 Poster: A snowHead
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can someone tell me what the difference is if any between french and swiss side related to geneva airport noticed it when trying to book a car..is there two different addresses as far as car rental and pick up point is concerned? hope this message makes sense 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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go to the swiss side. 
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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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andybabes, perfect sense. Your plane will land in the Swiss sector, unless you are on a domestic flight from Fance, so it is far easier to rent from the Swiss side.The desks are just outside baggage collection. If you rent from the French side in winter, although it may be slightly cheaper, the car may not have winter tyres, so will end up costing you more. The car will also not have the motorway vignette, so you will either have to buy one, or avoid the Swiss motorway. IMHO, not worth the hassle for the small saving, so rent from the swiss side.
If you select Switzerland as your destination, you should rent from the correct side. Try this link for a decent price.
http://www.holidayautos.co.uk/cgi-bin/liveweb.sh/QSearch.w?ctryref=GBR&lang=EN&aff=xOneAccount
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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andybabes, I agree with everything that Helen said - Swiss side is a much better option even if it costs a few quid more than the French 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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rob@rar, I remember being filled with worry myself on our first DIY trip.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Helen Beaumont wrote: |
| rob@rar, I remember being filled with worry myself on our first DIY trip. |
 Me too.
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andybabes, definitely Swiss side as the others say, French side just not worth the hassle.
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Swiss, loads cheaper.
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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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| Quote: |
| Swiss, loads cheaper. |
Not by any means always true, but it IS true that the Swiss side is far easier. Getting into the French side can be quite difficult, though not a problem with the right directions, which can be found elsewhere on Snowheads. But if you're a bit tight for time getting back to the airport, and not familiar with the weird geography which requires some miles of driving to get to the other side of a fence, finding your way to the French side can be a bit of a nightmare.
It is also not always true (despite being frequently asserted on Snowheads!) that you inevitably get chains thrown in on the Swiss side. Always check.
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pam w, I agree not always, but there is less price difference than there used to be a few years ago. Certainly this next week for PSb was cheaper on the Swiss side. If you use the link I gave above, we have always had snowchains in the car.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Helen Beaumont, Do be careful...we always book that way too and have been without chains, it depends who their partner car hire firm is at the time of booking!
We've recently booked a car...admittedly for October....and it was cheaper to book for the Swiss side than the French, most unusual!
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brian
brian
Guest
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| pam w wrote: |
| [ But if you're a bit tight for time getting back to the airport, and not familiar with the weird geography which requires some miles of driving to get to the other side of a fence, finding your way to the French side can be a bit of a nightmare. |
As long as you know in advance not to follow signs for the airport it's not hard at all.
Follow signs for Ferney, cross the border, turn left immediately and you're there. If you're coming from Lausanne it's no further, from France it's probably an extra mile or 2 at most.
Which side is cheaper varies a lot, so it's always worth checking both, imo.
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If you choose the french side do you avoid the border crossing? The only time we have flown into Geneva and hired on the swiss side it took us nearly 2hrs. queuing on the motorway to get over border.
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brian
brian
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kevinrhead, you emerge from the airport on the French side of the Ferney-Voltaire border post. Typically, to get to the alps, you go straight into Switzerland and join the A1 motorway as you would exiting the airport normally in Switzerland. However, you can stay in France and drive round, I guess you'd be adding maybe half an hour of driving or so. I've never done it.
Try this map to get an idea.
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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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brian
brian
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Frosty the Snowman, me too, with max delay of about 30 seconds !
kevinrhead, was it the Bardonnex customs on the motorway ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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brian, Not sure just joined the motorway from airport an shortly afterwards joined queue eventually funneled through
a sort of contraflow system which appeared to be border. Were later told they were probably having a purge on checking motorway vignette
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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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We did this DIY trip for the first time last year and hired a car from Geneva for Chamonix.....absolutely no problems getting out and to the resort as we took Tom Tom with us which directed us straight to the hotel in Chamonix. So really i couldn't tell you what side we went in and out of as it was all taken care of.
We have booked this years trip and are staying in Switzerland going to Verbier and again the first thing packed will be Tom!!!!!
An absolute must for no hassle arrival!!! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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holyjasper, does your satnav show speedtraps? I seem to recall a thread which said that would be illegal in Switzerland.
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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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Not sure if it shows speedtraps or not.....i have heard mention a few times now of speed traps in Switzerland....should i be worried?? Isn't it just a case of see the camera then the lines and slam on quick sharp like I tend to do in the UK or are our Swiss counter parts more cunning???
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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SWISS side no doubts unless you fancy a few trips round Geneva centre and directions from a nice Swiss policeman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
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holyjasper, Tom-Tom to Verbier from Geneva? No disrespect but easier than circum-navigating the M25 in terms of directions !  so stick to speed limits. And it's the Swiss police you should watch out for ...none of this 'look-at-me' static nonsense for them in terms of visible speed traps !
Original Question - Hire from Swiss side..we always find it cheaper and easier ....and we usually arrive from France.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Mon 22-10-07 16:26; edited 2 times in total
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brian
brian
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holyjasper, yes, they are considerably more cunning, sleek speed cameras hidden in central res foliage, disguised as bollards, etc. Oh and the autoroute limit is 10kph lower than France, ie. 120.
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brian
brian
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| Agenterre wrote: |
| Tom-Tom to Verbier from Geneva? ..... and the amount of time you spend in Suisse will be so small it |
Eh ? What route do you take to Verbier then ? via Shammynicks
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Helen Beaumont wrote: |
andybabes, perfect sense. Your plane will land in the Swiss sector, unless you are on a domestic flight from Fance, so it is far easier to rent from the Swiss side.The desks are just outside baggage collection. If you rent from the French side in winter, although it may be slightly cheaper, the car may not have winter tyres, so will end up costing you more. The car will also not have the motorway vignette, so you will either have to buy one, or avoid the Swiss motorway. IMHO, not worth the hassle for the small saving, so rent from the swiss side.
If you select Switzerland as your destination, you should rent from the correct side. Try this link for a decent price.
http://www.holidayautos.co.uk/cgi-bin/liveweb.sh/QSearch.w?ctryref=GBR&lang=EN&aff=xOneAccount |
Hi thanks for that have looked at a quote from holiday autos for a mondeo estate £184.50 but it doesnt say anything about winter tyres or chains?
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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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| andybabes wrote: |
| Hi thanks for that have looked at a quote from holiday autos for a mondeo estate £184.50 but it doesnt say anything about winter tyres or chains? |
It never does, although you might get the option to pay extra for 'winter equipment'. By law (AIUI) Swiss rental cars are winterized between certain dates. I have 8 to 10 rentals from GVA each year and have never paid the extra charge through HolidayAutos for winter equipment. On every occasion the car came equipped with winter tyres, and on every occasion except one there was a set of chains in the boot (although on at least one occasion they were the wrong size  ).
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kevinrhead, if it was the first few days of Feb then yes, quite probably checking the vignettes. Otherwise Bardonnex can get v busy on a Fri eve rush hour as all teh weekly commuters go home to France as well as the daily ones - better then to cut across the city, still slow but quicker than sitting in a 2-hour queue
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You know it makes sense.
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| eng_ch wrote: |
| kevinrhead, if it was the first few days of Feb then yes, quite probably checking the vignettes. Otherwise Bardonnex can get v busy on a Fri eve rush hour as all teh weekly commuters go home to France as well as the daily ones - better then to cut across the city, still slow but quicker than sitting in a 2-hour queue |
what the hell are 'vignettes'
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brian
brian
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andybabes, a vignette is a sticker. In this case, it's the Swiss motorway tax sticker. All cars rented in Switzerland have them so nothing to worry about (unless you rent on the French side, in which case buy one at a petrol station for 40 CHF, about £17).
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Poster: A snowHead
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Vignettes are Swiss (and Austrian) motorway road tax - and cars hired on the Swiss side should have them automatically whilst the French side will not (cost 40 SFr). But watch out - not infallible - if they're short of vehicles, they'll line up the Brit for a non-vignetted car and hope to get away with it - you'll have to pay on the motorway but keep the receipt and claim it back from the hire company.
And when you're checking prices, make sure you add that 40 SFr in to the equation - you can't live without it - as anyone who has tried to negotiate Geneva on a Friday night weekend arrival will testify. (We've never hit a real delay at customs, sometimes a minor slow-down ; we have taken an hour to get over the bridge - more than once, never again)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi andybabes, we've always hired cars from the Fench side and never had any problems at all. Saying that there does seem to be a divide with other people, some say much better from Swiss side and others differ but it really is not difficult at all from French side. I have full directions that we give out to guests and never had anyone go missing yet. PM me if you would like a copy of these.
Cheers,
Dan
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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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MrDan, I am sure it isn't difficult, but why complicate matters at all when it isn't necessary.....
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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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| Quote: |
| Were later told they were probably having a purge on checking motorway vignette |
presumably this was a purge on vehicles leaving Switzerland, so any without vignettes would automatically be fined, plenty of scope for delays there. Personally, have never had more than 30 minutes delay at Bardonnex, and that was exceptional. But the question of whether to go through Geneva centre, or along the motorway and back into France at Bardonnex, is quite separate from the question of whether you hire on the Swiss or French side of the airport. You can easily do either, from either side of the airport.
I now go to Geneva airport so often (most recently this afternoon!) that I can very easily get in and out of the French side. But I also remember big problems before I knew the way - including one stress inducing occasion, with three hire car loads of people already a bit late for a flight, when we stopped somewhere in Geneva to fill the cars with petrol, asked a couple of locals the best way to the French side of the airport. They then proceeded to argue about it, quite amicably, but at length. One was Italian, or at any rate had a very Italian way of speaking French, which makes it far easier for me to understand, so I went his way. For a newcomer to all this the Swiss side is definitely a lot more straightforward and the French side only worth considering if there was a really big saving on the car hire.
The route through France, to get to the Chamonix motorway without crossing Switzerland at all, is quite complicated. I had to do it once because of having visitors with no papers to get into Switzerland. It needs a good map, and a sensible navigator, especially in the dark. I can't think why anyone with immigration rights to Switzerland would go that way. It's a pain at the moment because of the foul up on the St Julien junction work, too. To avoid paying the 40 francs for a vignette you can, however, easily drive across Geneva. It's clearly signposted and not often a traffic problem. But 40 francs is not a lot of to make things a bit easier, especially for a first time DIY trip.
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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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pam w, I think you have hit the nail on the head, if you are familiar with the airport and the journey, it is easy but perhaps not so on a dark morning when you are already pushing it to catch your return flight. 40 swiss francs is after all a drop in the ocean compared to someones bar bill on a skiing trip.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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pam w, I'd go along with your take completely. I go in and out of GVA a lot too and unless there's a big saving on the car hire (which there can be occasionally - its worth checking) it's simply not worth the bother of going to the French side.
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andybabes, no, you can just pay cash at the French toll booths.
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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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andybabes, it can be easier to hand over a credit card. If you're not too sure of the system, it's easier to drive up to one of the manned booths (usually a green arrow, or a little pic of a man). It's embarassing fumbling for the right change, or trying to work out which end of the credit card to stick in the machine, with some automatic French voice telling you to put it in the other way round, with a growing queue behind you!
Where are you driving to?
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bourg st maurice
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FAQ
I have passed though many times and the only time we have had a delay was after last years PSB when we were stopped and questioned. We had 
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