B St M from Geneva - rent frnch or Swiss side?

Got accom and flights sorted out now for feb 1/2 term (was planning to drive
again, but got over-ruled by the rest of the family!). Cheapest flights were
Luton/Geneva (not ideal, but the cost saving makes it worth the 2 hr drive
each end). In the past I have been caught out and hired a car from the
french side when going to chamonix, when the swiss side gives easier access.

For Bourg St Maurice, is it better to hire from the french side or the swiss
side?

Thanks
John

John Ricketts wrote:
Got accom and flights sorted out now for feb 1/2 term (was planning to drive
again, but got over-ruled by the rest of the family!). Cheapest flights were
Luton/Geneva (not ideal, but the cost saving makes it worth the 2 hr drive
each end). In the past I have been caught out and hired a car from the
french side when going to chamonix, when the swiss side gives easier access.

For Bourg St Maurice, is it better to hire from the french side or the swiss
side?

If you're returning the car to Geneva airport hire on the Swiss side -
much less hassle and easier access to the motorway.

Only hire on the French side if you're returning to a different location
in France, thus avoiding the other-country drop-off charge and the
hassle in getting through to the French side of the airport.

Felly sgrifennodd BrritSki :
Only hire on the French side if you're returning to a different location
in France, thus avoiding the other-country drop-off charge and the
hassle in getting through to the French side of the airport.

Or wanting to bring back loads of French booze?

Adrian
--
Adrian Shaw ais@
Adran Cyfrifiadureg, Prifysgol Cymru, aber.
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Cymru ac.
http://users.aber.ac.uk/ais/weather/ uk

Hi Adrian, hope you are well! Family won't let me drive this time :-( so no
stacking up on the return)! There are 7 of us going and I wanted to hire a
minibus this end and take the ferry. Could have managed at least a dozen
cases! Ah well, mustn't grumble!

John

"Adrian D. Shaw" wrote in message
...
Felly sgrifennodd BrritSki :
Only hire on the French side if you're returning to a different location
in France, thus avoiding the other-country drop-off charge and the
hassle in getting through to the French side of the airport.

Or wanting to bring back loads of French booze?

Adrian
--
Adrian Shaw ais@
Adran Cyfrifiadureg, Prifysgol Cymru, aber.
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Cymru ac.
http://users.aber.ac.uk/ais/weather/ uk

OK thanks. I wondered what the logic was.

"BrritSki" wrote in message
...
John Ricketts wrote:
Got accom and flights sorted out now for feb 1/2 term (was planning to
drive again, but got over-ruled by the rest of the family!). Cheapest
flights were Luton/Geneva (not ideal, but the cost saving makes it worth
the 2 hr drive each end). In the past I have been caught out and hired a
car from the french side when going to chamonix, when the swiss side
gives easier access.

For Bourg St Maurice, is it better to hire from the french side or the
swiss side?

If you're returning the car to Geneva airport hire on the Swiss side -
much less hassle and easier access to the motorway.

Only hire on the French side if you're returning to a different location
in France, thus avoiding the other-country drop-off charge and the hassle
in getting through to the French side of the airport.

Either works really. If you're hiring from the French side you have to
follow signs to the French side on the way back obviously, but it's not
hard to do. Just don't drop it off at the Swiss side - they will charge
you a fee for this.

I'm not sure why you say the Swiss side gives easier access - they are
not very far apart. For Cham I would drive through Geneva from either
side of the airport and pick up the motorway near Annemasse (sp?), for
BSM I'd get on the motorway asap - can't recal the exact route from
memory but I think you just head west?

Some things to bear in mind when pricing it up:
.. Euro / CHF exchange rates may make one cheaper than the other.
.. A French car probably won't have the Swiss motorway vignette in it,
so if you are planning to use the Swiss motorways you'll have to buy
one (about CHF50-ish I think). If you're lucky some unfortunate
previous customer will have bought one for you and stuck it in the
windscreen, but there's no guarentee. Swiss cars have always had the
vignette in my experience.
.. A Swiss car will probably have the winter kit (ie snow chains)
included in the price, the French will charge extra - you should check
this with the hire company as they are not all the same by any means.
.. The Swiss side is open longer than the French - the French car hir
desks close at 11pm from memory, the Swiss ones stay open while the
airport is open. Again you should confirm with the company if you have
an early or late flight.

HTH,
Steve

John Ricketts wrote:

Got accom and flights sorted out now for feb 1/2 term (was planning to drive
again, but got over-ruled by the rest of the family!). Cheapest flights were
Luton/Geneva (not ideal, but the cost saving makes it worth the 2 hr drive
each end). In the past I have been caught out and hired a car from the
french side when going to chamonix, when the swiss side gives easier access.

For Bourg St Maurice, is it better to hire from the french side or the swiss
side?

Thanks
John

SteveH wrote:
I'm not sure why you say the Swiss side gives easier access - they are
not very far apart. For Cham I would drive through Geneva from either
side of the airport and pick up the motorway near Annemasse (sp?), for
BSM I'd get on the motorway asap - can't recal the exact route from
memory but I think you just head west?

For BSM you'd want to head south via Annecy and Albertville, but in any
case from Geneva airport the motorway around Geneva is far easier and
quicker than going through the city centre, particularly at peak times.
This gives two reasons for preferring the Swiss side - easier access to
the Swiss motorway and the guarantee that the hire car will have a
vignette. A third reason, as you mention, is that snow chains are more
likely to be included in the price.

It isn't a lot more complicated from the French side, but it is a bit of
added hassle. Compare the prices and see what works out best.

John.

--
-- Over 3000 webcams from ski resorts around the world - www.snoweye.com
-- Translate your technical documents and web pages - www.tradoc.fr

Thanks for the info.

We mistakenly booked a car from the french side last year and it was a bit
of a pain through the city to get to Cham (especially if you don't know
where you are going!).

"John Wilcock" wrote in message
...
SteveH wrote:
I'm not sure why you say the Swiss side gives easier access - they are
not very far apart. For Cham I would drive through Geneva from either
side of the airport and pick up the motorway near Annemasse (sp?), for
BSM I'd get on the motorway asap - can't recal the exact route from
memory but I think you just head west?

For BSM you'd want to head south via Annecy and Albertville, but in any
case from Geneva airport the motorway around Geneva is far easier and
quicker than going through the city centre, particularly at peak times.
This gives two reasons for preferring the Swiss side - easier access to
the Swiss motorway and the guarantee that the hire car will have a
vignette. A third reason, as you mention, is that snow chains are more
likely to be included in the price.

It isn't a lot more complicated from the French side, but it is a bit of
added hassle. Compare the prices and see what works out best.

John.

--
-- Over 3000 webcams from ski resorts around the world - www.snoweye.com
-- Translate your technical documents and web pages - www.tradoc.fr

Felly sgrifennodd John Ricketts :
Hi Adrian, hope you are well!

Very well thanks! Just got an offer of a week's apartment somewhere in
Austria over the new year from a friend - for free! Not in a ski
resort, but an easy drive I think. When I've found out just where it is,
I'll want to ask questions here... Somewhere SE of Salzburg I think.

Family won't let me drive this time :-( so no
stacking up on the return)! There are 7 of us going and I wanted to hire a
minibus this end and take the ferry. Could have managed at least a dozen
cases! Ah well, mustn't grumble!

Well, we'll be stocking up on Austrian goodies. One advvantage of Austria
over our usual Switzerland is that there's no customs limits

Hope you're all well too.

Adrian
--
Adrian Shaw ais@
Adran Cyfrifiadureg, Prifysgol Cymru, aber.
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Cymru ac.
http://users.aber.ac.uk/ais/weather/ uk

I though the limit was 10 cases each = 90 Litres?
;-)

"Adrian D. Shaw" wrote in message
...
Felly sgrifennodd John Ricketts :
Hi Adrian, hope you are well!

Very well thanks! Just got an offer of a week's apartment somewhere in
Austria over the new year from a friend - for free! Not in a ski
resort, but an easy drive I think. When I've found out just where it is,
I'll want to ask questions here... Somewhere SE of Salzburg I think.

Family won't let me drive this time :-( so no
stacking up on the return)! There are 7 of us going and I wanted to hire a
minibus this end and take the ferry. Could have managed at least a dozen
cases! Ah well, mustn't grumble!

Well, we'll be stocking up on Austrian goodies. One advvantage of Austria
over our usual Switzerland is that there's no customs limits

Hope you're all well too.

Adrian
--
Adrian Shaw ais@
Adran Cyfrifiadureg, Prifysgol Cymru, aber.
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Cymru ac.
http://users.aber.ac.uk/ais/weather/ uk