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Hiring a car in UK to drive to Alps and snow chains

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We have chalet booked in Sainte Foy for the week before half term. Typically we've flown and then got a transfer to the resort from the chalet company that this year we thought we'd have a go at driving. Partly because of cost, partly because of the convenience of being able to buy food from the proper supermarkets in Bourg and partly because we just fancy a road trip.

There are 4 adults and one child travelling, so we thought we'd hire a 7 seater MPV to give us plenty of space.

Can anyone recommend hire companies that allow European travel? I'd planned on using enterprise, but on enquiry i find that they don't allow their cars out of the country. Hertz and Europcar allow European travel, but both are expensive.

The second problem is that i'm going to need snow chains but won't know exactly what car we'll be getting until we pick it up on the day of travel. I'm sure i won't be the first person to have this problem.....any suggestions on how to get round it? Is there somewhere reliable en route in france that we can buy them from? We'll be stopping at the supermarket in Bourg anyway but i'd hate to get to bourg and then find they don't have the right size chains and not be allowed up the mountain!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
This is not really going to be a helpful post, I used to work for Enterprise and your correct regarding them not allowing the vehicles out of the country.

We would never guarantee a certain car, but i am sure if you ring up and specifically state that you need a car such as a Ford Galaxy, or ask whatever company you use, which is the MPV they have most of in fleet, that you need to be certain you get that car, and potentially pay a bit extra, they will get you that car. For example, we charged a customer a bit extra for an 8 seat Hyundai I800, as we had to travel further to collect one for them from another branch. This will work out slightly more expensive, but solves your problems with the chains

Avis, Hertz, Europcar will allow the cars out of the UK. You could potentially try Thrifty or Sixt too, but unsure if they allow out of the UK. Money talks in the car rental business, unfortunately. Wave a bit of a tip/extra income and they will get you the right car.
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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?
@lower, last year we needed to hire a van to take to Germany. A number of the bigger providers allowed overseas use but none provided snow tyres (which had just become a requirement in Germany, i think, but i'ld want them in Munich in January anyway), so the solution was this.
Get a price from a national chain. Contact a local hire operator and get them to price match. As a small operator with a limited fleet they provided exact van details and so tyre sizes. We bought the tyres and prior to the hire fitted them and post hire removed them. All a bit of a faff but the best we could do and we have the tyres in storage to repeat again this year.

So as you are going to France and so can travel on regular tyres with just a set of chains you could do the same and just buy the appropriate chains off the web in advance (plus you get to keep your hire funds within your local economy).
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Gethin89 wrote:
This is not really going to be a helpful post, I used to work for Enterprise and your correct regarding them not allowing the vehicles out of the country.

We would never guarantee a certain car, but i am sure if you ring up and specifically state that you need a car such as a Ford Galaxy, or ask whatever company you use, which is the MPV they have most of in fleet, that you need to be certain you get that car, and potentially pay a bit extra, they will get you that car. For example, we charged a customer a bit extra for an 8 seat Hyundai I800, as we had to travel further to collect one for them from another branch. This will work out slightly more expensive, but solves your problems with the chains

Avis, Hertz, Europcar will allow the cars out of the UK. You could potentially try Thrifty or Sixt too, but unsure if they allow out of the UK. Money talks in the car rental business, unfortunately. Wave a bit of a tip/extra income and they will get you the right car.


Appreciate the advice. Thrifty and Sixt do allow cars out of the UK to, but limit the mileage. Good tip on offering to pay extra to secure a specific vehicle. I don't want to find that i've bought the wrong size snow chains if i buy in advance or that i can't get them when i've picked up the car.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
My advice would be to hire the car and plan a stop-over in Lyon which should be before you need to use chains and go to a carrefour or fer vert to buy them for the size you need.

Or as an alternative; i knew someone who got the Eurostar to Paris with the chains in their bags and there picked up a Renault Traffic.

If they'd been given an alternative a) they would be amazed and b) it would still be a renault traffic just badged as an Opel!
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I recently bought chains in the geant supermarket in Albertville they have a good selection and are right next to decathlon for all your other needs.i had a hire car so it worked well,point of note you can't take chains on the plane as hand luggage as I found out at lyon airport!
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Are you friendly with any local garages? A few years ago, having started driving to the alps, we decided that our daily cars were too small for a family ski trip and spoke to a local independent garage (landrover indy - I know that's not what you're after). With a bit of discussion they put one of their sale vehicles on the road for us to hire (at pretty reasonable rates) and we insured it for the week through a short term insurance policy. We already had (2) sets of suitable chains though.
may be worth some research...
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Do yourself a favour and forget about the chains. They are useless and they are a nuisance. Get yourself some proper winter tyres.
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SkiingDad wrote:
Do yourself a favour and forget about the chains. They are useless and they are a nuisance. Get yourself some proper winter tyres.
Not sure you can say chains are useless. Sometimes they are invaluable, and sometimes the local police will stop you travelling any further unless you fit chains to your car.

Winter tyres are great and might reduce the occasions when you need to fit chains, but winters don't mean you can forget about chains entirely.
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What sort of car do you have at your disposal?
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Best of luck. I hired with Hertz in Norway and specifically booked and paid for a 4x4 Rav4. We arrived and we given a front drive Volvo. Very little desire to even consider doing anything about it. Eventually told if we waited 3hours they would get one from the next office. Did not bother in the end, as it was already very late, but had real fun getting the extra cost back.
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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.
The FWD Volvo was probably far better in the conditions than the 4x4 RAV.
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@Hells Bells, +1
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Hells Bells wrote:
The FWD Volvo was probably far better in the conditions than the 4x4 RAV.


It did manage to get us there only a couple of sideways moments.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
SkiingDad wrote:
Do yourself a favour and forget about the chains. They are useless and they are a nuisance. Get yourself some proper winter tyres.


That's not going to be viable with a hire car....
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I've taken front wheel drive VW to ski in the alps for the last ten years and always without winters tyres. Just used chains which we bought in Champion hypermarket and it's never had any problems getting there and back. Unless the hire car wheels are a very odd size you should have no problems getting chains from a french supermarket but definitely worth a practice install before you need to use them for real.
It's OK I'm ready for the mortar bombs of indignation after saying that!! I've got my tin hat on and asbestos clothing to approach my oven (currently cooking dinner) and meat packing gloves to use a sharp knife in the, kitchen Laughing Laughing
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I've taken front wheel drive VW to ski in the alps for the last ten years and always without winters tyres. Just used chains which we bought in Champion hypermarket and it's never had any problems getting there and back. Unless the hire car wheels are a very odd size you should have no problems getting chains from a french supermarket but definitely worth a practice install before you need to use them for real.
It's OK I'm ready for the mortar bombs of indignation after saying that!! I've got my tin hat on and asbestos clothing to approach my oven (currently cooking dinner) and meat packing gloves to use a sharp knife in the, kitchen Laughing Laughing
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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?
Quote:


Do yourself a favour and forget about the chains. They are useless and they are a nuisance. Get yourself some proper winter tyres.


You cannot think for one minute you may not need chains, I never used them last year but have had to use them twice this season so far. I have great winter tyres, but don't think you're never going to have to use chains.
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Cheaper to buy snow chains in the supermarkets in the valleys on the way to resort than hire them. They are heavy though so add to your luggage on the way back if you fly.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Suggestions to "forget about the chains" are plain wrong, and irresponsible. Normally I don't think it makes sense to rent a vehicle in the UK and drive it to the Alps but we did just that, after buying our apartment, and drove a big van full of flat pack furniture out. We got chains on a "sale or return" basis and, as it happened, we did have to use them. On the last leg of the journey we were stopped, on a snowy road, because a car had gone over the edge into the forest and was being pulled out by a breakdown truck, obliquely across the road. We had a nasty feeling we wouldn't get going again, as the traction had been dodgy for a couple of miles. It took us a while to get the chains on (lack of practice!) but we'd not have got up the hill without them. We then couldn't return them, and they were far too big for our ordinary size car. IIRC we subsequently gave them away to a Snowhead who was driving a van to the Alps with some kids doing race training.

If you get stopped by gendarmes insisting you use chains, your protestations about winter tyres are likely to get you absolutely nowhere.

Unless you have a capable 4WD with good winter tyres, you could find yourself really stuffed if you have no chains.

On the other hand, you can certainly buy them on your drive down through France - just don't leave it till the last minute. On 3 January all the motorway service areas had sold out of chains and cars without them were being turned back at the péage booths.

And be aware that the cheap chains you are likely to buy won't be the easiest to fit. Practice!
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On the question of best place to buy snow chains, does anyone have any experience or advice on stocks that the French hypermarkets tend to hold?

Specifically, am looking for chains for 255/55/R19s that will work with alloys.

Thule offer a good-looking (well seem to be) system that are alloy safe, but they're fairly expensive (though not as expensive as the risk of not having the right gear for snow filled roads). Just weighing up the pros and cons of buying now vs risk of outlets not having the right stocks.

Mind you, the snow outlook doesn't look particularly threatening.... Laughing
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Cacciatore, you can be sure that buying chains in advance will ensure dry roads all the way. But if you are careful about your alloys and have unusual wheels, I'd buy good ones, particularly if they are likely to be useful for future trips.

The supermarkets en route to the Alps were reported to have run out of chains at new year.

The motoring shops (Feu Vert etc) have better stocks than supermarkets. But would you really want to be running about shopping around for chains?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@pam w, we've built in an extra day for travelling with an overnight stop en-route, so time isn't the issue. Just the challenge of finding the right solution for fairly large tyres and not wanting to damage the alloys.

Looking at these http://www.snowchains.com/4x4-snow-chains/thule-k-summit-xl?ts=0
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@Cacciatore, have a look on Roofbox Company. They have some Maggi traks which are similar to the Thule K-summit, but at a more reasonable price. J had ours sorted out in no time last weekend.
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here's the link http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php/car-accessories/package_maggi_trak_4x4_chains_pair_no_lt52/Qx%40w%2C6M42VAwp3%40o9%60tNcO.%2CzPoNLud0z~
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@Cacciatore, We have these chains. They're very good and easy to fit.
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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.
Thanks @Hells Bells Very Happy

They seem to recommend the same make/model according to the site. The Maggi traks look good, and certainly a tad less expensive.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
And thanks to you also, @Waffle.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Cacciatore, really good service, if you fill in all your car details, and you needed extra wheel nut adaptors they let you know. I've had loads of stuff from them over the past few years, and always reliable and deliver really quickly. Last time we ordered a roofbox it arrived at 9am after ordering at 5.30pm the night before.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Nice one, thanks again Hells Bells.

Now, just need to hope that they will indeed need to be used in anger Toofy Grin
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Cacciatore, Toofy Grin
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Cacciatore, I have maggi traks, though no alloys. Don't know whether they have lots of different ones, but I've found them good to fit. The Roof Box Company is terrific.
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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?
Vans for Bands have 9-seat vans that are available to be hired in the UK and driven to the Alps. Rates are provided for a 10-day hire, including winter tyres, chains, insurance (over 21) and European breakdown cover. They have 'standard' vans and 'luxury' vans available, the 'luxury' vans include leather seating and entertainment systems. All vans provide spacious seating and exceptional amounts of luggage space. Rates between £1330 and £1810 for a 10-night rental. They have over 50 x vans available for rental.

This may sound like a commercial announcement and (in many ways) it is. However, the vans are offered in an attempt to offer UK skiers something that doesn't seem to be readily available - a large vehicle that can be taken abroad, with winter tyres, chains and insurance all included in the price. Hopefully, this post will be allowed to remain as interesting information from an independent company rather than blatant corporate promotion. I did try and check with moderators first.

Anyway, if you want to escape potential Covid disruptions and airline cancellations, have a look at the following link. Or search 'vans for bands'. Also, any feedback that members of this forum are able to provide would be appreciated. Thanks again. Hope I haven't broken too many site rules.

https://www.vansforbands.co.uk/winter-holidays
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Quote:

Hope I haven't broken too many site rules.


Well, resurrecting an ancient thread isn't against the rules. And some of us are still here.......and you are being honest about your promotion, which not everybody is. Your rates seem quite reasonable compared to some of the daft prices for hiring from Geneva airport!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Have a look at ‘The Out’. A variety of Land Rover : Range Rovers with snow chains and europe travel
Included
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@pam w, thanks. I'll have a look at the site rules. I was a bit worried about posting, but the vans (minibuses) available do provide answer to the original question regarding UK car hire to the Alps - so I thought, why not?.

Yes, an ancient post but hopefully still relevant. Glad you think the rates are reasonable too. With fuel, tolls and a crossing, a group of 8 could get to resort and back to the UK for a total of between £2000 and £2500 we think. Not too bad, especially when compared to half-term flight/transfer prices for a similar sized group. Perfect for 2 x families sharing or a group of friends!
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