Latest posts for the topic "Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?"

Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 09:40:57 GMT

I know this has been discussed before many times but I can't find the relevant tread so here goes.
Myself and a buddy are flying to Geneva in December for three days in Meribel so are going to need car hire and I seem to remember that hiring a car from the Swiss side makes for easier and faster access to The mountains.
Am I correct?
Thanks.

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:11:51 GMT

I thought the french side was best for france?
Something about the motorway carnet?

Haven't hired for a few years so vague on details - sorry.
Mind you getting back to the french side of the airport for return was a bit of a fiddle as the route isn't well signposted if I remember.

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:15:18 GMT

Is there also something about winter tyres fitted as standard on one side (Swiss?) and not the other?

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:03:09 GMT

bedrock barney wrote:Is there also something about winter tyres fitted as standard on one side (Swiss?) and not the other?

Swiss side, winter tyres are fitted as standard, Not so the French an extra charge is made, so the moral to the story is hire from the Swiss side but beware the bus ride to pick up the car :evil:

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:04:55 GMT

Swiss side will have snow tyres. It is mandatory during winter months. I'd also be interested to know, other than the tyres, which is easiest and cheapest.

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:14:56 GMT

It's not the way it used to be. Only Air France (and maybe other French lines from French airports) now arrives to the French side of Geneva airport, so unless you are arriving from somewhere in France you will have no option but to get out on Swiss side as your luggage will be there. So makes sense to get a car on Swiss side. Airport is on a motorway and you will be in France in 5 minutes or less. You can get out on Swiss side, get your luggage and then go through check-in floor to the French side. On the way back near Ferney customs you will see signs Aeroport secteur France and follow them. However for destinations outside of France you will have to check in through Swiss sector.

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:21:38 GMT

Adam67 wrote:Swiss side will have snow tyres. It is mandatory during winter months. I'd also be interested to know, other than the tyres, which is easiest and cheapest.

I normally use a bucket shop in the Uk to hire cars from a lot of airports, I really don't think there is a lot in the price apart from getting the winter tyres as standard :thumbup:

www.arguscarhire.com

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:35:58 GMT

Didn't hire companies used to make a bit of a fuss about taking their cars up mountains? Or have they accepted the inevitable now?

i.e. arrive Geneva with skis = likely to want to drive to ski resort = almost certain to be up a mountain!!

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:50:48 GMT

felthorpe wrote:Didn't hire companies used to make a bit of a fuss about taking their cars up mountains? Or have they accepted the inevitable now?

i.e. arrive Geneva with skis = likely to want to drive to ski resort = almost certain to be up a mountain!!

I have never come across that one yet :shock:

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:44:53 GMT

Swiss - chains will also be provided.

If you think you will need them then practice in a nice dry/warm place first!

Watch out for the 'winterization' charges that seem to have crept in with some operators (something like 25 quid extra for a week). Last season I complained to Expedia about this extra charge that was levied at the point of pick up. I explained that nowhere in the booking process is this stated, that it was unreasonable for the hire company to level an additional charge when they know exactly what date you are booking for at the time of booking (e.g. winter) and that Expedia should use their influence to stop their suppliers essentially 'pulling a fast one'. (given that Expedia are normally very good at stating all of the costs up front). They agreed and refunded me the winterization fee.

This is one reason why I would recommend booking with Expedia.

Also, watch out for additional insurance that excludes the car underside, tires, roof and windows (i kid you not), but that is a separate issue.

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:09:38 GMT

Have flown to geneva many times and always used french sector cars, they do not have winter tyres true but in Dec the access routes to your resort will probably be clear.we have never had problems at that time. The real beauty of the french side is that cars are just downstairs from the hire desk.The desk staff from all hire companies are very good at explaining the route back to the airport and will give you a map,just follow signs for Ferney rather than airport until you see Secture Francais. Once you get back the keys are dropped off quickly and you can book in at the quite desk there that never has a queue for most airlines allowing you to go thru to the swiss side internally with just hand luggage its much easier. The food on French side is very expensive tho wait till you get over for better selection hope this helps

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 11:29:53 GMT

Thanks for all the replies, I can hire a car far cheaper on the French side so I reckon I will do.

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:01:43 GMT

Gareth Fair wrote:Thanks for all the replies, I can hire a car far cheaper on the French side so I reckon I will do.

On the Swiss side I paid GBP197 pounds for the week medium car Seat of some kind enough room for skis and cases. Plus included Winter tyres. What price have you been quoted on the French side ????

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 13:18:36 GMT

Euro122 for four days for a focus. There is only two of us so t should be grand.

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 13:28:22 GMT

Gareth Fair wrote:Euro122 for four days for a focus. There is only two of us so t should be grand.

Who is that with Gareth ??

Prices work out for seven days roughly GBP177, for another GBP20 I think I would have the winter tyres, but thats only me :thumbup:

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 13:30:36 GMT

Carhire 3000

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 08:50:32 GMT

Hi,

I always hire through Autoeurope and when booking car hire from Geneva the french Side is the offered start point, as Ian mentions the main difference is the Swiss side will have Snow/winter tyres fitted as standard ( legal requirement in winter ) and possibly chains also, hiring from the French side these are only fitted/supplied if requested at extra cost.

Also hiring from the Swiss side the car will have a " Vignette " sticker on the window for using the Swiss motorways, if you hire from the French side and do not know how to get back into Geneva without using the 3 mile stretch of Swiss motorway you will be required to pay CHF40.00 . For anyone not sure of getting back into Geneva and avoiding the "Vignette" charge below are the directions I sent another user via the PM facility.

"I hope you are well and had a good weekend, I'm not entirely sure if you've mentioned where you are driving from to get to Geneva but I'm assuming Tignes , Val'Disere etc....

Drive the following route Tignes/Val > Bourg-St-Maurice > Moutiers > Albertville to start with, once at Albertville you have a choice take the exit off posted on a Green signpost saying "Annecy" or you can stay on the road past Albertville and carry onto Chambery ( this may be the easiest route, possibly quicker also.....

So carry on > Moutiers > ( A430 )Albertville > Chambery ( A43 ) , at Chambery you will come to a Toll, take the exit marked Geneva A41 ( this will take you past Annecy ) wholst driving along the A41 you will see junction signs for Annecy travel past all these until you clear Annecy, about 5 - 8 km north of Annecy you will arrive at a large toll , take the lane posted for " A410 Annemmasse" this is the 3 very right hand toll booths at the toll, once past the toll you will then be on the A410 to Geneva, carry on this road ( Geneva is about 35 minutes or so from here) staying in th lanes for Geneva after a while you will see a large silver factory with big red letters spelling " SAMU " when you see thid you know you are on the right road.

Carry on past the " SAMU " factory which is on the right , and head towards Geneva, at some point the Motorway splits off to Chamonix don't take this exit stay in the correct lane, once past the Chamonix exit off the motorway the A410 joins the A41 into Geneva, again stay on this road ( you will go through another toll and also see signs for " Telepherique de Saleve " again you know you are heading in the right direction when you see this sign ).

Once on the run into Geneva you will start to see signs for " A411 " & " Valliard " posted on large blue signs with white lettring, on the right you will also see a large white building ( I think it's a kind of shopping centre and has large green lettering from memory I think it says " GACON " or something similar ) at the end of this building you will see a small flyover over the motorway, as you approach this ( going under it )the road bares slightly round to the right, directly here you will see a lane posted " A411" thi is the important exit to take.

Take this A411 exit which goes up and round to the left making sure you stay in the lane and not deviating, this exit then comes out onto the backroad into Geneva.

Stay on this road and keep in the lane marked for cars etc, you will then go through a Border Security checkpoint, once out the other end carry on along the road, go over the cross road, past the small football pitch which is on the right, once past the pitch the road starts to head uphill and bares to the right, about 100 yards up this road you will see an orange bus lane and a turning to the right ( Rue du Vallon ). Turn right into the Rue du Vallon and drive to the end, where you come out onto a large crossroad junction.

At this junction turn left and stay in the kirbside lane, this road takes you all the way down to the bridge at the bottom end of Lake Geneva, once on the bridge get into the far right lane and turn right at the end of the bridge, this road takes you up the side of the lake to another crossroad. Carry straight over the cross road ( this is the Rte de France ) stay on this road all the way up past the UN building on the right and carry on up the hill over the cross road again ( once over the cross road past the UN building the road then becomes the Rte de Ferney ).

Stay on this road up the hill in the kirbside lane and down the hill which bares to the right a little, carry on past the petrol staion and drive down the hill until you come to a small red & white round about, take the first exit off the round about " marked Airport/Ferney and down to the junction at the crossroad, go staright over the crossraod and through the tunnel ( this is the tunnel under the runway at Geneva ) once out of the tunnel go through the Border check about 50 yards on the right is a petrol staion to fill up the hirecar. Once you exit the petrol station and depending on traffic you can cut over the road and through the gap in the barrier turning directly right into the airport carhire entrance gate, or turn right out of the petrol station, at the next round about double back on yourself and the airport carhire entrance is on th right just before the laybye before the border check.

Take the entrance and follow the road under the bridge, along the road baring round to the left then right, carrying staright on until you come to the underground carhire parking bays.

I hope some of this helps, if you log onto Google Earth and highlite the road names and numbers tab much of the route can be followed on there by scrolling along the route."

P.S - when leaving Geneva and you have just got on the French Motorway if you are heading via Annecy and onto the Trois Vallee's or Val & Tignes etc, do not take the 1st posted exit for Annecy outside of Geneva, but stay on the motorway and take the 2nd one about 10km further along the road which will put you onto the A41.

Happy trails :-)

jon.

Re:Geneva car hire, French or Swiss side?

Fri, 2 Nov 2012 20:54:57 GMT

Crumbs, this is a no brainer - Swiss every time - trying to get in and out of French side is a nightmare!