 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all
Heading to Grand Massif in January and travelling with Swiss air from London to Geneva and arriving on Swiss side of GVA. Any recommendations (either to go with, or avoid!) for car hire in Geneva Airport swiss side?
We've had a decent quote from Europcar but didn't know whether anyone had any recent hands on experience?
Cheers
Ol
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Have used Dollar - cheap but fine.
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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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@maidstone98, I used Europcar and they were fine. All usual car rental advice about small print, damage inspection, insurance, fuel, etc, etc apply!
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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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Used europcar a lot last season, always very straightforward and easy to deal with
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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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Last season we used; europcar, dollar, avis and sixt........ Pretty much nothing to choose between them, all had chains and vignette. Pick up and drop off from the same place etc etc etc.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Never had an issue with any of the rental places at GVA - even the discount brands (Firefly, Dollar etc) are just fronts for Europcar, Hertz and Avis.
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just realised you are heading back from grand massif, we fill up to the brim at the shell at bonneville and then straight thru to geneva and car always still full when we get there so no stress about filling up nearer the airport
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I use rentalcars.com and they seem to get good deals on the hire companies based in GVA.
In regards filling up petrol - check how many kms you get with the guage needle remaining pointed at Full in the outbound leg to figure out optimal petrol station to fill up on the way back. The self service station by the airport is often not working or always busy and a slow process.
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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 recommend getting some baseline prices using the GVA Car Hire pages as a starter. Most of these use the '.ch' sites which sometimes have offers that you don't see from .co.uk or .com sites (not always, but worth a try). I've also found that for a group, if you're considering two cars, the .ch pages sometimes have reasonable prices on minivan hire that aren't available on the .com site. See http://access.gva.ch/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-72/usetemplate-ACCESS_GVA_Interne/
The above page also has links to airport and access maps for the Swiss and French sides.
It might be worth signing-up with Hertz Gold (doesn't cost anything) and checking that you're not a member of any affiliated organisation. I'm a member of the Institute of Directors, and got a 30% discount (special offer - it's usually 10%) on Hertz for our hire when we go over at the start of December. Your employer may have some sort of tie-in to a preferred company. As long as you make it clear it's a private, not a corporate rental. Having a Hertz Gold card means you can go straight to the Hertz Gold desk which can be extremely useful if it's very busy.
It's also worth downloading the GVA App ahead of using the airport as this seems to post flight updates/gates etc ahead of the airline.
The car will need a Vignette. Just make sure it has a valid one - the 2017 vignette is valid through January 2018. If you're doing a Jan pickup and Feb return make sure it has the 2018 vignette fitted - they sometimes miss putting the new one on if they're very busy.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Wed 15-11-17 14:46; edited 1 time in total
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| Quote: |
In regards filling up petrol - check how many kms you get with the guage needle remaining pointed at Full in the outbound leg to figure out optimal petrol station to fill up on the way back.
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So what if the person before you did exactly the same thing?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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For fill-ups when you don't have the nerve for @2020rules method and the self service is busy or out of order it is one minute (I really do mean one minute) to the nearest petrol station on Avenue Louis Cassai. Do a lap round the outside of the multi-storey car park and head for Geneva centre and the nearest one is on your left after about 500m. Returning to the airport is less than 5 minutes and you can drop passengers and bags near check-in on the way and then go ditch the hire car.
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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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There is also a petrol station immediately before the entrance to the hire car car-park. Easiest of all. I've run out of luck previously, filling up at Bonneville services - been charged silly money for a few ml of fuel.
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| Quote: |
There is also a petrol station immediately before the entrance to the hire car car-park
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This. It I really not a problem using it.
And if you miss the shuttle bus it really isn't that far to walk to the pick up areas. Actually I don't normally bother with the shuttle bus.
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You know it makes sense.
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we usually pop round to the Super U at Fernie so we can fill up in France and not get charged for using our bank card abroad!
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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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I never bother with the shuttle bus, it's invariably quicker to walk. Always book through holidayautos and can get any of the operators, but I'm been very happy with Enterprise (who upgraded me to a BMW on my last trip)
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Poster: A snowHead
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Managed to get a good deal through www.avisba.com for our pre Christmas trip that was cheaper that the usual autoeurope deal.
No charge for a second driver when a member of the BA Exec club.
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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'm hiring from the swiss side for the first time at the end of Jan (31st) so the heads up re the vignette is really useful thanks. We have always hired from the French side as we go a lot in Summer too but I think I'll appreciate the winterised car after once getting stuck in Les Carroz with a French car! What's the situation with the no Swiss rentals allowed over the border rule? Has that died a death now?
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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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Avis still ask you to notify in advance that you're going to cross the border. My experience last year was that this invariably resulted in being given a German-plated car, and also a free upgrade if you'd gone for a small car since all the German cars were at least a compact estate vehicle.
Hertz seemed totally unconcerned. Avis did tell me it didn't really matter, but gave me the German car anyway, and are still operating on this basis as of a few weeks ago when I spoke to 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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Great stuff thanks! Now after years of hiring from the French side I'm going to have to learn to ignore the Ferny signs and head for the actual airport, weird!
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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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@AllyK, I took the Swiss side at Easter last year and missed the motorway to France while leaving the airport!. I bet no one else has ever managed that. And be careful returning, the roads near the airport are a little confusing with poor signs to the car hire and fast traffic on the service roads.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Do you still come through Geneva to the Jet D'Eau and the Mont Blanc bridge? I drove back to the French side in October in the pitch black and nearly missed the left turn after the tunnel!
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| Quote: |
I drove back to the French side in October in the pitch black and nearly missed the left turn after the tunnel!
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Due to the road barriers and the need to fill up I always go around the roundabout and return to the access road that way, but it clearly less well signposted than it used to be.
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Does anyone have a simple link to show which hire car companies are in the Swiss side vs. French side? i.e. seen decent offers from Europcar and Enterprise but didn't seem easy to tell on website whether french or swiss side
Thanks
Ol
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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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Many companies are on both sides, @maidstone98, and many of their websites give you the option between both, when you look at prices. For example, if you look at Europcar and put "Geneva" in the pick up field, it will give you drop down choices between the two. It is a tedious process, comparing many at a time!
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| Quote: |
| Do you still come through Geneva to the Jet D'Eau and the Mont Blanc bridge? |
Only if you have want to go sightseeing in Geneva or have no Swiss Vignette.
Otherwise it's motorway all the way to/from the airport. On the way back drive past the airport and follow signs for France/Ferney Voltaire.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Oh that's great! Having never done the Swiss side I have literally no idea. As we are heading for Evian first though I'd better check where to come off.
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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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Ah, there seems to be no difference in time and more miles so will probably head through Geneva centre as normal, at least I know my way.
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@AllyK, down past the UN and then round the lake shore would be my recommendation. Seems to get less clogged than through the centre. You still get to see the jet d'eau.
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You know it makes sense.
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@AllyK, or take the motorway towards Lausanne for 1 junction, and come off at Route de Lac, then just follow this road past the Botanic Gardens and keep the lake on your left until you get to Evian. As @DJL, says, you still get to see the Jet d'eau if its not too windy.
This route is part of my daily commute.
Although if it's rush hour, go via the UN.
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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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| 2020rules wrote: |
| just realised you are heading back from grand massif, we fill up to the brim at the shell at bonneville and then straight thru to geneva and car always still full when we get there so no stress about filling up nearer the airport |
I endorse that. It’s much quicker than filling up in Geneva. I’ve done the same for years and have never had to pay for a fuel top up.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I had to pay for a top up after filling at Bonneville.  You take a chance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Drop off attendant once told me that if they have to put more than a litre into the tank upon returning they will charge you the full cost for refuelling. I then took the car back out the car park and round the block to top it 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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I've completed roughly 50 car rentals from Geneva in the last 2 years and have never had to pay for a top up.
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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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Assuming the link below works, it shows the quickest routes to the nearest petrol station (ignoring the automated one next to the car rental, because the queues there are so often problematic). This can be quicker than driving the normal way through the airport back to the car rental (given the traffic lights and slow traffic) so overall no slower than Bonneville. The fuel is about 10% cheaper than Bonneville as well.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/46.2167604,6.0983088/46.2245721,6.1078553/@46.2205447,6.0965357,15.5z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0
That said, I often use Bonneville and ensure I fill the fuel right up to the top of the neck (about an extra 2L in most fuel tanks) so it is still actually full on return. Never had to pay for a topup but was threatened with it once after a dodgy fuel gauge that didn't read full even when it was brimmed.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Head for the centre of Geneva (the lake) - then out through Annemasse to the motorway (by which time you are in France)
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| MorganW wrote: |
| I've completed roughly 50 car rentals from Geneva in the last 2 years and have never had to pay for a top up. |
Same here.
I normally fill up at Seynod services so I suspect I use 2 litres getting back to GVA. I fully 'top' the tank and it's always showing full when I check the car back in. Never been charged in 25+ rentals over the last 2 years.
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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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Not City Auto Rental
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FAQ
I'm picking a car up from the French side for a trip to Courmayeur in a few weeks.
