Car hire, Geneva airport

[CAPP0]

Anybody got any top deals for car hire from GVA? I'll be hiring from there Swiss side, not the French (made that mistake once before). Just wondered if there are any deals to be had, or the best offer?

[Cheib]

If you have an Amex card they get very good rates. I actually booked a car through for this weekend two days ago to pick up from Geneva Airport. £105 for a Fiesta for two days....thought that was decent value for short notice. Hertz (who I am booked with) online quote was closer to £140.

[schmalex]

I booked recently with Avis at GVA (Swiss side) through Holiday Autos. £176 for VW Polo with winter pack for 4 days and we got upgraded to a Ford BMax. The girl on the desk advised us that they also provide automatic upgrades with BA loyalty card.

If you are booking for winter use, make sure that winter tyres are included in the hire price. Many hire companies offer a cheap headline rate and then hit you for CHF30 / 40 for winter tyres when you collect

[CAPP0]

Interesting about BA, I am an Exec Club member but I have no idea where my card is, everything is always done online when I book!

[Cheib]

schmalex said:

I booked recently with Avis at GVA (Swiss side) through Holiday Autos. £176 for VW Polo with winter pack for 4 days and we got upgraded to a Ford BMax. The girl on the desk advised us that they also provide automatic upgrades with BA loyalty card.

If you are booking for winter use, make sure that winter tyres are included in the hire price. Many hire companies offer a cheap headline rate and then hit you for CHF30 / 40 for winter tyres when you collect

All the hire companies at GVA on the Swiss side supply cars with winter tyres....think it's a legal requirement. The s on the French side dont though....they don't even give you snow chains as I once found out when trying to leave a ski resort after a foot of snow had fallen the day before.

[schmalex]

They supply them, as its a legal requirement in winter time. However, some charge a "winter supplement", payable at the desk for the use of them. I very nearly fell into this little gotcha last month...

[CAPP0]

Cheib said:

All the hire companies at GVA on the Swiss side supply cars with winter tyres....think it's a legal requirement. The s on the French side dont though....they don't even give you snow chains as I once found out when trying to leave a ski resort after a foot of snow had fallen the day before.

Or....they give you snow chains, but when you get halfway up the hill at 2am and try to fit them (because otherwise you're going nowhere on the low-tread non-winter tyres) you find that they are broken with several sections and clips missing. When you return the car and point this out, they say merci and simply place the remains of that same set of chains back in the line of sets to go back out again. Yep, ask me.....hence why I'll pay the Swiss premium this time. Not to mention the fact that you're thrown almost immediately onto a Swiss motorway with no carnet, or that you need the navigational skills of Ranulph Fiennes to find your way back to the rental dungeon.

[CAPP0]

schmalex said:

They supply them, as its a legal requirement in winter time. However, some charge a "winter supplement", payable at the desk for the use of them. I very nearly fell into this little gotcha last month...

Excuse the dumb question but does that mean "don't pay the £11 per day for winters as the car will have them anyway"?

[Zod]

CAPP0 said:

Anybody got any top deals for car hire from GVA? I'll be hiring from there Swiss side, not the French (made that mistake once before). Just wondered if there are any deals to be had, or the best offer?

The mistake of discovering when you get close to the airport an hour before your flight that you have to drive all the way around Geneva to get to the French side of the airport? Me too!

[schmalex]

CAPP0 said:

schmalex said:

They supply them, as its a legal requirement in winter time. However, some charge a "winter supplement", payable at the desk for the use of them. I very nearly fell into this little gotcha last month...

Excuse the dumb question but does that mean "don't pay the £11 per day for winters as the car will have them anyway"?

More like "sure, you can have the car, but because it's winter time and you have to have winter tyres, we're going to charge you £11 / day for the pleasure even though they are mandatory"

[CAPP0]

schmalex said:

CAPP0 said:

schmalex said:

They supply them, as its a legal requirement in winter time. However, some charge a "winter supplement", payable at the desk for the use of them. I very nearly fell into this little gotcha last month...

Excuse the dumb question but does that mean "don't pay the £11 per day for winters as the car will have them anyway"?

More like "sure, you can have the car, but because it's winter time and you have to have winter tyres, we're going to charge you £11 / day for the pleasure even though they are mandatory"

So what did you do - pay it or ask them politely to PFO? I've booked now and it did warble on about a winter tyre charge payable at the desk, I just don't know whether I will actually have to stump up for it?

[schmalex]

CAPP0 said:

schmalex said:

CAPP0 said:

schmalex said:

They supply them, as its a legal requirement in winter time. However, some charge a "winter supplement", payable at the desk for the use of them. I very nearly fell into this little gotcha last month...

Excuse the dumb question but does that mean "don't pay the £11 per day for winters as the car will have them anyway"?

More like "sure, you can have the car, but because it's winter time and you have to have winter tyres, we're going to charge you £11 / day for the pleasure even though they are mandatory"

So what did you do - pay it or ask them politely to PFO? I've booked now and it did warble on about a winter tyre charge payable at the desk, I just don't know whether I will actually have to stump up for it?

Some people argue the toss at the desk. As we were going for a calm weekend's skiing, I decided to cancel the booking and re-book one with the winter tyres included in the base price (I guess it's just a way for the supplier to get their car to the top of the broker lists by hiding cost). We were within the 48 hour free cancellation period on Holiday Auto's, so all was good.




Below is an example I've just extracted for a Skoda Citigo from rentalcars.com (offered by a small local company)- their price got them to the top of the list, but then for the 4 day rental I put in, the winterisation fee added an extra £30 to the hire price, driving them to be more expensive than a Skoda Fabia from Europcar with winter tyres included in the price (approximately 9th on the list) ...


T&C extract...

Your Rental Includes

• Unlimited Kilometers for ALL car groups
• Insurance ( - Collision Damage Waiver - Theft Protection - 3rd Party Liability )
• Airport Surcharge
• Road Fee

Mandatory local fees

Mandatory Winterisation Fee of 10.80 CHF per day , applicable to rentals taking place between 01.11 and 15.04

[CAPP0]

Ah OK, thanks, makes sense now, I have booked a Fabia with Holiday Autos but it does say the mandatory tyre charge is CHF40, or £27-ish on top of £153 for 4 days. Might make sense to check some others which are inclusive then.

[Chucklehead]

Expedia include the winter fees in the cost at Geneva and quite a few other countries too

[CAPP0]

Chucklehead said:

Expedia include the winter fees in the cost at Geneva and quite a few other countries too

That's very interesting, thanks, they are quoting £167 for a Polo against my £153 for a Fabia (same group then!) but yes, it does say "winter fees included". Cancellation and rebooking required then!