Geneva - Swiss/French border crossing

A snowHead

Hi, off to Geneva on Sunday and this will be the first time we've hired a car to get to France rather than get a transfer. I understand that you need a vignette (or something!) to drive on the motorway. Questions are: 1. Will the car come with one? 2. If it doesn't can we pay in euros at the border or will we need Swiss cash?

Thanks Smile

A snowHead

If you've hired from the Swiss side of the airport then the car will probably have one. If it doesn't, then yes, you can pay in Euro's at the border but don't be surprised if you're not stopped by border control on the way out and it happens when you're on your way home instead. Either way, if you've hired from the Swiss side and you are made to pay for one, tell the rental company when you return the car and they will probably re imburse your account.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

The vignette is needed to drive on Swiss motorways. Nothing of that sort is needed for France, where as I'm sure you know, you either don't pay for motorways or you pay as you use them. It may vary from hire co. to hire co., but whenever we've hired from the Swiss side at GVA, we haven't had to buy one. You can hire form the French side, which seems to be cheaper, but apparently it's a bit of a mare to get to and from and it won't have a vignette, I don't imagine (and you may want to nip into Switzerland on moterways to get to your destination).

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Thanks for the replies. One of the other party has hired the car so not sure which side he's hired from. I just remembered last year we used the motorway going to the Les Carroz but on the way back, the chalet owner had left the vignette (if that's what it was) in his other car so took us to the airport via Geneva missing the motorway (quite nice as we got to see the city itself!).

I'll make sure I double check when we get the car but it's good to know we don't have to faff about getting different currency whatever happens.

Cheers Smile

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AllyK, you can use credit cards, but that may take a bit longer as the only time I did that I had to go into a booth. You can pay the attendants in euros but it costs more. The exchange rate isn't the most brilliant (the Swiss didn't get to be the world's bankers by being generous with exchange rates) and you get change in Swiss francs, a pain.

You MUST find out whether this is a French or Swiss side hire, then come back to look at the directions, if it's the French side. It's very easy, but only if you know how, because there are no signposts to the French side.

Incidentally, I think it's against Swiss law to NOT have your vignette stuck to the windscreen (and once stuck, they can't be unstuck without being destroyed). Having one vignette and swapping it from car to car is, as I understand it, not acceptable. And if you do have one in the glove pocket and are stopped by Swiss police, they may still fine you - just as UK police will, if you have bought a new tax disc but are not displaying it. I did talk my way through the Swiss border without sticking one on, once, because it was a temporary (French) hired car because my own was in a garage having a new clutch fitted. The woman on the border was actually quite understanding and friendly (she was black, and maybe she had not been living in Switzerland long enough to have imbibed the complete Swiss Border Guard Demeanour) but she did warn me that if the police picked me up they would either insist I stuck it on the (hired) car, or even fine me anyway. I assured her I would take the risk!

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AllyK, A Swiss car won't need a vignette.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

ski, it will if it goes on Swiss motorways. Or do you mean, if it's Swiss it will have one anyway?

After all it is free

Gah, I'm so confused! The guy in our party who booked the cars thinks it's French side which would make sense as we came out the French side last year. However I'll be checking the documents with him tomorrow when he's in. I'm sure we can't be the only people who have this problem as I imagine tons of people are heading to the French Alps with a French car from the airport. I'll just have to make sure we clarify/buy it if necessary when we go to the car hire place.

Thanks for the replies - at least I'm now more informed than I was this morning!

AllyK, If you pick up the car from the French side it's not necessary to use the Swiss motorways unless you're going to Chamonix. It's as quick to the Tarentaise resorts or 3V to avoid the motorways and go via Annecy. Go to www.gva.ch and click through to French sector you'll find maps and directions of all the routes to Geneva Airport. We use the French sector to transfer guests every week and IMO it's much better than using the International (Swiss) sector.

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This is the way it says on the Les Carroz website:

A40 motorway from Geneva to Chamonix, exit junction 19 Cluses Centre, take the N205 road towards Sallanches, after about 3 km turn left at the junction signposted "Les Carroz d'Arâches", (D6)

Is that a Swiss motorway?

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AllyK, There are dwnloadable pdf access maps here
http://www.gva.ch/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-59/

Including one titled 'Road Acces to the French Sector'.

snow reports

AllyK,

Yep the motorway between Geneva is tolled after you pass Annemasse. You may consider having a few Euro coins too as there are two toll positions, mostly automatic. You can pay by credit card or other currency with manned toll booths.

The Swiss border is a lot earlier. Every car has to stop. I have managed to pass this border with a passport with just the vignette on the windscreen. You can pay any currency for the vignette and keep it too because it last for the whole year (need to moist the windscreen first!).

You can avoid the toll by the country roads which take longer and run pararelle to the motorway. The country roads pass every town. Toll roads are a lot faster.

When you come off the motorway at Cluses juction, turning left is for CLuses centre whilst turning right is for Sallanche. It is a very short distance in Sallanche direction and you will see the side road to Les Carroz and Flaine.

Take care if there is snow on the road.

You know it makes sense.

AllyK, yes, the turn off for Les Carroz is part way along the same motorway that you take for Chamonix. However, only the first part of it is a Swiss one - not long after the airport it goes through the border.

You can, as David says, drive through Geneva from the airport without going onto the motorway. It's not difficult. Take the signposting for Geneva, and then just head down into the city until you come to a junction with Geneva centre one way (right-ish) and Evian and "Lac", the other (straight on-ish). Go towards the lake. To get out onto the road back towards Chamonix (and Les Carroz) you need to go right down to the lake sure, then turn right round the end of the lake. At the end there is signposting for Evian, which is a left turn back up the other side. You don't want that, rather carry on more or less straight for some time,on signposting for Chamonix. After a few miles you reach a junction where Annemasse is straight on, or Chamonix and France, is right. Easiest to take to Chamonix signposting onto the motorway (confusingly, motorways are signposted in GREEN in Switzerland) and that brings you out on the French motorway near Annemasse (Annemasse itself is quite big and busy and best avoided). You can then head out till exit 19, as you say above, or you can save even more pennises by driving along the Route Nationale which is pretty well parallel to the motorway.

The route through Geneva centre is considerably shorter than the motorway, but during the day will probably take longer and is obviously a bit more complicated, with loads of trams and traffic lights. If you're tired, and not feeling like the challenge of driving through a strange city, the 40 franc vignette is not a huge price to pay and it makes getting back to the airport a great deal more straightforward on your way back.

Do find out whether your car hire is Swiss or French side. Should be on everything, any emails, documentation, websites, etc etc.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Right, sorry to be a pain but is this right then:-

If car hasn't got a vignette we can pay for the vignette at the border? Or, can/do we buy at the airport?

boredsurfin, thanks, I will print off a copy to take with us.

saikee, Useful info, thanks. Always handy to know in advance which way to turn at junction (especially if I'm driving!). And I'll dig out my euro coins for the tolls.

I'm wondering if the tolls were why we went the road way on return as I don't seem to remember the chalet guy paying any on the inbound journey. Maybe there is a prepayment card he had but left in the other car rather than the vignette?

Also, last question I promise. Any advice on driving in Switzerland/France as I've never driven there, only USA where all I did for 2 weeks was steer and use cruise control Wink

A snowHead

A snowHead

AllyK, You will get a vignette at the border crossing. They are Swiss and generally will take any money!

Have a good holiday. Where are you going?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Roy Hockley,

AllyK is going to Les Carroz, the first resort of the fully linked Grand Massif domain of Flaine/Samoens/Morillon/Les Carroz/Sixt, according to the later post.

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Roy Hockley, Thanks for clarifying. I feel better now! And, yes I'm going to Les Carroz for the 2nd year running (thanks Saikee), this year hoping to explore more than the 30% ish that was open last Jan. Love the village, love the GM! Love the fact that the transfer is tiny! Last year we were picked up though, in a luxury chalet deal that basically catered to our every whim. This year, same chalet but on self catering as they are not really taking bookings anymore to anyone who they don't class as friends (couple we're going with have been to this chalet for 4 years running) and it's no added extras. Great chalet though, hot tub outside, en-suite bathrooms etc and we book the whole place (8 of us). Personally, I couldn't care if I slept in a shed if it had a shower and clean bed but hey hum have to go with the crowd.

Nice thing about having a car I suppose is we can drive to Flaine (using same lift pass) if we see fit without having to ski over. Or, any other ski resort nearby I suppose.

The guy that has booked the cars has also informed me today that he has bought 2 walkie talkies, one for the 4 beginners and one for us 4 in order to stay in touch for lunch etc. So if anyone is in the GM area in the next week, I'll be the one that's with the complete tit shouting down a glorified mobile phone with loads of static. I mean for god's sake, our mobiles work if we need them! Bloody boys and their toys Confused

pam w, Kind of hope we need them and hope we don't! I'll be terrified. On school ski trips the bus sometimes had to do a 3 pointer to get round the switch backs and leave us dangling over the edge. Oh and thanks for the alternative directions, I've printed them out should we need them.

Thanks to everyone Smile

Help!!

Geneva - Swiss/French border crossing

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