 Poster: A snowHead
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Travelling to Les Arcs in March, normally we fly to Lyon but this year flying to Geneva as Easyjet moved there Stansted / Lyon flights to not so convenient times, and Gatwick is that bit further to travel....
So need to book the car hire, and just wanted to confirm that I should book from the French side if travelling back into France, rather than Swiss side.
(I hear finding the French hire car return is difficult but it looked pretty straight forward from the intructions on the airport website)
I presume you seasoned Geneva flyers out there will be able to provide the answer!
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lots of opinions on this but gererally hiring from swiss side is easier and a quicker drive to get to les arcs but could be more expensive than the french 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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Nah book the swiss side
1) You get winter tyres so very unlikely to need to worry about chains - if worst comes to worst you could always leave the car in bourg for the day and funicular up the hill until they clear the roads.
2) It's super super easy to get back to the Swiss side, it's considerably harder (but not impossible) to find your way back to the French side.
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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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Swiss 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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Swiss side
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Swiss side, unless the price difference is really big (though the convenience factor is not so clear cut, now that the Swiss car hire places have moved down the road). It's not that difficult to find the French side if you study it carefully in advance and read the relevant threads linked above. What's difficult is that there are absolutely NO signs to it (or at least, there is only one very tiny one right at the entrance) and that even within 200 yards of the French sector entrance the road signs to the "aéroport" will still take you back to the Swiss side. Travelling to Les Arcs, from the French side, requires you to drive straight back into Switzerland anyway - unless you are taking the really, really, obscure route which is entirely in French territory and only makes sense if you have no travel documents for Switzerland.
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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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The French side is pretty easy to find and there are maps on the geneva website includung ways of geting there without a vignette.
In winter if you don't have a vignette going BACK to the airport you will be charged 40 CHF leaving the airport the Franch do not give a rats back bottom about a vignette so you will not be stopped
However I would still say SWISS
Andy
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| anderoo wrote: |
The French side is pretty easy to find and there are maps on the geneva website includung ways of geting there without a vignette.
In winter if you don't have a vignette going BACK to the airport you will be charged 40 CHF leaving the airport the Franch do not give a rats back bottom about a vignette so you will not be stopped
However I would still say SWISS
Andy |
If you're hiring a car in CH won't it come with the vignette anyway?
I know of people (not me) who managed to drive in from france to/from the airport on english plates without buying a vignette.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Both options have pros and cons. If it is a one off visit it is generally easier to hire a car from the Swiss side. The only difficulties I have when driving from the Swiss side are:
1) It is not that easy to find the motorway when leaving the airport.
2) I always found it problematic finding a petrol station close to the airport on the Swiss side when returning the car.
If you hope or intend to make a few journeys to Geneva it is worth spending the time to find your way around the airport and surronding area. I now always hire from the French side, mainly because of cost, but I usually find shorter queues at the car hire desks, it is easier to fill up with petrol on your return and checking in with easyjet on the French side is a lot quicker.
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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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| Quote: |
I know of people (not me) who managed to drive in from france to/from the airport on english plates without buying a vignette.
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sometimes (not often) the Bardonnex border point is not manned with anybody checking for vignettes when you drive back into Switzerland. However, though it's possible to get away with it, you are risking a very big fine if found to be without one - albeit in the short distance into the airport you'd be unlucky to get stopped. The points made by skichampcouk are all good ones - though the fact that you have to pay (a lot) extra for winter tyres on the French side is a bit of a show-stopper for winter hires. For people confident with chains though even that's not the end of the world.
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skichampcouk, can't say I agreethat finding the motorway from the Swiss side of the airport is difficult, in fact I'd say it is very easy: you just join the main road that runs along side the airport then follow the signs for France.
There is a petrol station next door to the new rental car garage at the Swiss side of GVA. It's an un-manned station so you pay by credit card at the pump. Instructions on how to use the credit card payment are here on the forum somewhere.
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You know it makes sense.
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can't say I agreethat finding the motorway from the Swiss side of the airport is difficult,
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No, I don't agree with that bit either! But I do think its worth people finding their way round the airport a bit - a useful way to spend half an hour if you arrive back good and early for a flight.
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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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It really is hard to find the relevant threads on here so, in the hope that this is useful, I copy below some info that I filleted from various sources last year. I am particularly indebted to rob@rar and Boredsurfing for most of the info. Enjoy!
Route from Geneva Airport (Swiss side) to Les Arcs
Travel time along Lac d'Annecy ie scenic route, pretty much same as staying on autoroute via Chambery. Now that Albertville bypass is open, driving around the Lake might even be marginally quicker.
Say 1hr50 to BSM with the new autoroute and Albertville bypass, assuming no particular traffic (around the lake). Used to be 2hr 15 and new roads probably knock 20-25 minutes off the journey.
Scenic route: stay on Swiss motorway to French border then follow signs for new motorway to Annecy. Then 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 BSM. From BSM just follow signs to les Arcs 1800 up the hill about another 25min
SuperU is on rd BSM- Les Arcs.
Car hire desk (Geneva Airport Swiss side) 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 to Geneva Swiss side/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.
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Poster: A snowHead
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bertie bassett, Yes (I think) however my point was that the French side doesn't provide a Vignette so will need to avoid the Bardonnex border.
Basically saying go for the swiss side
At weekends there is always a queue going into Switzerland as they check most cars for the vignette. I have gone throught without one several times and not been charged. It is all a bit strange really.
If you detour a bit via St Julien de Genevoise there is never anyone at the border as
A) The Schengen agreement means no border controls
B) thr road that you are on is non motorway therfore you don't need a vignette.
General word of advice there are now 4 speed cameras between Bardonnex and the airport so keep it under 100KPH.
There is also a rumour of putting one on the airport slip road which is a 60KPH zone
Andy
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
keep it under 100KPH.
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the speed limit along that stretch varies (the signs change) and at busy times is sometimes less than 100kph. Also, don't forget that you can get fined - a lot - for being on any Swiss motorway without a vignette "There was nobody at the border making me buy one" would go down like a ton of hot sh*t with a Swiss policeman. 
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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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anderoo,
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If you detour a bit via St Julien de Genevoise there is never anyone at the border as
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I usually detour via St Julien de Genevoise and had never been stopped until this July when returning to Geneva airport. It wasn't at the border but on the slip road going down to the motorway. Traffic police were stopping everybody and checking for the vignette. I escaped a fine though by acting dumb (not difficult in my case), they checked my rental agreement and let me off. I would imagine they were after the locals who regularly take that route to avoid buying a vignette.
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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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Yer, the search facility here is very frustrating. I often have to resort to Google.
Here's the recent big Geneva Car Hire thread that contain loads of useful info:
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=49646
As I understand it, ALL Swiss hire cars include a vignette - I've never had one without. And in winter you automatically get M&S tyres at no extra charge.
I find navigating to France from the Swiss side easy with a satnav but it seems to be pretty well signposted anyway.
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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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skichampcouk, you were pretty lucky, actually. Must have been a very convincing dumb act.  I don't think the Swiss police are famed for their flexibility and discretion.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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You have 248 posts here, so clearly not a total newcomer.
There is NO EXCUSE for this thread.....it has been done, re-done, re-done.....so many times
SEARCH FUNCTION!
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rungsp, a bit harsh. If all the threads on topics which had been done before were deleted there'd be sfa left.
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rungsp, as pointed out above, it's not that easy to search this topic, even if you know what you're actually looking for. The very fact that there are so many threads compounds the difficulty, unless one's got a week or two to spare to read them all.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| rungsp, a bit harsh. If all the threads on topics which had been done before were deleted there'd be sfa left. |
and besides come october we get into helmets/snowchains/boots in hand luggage/GVA car hire/where should I stay in resort X/will there be any snow on March 17th in resort y
It's part of what gives snowheads it's charm that these topics crop up each year...
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a bit like the first snatches of Christmas carol muzak in the department stores.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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bertie bassett, Where to stay in Resort X ?
No idea mate...ask Megamum
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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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Thanks all for your commments...and the pointers to other threads with additional helpful info.
I kinda knew this was an easy one and would probably have been done before... but rungsp, I put geneva+car+hire into the search function and it returned 800+ pages of results.... I checked the first few pages, and found nothing directly relevant, and figured I'd get a answer by putting in a new topic.
To be honest I didn't expect so many responses or so much additional useful info.... so it just goes to show there are plenty of people prepared to continue to answer these questions that have been sooooo asked before!
Cheers all.
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| altis wrote: |
As I understand it, ALL Swiss hire cars include a vignette - I've never had one without. And in winter you automatically get M&S tyres at no extra charge.
I find navigating to France from the Swiss side easy with a satnav but it seems to be pretty well signposted anyway. |
Snow tyres are NOT at no extra charge. They are always on the hire cars in Switzerland as they are mandatory, they may be included in the price if you are lucky, or you may be charged a supplement if not. It depends on the car hire company. On the occasion that I used Holiday Autos and was allocated Sixt, we were charged extra even though we had not 'opted' for them.
Also aren't SatNavs illegal in Switzerland? Thought I'd read that on here somewhere.
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You know it makes sense.
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sarah, I've never been charged extra for winter tyres when booking with Holiday Autos, although I've never been allocated a car with Sixt so perhaps they are the only operator who does charge extra?
Sat.navs are legal in Switzerland, but speed camera detectors/locators are not. So if your sat.nav has that feature built in I think it is therefore illegal to use.
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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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rob@rar, yep, seems to depend on the operator like the bussing charge too 
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Poster: A snowHead
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altis, the Swiss hirs cars do all have vignettes yes - we had a hire car one year that I think bridged January (when they run out) and February and were stopped at the border and had to buy one - it was no problem as Europcar refunded the cost - just took a few minutes time.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Hurtle wrote: |
It really is hard to find the relevant threads on here so, in the hope that this is useful, I copy below some info that I filleted from various sources last year. I am particularly indebted to rob@rar and Boredsurfing for most of the info. Enjoy!
Route from Geneva Airport (Swiss side) to Les Arcs
Travel time along Lac d'Annecy ie scenic route, pretty much same as staying on autoroute via Chambery. Now that Albertville bypass is open, driving around the Lake might even be marginally quicker.
Say 1hr50 to BSM with the new autoroute and Albertville bypass, assuming no particular traffic (around the lake). Used to be 2hr 15 and new roads probably knock 20-25 minutes off the journey.
Scenic route: stay on Swiss motorway to French border then follow signs for new motorway to Annecy. Then 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 BSM. From BSM just follow signs to les Arcs 1800 up the hill about another 25min
SuperU is on rd BSM- Les Arcs.
Car hire desk (Geneva Airport Swiss side) 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 to Geneva Swiss side/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. |
Well done you, we should try to "sticky" that somewhere.
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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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Mosha Marc, don't know how to start a new sticky, so have put it on the Airport Facilities sticky, which seems a reasonably logical place.
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FAQ
