 Poster: A snowHead
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Apologies for the question as no doubt it has been asked many times before. I have tried to do a forum search but keep getting error messages.
I have never driven to resort before and am a little nervous. First problem is knowing which pick up point to request. I am going to Meribel area from Geneva. On the online hire sites Geneva Swiss side is an option but there is not a French side option. What do I do/choose? Also Winter chains isnt an added extra (do I assume they come as standard?). All very confusing. When I get out of the airport what sign do I head for first? Never used sat nav before but assume I need it?
Coach transfers seem so stress free now! lol.
Any help most 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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Hire from Swiss side Its easier to find and a lot less hassle for baggage collection etc. They are supposed to supply chains and winter tires by law on Swiss side although will charge a winterisation supplement for them but at least you have them. There are a number of recent threads on this so do search again. I have used www.auto-europe.com for carhire they search all the companies and get best price others are holiday autos.
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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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Armitageblue, there has indeed been a massive amount of discussion on this. Try the following threads for starters, there are others:
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=50377#1184417
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=23811#542075
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=48017#1137918
The consensus seems to be that hiring on the Swiss side is easier, if somewhat more expensive, and on that side you will get, as a matter of course, the vignette you need for driving on Swiss motorways. Winter tyres usually come as standard, chains often don't and nor does the hi-viz vest which is compulsory to carry in the car in France.
Many people use Holiday Autos for car hire. This link will give you a discount:
http://www.holidayautos.co.uk/cgi-bin/liveweb.sh/QSearch.w?ctryref=GBR?=EN&aff=xOneAccount
I filletted some of the threads myself, to prepare myself for driving from Geneva Airport to Les Arcs in March. See below (with acknowledgments to the numerous people who provided this helpful information.)
Routes from Geneva
To Albertville, either using motorway via Chambery, or the scenic route via Lac d'Annecy. Travel time pretty much the same, if the traffic doesn't gum up along the Lake. Both routes are well signposted and easy to follow on the Michelin map of Isere/Savoie, also easy with satnav (except that TomTom hasn't yet caught up with the new stretch of motorway between Geneva and Annecy, if you decide on the scenic route.)
Scenic route: stay on Swiss motorway to French border then follow signs for new motorway to Annecy. Come OFF that motorway at Annecy Sud (past the hospital) signposted Ugine and Albertville and "Route Nationale" (ie not motorway). From Ugine it's fast dual carriageway to Albertville, and a new bypass along the river there much reduces the bottleneck quality of Albertville. Then join motorway to Moutiers and finally up to 3V resorts.
Car hire desk to car
2E or 2CHF coin for luggage trolleys
On entering Arrivals Hall turn right and walk to the far end where an extension has been built for the car hire desks.
5 minute walk to car, if not using shuttle bus:
turn right out of the double doors after the car hire desks and walk to the right, follow footpath/cycle path markings on the pavement, up a slight hill, past the coaches parked on the right and the hire cars are parked in the second multi-storey on the left - P51. Cross road at the traffic lights, go down in the lift (you're at Level 3) to Level 1, car hire places are all down there.
Car return/petrol fill-up
1 Follow signs from motorway to Geneva Airport, once at airport follow signs to Car Park P 51 Car hire return
2 Just before P51 there is the World Trade Centre, half way along the frontage there is a petrol station sign, turn immediately right and then left into the pumps. NOTE which pump number you are going to use.
3 Go to credit card pay station at the end of the pump island you are parked by. Press button for instructions in English, follow the instructions, fill up.
4 Drive out of petrol pump area, go forward into the entrance of P51 (No need to go back onto the main road.)
5 Simply take a ticket at the right hand barrier, yes there are credit card logos on it BUT JUST TAKE A TICKET.
6 Drive 150 yards forward to the entrance barrier for Car Hire return put ticket into the box by barrier, barrier lifts, drive to approximately where you collected the car.
7 Find member of staff to check car and sign the paperwork.
8 Walk through the car park to the road back to the terminal.
NB – good idea not to overshoot P51. If you do, keep following overhead sings for P51 , which takes you up & round to a back entrance, ?one level up from car returns. Once back inside P51, follow exit signs & just before exit barrier, do sharp right into car returns.
Hope this helps.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| Winter tyres usually come as standard, chains often don't and nor does the hi-viz vest which is compulsory to carry in the car in France. |
My experience is that rental cars always have winter tyres fitted (the main reason I rent from the Swiss side at GVA) and most of the time there are a pair of chains in the boot, the main exception to this being cars rented from Budget. I never pay extra for "winterization" of the car when booking through Holiday Autos, which saves a fair bit of money, and would buy a cheap pair of chains in a supermarket if I really needed them.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hurtle, echo what RPF says (apart from the bit about helmet debates, can't have too many helmet debates).
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| Quote: |
Never used sat nav before but assume I need it?
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Absolutely not, unless you're incapable of reading a very simple map. Or jotting down four words on a piece of paper. The Tarentaise resorts are exceptionally easy and well signposted from Albertville.
You could look at routes on viamichelin.com too. Costs nothing. If you have a satnav anyway, it's worth taking it, but be aware that on my experience tomtoms can be very inaccurate once you're off big arterial routes, in the Alps. Ours has tried to take us on some very daft routes. And they don't know which mountain passes are closed.
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Thanks everybody for your help.
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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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Armitageblue, the drive is really easy... go for the toll roads and it's just follow the signs all the way. I was nervous doing it for the first time, at night, this year (the drive that is, you at the back) but it was utterly simple...
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| youspurs1 wrote: |
| Hurtle, echo what RPF says (apart from the bit about helmet debates, can't have too many helmet debates). |
So should we wear helmets whilst driving hire cars from Geneva 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
should we wear helmets whilst driving hire cars from Geneva
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Yes, but not with sunglasses unless you want to look like a muppet.
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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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My satnav (Garmin) was determined to take me through the middle of Geneva - and succeded - as I had left Driver Management System at home - she does have an automatic over-ride. (Yes, Bev was at work).
Garmin does not know about the new motorway either and was quite bemused by whizzing across open fields at 120KPH. It contented itself with muttering "recalculating" and from time-to-time having a wild guess at which D road I was on. Quite funny really!
I had read all the threads on Geneva car hire and was a bit intimidated, to be honest, but it was really no problem at all. Just follow the signs and do as the instructions state. Not all of the credit-card machines were working at the Agip petrol place when I was there three weeks ago.
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If you find the petrol refill routine a bit of a faff, I generally fill the car up to the brim on the motorway services a few miles outside of Geneva.The needle doesnt move and it is always full enough to satisfy inspection from th car hire company. You just need to make a mental note of where the services are on your outward journey,often difficult in the excitement of getting to resort 
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You know it makes sense.
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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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There are worse cities to drive through at 5 in the afternoon!
Just follow signs for France would avaoid it I think, though the fountain is spectacular.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
Just follow signs for France would avoid it I think
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Absolutely. Follow the green signs "FRANCE" to the motorway (motorway signage is green in Switzerland, but blue in France, confusingly).
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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 find that, both here and abroad, the satnav is very useful if I'm driving on my own: it's really quite difficult to drive and map-read simultaneously! However, I always have a map to hand, and a written/printed route of some sort as well. And I make sure to plot the preferred route on my satnav in advance, not just take pot luck with it. That strategy seems to work OK - but I'd still rather have an efficent map-reader than a machine!
But, as everyone says, the road signage Geneva Airport-Moutiers is exceptionally clear, all one really has to decide in advance is whether, initially, to make for Chambery or Annecy.
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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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| Quote: |
the satnav is very useful if I'm driving on my own: it's really quite difficult to drive and map-read simultaneously!
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agreed. I took my 2 year old grandson to a museum in the middle of Bristol, which I don't know at all. My son had advised me on the best car park to use, I told the machine the postcode and it took me to the door, through a maze of one way streets and bridges and odd junctions. In those situations they're invaluable. And they're useful to give you an idea of time of arrival - though I find it extremely inaccurate in the Alps because it seems to assume you're going to drive to the speed limit all the time. The limit on most of the winding hairpin mountain roads is far higher than you can actually drive, so journeys will take far longer than the machine calculates. But in response to the OP's assumption that he would need satnav, then the answer is that he won't, especially if he is accustomed to driving round UK roads, where navigation is often far more complex than Calais to the Alps, without one.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| pam w wrote: |
| And they're useful to give you an idea of time of arrival - though I find it extremely inaccurate in the Alps because it seems to assume you're going to drive to the speed limit all the time. |
Agreed, especially when you're on the return journey and want to know what time you're likely to arrive at Calais for your cross-Channel departure. I also found it useful when we drove out last time knowing approximately what time we were due to arrive in Bourg St Maurice (mainly to know if we'd get there before the SuperU closed, or after that time).
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binclintonusa
binclintonusa
Guest
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I have never driven to resort before and am a little nervous. 
pret auto
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He's back again  - with a hidden signature link. Can he not be removed?
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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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Brilliant, explains a few things too.
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cathy, who? what?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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No one has mentioned the charge for the 'courtesy bus' to the car park, is it still being added to the credit card afterwards?
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FAQ
)
way.
