 Poster: A snowHead
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Do hire cars at Lyon airport always come with chains/snow tyres as they do from Geneva?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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When I've hired cars from there in the past I've always asked for them to be supplied when I've made the booking. Don't just tink they are supplied automatically as they are not. Top tip check the sizes of the wheels against the box when you get them + check condition of chains (all bits there ?) First time I got chains on journey back from Val D to airport went to put chains on car and found they were wrong size ! A quite hairy experience getting down the mountain road !!! 
Rich
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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.org.uk,
No. In Switzerland it is a legal requirement to fit snow tyres and carry snow chains. Elsewhere it isn't. Which is an important distinction if you hire from the French side of Geneva!
So you need to request them (and in enough time for them to supply them!).
Even in Switzerland it's worth checking they're there. I was very impressed when I needed to fit them earlier in the week at how much easier they wereti fit than the "old" style.
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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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Type23, I had a similar experience at Lyons, with Europcar. I had to specify that I wanted chains and pay extra for them - quite pricy something like £30.00 for the weeks hire. (It would have been cheaper for me to buy a set in a supermarket locally). En route to Tignes, it was snowing and Police were stopping traffic to fit snow chains. First chain went on perfect and the other was damaged and broken. I spent about an hour trying to repair it in snow and cold, but to no avail. I was soaking wet. Police would not let me pass with one chain, so I had to go back down the mountain. Could not find any garage etc, open and therefore could not buy any chains! I was getting cross to put it very mildly and speaking Latin fluently! I had a brainwave and switched the chain to the off-side wheel, which would be nearest the Police check and drove back up the mountain. The observed the chain and didn't stop me! Next morning I had such flu like symptoms and was so ill that I was grounded for much of the week. I was bloody furious. I made a strong complaint to Europcar on my return to Lyons, which was greeted, unusually, I might add for the French with hostility. On my return home, I complained to Europcar HQ and was treated well. Reimbursed the hire cost of chains and a weeks free car hire at any time of year. However, the moral of the stort, as Type 23 says, is to check the chains at the airport and be sure!
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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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rob@rar.org.uk, Definitely second what Type23, says re checking the size and condition of the chains. I hired a car from Lyon on 22nd Jan with chains, took the chains without inspecting them and when I got to BSM, one of the chains was in a terrible condition, two of the plastic tubes holding the links in place on the main cable were missing and the links to the main cable were missing in two places and a "hair bobble" had replaced one of the links - had to pay 105.44 euros for a new set having wasted 2 and a half hours trying to repair and use the ones supplied.
Got back to Lyon on 29th and me laying the chains out in the hire car office prompted a guy picking his car up to look at his chains and they were about as good as mine - they changed his set. After a heated discussion about the wisdom of sending me off with three small kids and Mrs Bungle with dodgy chains, they refunded me the cost of the chains + 280 euros so for good measure I took the chains with me as they did not explicitly state I should leave them in the car - anyone want a pair of chains for a Renault Espace? - only BSM to Arc 1950 usage one way - didnt need them for the trip down.
Bernard - just seen your post - this was Europcar as well.
One other tip for Lyon - the car hire offices are on the other side of the airport for which there is a free bus and having had the brainwave of collecting the car whilst the rest of our party got the bags, I found if difficult to find my way back to the arrival point to pick them up - when I go in April we'll just wait for the bags and all go to the car hire office together and leave the airport from there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Bungle, I am really annoyed to see your post (Nothing on your part that has annoyed me!!!!) My incident happened two years ago and it seems nothing has changed. I was really annoyed about my experience, but you had three children and your wife with you! That is absolutely outrageous and a really serious safety issue! Just thinking about it now, I would have made a complaint to the Police Nationale if I were in your place. I should have done it myself, but I just didn't think about it at the time.
I should have mentioned that I don't use Europcar any more!
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Thanks for the feeback and the cautionary tales.
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Bernard , I am booked to go again in April and this time our Holiday Autos lottery ticket has come up with Hertz - so hopefully a change of operator and the fact that I won't be a snow chains virgin should see me right. I agree with your point re a complaint to the authorities - will bear it in mind for future trips.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Wed 17-08-05 23:23; edited 1 time in total
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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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Rob, I asked nicely in french in the europcar offfice and they gave me them FOC. But, I didn't need to use them and didn't check them, so they may have been as described above!
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| Bungle wrote: |
| anyone want a pair of chains for a Renault Espace? - only BSM to Arc 1950 usage one way - didnt need them for the trip down. |
Would that be for the standard, or 'Grand' Espace? Slightly bigger wheels, and hence tyre size on the stretched version.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi PG, they are Power 8 No Stop made by Maggigroup - size is "102" and they are for 215/65-16, 225/60-16 and 255/40-17 wheels - I think we had a Grand Espace but can't be sure. We went to the Super U in Bourg but apparently they are not a standard size so we had to go to the Point S? garage for them. The chains are great and much easier to fit than the ones we had from Lyon (even the good one) - only minor issue is that the plastic box was split when we got them and is held together with duct tape. Let me know if they are of any interest - we are back in Bourg April 9th so can bring them with us but that probably means only of use for next season I guess - can post them but I guess it would cost a bit from the UK.
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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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Bungle, Thanks, I'll check it out - have a feeling there's some issue with the wheel trim on the version I drive that made it difficult to get suitable chains. The ones I have I had to order specially from Matra (Renault accessories). The links are completely broken on one set, no idea how it happened. They'd always been fitted correctly, I know that much.
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Bungle - are you Kevin? - If not, then you are the second person this winter I know who had an Espace from Lyons to Arc 1950 with dodgy chains that required replacing in BSM. :mad
Lost my own chain virginity in January coming down from 1950 (own chains, so knew they worked before I left) makes a difference huh?
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You know it makes sense.
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JimW, I couldn't possibly reveal what truly lies beneath the fur but suffice to say I am glad you got your car started at 1950. Does make a difference having put the chains on and despite good intentions to practice in the dry of Lyon Airport it was much more fun in the "palm of your hand" sized snowflakes of BSM - though a little unfair for a first timer to have to contend with such damage to the chains surely ref?
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