Cost of hiring Snow Chains

Is it just me or have the car hire companies seriously jacked up the price of hiring snow chains. I was looking up rates for a weeks hire in February and some companies are quoting over €100 for chains :twisted: . Unbelievable, particularly as I presume I could buy them for much less but that means finding a shop that sells the right size, etc.

Anybody got experience of negotiating for more reasonable prices?

I have no experience of hiring snow chains. BUT would rather pay extra for snow tyres. Fitting snow chains is extremely difficult at best. If you have never done it near to impossible. I have heard good reports for snow socks which are easy to fit but not good for long distance.

Wanderer wrote:some companies are quoting over €100 for chains :twisted:

That's appalling; feel free to name and shame (with a link to the pricing) and let them know you've done so!

Chances are you won't even use them if the car has winter tyres, although best to have them just in case.

Providing your route and flight times allow; drop in to a supermarket/garage en-route and just buy some. With sensible prep (watch some Youtube videos - of snow chain fitting, not cats, take a torch and some gloves and have them handy in the car) there's nothing to be scared of if you need them; just pick a sensible, safe spot to fit.

If the roads are clear when it's time to go home, donate them to a needy seasonaire or take them to the airport, hang around in arrivals or near the car hire desks and wave them about - you'll find someone to take them off your hands.

Admin wrote:

Wanderer wrote:some companies are quoting over €100 for chains :twisted:

That's appalling; feel free to name and shame (with a link to the pricing) and let them know you've done so!

Here is a summary of some of the charges quoted on one consolidator website that I checked out (I was looking at hiring from Munich).

Thrifty €16.66 pd - €100 max
Avis €18.45 pd
Budget €18.45 – max €110
Europcar €10 pd €50 max
Enterprise €10 pd €50 max

InterRent do not provide the information on their website and from recollection of checking this out last year, they were not even providing chains :shock:

Winter tyres are provided as standard during the winter season so I am guessing this is just another way of charging for them! I can remember not so long ago when you would typically be charged about €20-€25.

Yeah, anybody that had some good experience with using snow socks and if you did can you recommend some brands?
Cheers!

ubermotz wrote:Yeah, anybody that had some good experience with using snow socks and if you did can you recommend some brands? Cheers!

If this is a hire car with winter tyres, then snow socks aren't as good as the Winters, so there'd be no point.

If you're driving your own car down to the Alps, then see a Guide I wrote at http://www.babybmw.net/howtos/Winter%20Wheels%20Guide%202%20Series%20v2.pdf - it's aimed a BMW 2 Series owners but most of it is generic. Basically, socks turn your UK Summer tyres into Winters (to a degree) but the main challenge is on mixed tarmac/slush/snow when they will shred if you're on tarmac for too long.

If you're thinking of socks as an alternative to chains then, yes, but they'll only partly cover what chains will do. And if the police determine it's 'chains only' conditions then the socks won't be acceptable.

Whether it's a hire car or your own, it's worth sorting out what traction control settings you'll need if you hit snow. On mine, the icon on the button I hit when I'm on snow isn't labelled with a snowflake (as you'd think) but a has a icon of a car with wriggly-lines and the text 'OFF' on it (WTF?).

I've always got snow chains included with the car. Has it changed now?

Makes transfers even more attractive if they are extra