Car Hire Geneva Airport

[-Cappo-]

I'm likely to need to hire a car from GVA in a few weeks' time, and will be remaining in CH for the duration. If I pre-book online, how can I make sure I get a Swiss car, with a vignette and winter tyres, rather than some heap from the French dungeon at the other end of the airport? (Assuming that's still there?).

[milfordkong]

It's usually pretty clear from the car hire site if you're hiring from the Swiss or the French side. They're very separate entities using different currencies and technically in separate nations so there has to be obvious differentiation.

On rentalcars.com :

Swiss side is labelled as 'Geneva International Airport (GVA), Geneva, Switzerland'
French side is labelled as 'Geneva Airport - French Sector (GGV), Ferney-Voltaire, France'

Or on Hertz

Swiss side is labelled as 'Geneva, CH - Geneva Airport (GVA)'
French side is labelled as 'Geneva, FR - Geneva Airport - French side'

[-Cappo-]

That’s great, thanks v much!

[tvrolet]

I'm aware there's a French side, but never known where it is...and renting for the location GVA is the Swiss side...at least it always has been for me when I rent. Out of arrivals, turn right and keep going to the rental desks, then a bus to the cars.

I can only comment on Hertz as I only ever rent from them - once you join a loyalty programme it keeps you loyal...but more importantly I get to skip the queues at the rental desk and get an upgrade (small print says 'when available', but in practice it's virtually every time).

I've been renting there every year for years, and sometimes a couple of times a year and from memory all the cars have been Swiss registered. I do wonder what happens if someone drops off say a French car on a one-way hire, as I know in the US you often get cars registered in another state. But from experience it's always been a Swiss plated car, and as such it's got the Vignette for Swiss motorways.

They've also always come with 'winter' tyres, although in reality most of the time it's actually 'all season' tyres i.e. M&S rated rather than full-on snow tyres. I gather the French laws are changing for some new tyre classification, but nevertheless the tyres are legal for winter use.

I've not added much to the party so far, but here's the point of posting. Previously on a 2wd car you used to get a set of snow chains in the boot, and on some previous trips these came in mighty handy. I recall one drive back from La Rosiere they were on and off more times than a we's knickers. I asked at the desk this year and the new policy is you can buy 'snow socks'. So it costs more money if you do buy them, and having bought them you'd then have to take them home for re-use (and rental car socks sure won't fit my car) and then take them back for the next time assuming the fit the next rental. And no idea how small they pack.

As it was, there's sod-all snow on the roads in the alps this year (and last), the roads are (were) totally clear and dry. Anyway my upgrade was to some AWD hybrid thingy. Never driven one before and most disconcerting with the engine note having no relation to road speed, but it made the chains/socks issue a moot point.

Anyway, this is the current Hertz policy - no chains any more but they'll sell you snow socks. But the tyres fitted are 'legal' for winter use so it would only be if you felt there was a chance of meeting snow...and I think that's a pretty low probability of that now this year.

And BTW, I think GVA is one of the worst airports ever, despite the new construction. Dreadful place for both arrivals and departures...and the rental 'garage' is bloody awful; way too small and awkward. There, got that off my chest...

[poosemon]

tvrolet said:

I'm aware there's a French side, but never known where it is...

I can't give you instructions off the top of my head as it was a fair while ago....but I definitely remember hiring from the "French side" when we were staying in Annecy one time and knew we were going to be French based for the entirety of the holiday so were price sensitive and at the time there was a fairly significant saving on hiring from France vs Swiss.

All I can remember was walking a fair old distance, and when we crossed onto the French side it was very clear we had done so as there was alot of signage and a door you passed through to get into France (can't remember if there was additional checks...don't think there were but maybe customs passthrough?)

On returning the car, I believe you can't avoid going into Switzerland for a bit, however there was a specific route that avoided Vignette applicable roads - but you did need to be careful as if you missed the turn you would end up going on road that does require a vignette.

[shirt]

It’s at the end of the ground floor just before the train station. Very well signed but fairly nondescript, set of automatic doors and a scanner, you can get through if you show your inbound boarding pass for gva. French car hire desks just at the other side of this door. You walk less distance than if going to the train or the car park so it ain’t far.

French side is hit or miss whether the car has winters or vignette. Swiss side has to provide both by law.

Winters not needed with current weather (they aren’t compulsory), if the saving is significant I’d go French as vignette is only €40. Tbh it’s only peak dates that there is as much of a saving as to warrant it.

[Bill]

Finding the entrance to the French side to return the car can be tricky but every time I've booked it's been significantly cheaper unless you really want winters.

[-Cappo-]

All of the above about the French depot is true! Only used it once, some years back. Gave me a car with summer tyres with about 3mm tread and a set of broken show chains. My how we chuckled as we tried to get up the hill to Tignes at about 2am.

That night it dumped and dumped and dumped. I went out to check the car in the morning and was convinced it had been towed. In fact it was under about 6ft of snow. We started hand-digging around where we'd left it - there was no discernible outline of a car (or anything else) - but eventually moved enough snow to see that it was indeed still there. Not that a Swiss car would have prevented this

We spent a long weekend in Tignes Les Brev without a single lift being opened, so it was just a beer and food fest.

Thanks for all of the info, v useful.