 Poster: A snowHead
|
I have seen mentions on this site re Renting cars "Swiss side" of Geneva airport
Not quite sure what is meant by Swiss side, could someone explain please, are snow chains, tyres etc part of the standard car hire package on Swiss side ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
kendub, Geneva airport has a part which is technically French, with French immigration services, customs and other things such as car hire desks. So it is possible to hire cars from the "French side" of Geneva airport. Hiring from the Swiss side is usually a bit more expensive than the French side, but many people prefer the Swiss side. By law, Swiss rental cars need to be equipped with winter tyres. Often, but not guaranteed, there will also be a set of chains in the car even if you don't book the "winter pack". The route back to the airport to return the rental car is also more straightforward if you are going back to the Swiss side.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
The price difference can be quite significant - for 2 weeks car hire I got quotes of over £600 for swiss and more like £350 for french side. The swiss rental clearly included compulsory winter cover - the french rental I assumed was regular tyres and no snow chains.
Also I understand from previous threads on this site - a swiss rental will have a 'vignette' for travel on swiss motorways - if you use a french rental you may need to pay extra for this vignette if you want to travel through switzerland.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
french side is a nightmare. if you arrive late they simply go home....this happened to us and we were stuck and had to take a taxi and local hotel and return the next morninc to pick up our car ! not good with a 2 yr old and two grandparents with us.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
kendub, If you fly from the UK - you will end up on the Swiss side. The French side is cheaper... but you will have to purchase a Vignette to drive on Swiss motorways, which makes the last km back from the French border either a) expensive or b) an interesting, and not remotely stressful meander on unsignosted roads back to the French side.
So (IMV) - and I'm sure that peeps will be along soon to say how easy it is.... if you are arriving late in the evening - Swiss. If you want to make the most of your last day by skiing that day and then driving back... Swiss. If you don't want to have to buy chains... Swiss.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Swiss.
and here are my tips for saving time ... but for goodness' sake keep them to yourself.
The driver leaves the rest of the party waiting in the baggage hall.
He or she goes through the customs channel, turns right and walks to the car rental desks at the far right of the arrivals level, and completes rental formalities.
He or she then walks past the queue of people waiting for the shuttle, along the main road, past the World Trade Centre and filling station on his or her right, to the car rental car park, and picks up the car (remembering to chack for damage etc). It is a five minute walk max.
He or she then drives to the departures car park - a bit fiddly but it is, right out of the car park, right at the lights, right at the next lights, left at the next, and then follow signs for "Depart".
At departures there is a free 30 minute car park for drop off, take a ticket, drive inside, and pick up the rest of the party who by now have collected bags and brought them up one level to departures.
Exit the car park using your ticket to open the barrier and you are off.
You can do the same thing on return, drop the party (and bags) off at departures, return the car, then walk back. It saves waiting for the shuttle driver to load and unload your bags and it also saves wasting time while you wait for your bags to appear.
But like i say, keep this to yourself 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
...or fly to Chambery instead 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
... no thanks, been there, an airport can be TOO small 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
french side is a nightmare. if you arrive late they simply go home....
|
I was there waiting for my family whose flight had been delayed at Christmas and was talking to the woman at the Hertz rental counter on the French side. She told me they wait for people who have given them a flight number when they made the booking, if the flight is late they have to wait until it arrives. If they have no flight number they assume the person just did not turn up and leave at the time the desk is due to close.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Quote: |
At departures there is a free 30 minute car park for drop off
|
Nope. Free for 10 minutes, then you pay. But not a lot if you don't overstay the 30 minutes - then the charges get steeper, but nothing compared to Heathrow.
skichampcouk, thanks, that's something very well worth knowing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
ski, you used to be able to leave the baggage hall though French customs, though it was difficult to find the way. It should still be possible, as it saves the returning French from going through two sets of border formalities within 400 yards - and makes it easier for Brits who have a car to pick up that side. My experience says go for the Swiss hire car even if it seems more expensive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I should add, if you leave via French customs, you are still in the EU so have no duty-free allowance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| Quote: |
I should add, if you leave via French customs, you are still in the EU so have no duty-free allowance.
|
But if your boarding card says "Geneva" you can buy duty free in the airport shops when exiting the UK. If you leave via Swiss customs, then pick up a hire car and drive straight back into France (as many do) what's the situation? There is certainly duty on stuff like cars full of Ikea flatpacks bought in Switzerland - not sure whether there's any "duty free" allowance for bottles of gin.
I'm trying to remember whether there are any French customs you go through at the airport - the only time I've been out through the French entrance I'd flown from Nice so it didn't apply. when I met some international arrivals who could only come out on the French side (because they had no visas for Switzerland) the whole thing was a kerfuffle - for example they were not allowed to bring their own baggage up. It's all a bit of a muddle and that's no doubt why BA closed down their check in desk on the French side - too much confusion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
For what it's worth, I always rent on the French side when going to my place in Flaine after being stung for "international" recovery charges when a Swiss hire car broke down.
There's also been a previous post about someone being similarly stung for a recovery after an accident on the slopes.
Getting in and out of the French sector is not hard provided you follow the route the hire car companies will give you.
As to Geneva airport, all UK flights now go through the one baggage reclaim area & customs - you have to go out of this area, upstairs to departures and then through the French exit on the far right hand side - about 3 minutes walk after picking up your bags.
The last three times I've been through, this exit has been unmanned so no issue with French customs - other times they just wanted to see my passport.
Strangely coming back is a bit more complicated as the France to Swiss exit takes you back through the baggage reclaim area & Swiss customs.
You then have to go back upstairs to check in
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Check the hire prices and decide for yourself. The only time I hired on the French side the car already had a vignette. I DID find the instructions for driving from French to Swiss side and back again confusing (you have to drive in BOTH directions through the tunnel under the runway, but through different partitions of the tunnel.) If you have done it before, you will find it easy and it will take minutes. If it is your first time, you need to allow half an hour for getting it wrong, especially when returning to the airport.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Quote: |
I always rent on the French side when going to my place in Flaine after being stung for "international" recovery charges when a Swiss hire car broke down.
|
That's a sobering thought and worth checking before hiring a Swiss car to go into France. a bit much having all the inconvenience of a breakdown then having to pay for the privilege.
Even if you don't have a vignette (the cars we've hired on the French side - half a dozen over the years - haven't) it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. though 40 Swiss francs is more than it used to be, at the present ghastly exchange rate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| janner wrote: |
Strangely coming back is a bit more complicated as the France to Swiss exit takes you back through the baggage reclaim area & Swiss customs.
You then have to go back upstairs to check in |
You used to be able to check in for any flights on the French side, thus avoiding the need to go through the Baggage reclaim etc - is this not the case anymore?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
janner,
| Quote: |
For what it's worth, I always rent on the French side when going to my place in Flaine after being stung for "international" recovery charges when a Swiss hire car broke down.
There's also been a previous post about someone being similarly stung for a recovery after an accident on the slopes
|
 Were the charges covered by travel insurance?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
It doesn't necessarily need to be dearer on the Swiss side. For half term I got a compact estate for the week for 205 + 32 for fuel when I returned (conditions said I had to buy a full tank but they only charged for what I used). That was cheaper than I managed to find on the french side. Signed up for a hertz loyalty card last year and they offered free gold upgrade even though I only made two rentals. Definitely worth a punt to see if they offer you the same. Got to the desk, signed a pre-printed form and was given keys. Took 45 seconds!
Also recommend the drop off at departures. Arrivals wasn't too bad as people are generally better humoured on their way to a holiday. On the way back it's more of a scrum....
Haven't come across the international recovery costs before but wouldn't the insurance cover this (travel insurance I mean)?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
CP,
| Quote: |
You used to be able to check in for any flights on the French side, thus avoiding the need to go through the Baggage reclaim etc - is this not the case anymore?
|
No, you can now only check in on the French side for flights to France. I hadn't noticed this until somebody mentioned it in a previous post but it has been the case since October 2009. However, as janner, mentioned it is not that difficult to walk from the French side to the Swiss side.
If you have loads of luggage on a trolley it may be a bit more difficult, you have to go down stairs or an escalator (there is no lift) when you are going from the French to the Swiss side. I did see somebody try to take a trolley full of luggage down the escalator once, it was quite amusing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CP - as Skichampcouk says you can only check in to French flights on the French side - all UK flights (eg Easyjet to Luton) are checked in on the Swiss side only - you now need to go through the Swiss baggage reclaim and go upstairs to departures
Boredsurfing - luckily the charges were eventually covered but only because I had an annual car hire policy from "insurance4car hire - I still had the costs taken off my credit card by the car hire people who charged me - plus all the hassle of the form filling, etc - I couldn't comment if this would apply to the car hire company's own insurance - I know the travel insurance people were not interested once they knew other insurance was in place but I doubt they would have paid anyhow
skichampcouk - I've seen people try to take a trolley down the escalator as well - most amusing - that said I wouldn't want to try it myself with a luggage and a ski bag
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
