 Poster: A snowHead
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We're flying to Geneva next January for a week's hol (resort TBC, but almost definitely northern French Alps) and I'm considering car hire in order to reach resorts which aren't accessible by the cheap, shared transfers we usually take. However, cost is a concern. I've looked at car hire websites for quotes, and sH threads, but there's little consistency in what's included and it's difficult to find an approximate figure. So the question is: how much should you budget for car hire, not including petrol, tolls, vignette? A small car is fine and it's Saturday pm to Saturday pm.
That's the main question, but if you're still reading, there are a few more details below.
SpoilerAssumptions based on a little research - if you think any of these are wrong then say so:
1. Hiring from Swiss side is better: "winterisation" is included, which basically means winter tyres, but...
2. Extra costs: snow chains - may not be included in the winterisation fee. If not included, is it cheaper to buy them near Geneva than to pay the hire company for them. Petrol - should already include additive for low temperatures if in the Geneva / northern French Alps region. Tolls - for French motorway. Vignette - for Swiss motorway, but is it worth buying or just avoiding Swiss motorway (I know there's a way to avoid it, but is it worth the time / hassle?), and will the car probably have a vignette already?
3. Anything else I've missed?
Total cost of past transfers below, to get an idea of what we usually pay.
2015 Alpe d'Huez (Ben's Bus from Grenoble) - £93
2016 Les Carroz (Alpine Transfers from Geneva) - £102
2017 La Plagne (Ben's Bus from Geneva) - £159
Not quite expecting to match these figures, but more than £250 or so all-in might be a deal breaker...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Never over 200/week, usually closer to 150, for a fiesta or golf sized car. Nearly always direct not through an agent, usually with a legit discount code for Avis, budget or hertz that tends to knock around 15% off rack rate.
I often use autoeurope to get an idea on prices, but book direct.
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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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Try a clearing house eg Rentalcars and you'll have a v good idea of hire cost within 5 mins.
Don't forget insurance ie covering excess, there's a thread on that here somewhere ie using a separate company to the rental company and at a substantial saving.
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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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@denfinella, why not approach the car hire companies or agents (I use arguscarhire) and see what they quote. I think that will be more accurate than asking us lot.
Do not assume that the French side is cheeper, some times it isn't. Though I generally find hiring from the French side more convenient the cars rarely have a vignette. No one has reported a problem with taking Swiss rental cars into France
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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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@snowdave, thanks. That's cheaper than I was expecting - when I've looked in the past it tends to be a bit more than that. Is there an optimum time in advance to book, like with flights? Or doesn't it really matter. Also, does your figure include winterisation / winter tyres, and does it include snow chains?
@Double Bombardino, @johnE, thank you. Yes, we'll need to think about whether to get insurance to cover excess. Though it's not compulsory?
I've looked at various companies and comparison sites, but it's unclear whether the prices they give are all-in prices, or whether extra fees would be added once you arrived at the terminal (e.g. for chains, winterisation... though some websites did specify that the latter was included) or once you'd jumped through the various booking process hoops.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@johnE, I am modestly surprised that you find the French side more convenient, but then I realise the cars are probably in the adjacent car park whereas the Swiss ones are a wee bit away (stupid idea...)
@denfinella, booking at the last minute is not optimal... obviously!
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@denfinella, Book as early as you can. Decent sized car can range from £120.00 a week if you book early to £120.00 a day if you rock up at the airport with no booking. (Keep an eyes out for discount codes. They do actually get you real discount. Also check parking for your resort. Last time we went to Val Thorens we paid more for parking than we did for the hire car. Cham and Les Contamines have free parking, but they are so close than transfers can work out cheaper. We usually use carhire3000. Sometimes you get a really cheap deal and sometimes they screw it up entirely, but if you check everything on confirmation of the booking you should be OK.
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@under a new name, Its especially convenient if you have only carry on luggage. You drop the car off, walk up the stairs drop the keys off and straight through security. There is never a queue
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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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@denfinella, my figure is all in. If you book direct then in my experience the big companies include everything. Insurance excess cover is extra, but I get that on my credit card or you can take an annual policy for peanuts.
Optimum time to book - whenever the prices reach my target level! Sometime I reserve on a fully flex cancellable rate early on, the optimise pricing later if/ when better deals emerge.
My general experience of agents, when it comes to booking cars, flights, hotels etc is that the price is never as good as you can get directly, the service is worse, and there an intermediary to screw things up which they will universally do. I travel quite a lot for work and holidays and almost never use any kind of agent.
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@under a new name, yes I realise that 
@Thornyhill, if I could get a week's winterised hire for £120, I'd book today! But I can't see anything at snowdave's target price. Most of the resorts I'm looking at (i.e. ones you can't get a shared transfer to) have free parking.
@snowdave, thanks, good to hear that everything's included when booking directly. And yes, I've heard a few horror stories from people who have booked through third parties. Insurance excess cover - would it be stupid not to get it? Annual policy might not be expensive if you use it for multiple trips, but we very rarely hire.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@denfinella, which dates? I'm looking for 10 days at Xmas/ny at the moment and can get a fiesta for about 250 (i.e. About 200 a week) from dollar, or a golf from Avis for 360 using a BA discount code. I'd have thought my dates are peak period and anything later in Jan should be some way less.
re insurance excess - I've always had it because my credit card has always given it, but I've never claimed in 15 years... then again, I've been lucky with what the returns agents have missed when I've parked in a dingy corner of Geneva...
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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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@snowdave, Jan 20th (early afternoon) - 27th (early evening).
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For me it's tended to come in at around £250/week from the Swiss side of Geneva airport, for a Ford Focus sized, car booking well in advance from rentalcars.com. More expensive than most other places in my experience.
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