 Poster: A snowHead
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Can anyone point me in the right direction ?
I am booking a car to pick up from Geneva airport and previously have only looked at the Swiss sites - Holiday Autos now prompts you to check the France site as well ! Appears you can pick up in 2 countries in 1 airport. Now I can remember reading a post that referred to that point but can't find it.
If anyone could point me in the right direction or has info on which country is best to book a car in (they both have quite different prices and options) I would be grateful.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Swiss side. Its much, much easier and about the same price when you take everything into consideration (swiss hires generally include snowchains and you dont need a pass/permit for Swiss motorways).
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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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Swiss side. Its much, much easier and about the same price when you take everything into consideration (swiss hires generally include snowchains and you dont need a pass/permit for Swiss motorways).
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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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philstor, I booked using Hertz to the Swiss side and they include snow tyres and snow chains as part of the price. Prices have sky rocketed recently, I booked a Ford Mondeo on 9-11-05 for £140 for a week starting 7th Jan. It's now £190 for a Fiat Panda.
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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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I always book Swiss side. There have been a couple of threads discussing this issue - a quick search using the Search Facility should find them.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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philstor, just in case you are still thinking - Swiss side.
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I have booked on both. Swiss better but I could never find a close petrol station and ended up paying the fuel charge ahhhhhhhh.
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chrisb, I always fill up in the service station on the A41 shortly before you join the A40. Although it's about 20 minutes drive from the airport just so long as I fill it right to the very top the fuel gauge still reads full by the time I get to the rental return garage. This saves driving around looking for a petrol station near the airport.
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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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having struggled with petrol in Geneva I reckon that, ironically, the easiest is on the French side, in Ferney Voltaire. It's very easy, once you know how, to get through to the French side, and back again. It's hardly any distance, and easier than the other petrol stations. Also useful to suss out the way through to the French side - the secret is to ignore ALL signs off the motorway to th airport (all of which seem to take you to the Swiss side) and follow signs to Ferney. This will take you under the runway and through the frontier - there's a close petrol station. There's also a massive supermarket, and a Lidl if you really want to stock up on cheap stuff. But I agree with the comments above - Swiss side is much easier for hiring a car, not worth struggling with the French side unless there's a huge price difference.
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On the map circled in red are 3 petrol stations on the French side under the runway, and all the little purple squares are also petrol stations.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Extra word of warning - the French Petrol stations tend not to be manned & you will need chip & pin - probbaly not a problem now but was a coupl of years ago when I had to get drive halfway back to Geneva to get petrol as there weren't even any locals around who'd trade cash for 20Euros of petrol
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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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For petrol at Geneva airport if you approach it from France, via the motorway....
As you approach the airport, instead of going down into the car hire return bit, follow the road signs for the departures area upstairs (right hand lane). Drive through the ticket barrier, collecting a ticket (it gives you 10 minutes free).
Drive to the end and let yourself out through the ticket barrier - you will drive round to a dual carriageway. On the right, almost straight away, there is a small entrance to an AGIP (yellow sign, black lion motif). You will need chip and pin to use it as it is unmanned at all times.
When you exit, turn right onto the dual carriageway (DO NOT ATTEMPT to turn left - the Swiss police will arrest you for it!!). Drive along to the first set of traffic lights, staying in the right hand lane. Take the first right turning and you drive up and around to another set. Turn right here, onto a bridge and move over to the left hand lane. Turn left here, using the filter lane and you will be back on the road, heading up to the airport.
Hope that helps. Took me ages to find it but is massively useful and worth the effort if you can find it. Next time you're there, after you've checked in, from where the Easyjet check in bit is, walk outside and look over to the right and you can see the petrol station I'm on about!
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| fatbob wrote: |
| Extra word of warning - the French Petrol stations tend not to be manned & you will need chip & pin - probbaly not a problem now but was a coupl of years ago when I had to get drive halfway back to Geneva to get petrol as there weren't even any locals around who'd trade cash for 20Euros of petrol |
The Swiss stations also use chip and pin. Apart from major ones they'll operate similar hours to the French ones.
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You know it makes sense.
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i have yet to find a French petrol station that will take any of my UK chip and pin cards, though they work OK in most supermarket.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Swiss side only other wise you can't use the Swiss Motorway!!!!!!!!!!!!! And you can get stuck in Town!!
Two things If heading back from Cham etc - there is a petrol station between the two Tolls - Fill up there - to the top Your tank will still read full as you get to the airport.
Cheapest car hire www.nova.co.uk Unless of course you have an American - Credit card and go direct on to a car co with a Yank address! Don't know why rip off uk I suppose!!
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FAQ
I stopped at one once and tried to use my German EC card which they refused, we discussed it and they were adamant they didn't accept that card. Which would be fair enough I suppose, but only the French could carry on arguing the point after I showed them receipt from two days previously from the same station that I still had in my wallet 