Hire Cars for trips to the Alps

A snowHead

Hello,

Has anyone ever hired a car for the express use of driving to the Alps? Is there a company out there that will deal with hire of chains or winter tyres and is happy that you are driving up a mountain whose roads could potentially be covered with snow or ice?

Thanks

K

A snowHead

kosciosco, presumably you mean from the UK? Loads of people do it from Geneva or other ski resort related airports.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Tiger2, Ideally I wanted to drive from the UK, but would be useful to have other options. Do you have the names of any companies in France / Geneva / Austria / Italy?

Thanks

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All of the standard companies (avis, hertz, europecar etc etc) are happy to do ski-resort suitable hire from the airports near ski resorts eg for this region Lyon, Geneva, Grenoble, Chambery etc. They are happy that you drive on mountain roads and are set up to include chains, tyres etc.

No one specific that I know of from the uk, but sure there are . . . .

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I hired a van to drive to the Alps, with a load of stuff for our new apartment. It was no problem. I explained exactly what we needed and the company (a local one, Wessex Van Hire) advised me to take one of their older vans, as it had a bigger engine and was more suitable for long distance at high speeds. We bought snow chains (and had to use them, so couldn't get our money back Sad

- I subsequently gave them away to a SH).

The van had had a bash just before we rented it, and the door had been re-sprayed, but their logo had not been painted back on. The French builders on the site were very amused at the appearance of a couple of old farts in a van emblazoned with "SEX VAN HIRE".

the morning we left it was extremely cold and the diesel was a little reluctant to start - after 45 minutes in the sun with the bonnet up it came to life, though.

I would think it unlikely to be economical to rent a car to drive down. Likely to cost considerably more than getting a cheap flight and hiring a car locally, unless you cram it full of paying passengers.

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kosciosco, Hi you could these people http://www.4x4vehiclehire.co.uk/

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After all it is free

kosciosco, I hired a van to drive from the UK to the South of France (although it could have been anywhere in Europe) in April this year with europcar and it was a good deal. It was under £300 to rent a mercedes sprinter for a week with european breakdown cover. I would assume they also offer the same option with car rentals.
I wouldn't think you need special insurance cover if you are driving to the alps, as long as you have the correct winter equipment for the country you are driving to it shouldn't be a problem.

Hello, Thanks for all this. Wasn't thinking so much of a van, more a big car / 4x4. Normally there are just three of us so we all fit in my Volvo V50 with all our kit, but we might number 4 this year and my car just won't fit.

Anyone tried a roof box? Do they take much stuff and do they ruin fuel economy?

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kosciosco, Why not buy one and sell it when you get back?

On the other hand driving down would cost me £350 in fuel (just the there and back part) and £130 for the toll and ferries minimum of £70 totalling £550, so basically if you can hire a car and get flights for less, then it’s not worth driving:

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kosciosco, Hi, I read the above and your OP and am thinking why dont you just fly and hire a car when you get there, or alternatively go by train from the other end airport? Hire cars charges have risen massively in the last 2 year - winter tyres, additional drivers, damage waiver etc (they make their money on the extras) and because of this we now go to resorts that have good train access from Zurich, or Munich (theres loads BTW). That said between 4 a car including fuel for to/ from the alps can be easily done for £80 each which is pretty good IMO.

Budget airlines - EJ, Jet2, RA, Berlin, Flybe, BMI Baby all charge for ski carriage at mad expensive rates so we now travel via schedules airlines, eg Swiss (ZHR) or Lufthansa (MUC), ski carriage FOC and if you book well in advance it really works, and German/ Swiss trains are pretty cheap (if booked in advance) and great service, on time and clean. I've yet to get to GVA cheaply with skis but sometimes you just have to go for it, in this instance I'd be Eurostar-ing it if I lived in the Southeast. If anyone knows of a scheduled way to get to GVA without ski carriage charges I'd be keen to find out.

Personally I'd be wary of driving all that way in a hire car, 2000 miles round trip in a week, think you'd be looking at serious excessive mileage charges (check small print)? Also I do believe there are restrictions with most UK car hire companies re taking vehicles out of mainland UK..............I once crashed my own car in France (or rather had it crashed for me) and had to get a hire car home, had to leave it at Calais, go on ferry as a foot passenger, and hire another in England, what fun.

Or if you are hell-bent on driving, buy a car and sell it when you get back?....................but dont forget youd need winter tyres.

Hope this helps.

Roof box is fine as long as you have the right fittings for your car. You can hire them (and the bars) I think rather than having to buy them.

It will reduce fuel efficiency but only by about 10%. With 4 of you it might make economic sense to drive your own car but have to agree that the additional cost of hiring one it will probably be cheaper to fly (even with your luggage).

There are loads of tips on here about the best routes etc. My personal tip is to use Tesco tokens to pay for the tunnel (but then I'm OK about Tesco - some people aren't).

You know it makes sense.

kosciosco, Or hire a BFO Motorhome in UK, drive down and sleep in it at say La Daille (FOC)................. factor in your hotel costs and I bet it works financially.

You could travel in it, eat in it, sleep in it etc, maybe an option?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

I'm thinking the roof box sounds like a much better option. Much cheaper than hiring a car and cheaper than flights for 4 plus big hire car. Doesn't sound like the fuel economy is too much of an issue either.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts

A snowHead

kosciosco, we did a trip to Les Arc last season, four of us in my Volvo v70 with a full length and width roof box, 8 pairs of skis and all the gear. No problems at all fuel was down about 3 mpg only, winter tyres of course.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

livetoski, Thats the style.................I agree, absolutely the best way if you have the car/ gear and the time, we're driving down to St Anton in March, great roadtrip and really enjoy the drive through Germany......its the cra**y Belgian roads and the Dover-Yorkshire bit that I dislike. Also off in 2 weeks with 3 mountain-bikes on top and a car full of gear ready for the trails! What's 3mpg when you have can have all your toys and gear with you?!!

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Markymark29, kosciosco, But try and park inside!! this was my vw sharan a few seasons a go

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I have tried with own car for years.

First a Nissan Primera, then a Rav4, then 2 Shoguns and now a Subaru. Snow chains in everyone and winter tyres for the last 3 cars. The use of winter tyres on the AWD car has eliminated the fitting snow chains in my trips so far but I still carry them.

Been to most places of France, Switzerland, Austrian and Italy going typically 2 weeks each trip but have done 3 weeks too.

To some skiing is the freedom to go from mountain to mountain, relying on a pair of skis and the right clothing. Driving to ski is another freedom as you can go to any resort in any country of your choice. The car cut down the accommodation cost as one can stay in off-resort accommodations without paying the premium to ski the premium resorts. One thing I found is many resorts are very close to each other and in a car you might as well ski all of them in one trip.

If it is your own car you have a better knowledge of what it can do. An AWD car with winter tyres isn't always necessary but it does allow one going round the isolated areas like the back of Dolomites or Swiss mountain passes with confidence.

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Can you hire winter tyres? So far my exploits have only involved driving through France so no legal requirements in terms of winter tyres, but I quite fancy some Austrian skiing.

Has anyone ever driven to Selva from UK?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

kosciosco, you can rent roof boxes too.

After all it is free

kosciosco, Never seen winter tyres for hire, I bought some Vredstein Wintrac Extremes 2 years ago and run them throughout the winter at home as well as Alps trips and am looking to get a 3rd season from them next winter (still 6mm on them). Well worth buying a set, although Bedfordshire may not be quite as snowy as Yorkshire Dales!

Driving to Selva should be fine - straight across Belgium and down the Rhine through Germany then to Munich and Innsbruck, then Sud Tirol I think, no tolls (just a 10€ Vignette in Austria) and German roads very good and not as many pinch points into the Alps re jams etc as in France. Done the drive to France/ Austria many times and its all about timing IMO, we like to bash through the night and arrive lunchtime/ late morning. Take the afternoon for a gentle few local runs before heading out after a decent sleep following morning. 2 drivers absolute necessity, got to keep the wheels turning IMO otherwise its gets to feel a long way.

Go for it

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kosciosco,

The front end of Dolomites is Selva Gardena as it is closer to the main road from Innsbruck and the Bremmer Pass. The back side of Dolomites is places like Cortina Ampezzo, Kronplatz and Civetta via Flachau/Salzburg from Austria. I have driven down there both sides usually staying in Austria in the first week and then hop to the Italy in the second week.

Some type companies undertake to store the tyres but I am not aware any company to hire them out. To get the winter tyre is a challenge in UK for many car models as the market does not exist, let alone winter tyre hire. Remember tyres has different width, depth and rim diameter even on the same car model as many manufacturers offer optional alloy wheels at different rim diameter and profiles. When I got my winter tyres last years I was told almost nothing in stock but I could get any winter tyre I want as long as I allow 2 to 3 weeks time for them to be shipped from Germany.

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@kosciosco, yep - handful of people did that to get to birthday bash last year (plus me from germany, and ronald from holland). OK that was Arabba, but that's just round the corner from Selva.

@Markymark29, plus the Brenner Pass toll, plus a few Euros for the Italian Autostrada Wink

As for the annual winter tyre/chains discussion... I needed chains once in Campitello to get out of the hotel, and from Arabba it was a bit squirrelly driving up the hairpins with Conti Winter Sport tyres, and also a bit hairy following the snowplough on the Brenner pass. Selva should be easier (no real mountain passes).

If renting from UK, make sure when you book car/van that it will have the insurance green card thing for international travel. When I rented a van, they had to arrange this specially for the vehicle on collection, so allow plenty of time. Every mainland EU car I've rented (that I've wanted to cross border with) had the insurance paperwork.

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Markymark29, We head out early on a Friday and aim for Chambery by 7pm. Then its an early start on the Saturday to get to resort for 9am with the intention of being on the slopes by 11am. I make a poor passenger especially when its my car so I go hardcore and drive the whole thing. No problem on the way there but the way home is a bit of a killer.

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Hire Cars for trips to the Alps

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