 Poster: A snowHead
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Apologies,because I would have thought this has already been covered several times. But, this will be the first time i've used Geneva airport. We are travelling to St Gervais next weekend landing at Geneva airport with Easyjet. We have rented a car from the french sector. My questions are...do we need tp pay anything at the border to get into and out of france? i'm told the french car rental returns area is a nightmare to find...your advice is and tips please?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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andyjc, there are loads of threads on Geneva car hire, this is just one that should help a bit.
I searched "Geneva and airport and car and hire and French and side", you might like to take a look at some of the other threads this threw up.
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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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Here's what I wrote ina recent thread!
Recently my brother managed to accidentally hire from the French side, collection was reasonably smooth, but no snow chains, and I doubt they were even winter tyres.
Long story short, trying to find the french side of the airport to return the car too proved impossible (we nearly missed Easyjets strict check-in closure times) and having circled the airport way too many times trying to find the french car hire drop off we eventually abandoned the car in the Swiss sector of the airport with the correct hire car company and 'legged it' down the road to departures. We haven't had a big bill.........yet, and I'm sure can't be the first ones to do this.
Seems funny now, but not being able to find the French car hire drop off, even though we were in Ferney Voltaire gave everyone a sense of humour failure at the time!
The swiss side is a bit of a walk, but is at least signposted. We only had to pay motorway tolls. When you leave the airport follow all the signs for France and you should be fine......
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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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andyjc, I have some really good point by point instructions to find your way back to the French side from the A40 if you would like? It can be a bit of a pain to find it but like many things, once you know where to go it is easy  PM me with your email address if you want
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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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We rented from the French sector a couple of years ago. I was really worried after all the reports about how hard it was to find!!
We found it fine. We had been given directions by snowheads - and were also given an easy to follow map by the car rental company. Didnt keep either I'm afraid - but if you get some directions you will be fine.
If you stick to French roads you wont have to "pay" - but if you use the Swiss motorways you should have a vignette.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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ok, many thanks MrDan i've Pm'd you. Best to give it plenty of time to get to the airport on the return I guess.
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andyjc, provided you have the proper instructions it won't take any time to find - but without them, it's grim. Make sure you get chains and, if they're not provided, ask whether, if you have to buy them, they will reimburse you. No harm in trying. If it looks like being snowy, don't take a chance and go without. Good luck. 
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pam w, thanks, we have our own chains. Never had to use them before! st gervais and the other nearby resorts are fairly low, so probably wont have to this time either,but will take them with us.
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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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andyjc, Have a good time. Don't know when you're coming, but it's snowing hard right now, and we're not far from St Gervais. Hope the chains fit! Though probably, as you say, you won't have to use them. We just about scraped it up here on Friday, but we have four snow tyres. Around 60% of the cars driving up to, and moving round, the resort had chains on - though Les Saisies is a lot higher than St Gervais, of course.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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some inaccuracies in the piece in that link - when you exit the French side you go through the border BEFORE the tunnel, not after as implied. Also, the speed limits in those Swiss tunnels are variable. And if you are returning to the French side you can, indeed, exit the motorway at the airport exit, and follow Ferney signs - but they will take you straight back onto the motorway to the following junction. So a bit of a waste of time especially if you are a bit pushed for time!
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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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pam w, will be out there this saturday. really looking forward to it now, hopefully conditions, despite warmer weather predicted later in the week ,will be fantastic. I've never been to a valley town/village in france, only Austria,so it should make a nice change.
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I got lost a few years ago trying to return a car to the french side and ended up paying a 30 euro swiss motorway toll for about 400 metres of motorway!!!! Signing is terrible and the sat nav was useless!!! .... enjoy!!
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, You're correct on the variable speeds limits, I got caught on the cameras in between them but they never pursued it after a couple of letters I ignored - even though they got my home address from the car hire company for some reason the hire company didn't just charge my credit card plus an admin fee like other times...
Also, don't you go through the same tunnel twice - exiting the airport on the fenced off road you go through the tunnel and then across the border and back in to the same tunnel but on the main road this time? Been a while and full of roadworks last time I was there in the Summer mind.
SnowGod, unlucky getting caught on the Motorway for the short stretch to St Julian, I've done this dozens of times but tend to always avoid the Motorway border in both directions although I hear exiting Switzerland is worth the gamble and you're unlikely to be caught. Anyone else confirm this? Now the new road straight to Annecy is open I could do without the St Julien diversion - then again the queues their are often less in the rush hour.
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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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Hire swiss side next time though! Much simpler, snow tyres fitted, chains always supplied.Easy directions.
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Poster: A snowHead
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chains always supplied
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no they're not. Usually, but not always.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I got lost a few years ago trying to return a car to the french side and ended up paying a 30 euro swiss motorway toll for about 400 metres of motorway!!!!
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We did exactly the same thing on our way back from Cham a couple of yrs ago. Agree with SnowGod, the signing is rubbish. If you hire a car on the Swiss side, the "vignette" will have been paid for but cars hired on the French side don't have them.
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