 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
Me and a couple of friends are hiring a car from Geneva airport and driving to Courmayeur 25th Feb - 1st March.
What's the best/cheapest way to navigate the toll roads and tunnel? I've often noticed the transfer drivers have some kind of device on their dash for the toll roads, do I need to get a pre paid card or just pay at the toll?
Any advice much appreciated!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Transfer drivers, and regulars use a toll device, automatically recognised, and charged to a bank account. It allows non-stop transit of tolls (not the tunnel though). For a hire car one-off it's not worth it, so just pay the tolls as you go.
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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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it is quite costly ...a return ticket only lasts 1 week otherwise its 2 singles at €53...check the website
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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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it is quite costly ...a return ticket(€65) only lasts 1 week otherwise its 2 singles at €53...check the website
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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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@Richpark, I know not as many flights but do you have an option to fly to Turin and avoid the tunnel all together?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Flixbus go from Geneva Airport and the city centre to Courmayeur.
I've used them at least once to go from Chamonix to Courmayeur and back for a day trip. I think I've also used Arriva Italia, but they only go from Chamonix and not Geneva.
I realise that doesn't help with the hire car question, but just giving it as an alternative in case it works out much cheaper for you. Certainly did for me, but I was travelling alone, so nobody to split costs with.
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We’ve used FlixBus to get from Geneva to Courmayer, doing it again this year too. It’s cheap and hassle free, there are several buses a day most days.
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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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Yeah, just pay at the booth. Get a round trip ticket if that fits your schedule (based on your dates I'd say it does).
You can check the traffic situation on the tunnel on the web. Might be helpful to load a site to your phone?
https://www.tunnelmb.net/en-US/webcams
https://en.chamonix.com/road-conditions
We had a car last year in Courmayeur. Was nice to be able to drive to Aosta and Bard (castle tour) in some of the poor weather we had without wondering about public transport.
Might be able to drive a long way around either north or south to avoid the tunnel. Drive around the lake and take the Grand San Burnado tunnel to Aosta. The google maps has it around 3.5 hours to Courmayeur via that route. We had a two hour delay at the tunnel from Chamonix to Courmayeur and knowing that ahead of time...if coming from Geneva...I'd probably pick the longer drive. Could always make a touristy day of it. Hit the castle at Montrose. Hit the distillery at Martigny (careful with the tasting...they're generous!) and the main museum (Fondation Pierre Gianadda) was great. Stretch your legs seeing the Roman theater and a few sights in Aosta.
Cheers.
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Out of interest, would going through the St. Bernard Tunnel via Martigny be any better or would it be swings and roundabouts? I’ve only ever used the St.Bernard to get to the Aosta Valley, from our place in the 4 Vallées.
Edit: OK, so that’s 3h20m vs 1h40 so perhaps not, unless as mentioned, you wanted to drop off in historic Martigny. Or stop at Le Chable and try out Verbier.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Fri 31-01-25 10:48; edited 2 times in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@LaForet, it would take longer non? Adds about an hour from Chx.
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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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Thanks for all your helpful replies. We have to fly to Geneva as we are tight on time and those flights are the only ones that work.
Transfers were going to be super expensive as it is mid week so opted for car hire.
I'll get a look at the long way round. Hopefully way there should be OK midweek but might be worth it on the way back. Although our hotel appears to be at the Italian entrance to the tunnel so might be able to skip the queues 
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Just sitting in a queue for an hour is surely preferably to haring all that way round to another tunnel? If your hotel is right by the tunnel entrance a car might be useful.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Richpark, The "long way round" is still through a tunnel with tolls, you would also need a vignette for the Swiss autoroutes.
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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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| rjs wrote: |
| @Richpark, The "long way round" is still through a tunnel with tolls, you would also need a vignette for the Swiss autoroutes. |
I'd guess if renting a car on the Swiss side of the airport in Geneva...the car would come with a vignette. At least my rental car did.
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Poster: A snowHead
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The vignettes are now electronic and when I rented a couple of weeks ago, there was a sign at the Swiss side rental desk saying all their (Hertz) cars had an electronic vignette as opposed to the sticker.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Don't underestimate just how long it is round the north shore down past Montreaux and on to Martigny to start the climb up to GSB tunnel. Admittedly we've done it at the end of a long driving day, joining from the Jura not Geneva, but it always seems to really drag. The climb up to GSB and down to Aosta has always been quiet and a fun drive though.
If I was doing Geneva to Courmayeur I'd go MBT and risk a queue.
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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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So apologies for raising the Martigny route as a viable suggestion! It’s a lot longer and further. You might go that way in summer, to take a look at Martigny, or in winter if you wanted to try out Verbier. But as a plain A->B route it’s not really on the table.
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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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The tunnel waits can be horrific if something goes wrong, but there is normally a few signs on the way to warn you. That said a few times we've basically driven right through from Chamonix to Courmayeur in what should logically be a busy time.
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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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| Richpark wrote: |
Thanks for all your helpful replies. We have to fly to Geneva as we are tight on time and those flights are the only ones that work.
Transfers were going to be super expensive as it is mid week so opted for car hire.
I'll get a look at the long way round. Hopefully way there should be OK midweek but might be worth it on the way back. Although our hotel appears to be at the Italian entrance to the tunnel so might be able to skip the queues |
If your Hotel is near the tunnel, you are up in Palud not in Courmayeur, you are going to need your car everyday to avoid walking to the lifts.
And yes it will be quicker getting on the road in Palud than further down the hill, but if there is a que , it s and hour or an hour and fifteen from that corner.
We hit the lineup 200m beyond the junction today, took 45 min!
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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: |
If your Hotel is near the tunnel, you are up in Palud not in Courmayeur, you are going to need your car everyday to avoid walking to the lifts.
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yes, that's what I thought when I suggested earlier that a car would be useful.
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| Idris wrote: |
| Richpark wrote: |
Thanks for all your helpful replies. We have to fly to Geneva as we are tight on time and those flights are the only ones that work.
Transfers were going to be super expensive as it is mid week so opted for car hire.
I'll get a look at the long way round. Hopefully way there should be OK midweek but might be worth it on the way back. Although our hotel appears to be at the Italian entrance to the tunnel so might be able to skip the queues |
If your Hotel is near the tunnel, you are up in Palud not in Courmayeur, you are going to need your car everyday to avoid walking to the lifts.
And yes it will be quicker getting on the road in Palud than further down the hill, but if there is a que , it s and hour or an hour and fifteen from that corner.
We hit the lineup 200m beyond the junction today, took 45 min! |
We are staying at Hotel Aigle in Entrèves. I was hoping it was going to be walking distance to the Val Veny lift? I have the car if not though. I've been trying to find somewhere at the Val Veny that does ski/boot storage - any suggestions appreciated!
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Remember that most, but not all, car hire companies at Geneva impose cross border fees, and you'll be in breach of your hire contract if you fail to inform them of taking the vehicle out of CH
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