 Poster: A snowHead
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Just sorted a weeks skiing in Montgenevre at Easter. We're flying into Turin and were looking to hire a car there but I've read on here stories of being charged for loads of extras ('Mafia' tactics) when you get there. We experienced something similar in Spain earlier this year when we got hit with £150 of extras despite assurances from their website there were none. This time I'm hoping that going with a bigger name (Hertz, Avis, Rent-A-Car, Enterprise) will ensure we don't get clobbered with hidden charges.
Can anyone advise on the best value car rental to use from Turin Airport Airport. 2 adults, 2 kids with bags (no ski/board bags) so an economy/mid-sized car upwards is needed.
Best I've found so far was Enterprise for a 4 door Renault Clio (we'd just squeeze in) quoting £ 178.78 GBP (€ 228.76 EUR), which seems very reasonable but perhaps too good to be true. Does anyone have any experience of them at Turin and whether there are any additional charges?
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We were caught out by a company called "Gold finch" or something similar renting a car from Milan during the summer. They came out cheapest on the Argus web site, but they managed this by charging some ridiculous amount for fuel and insisting we bought the car back empty and they would put the fuel in. They added over 100 euros to the fill the car which we could have bought for 50 euros ourselves. I believe this is a Spanish company. I found them very unpleasant to deal with at the airport
Steer clear of them.
To me 230 euro for a week's rental of a clio seems about right.
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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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make sure you get chains if there's any snow about (as you hope there will be, obviously).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We used Enterprise in Nice last week and was surprised to be told when picking it up that the insurance against the excess for any damage etc would cost us £20 per day.
No idea of this is an international rate though 
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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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@Ray Zorro, it's nearly always cheaper to arrange your own excess insurance separately. I think some travel insurance policies include it, though mine never have.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@johnE, thanks, sounds very similar to us. There were extras both when we arrived and when we dropped the car back. They were also pretty unpleasant to deal with, chatting away (obviously about us) in Spanish, because I'd questioned all the extras. Soured my view of car rental abroad but I'm sure there's some good ones out there.
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We used Enterprise in Nice last week and was surprised to be told when picking it up that the insurance against the excess for any damage etc would cost us £20 per day.
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This all seems quite underhand, especially for a reputable name. How is this not regulated more tightly in Europe when they even intended to ban bent bananas 
I've found a slightly better quote at £165 for a Pug 208 (slightly bigger, 1 child seat, snow chains (thanks pamw)) with Thrifty, sounds quite fair.
Edit: Reading the T&C's noticed that Theft Protection (TPC) is mandatory and NOT included in the rental rate €9/day. Total would be £208, which is still £80 less than the cost of a transfer.
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@JuJitsoup, Many resorts have mandatory car park charges these days. May I suggest that you check out the situation at Montgenevre, but even so you will have a transfer at you convenience not the convenience of the bus company.
May I also suggest you arrange your own CDW and theft insurance in the UK before traveling (It will almost certainly cost less than the £72 you have been quoted for theft alone) and then just keep saying no to all the extras they try pushing on you.
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@pam w, I never knew that you could do that - but now find that an annual multitrip European policy would only cost about £39. Bargain. 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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@johnE, thanks for the tip, two questions: do they not insist that you use their own insurance? and could you recommend someone in the UK who could offer CDW and Theft insurance to cover Italy and France?
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I have an annual europe wide CDW policy with www.questor-insurance.co.uk which costs £35. Even if I only rent for 10 days a year it more than pays for itself.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I rented with Sicily Car in Bologna last Feb, they wanted a 1500 EUR deposit. 
I wasn't prepared for that, and also it made me feel uneasy. I arrived after hours, and ended up not getting the car, but taking the train up with a transfer, was about the same cost as the rental car without the worry of dealing with mafia type tactics after the fact.
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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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@JuJitsoup, I got stung for quite a few 'extras' thru Hurtz a few years ago at Turin. I'd avoid them.
Also watch out for hideous pea-soup fog in the Aosta valley which can make the self-drive experience very unpleasant
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@red 27, yes, that fog can be horrible. 30mph speed limit when vis is less than 100m.
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You know it makes sense.
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Lots of signs to that effect between Turin and the Frejus tunnel.
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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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Your thread just reminded me to book our car. Just paid £90 for the week- for a car for 5 people. Booked through money supermarket.com. We hire cars alot and just say NO to all the extras. They have never insisted we use their insurance but they will take a credit card number. We havent been stung for charges (yet!) The stand alone annual excess policies are really good and much better value.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@nem, thanks will give them a try. Where/who are you hiring from?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@pam w, Worst drive of my long life was back from Cervinia to Turin with the fog too thick to even read the signs on the motorway with no idea where I was going never having been to either before. It felt like the vis was about 6 inches past the front bumper. I know you're a regular Alpine motorist and I take my helmet off to you, but for me, Never Again!
On the plus side, the fog meant our flight was delayed so we caught it 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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We are hiring from Turin- going to Sauze- half term week. I'd much rather not drive but cheapest transfers were over £300 for a family of 5. I searched through money supermarket and ended up choosing argus car hire. We are going on the Friday so I dont know if that makes any difference to price. We'll make the chains judgement on the day! good luck.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| red 27 wrote: |
| @JuJitsoupAlso watch out for hideous pea-soup fog in the Aosta valley which can make the self-drive experience very unpleasant |
Thanks for tip, hadn't even considered driving conditions, was assuming it was going to be bright blue ski's all week. 
Is this a major occurrence? If this is on the main route to Montgenevre would the transfer bus/taxi also not have to deal with this?
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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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@JuJitsoup, Driving conditions can be a real issue - if it snows and/or is foggy then the drive becomes very much more 'exciting'. Bright blue in the mountains often equals fog in the valley, especially at night.
Cab drivers would also have to deal with it but of course they're used to it and know the roads like the back of their hands. It's perfectly doable of course, but forewarned is forearmed...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| red 27 wrote: |
@JuJitsoup, Driving conditions can be a real issue - if it snows and/or is foggy then the drive becomes very much more 'exciting'. Bright blue in the mountains often equals fog in the valley, especially at night.
Cab drivers would also have to deal with it but of course they're used to it and know the roads like the back of their hands. It's perfectly doable of course, but forewarned is forearmed... |
Thanks again, will do the prep beforehand.
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@red 27, I've been fortunate the few times I've transited the Po Valley - no fog. I don't drive in thick fog. Have had to stop much earlier than planned twice now, on the drives to and from Calais/Alps, because of fog - though nothing like as bad as you describe. Motorways are the safest roads; except in fog. 
That's why I never plan my long journeys too tightly and don't book hotels in advance. If it's a clear moonlit night I might drive all night (can be delightful, with good music and maybe an audio book). If it's foggy, or even misty, with rain and poor vis, or if I feel unwell or tired, I'd generally stopover.
In the actual mountains, with yer actual snow, provided the traffic is light, which it generally is, it's fine - quite exciting, really, as it's always good to see heavy snow (unless you're on your way home of course).
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Journeys to airports need to allow plenty of time if there is any prospect of bad weather. Awfully stressful driving to an airport under time pressure.
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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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Avoid Hertz Italy. I hired a Honda Civic a few years back and it broke down in Risoul. They didn't want to know. I had to hitch back and never did get a refund.
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