 Poster: A snowHead
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Just back from Tignes** via Geneva.
The hire car pick up point (on the Swiss side) has moved to off the airport. Now need to get a shuttle bus to one of the outlying car parks. No problem on the outbound trip & the new car park is not very far away - but need to allow more time for the return run.
(**Snow great, -4C on Sunday & packed, pisted (squeaky) powder - winter's coming  !!).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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That's a shame. One of the good things about GVA was the short stroll to collect the 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?
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rob@rar, true, perhaps it is just temporary
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Helen Beaumont wrote: |
| rob@rar, true, perhaps it is just temporary |
Maybe, the underground car park seemed to be having a big refurbishment for all of last season.
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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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That's dull - nothing on the GVA website, let's hope it's temporary until winter proper...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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mountainaddict, who did you hire with? I can't believe they've moved all main line companies out permanently without a degree of notification...
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David Murdoch,
Hired with Holiday Autos - turned out it was Alamo once we got our voucher.
The whole lot have moved (Avis, Hertz, Budget, Alamo, Sixt etc etc) lock, stock & barrel. When you go to the hire desks you ARE notified - the rental company person asked me whether I had rented there before then told me that the pick up point had moved off the airport. Can't get much better notice than that...
Steve Sparks
In terms of permanence: all the overhead direction signs for "Rental Car Return" at the airport have been altered; the new garage has all the usual offices/portakabins installed; all the signs are up to mark out the collection and return bays; and there are 2 shuttle buses - covered in all the hire company stickers and marked "Car Rental Navette" - plying the new route. All very "non-temporary" looking I'm afraid...... 
Having said all this, the new collection point is still quite close (about 3 mins drive - last airport-type garage on the right if heading for France). The new arrangements probably added 15 mins max to collection and drop off. Mind that was with hardly anyone waiting for the transfer bus - which is very small - so that could be a problem at peak times....
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brian
brian
Guest
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brian
brian
Guest
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Is the French side affected as well?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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brian, useful link, thanks. Let's hope that Geneva is less of a bear garden by the time they've finished all this.
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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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I was there 2 weeks ago, rented from Avis. Was very quiet and the shuttle left as soon as I got on both times. Might be trickier when busy but overall no problems when picking up or dropping off.
Was up in VdI, drove for a look to the Col Iserean, very litle snow but bloody freezing
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brian
brian
Guest
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paulio, don't think so.
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You know it makes sense.
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That might change the balance of advantage to hiring on the French side.
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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, That describes moving the rental desks to the other end of arrivals. No mention of a change of location of the garaging for the cars.
Sounds like this could be a bit of a nightmare when it's busy and there are skis and boots to be loaded and unloaded from the navette.
pam w, if you're going to France.......
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Poster: A snowHead
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How would this effect a group of, say 4 people hiring a car, all armed with ski luggage ? Would they all need to get on the 'small?' shuttle bus, or do they not have sufficient luggage space, in which case how practical is it to go pick up the car then return to the airport to collect passengers and luggage ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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masmith
| Quote: |
How would this effect a group of, say 4 people hiring a car, all armed with ski luggage ? Would they all need to get on the 'small?' shuttle bus, or do they not have sufficient luggage space, in which case how practical is it to go pick up the car then return to the airport to collect passengers and luggage ?
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The bus has about 9 seats, located in the back third or so.The front two thirds has standing room and luggage racks. It was slightly tricky getting one ski bag & 2 other bags on there with about 8 other mainly business-type passengers already on ahead of two of us - people blocking the way and not moving to the back etc despite carrying mainly hand luggage and briefcases.
My guess is that the bus would hold about 20-25 passengers max EXCLUDING luggage. I think it will be carnage in high season when everybody has skis and boards - therefore very practical for the hirer to leg it to the car hire desk on arrival, hopefully beat the rush and drive back the 2 mins to the airport to pick up remaining passengers.
I wouldn't be surprised if they allow hire car drivers only on the bus at peak times, but that remains to be seen.
I dropped Mrs MA off at departures with the bags on the return run (1st 10 mins parking is free)- she had us checked in (via the easyjet machines) by the time I got back, so that worked out very well.
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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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mountainaddict, what is the route into and out of the airport from the new rental car garage?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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mountainaddict, How long do you reckon it would take to walk? I remember a few years ago picking up from Sleazyrentacar at the Palexpo and that was only 5 minutes walk. A combination of leaving the gear and mates at arrivals and a quick jog to the garage may be the least stressful.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Fri 24-10-08 18:46; edited 1 time in total
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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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| Steve Sparks wrote: |
| mountainaddict, How long do you reckon it would take to walk? I remember a few years ago picking up from Sleazyrentacar at the Palexpo at that was only 5 minutes walk. A combination of leaving the gear and mates at arrivals and a quick jog to the garage may be the least stressful. |
That's what I was thinking as well. Have the hire cars moved to the Palexpo garage?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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masmith,
Good question! 
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rob@rar, Steve Sparks,
I'm not sue which one is the Palexpo Garage, but if Palexpo is where Easycar was located it's in totally the opposite direction.
I "think" that the new parking is still part of the airport complex - and have had a flashback to new signs saying "Follow P51" (presumably the number of the car park?) for rental car return.
Imagine driving out of the old hire car location, and directions to the new pick up point are as follows:
Through final ticket machine/barrier of car park and bear left onto the main road that goes to France. From there I reckon it's no more than 200metres (say 300 max) to the "new" garage, which is located in the last parking on the right before the right fork which then loops you right again to the road with the petrol stations/hotels and which eventually takes you back to the airport.
So it's actually quite close - and probably about the same distance as the former Easycar pick up point - but in the opposite direction as I said earlier. It is definitely walking/jogging distance BUT - and I must say I wasn't actually looking to check this at the time - it strikes me that the road out of the airport might be without footpaths??
So definitely a do-able proposition on foot but I wouldn't fancy that road in the dark if there are no paths..... 
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PS FAO rob@rar,
If you know the road to France from GVA you will hopefully have worked out where the hire cars are now located from my previous post.
The return is well signposted: On arrival at the airport, instead of forking left for arrivals/departures/old rental car return location, stay in the right lane & go straight on. You then immediately join the road to France (as if you've come from the old car park exit point), with directions then as per previous post.
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mountainaddict, thanks for the description. I know the garage you mean, although not sure if it's easy to get there on foot.
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