 Poster: A snowHead
|
Folks
I've hired cars from both the French and Swiss side at Geneva when going to French resorts. I've also picked up along the way some bits of 'wisdom' about the process. I recall there was an interesting thread a couple of months ago on car hire. Could anyone help confirm/disprove the wisdom.
Hiring from the French Side
Pros
Cheaper
Quicker as smaller queues
Cons
waiting for the desk to be manned sometimes
Can't drive on Swiss motorways so round the house and through Geneva centre
Hiring from Swiss Side
Pros
Cars come with winter tyres and motorway token
Got upgraded to a BMW 5 series for one trip
Cons
More expensive
Any thoughts welcome
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I'd never hire from the French side again. It's not easy to get through to the French side once you're landside at Geneva, you seem to have to walk down bleak narrow corridors, with your luggage, but no trolley, and try to get through doors that only open from the other side.
But worst of all is returning the car. Once you find the French side of Geneva airport, pass through the unfriendly customs control, and park up, it's really difficult to get to the Swiss side to check in. We ended up airside with our luggage, still not checked in, and ended up having to exit French passport control and start all over again on the Swiss side and nearly missed our flight.
Or was that just us? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
On the Swiss side, it's not just winter tyres - you also automatically get snow chains without having to pay an extra charge, or make a special request. At this time of year snow tyres and chains are essential, so if the overall charge on the Swiss side is a bit extra, it's probably worth it for peace of mind/less hassle
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
a search for "geneva car hire" will turn up many similar discussions
the answer is :
Go swiss!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
The choice available from Hertz on the French side was much less than on the Swiss side. This may not apply to other companies. The cost difference was significant , but I ended up using the Swiss side, mainly because of the convenience.
As a rule of thumb, I'd rather give money to the French than to the Swiss.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Rachel, your comments about the corridors ring true. I also recall going from returning the car and ending up in the baggage reclaim hall and exiting in order to check-in! And that glass door that doesn't open.
Folks thanks for the additional comments. i guess I'll just have to do the price check and decide on the spur of the moment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I have always managed to get a good price from http://www.holidayautos.co.uk they usually seem to use Hertz on swiss side at Geneva and on arrival a couple of times I have been upgraded
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oh Great! I've booked to pick up a car from the French side for the first time, I'd no idea there was much of a problem.
I'll be trying to drive to Flaine, so would I need to get on the motorway?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
FORTUNATE, or what!!! I was just going to check a Hertz price on their website for hire from Geneva & decided to just mosey into SnowHeads first!! This topic was top of the list and may just save my limited mental capacity from any more stress abuse. SWISS side it is then!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| marc gledhill wrote: |
Oh Great! I've booked to pick up a car from the French side for the first time, I'd no idea there was much of a problem.
I'll be trying to drive to Flaine, so would I need to get on the motorway? |
No you don't need to get on a Swiss Motorway to get to Flaine, go through the main border at Ferney-Voltaire, the road from the French side is right by the border post.
You need to go through Geneva, follow the Lac signs and over the Pont du Mont Blanc - Chamonix and the tunnel is well signposted. This will take you back through into France and on the Autoroute Blanche.
Good luck getting to the French side of the airport with your bags. If there is more than one of you you may wish to go get the car and pick up your passengers and baggage on the Swiss side, which is easy to find.
Somebody in an earlier post mentioned checking in being a problem. Well I used to fly out of Geneva every week and could check in on the French side for International flights. Probably still can.
CP
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
marc gledhill, driving from the Swiss side to Flaine is a piece of cake, takes less than an hour in good conditions and involves Swiss m'ways. I suspect that the best route from the French side does as well. You should be able to change your booking to the Swiss side (I did, with Hertz) or you can pioneer the route on behalf of snowHeads (it cant be that difficult; I was making the booking for a w/e trip with a few chums and couldn't face the wee wee taking if I landed us in the middle of nowhere and took hours to drive to Flaine, chosen mainly for it's proximity to GVA).
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
richmond, The best ands easiest route from the French side is to go through Geneva as described. The route avoiding CH would be intresting and time consuming, to say the very least.
CP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
richmond, CP, thanks for that. I am booked with Hertz (via Holiday Autos), so should I really be asking them to switch my pickup to the swiss side?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
The price difference these days is not always great - but if it is, the swiss motorway sticker only costs 40 CHF, and is available at the border. You will get through at Ferney without it, but no way will you get back into Switzerland without it, on the route in from the A40. Also, don't forget that you don't need to avoid Switzerland, if you don't want to buy the sticker, only swiss Motorways. There is a route which avoids Switzerland altogether which would have to be taken by travellers without Swiss visa - but it's a real pain. There are leaflets available at Geneva, setting out the route, but I suspect you'd also need a good road map.
The Swiss side is certainly hugely easier - there used to be a quick passage through from one side to the other, in the corner of the airport, but the last few times I've tried to find it, it seems to have disappeared. It's like Alice in Wonderland now. But you can't check in for easyjet flights on the French side.
Oh - another thing - I'm not sure that all Swiss hire cars have snow tyres (and/or chains). You always need to ask.
Driving through Geneva is not generally a great problem though, when all's said and done - a testament to the effect of a good public transport system!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
We've hired from the Swiss side, but not the French, the winter tyres were well worth it. and there was very little price difference.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
pam w, Sounds like you have some local knowledge, have you lived or worked in/near Geneva?
Easyjet were not even thought about when I used to travel regularly out of GVA. I wonder if it is still possible to check in for other scheduled flights still on the French side?
The route back into France used to be upstairs in departures right over in the far right hand corner, there was an almost subliminal 'France' sign indicating it. If you only had hand baggage then it was a doddle to get into France, turn left up the escalator just before Swiss passport control.
Never had problems coming back into CH, when in UK friends cars without a CH motorway vignette, on the A40 - knowing the Swiss I guess they have tightened things up somewhat.
As you say driving through Geneva is not a problem, in fact it is quite pleasant in comparison to some other citys I can think of.
Ah nostalgia! it's not what is used to be 
CP
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
If you take a look at this http://www.gva.ch/publications/pdfs/AF.pdf. Its a map of how to get to/from France from the airport avoiding Switzerland.
As it has been said, the Swiss side is easier than the French side (which is generally cheaper).
Also, its worth watching the prices on holidayautos because they fluctuate sometimes - I managed to get a car from the Swiss side at the same price as the French rate (same car) but it seems at the moment the Swiss prices are a bit higher as usual.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
I don't mean to ask a stupid question but why hire a car and have the hassles that go with it when you can jump on a train ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Chris Brookes, that may depend on his final destination
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Chris Brookes, From speaking to friends who've done that, it seems that the hire car is quicker, thats from the time the plane touches down to getting ski's onto snow - and reverse order on the way home. On short trips this is important. Also as Helen says, it depends where we're heading.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
An item to watch for any SnowHeads hiring from the Swiss side from April 1st. I wanted to hire from Hertz from April 1st, but have been informed that the provision of winter tyres, snow chains and ice scraper ENDS on March 31st! I imagine that this has something to do with Swiss traffic laws?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| marc gledhill wrote: |
| richmond, CP, thanks for that. I am booked with Hertz (via Holiday Autos), so should I really be asking them to switch my pickup to the swiss side? |
All I can say is that I changed to the Swiss side for the convenience. The very short drive back to GVA meant that we could ski into the Sunday pm, which we might not have been able to do if we had hore on the French side. Depends on your flight times and length of stay (we were there for a long w/e, so every hour was valuable).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Helen Beaumont, marc gledhill, very true.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Bernard Condon wrote: |
| An item to watch for any SnowHeads hiring from the Swiss side from April 1st. I wanted to hire from Hertz from April 1st, but have been informed that the provision of winter tyres, snow chains and ice scraper ENDS on March 31st! I imagine that this has something to do with Swiss traffic laws? |
No, there's no reason you can't have winter tires any time of year, it's just Hertz.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ise, You are the 'Phone a friend' & 'Ask the Audience' in one! I wasn't sure if Winter tyres were mandatory during specified dates, under Swiss traffic law. Perhaps it's more a commercial decision by car hire companies? I realise that it is not an exact science, but are Winter tyres & snow chains NORMALLY necessary in April:?:
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
This is Switzerland, there's a certain date to do most things, for cafes to put the tables outside, for my village to come and take the snow poles down and put the signs for the cycle tracks up, to open an Alpine pass even if it means digging through 10m of snow, to put your skis away and get the boat out. It's just the way we live here.
My winter tyres will be on until the first week of May and back on at the end of October.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
CP. I do a lot of travel through Geneva myself, and picking up visitors, because we have an apartment in Les Saisies. I used to go through that subliminal "Alice through the looking glass" between France and Switzerland, but I think it's gone. I have asked from both sides and been firmly sent through the airside baggage hall, which can cause all sorts of hassles. Now and again I go and look....wistfully.... I still think I may just be missing something obvious. I once had to take a group with three hired cars back to the French side, checking in very late indeed, get everyone including a disabled passenger and heaps of boot bags, ski bags etc, through the baggage hall, where we had to queue for immigration, despite not having been anywhere..... we were so late that I decided to skip the immigration queue, legged it through the double glass door (completely verboten) and ran all the way to the easyJet check in to assure them that the whole group of 12 was in the airport and on the way. I was half expecting a machine gun in the back when I decided to give immigration a miss, but you do daft things when faced with the likelihood of missing a plane with 12 people. The delay was mostly down to our not knowing the way back to the French side of the airport - I do now, you only make that sort of mistake once. BUT - the Swiss border guards are very vigilant about vignettes when you drive back through from France on the motorway (they don't seem to care much about anything else) and the chances of getting past without a vignette (or one a few days out of date) are in my experience nil. But it's only 40 francs. A lot better value than a round of coffees when you get to the airport...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
For goodness sake, you could solve all the problems by not hiring from the French side at all-vignette on the car, no dodgy routes to find through the airport, Swiss number plates , snow tyres in the Winter, efficient service at the desk, need I go on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Helen Beaumont, quite, we had to go through Geneva on Friday evening as an accident had brought the autoroute to a halt according to the local radio. The only thing that kept my humour in the city traffic was the thought of all these people doing it by choice to avoid paying for a vignette,
...actually, that and one of the main stories in the news being a reduction in the number of posties bitten by dogs, it's a small country, not much happens.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
By the time you pay extra for chains and winter tyres there doesn't seem to be much price difference, if any, between the French and Swiss sides. I can't see any point in the extra hassles of hiring from the French side.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
ise, lol
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
This may not help but we usually fly in Lyon as its easier to get out of and about the same distance to Courchevel, used Sixt and the staff we very helpful, the tank was full and we got a nice automatic estate which had been upgraded I think it took about 10 minutes all in all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
So, even though I'm driving to a French resort I should really be asking for a car on the Swiss side to save time/hassle?
If that's correct I'll get onto Hertz now, so please confirm if you could. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
marc gledhill, that's exactly what I did, for exactly that reason, based on an earlier thread on here (or possibly on the SCGB site). What I don't know is whether it was worth it, nor do I know how much it cost me, as I upgraded to a bigger car (not available on the French side). If you take the same car on the Swiss side, I'd be interested to know the cost difference.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Thanks all for your help. After a few emails to Holiday Autos I've switched my reservation to the Swiss side.
For reasons I'm not sure about, I've been passed from Hertz to Alamo for the same car and been charged £30 more (about 20%).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Picked a car up Swiss side in summer (see http://community.webshots.com/album/176891868KvzRGm for a different view of Crans Montana) and it didn't have a sticker. So drove on the motorways anyway and was going to plead ignorant tourist if i got caught - didn't expect it to work. (most scared i've ever been at 140kph in a Hyundai Postman Pat mobile)
If you do have to buy one take some clingfilm to stick it on and take it home with you for next time... 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
