 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all.
Have booked a trip to Saalbach in February and will be flying into Munich - we are going to hire a car for the trip but it seems that winter tyres are mandatory in germany - some of the rental companies are a bit vague on this (as to cost ) and some are telling me it is a circa £60 charge for four days! Do any of you know whether the car would have these on anyway and they are looking to fleece me or do I just need to stop being a tight back bottom and wear the cost
Any views on the ease of getting to Saalbach from Munich also gratefully received. We will be landing about 4.30 on a Friday (which on reflection may not be the best time!). Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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nick0861, Unfortunately the German government did not go for the designated date route for the winter tyre rule. This means the hire companies do not have to provide winter tyres and can charge for them. The law is that you have to have tyres that are suitable for the weather conditions prevailing at the time, and as the driver/hirer YOU are responsible for ensuring this. These were the conclusions of the ADAC (German AA/RAC) when they studied the legislation after it's introduction last winter.
Would it be possible to get the train to Salzburg and pick up a hire car there where the tyres have to be winter ones between November and March? The trains from Munich airport to the main stations are easy and cheap, plus you will avoid the worst of the traffic between Munich and Salzburg on the Friday evening.
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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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Samerberg Sue, out of interest, is there a direct drain from Munich to Salzburg?
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holidayloverxx, there are direct trains. Takes 1h30 or 2h depending on which train you take. See www.bahn.de for details.
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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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holidayloverxx, Yes, plenty per day. You can pay a supplement and get a fast ICE train or pootle along for less money on one of the all-stopping ones.
Look at the Deutsche Bahn site (www.bahn.de) there is an English language option as well.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| nick0861 wrote: |
Hi all.
Have booked a trip to Saalbach in February and will be flying into Munich - we are going to hire a car for the trip but it seems that winter tyres are mandatory in germany - some of the rental companies are a bit vague on this (as to cost ) and some are telling me it is a circa £60 charge for four days! Do any of you know whether the car would have these on anyway and they are looking to fleece me or do I just need to stop being a tight back bottom and wear the cost
Any views on the ease of getting to Saalbach from Munich also gratefully received. We will be landing about 4.30 on a Friday (which on reflection may not be the best time!). Thanks |
£60 seems a little steep, but yes, this is common in Germany - there was a lot of discussion last year. And although it's an additional charge, I don't think you have any choice, they won't rent you a care without them. We rented a car at Salzburg that had them as standard (and they were superb - we got lost and ended up on a farm track that was knee deep in icy slush and the car was absolutely fine!). Depending on how many of you there are it might be cheaper to get a train to Salzburg, it'll save you a bit of driving too. In fact, if you are not planning on traveling around it might be feasible to use public transport all the way? Not skied Saalbach so I'm not sure how feasible this is, but worth a look.
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Samerberg Sue, I see they go direct (from airport change at Ost station)to Bischofshofen as well - that could be useful
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holidayloverxx, yes, you can then get a bus to Flachau from there. There are also trains to Altenmarkt or taxis from Bischofshofen whichever works out best for the timetable.
Tried Kika yesterday without any luck but will keep trying until I get through.
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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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Samerberg Sue, great, thanks.
oops thread drift, sorry
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| Samerberg Sue, I see they go direct (from airport change at Ost station)to Bischofshofen as well - that could be useful |
Yes, I did that the other year and was dead easy. One change and down to Bischofshofen. A first class ticket cost me €60 return and I got a goodie bag on the return journey!
I hopped on the bus (well, no bus just a local taxi acting as the bus!) for about €2 into Muhlbach.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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When I rented from Sixt @ Munich airport they were standard on the car. I told them at the counter I was going to Austria & needed winter tyres & they said the car already had them. No extra charge. Not sure if this is always the case with Sixt, but thought I'd pass it along. That happened for 2 straight seasons when I rented a car. Generally I find it easier to take the train, especially if you arrive on a Saturday (Traffic!!)
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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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farlep99, you may always be lucky, but when booking from the UK, people are asked if they want them. If you say no, they may refuse to issue the car, so then you are stuck.
I don't see the car hire companies swopping the tyres about all winter and see this as just a way of earning extra money. The ADAC were very critical of the practice in the report I read, but admitted there was not much you could do about it. It was the government who failed, due lobbying pressure from flatter areas and other interest groups, to set a clear start and end date for winter tyres. Unless the individual Bundesländer decide to impose a timed period, it is a case of suck it and see as far as I can see, or fly to somewhere where these is a prescribed winter period.
If you do have to come into Munich, taking the train to Salzburg is very easy and then picking up a hire car there which will have to be fitted with winter tyres, is possibly an easier option. It also means on a standard changeover weekend, you miss out on the worst of the traffic jams between Munich and Salzburg 
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Samerberg Sue, if only you had a euro for every time you answered these questions...........
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You know it makes sense.
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robboj, Yes I know. But each time the rules change at least those of us who live here can offer more solid advice as we are actually dealing with these problems all the time.
When and where are you coming out?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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thanks all - i arrive on a friday afternoon but not skiing until the saturday so will probably suck it up and book from munich. i think i can get a nine seater for about £300 so between six of us thats not too bad
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Poster: A snowHead
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Samerberg Sue, so far we've only booked the New Year week from Tuesday 27/12. Both of us and N's mum along with my sister, b-in-l and nephews, staying in the Tirolerhof in ZamS. Flying Easyjet from EDI to MUC then hotel minibus to pick up. With seven of us in all this was by far the best option relative to costs, convenience and reliability. Hopefully you'll manage over for a day?
nick0861, might be worth asking your hotel if they have a minibus big enough and can pick you up. We have been quoted 280 euro each way for the minibus from Zell am See, which is roughly the same distance as Saalbach, no hassle of actually driving either?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We always land up booking with holiday autos via the One link, in previous years we have declined the winter tyres on costs grounds, but after a narrow escape with the polis entering the Zillertal we pre booked last year at the princely sum of 2 euors per day.
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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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We hired car from Munich to Obergurgle and they gave us snow chains, charged us for them, only for us to find out when we needed them that they were not complete !! hence we could not fit them, 9got money back when we returned car) but the car did have snow tyres on as standard !! no extra cost
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Ghost Dog
sorry mate what is the 'one link'? two euros/day sounds better than £60!
coach,
who did you hire through?
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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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If you take the train from Munich to Salzburg, will you be able to hire a car from the train station in Salzburg or do you have to go from the station to the airport to hire the car?
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I believe you can hire from anywhere and have the car delivered to your pick up point. If not, it is easy enough to reach the airport from the railway station using punlic transport for very little cost. One person could easily collect while the others avail themselves of the choice of bars, etc near the station.
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coach, how long was the drive from Munich to Obergurgl? did you book a hotel direct?
Thanks
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I got stung by this last winter due to abuse of the small print by Holiday Autos and sharp practice at the desk by Thrifty, who seem to be taking advantage of the ambiguity of German law on the subject. My understanding is that if you find yourself on a road in conditions where snow tyres would be an advantage, and don't have them, you are committing an offence. The car hire companies presumably put on winter tyres around late November, and keep them on till at least March, and they will ask you at the desk if you want to pay extra for the tyres (and then tell you it's obligatory if you decline - that's the sharp practice to watch out for). I don't know what they do if you do decline, but I can't believe they go and change the tyres, so in all probablity you are going to get a car with winter tyres anyway. And if they genuinely do have a car without winter tyres, it's your choice as to whether you want to take the risk that you might get snowy conditions...there must be times, particularly late season, when there is minimal risk of needing snow tyes on an autoroute
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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