 Poster: A snowHead
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Huge price difference between French and Swiss car hire prices at the moment i.e. Opel Corsa from France £255.00 from Switzerland £639.00 (Yes I realise no winter tyres, or motorway vignette French side etc etc)
So, can I get to the French car hire drop off from the Swiss Motorway (having bought a Vignette) ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yes, come off the motorway, go under the tunnel, through the border, then take a hard left turn, and follow the road to round to the French car hire return point.
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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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@boredsurfin, head for Ferney Voltaire. It is fairly easy once you remember that you leave the roundabout at the motorway exit at what appears to be an entrance. Ignore airport signs and head under the runway. As @WindOfChange, says turn sharp left after coming through the border. The filling station is on your right. However if you ignore it or, as when I was there in the summer the card reader doesn't work then turn left at the big roundabout, go down that road for a mile or so to another roundabout, turn left again iinto a shopping area where the Lidl filling station is 10 cents a litre cheeper.
You drop the car off at the airport terminal so there is no need for a shuttle bus as with the Swiss side.
If you only have hand luggage then there is never a queue at the French security check. I can easily understand how the 7 year old girl walked straight through. In fact I think the last time I went through they didn't check my boarding card.
So remember Ferney Voltaire not airport
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That price is outrageous. In two years of hiring 15-20 cars a year from GVA I have never paid more than £350 for a week... from the Swiss side.
I normally rent from Europcar, using my Easyjet Plus free upgrade. Sometimes Rentalcars.com have some comparable deals.
£639 for a week is Range Rover money.
Messing about with chains and the extra 30 minutes each way driving would make me pay £100 on top for the simplicity of renting from the Swiss side, but the difference is rarely that much.
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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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| Quote: |
30 minutes each way driving
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How? There is almost no difference in driving time, but the French side is far less of a hassle to pick up and drop off. I think it is quicker.
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@boredsurfin, I've only seen relatively small price gaps (10-25%) this season between the French and Swiss sides. What dates are you looking at? I'll see if any of my selection of discount codes work...
As others have said, it's pretty easy to get back to the French side, you can check it out on google streetview as well to learn the route.
I find the rental desks equivalent in time from the airport - the actual time from arrivals to car is almost identical on both sides (I rarely use the shuttle bus as its quicker to walk on the Swiss side) - baggage hall to car is +/- 10 mins either way, including key collection. However, it was a few minutes (?10?) longer drive last time I returned to the French side.
The snow tyres swing it for me every time tho'.
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@snowdave, @bar shaker, Sorry, I didn't mention that it is a 14 day hire.
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Also, have a look at rentalcars.com
They can have some good deals. If you can't find a better deal at the airport, a taxi to the City branches is only an extra 10-15 mins. Christmas and New Year have already got fiercely expensive but away from those you should find a decent price.
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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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I'd agree with @johnE that the difference in driving time is negligible. I've never come across that magnitude of difference between French and Swiss prices. Though neither have I come across anything as cheap as £255 for an Opel Corsa for 2 weeks. Are we comparing apples and pears here?
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Sometimes the Swiss side is cheeper than the French side sometimes (often) it is the other way round. The prices are sometimes startling.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I do find it frustrating that when hiring cars in general in the alpine area of France in the winter that the option to hire with snow tyres is so rarely available. Why is this, when Germany, Italy , Austria etc get their act in gear and make snow tyres a bookable option?
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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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| SStreet wrote: |
| I do find it frustrating that when hiring cars in general in the alpine area of France in the winter that the option to hire with snow tyres is so rarely available. Why is this, when Germany, Italy , Austria etc get their act in gear and make snow tyres a bookable option? |
Try renting in a winter airport in the US - Denver, SLC, Reno etc snow tyres almost never an option - you might get lucky if you get to choose the car but even a 4x4 which they'll try to guilt you into will have some crappy all purpose rubber on it.
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@pam w, I've booked the Corsa for £255 with Holiday Autos/ Alamo /Enterprise for 14 days. I tried it on my phone and it came back as 500+
so hey ho a bargain I have  (I have kept the emailed quote etc etc just in case!)
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You know it makes sense.
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well, congratulations, @boredsurfin! Result! For that difference in price I'd be quite content to put chains on and off a few times. Just make sure you get some. 
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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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pam w, Indeed as I have to do a couple of Taxi runs as well to GVA, buying the Vignette isnt a hardship either. After the last few Christmases I really hope I do need to buy chains 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Oddly in the dozens of times I have visited Les Arcs I have only had to put chains on twice. Then 2 weeks ago it snowed - in October and I was worried about getting down the hill. Fortunately it stopped and the road was clear.[
b]@boredsurfin[/b], Please tell us how did you find the deal.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@johnE, Quite simple really, cleared the cache on my computer and then tried all the Hire firms and consolidators I could think of. The Holiday autos deal was so good I booked it there and then - I checked it on my phone using 4G and the deal wasnt shown again...
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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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@boredsurfin, I just got a quote of about £15/day via Auto Europe for an Alamo Corsa from Lyon St Exupery so this seems to be a common offer. Allergic to Vauxhall and their Eurotwin Opels tho' so I volunteered to pay an extra £2/day to get a car that won't bring me out in boils.
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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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@boredsurfin,
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cleared the cache on my computer and then tried all the Hire firms and consolidators I could think of
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I'm intrigued at how you got such a better deal. Would you mind telling more? For example, when are you travelling?
I've booked French side to advantage before...but never such a big price difference compared with Swiss side.
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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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@boredsurfin, SO the point is - always get rid of cookies, change your IP address and if possible your MAC when looking for anything from car hire to insurance.
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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: |
Allergic to Vauxhall and their Eurotwin Opels tho' so I volunteered to pay an extra £2/day to get a car that won't bring me out in boils.
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If you expect to get the exact make/model of car you booked, you could be in for a disappointment, @mcspreader.
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Edit
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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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@boredsurfin, something strange going on with Holiday Autos prices for those dates. For like for like cars, currently showing French side more expensive (£371) than Swiss side (£343). Can't understand the £639 price you were quoted, unless I'm misunderstanding something. Wouldn't be the first time.
Anyway, your £255 (£18/day) for French side looks a bargain.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Fri 10-11-17 16:21; edited 1 time in total
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@intermediate, My dates are all in 2017
Just redid my dates and got £373 Fr and £539 ch (14 days Economy car)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@boredsurfin, oops, sorry, wasn't thinking. New snow and forecasts of more gone to my head.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Fri 10-11-17 16:11; edited 1 time in total
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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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@intermediate,
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Fri 10-11-17 18:32; edited 3 times in total
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@boredsurfin, done, do you want to edit your 14.01 post too?
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You know it makes sense.
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intermediate, Done, thanks
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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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Bump
Just booking my end of January trip and French and Swiss sides are similar prices for a Ford Focus
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Poster: A snowHead
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| SStreet wrote: |
| I do find it frustrating that when hiring cars in general in the alpine area of France in the winter that the option to hire with snow tyres is so rarely available. Why is this, when Germany, Italy , Austria etc get their act in gear and make snow tyres a bookable option? |
It’s because they’re French and like to be awkward.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There have been some anguished posters who have completely failed to get winter tyres in Italy - even when they've been pre-booked. But Geneva simply isn't a problem - rent on the Swiss side. Problem solved.
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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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@Ford, book Swiss then.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| There have been some anguished posters who have completely failed to get winter tyres in Italy - even when they've been pre-booked. But Geneva simply isn't a problem - rent on the Swiss side. Problem solved. |
...and bizarrely I hired a car from Milan Malpensa in late May 2015 and was given a Mondeo estate with German plates and still wearing its winter tyres...very grippy round the bends!!
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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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BUMP
Thanks all, everything went well, bought socks and a vignette, had a free upgrade to a Citroen DS with a snowflake button on its auto shift!
One quick question approaching the Swiss border from France where 3 lanes slow down a speed camera flashed it may have been me or the cars in the other lanes has any one had a ticket from this camera? ( French hire car so if it was me I'm doomed to pay....)
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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: |
BUMP
Thanks all, everything went well, bought socks and a vignette, had a free upgrade to a Citroen DS with a snowflake button on its auto shift!
One quick question approaching the Swiss border from France where 3 lanes slow down a speed camera flashed it may have been me or the cars in the other lanes has any one had a ticket from this camera? ( French hire car so if it was me I'm doomed to pay....)
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'fraid so!
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@boredsurfin, yip, 25 euro admin fee from hire company for passing your details to police, this will come off your credit card very soon as they hold your card details & then a 45 euro fine from police via the post.
Think yourself lucky it was not on the swiss side, some of their speeding fines are eye watering.
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I read on a french newspaper website a couple of years ago (so cannot substantiate before you ask!); that that camera is the most productive in France. IIRC it generates over 2M euros/year.
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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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But at the point of flash there is 3 lanes so I guess i have a 1 in 3 chance of getting done.... 
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I got flashed elsewhere in France in a French rental, got letter and fee from rental company but never heard from police.
3 other flashes have not led to anything, but that was always Swiss or UK plates in France.
I know I need to drive slower!
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FAQ
