 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello. For those that might recognise my name I've finally figured out the quickest and most economical way to join up two trips I have in early February. I had a tripped booked in Kitzbuhel and then won another in Risoul/Vars in the South of France. Lucky me. 
Anyway we're now picking up a hire car in Grenoble train station and driving to Kitzbuhel. It's about £500, (Golf size) but as it also wipes out £250 of transfer costs I figure it's worth it. I have a few questions as I'm trying to avoid any nasty suprises.
-What size car would people recommend? (We need to carry skis).
-If there is an option to have a car with snow tyres - would we still need to carry and use snow chains?
-Can hire cars come with sat nav? Is it neccessary?
-Which hire car companies in Grenoble train station have people used? (So far thinking Hertz,Avis or Europcar).
-Any tips on additional excess costs/refueling/tolls etc I might not know about?
Any advice welcome!
Thanks in advance.
F
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lucky you for the holiday win! It's a bit of a journey you are planning to get from Grenoble to Kitzbuhel, has to be 500 miles through Switzerland. I'd ensure your have some decent maps with you.
A have a few answers for you:-
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| -What size car would people recommend? (We need to carry skis). |
A Golf is a pretyy small car to carry ski gear and luggage. Unless you are organising a roof box. Hope there is only 2 of you. For comfort I'd go for a estate type vehicle. You also need to ensure that you have 'permission' and insurance to travel out of France. I suspect it wont be there by default.
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| -If there is an option to have a car with snow tyres - would we still need to carry and use snow chains? |
Most cars in Alpine araes have snow \ winter tyres fitted. In Switzerland they ceryainly do but I would check before you book.
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| -Can hire cars come with sat nav? Is it neccessary? |
Most main car hire companies will offer that option but it can take a while to get to grips with it. Ensure you have a map and have already worked out a route before you travel.
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| -Which hire car companies in Grenoble train station have people used? (So far thinking Hertz,Avis or Europcar). |
I've not hired at Grenoble before.
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| -Any tips on additional excess costs/refueling/tolls etc I might not know about? |
France there are Auto route tolls, depends on your route. If you travel through Switzerland, you'll require a Vignette, their version of a toll.
Good luck.
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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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You will also need a Vignette to drive on Austrian motorways. €7,60 for 10 days available at service stations near the border.
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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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Agree with what BMF_Skier has said, but wanted to add:
We usually get a Golf or Focus estate for two of us which is plenty of space for bags and skis. The regular Golf size can be a bit of a squeeze (depends on the length of your skis I guess!) but the estates are fine and are often cheaper when we book them in Austria, not sure about in Grenoble though.
As long as the car has winter tyres (which is an absolutel must), I would say it is fairly unlikely that you will acutally need to use snowchains as the journey will be mostly motorway and A roads Kitzbuhel itself is fairly low down. However, I would get them as I have been caught out once and don't want to be in that position again so would err on the side of being prepared. I very occasionally decide not to bother for short trips in good weather with no snow forecast and where I know that I will not be driving at altitude (e.g. Salzburg to Zell in March with no snow forecast, back the next day), but for the trip you are planning, there are too many variables to be able to make that judgement and so I would get them.
One of the things to bear in mind with a journey of this length, is that you will need to plan your route, but also have a couple of options diversions in the back of your mind in case there is a major incident, as it is frustrating being sat stuck on a motorway going nowehere but also having no idea whether any of those exit slips go anywhere useful. So definitely have a route and options worked out before you go. Satnav for me would be a 'nice to have' but I would never rely on it as my only way of getting somewhere.
As per SaraJ, you will need a vignette for Austrian motorways, and similar in Switzerland.
Yes check the insurance, and specify Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany and Austria, as some car hire companies include some neighbouring countries, but not all countries, e.g. in Austria it's often no fine to drive into Germany, but other countries require extra insurance to be purchase on collection of the car. Depending on the route you take, you may not need to go into all those countries, but again it is good to have options in case of traffic incidents etc. It is likely to just be one charge for driving outside of the region though, I just wouldn't want to be stuck somewhere and not be sure if the insurance covered Liechtenstein for example.
Have a look on the AA website for legal requirements for what you must carry in your car in the countries mentioned. Your hire car will contain whatever you need for France, but may not contain everything for the other countries - I'm talking about things like hi-vis vest, warning triangle, etc.
Also, I don't mean to be patronising but have a quick refresher on the rules of the road in the countries you will be travelling through, different speed limits etc.
Shutting up now, have fun and take care - I'm a little jealous in a weird kind of way. I have fond memories of this kind of thing!
D
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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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any particular reason why you are going to Grenoble? as has been said it is a *very* long way from Kitz and it is a fair schlep to Vars/Risoul
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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go through car hire 3000. Hire a Renault Kangoo diesel.
If you phone them they normally chuck in snow chains and a ski rack, we had one for four adults from Grenoble last year. Took all our luggage plus shopping for a weeks self catering.
It were a 1600 diesel and the new shape and rattled along at 130kmh and gave us around 40-45 mpg
The ski rack is one of those webbing and magnetic jobbies but it works.
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Worth mentioning the cross-border travel for insurance purposes, but every single car I've had from outside of the UK (usually Avis) has stated on the insurance cert that it's fine to drive to any EU (+Switzerland, Norway etc.) country, but not to some places like Albania etc.
UK almost always need to organise the green card (I have).
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Thanks everyone. I'm kind of locked into a certain combination of locations and dates so Grenoble train station to Kitz is where I need to go. I am aware it's about an 8 hour drive and will take us via Switzerland.
Car hire 3000 won't let me pick up in Grenoble train station and drop in Munich. Avis, Hertz and Europe car do. As there are only two of us (and we're pretty small!) it looks like a golf might do.
I now have a check list of things to ask, thanks.
Any recommendations for map sites?
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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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Do not speed in Switzerland, ever
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Check the opening of alpine passes, if you plan to use any (your satnav won't know about them....).
I'd be dubious that a car hired in Grenoble would have snow tyres unless you pay extra - which would be well worth doing. But not instead of chains. If you hit snowy roads you might well not be allowed to proceed without chains fitted (at least, that could be the case in France and I don't imagine Switzerland and Austria are more lax).
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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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Would check that your hirer will allow you to cross borders.
We only ever get the green card when we are driving our own car. Not sure why you need it for a hire car [or maybe DH is keeping something back from me].
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You know it makes sense.
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