Big Variation In 'Winterisation' Charges Where Chains Compulsory

The average costs for 'winterisation' of rental cars varies considerably depending on where you fly in to, according to a new study by iCarhireinsurance.com which provides car hire excess insurance.

Winter tyres and/or carrying/using snow chains are often compulsory in snowy conditions, or in some cases just in winter, in many European nations but car rental companies tend to see them as an 'add on extra' cost.

iCarhireinsurance.com compared the winterisation charges in six ski destinations (Geneva, Grenoble, Turin, Innsbruck, Sophia and Barcelona) levied by five car hire companies (Avis, Hertz, Budget, Europcar and Sixt) for a week's hire of a medium-sized car from 13 - 20 February 2016.

The survey found that the highest charge was in Grenoble with Budget charging a £119 winterisation cost while the lowest cost was £15, if hiring from Sixt in Sofia. On average drivers are paying around £37 for winterisation costs.

"The regulations on winter tyres and snow chains vary between countries, but car hirers do need to be up to speed on whether they need them in the country they're hiring in, otherwise they could face a 5,000 Euro fine in Austria, for instance," said Ernesto Suarez, CEO and founder of iCarhireinsurance.com.

AVERAGE WINTERISATION COST IN EACH DESTINATION

Barcelona £46.32
Geneva £64.14
Grenoble £52.73
Innsbruck £20.76
Sofia £19.85
Turin £20.07

Average Cost £37.31

Winter tyres are not compulsory in Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Bulgaria, however, if local signs indicate that snow chains should be carried in the vehicle, you are required to do so and if an accident were to occur a motorist without winter tyres would have a far greater chance of receiving the responsibility of any damage incurred from the collision.

"Winterisation charges are another example of how car hire companies snowball costs at the rental desk, and can make an original low rental price not such a good deal after all," said Ernesto Suarez, CEO and founder of iCarhireinsurance.com. "With these winter destinations, however, do make sure you've done your research and know the necessary equipment required for the country you're in."

EU laws regarding winter tyres and snow chain requirements are as follows:

• Germany - Must have winter or all season tyres (M+S*) fitted during winter seasons.
• Austria - Must have winter tyres (M+S*) fitted on snow covered roads from 1st Nov - 15th Apr.
• France - Carry snow chains and use as directed by local signs.
• Switzerland - Carry snow chains and use as directed by local signs. Winter tyres are recommended but not compulsory.
• Andorra - Carry snow chains and use as directed by local signs.
• Italy - Carry snow chains and use as directed by local road signs. Winter tyres are recommended but not compulsory.

iCarhireinsurance has produced a winter driving infographic on the subject:

https://www.icarhireinsurance.com/information-and-news/blog/infographic-winter-driving-top-tips

Interesting reading. Not a problem for us when we head out to Norway/Sweden this month. Our hire car will have studded tyres as standard (which will be a new experience). Looking forward to some Tommi Makinen style driving!

But slightly puzzling - I rented from Hertz in Geneva Airport last November and they said that all their hire cars were winterised after a certain date in autumn. They used to have a small subset that weren't, for people who just wanted a run-around for the Geneva area, but they gave that up a while ago, not least because Geneva gets snow from time to time. Don't all the main Agencies at the airport offer winterised as standard now? I think you can get cheaper rentals from the French side because some there still quote non-W (and non-vignette, and non-chain) prices.

I hired a car through holiday autos in Geneva (Swiss side). All winter gadgets included in price. When I returned the car, they tried to charge me and extra £80 for 'winterisation' and also an extra day. After a lot of cross words and waving of confirmation emails they agreed and did not charge me anything

Lesson here everyone - if it's all inc at the start make sure they (hertz in this case) don't add it at the end!!

If Geneva is anything to go by, the point is that it's basically a cartel - there are only a fixed set of Agencies physiaclly operating at the terminal itself. I've found that if you shop around between them then you'll find one that's reasonable and everything is listed at the booking stage - as you're booking direct. I've never had any problems booking this way.

Intermediaries like Holiday Autos collect your requirements and do the work for you, and claim also to get B2B rates unavailable to the public. The problem I've found with intermediaries is (a) they sometimes come back saying that they can't find the spec' you've asked for (so you end up spending as much time to-ing and fro-ing as you would have just trying out 3-4 Agencies direct) or (b) your spec' magically changes to something that they can supply or (c) the people who are actually supplying you with the car try to double-charge you.

So I opt to pay the premium and book via the agencies direct. But I do know that the Intermediaries can sometimes get good discounts.

I never book direct with the operators as their prices are always significantly higher than those with the intermediaries. Overtime I have booked with HA I have never had a problem. They have always provided what I want. This holiday is the only time I have encountered problems, this was caused by Hertz trying it on - nothing to do with HA. As soon as I showed them my confirmation and refused to pay any extra the problem suddenly went away.

As with everything, always make sure that they are not charging you for something that you don't need when you return the car. I am happy to invest 20 minutes of time looking for the best deal rather than paying over the odds. Personal choice I suppose. Time v money ;)

Holiday car hire is a right old game (whether for winter or summer holidays). You certainly need to keep your wits about you.

We hired a car in Mallorca a couple of years ago. The form we were asked to sign was supposed to have identified any current damage but when I checked it before driving off there must have been at least another 10 dents and scratches, some of them pretty big. The rental guy was completely relaxed though and let me include the extra info before I signed my life away.

For my regular trip of the year, I need to choose between train from Munich to Woergl, or car hire at Munich flughaven.
So, I guess I have hired for most of the past 15 years or so.
Winterisation in Germany became mandatory several years back. This means that your tyres will meet the winter regs. Yes the chain demand may be brought into action on my local mountain road, but in over 45 years of driving there, it has never been acted upon. That may be different for others.

Please be aware there is a scam emerging from some operators. Mostly buried in small print is an item that if you are planning to travel outside of the country of hire, there wil be a charge, (€6~€10 per day) for traveling outside the country of hire. Last year, I point blank refused. This year, I read through the small print of each car hire company. It took four tries to avoid this clear scam. and accept the T&Cs of the company I chose.

It is certainly much more complicated than it used to be.