva.... ridiculous, there were only about 6 people in front of us in the queue.
When we got the agreement it had a charge on it of 8.07CHF Environment Tax - we pointed out that on our voucher it said Environment tax was included and we were told we had to pay it and take it up with Holiday Autos on our return. I asked about the bus and was told categorically there would be no charge. In the end we walked anyway, and it was quicker.
We just received our Alamo invoice and on it is a "Busing Charge" - for 8.07CHF!
Have written to HA with a copy of the original agreement which calls it an Environment Tax and asked for a refund.
I scraped the bumper while I had the car and expected to see charges as we didn't take insurance out with Alamo to cover the excess (I took it out separately), but nothing has been put on the invoice - does this mean I haven't been charged? or will we get a separate invoice for damage?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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skimom, did the Alamo agent notice the scraped bumper when you checked the car back in?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Nope - because it was 4.30AM! there was nobody there.... we just took some photos and dropped the keys.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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skimom, OK, that's an early start!
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Yup... not sure we would do it again, leaving the apartment at what was 2am uk time has thrown us somewhat out of kilter all week, it saved us £2-300, but we felt like we had jetlag. Nice empty plane though and VERY fast luggage collection LOL!
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Guys,
Going skiing next weekend via Geneva Airport and eager to avoid the shuttle bus fee. Any chane somebody could give me clear directions for walking to the Car Hire Desks. Also, hve the cars moved or are they still where they have always been?
Thanks
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Collected my Alamo car on monday (last few have been through Budget) told them I would be walking to the garage to collect (which I prefer to do regardless of charges) but was told "we will charge you anyway, we have no choice on the system"! So I annotated all the agreement docs 'will be walking to garage' and they can stick their charges. I know Holiday Autos will refund me when it goes on my card but I have a good mind to force a refund through my card provider as fraudulently applied charges. Honestly talk about 'computer says no'. 
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It obviously depends who you get - the bloke we had said he knew nothing about a bus charge - it was free, whether we used it or not. However he did insist we pay the Environment Tax even though our voucher said that was included. We'll see...
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FAQ
