Car hire Geneva?

[Kevin H]

Can anyone recommend any cheap car hire companies for Geneva Airport?

Or perhaps discount codes???

[Andy Bernard]

Hi Kevin

I tend to go to Moneysupermarket.com or Moneysaving expert and see who is offering the deals (Argus, Holiday Autos etc) - so far (touch wood), it's worked out quite well. BUT there are a couple of, if not scams, areas of questionable practice.

1. CDW excess - Yes, sir any damage to the car is limited to anything from €500 to 1000, but you can reduce that to zero by taking out additional insurance - if you do that at the point of rental, it will be as much as the daily rate for the car - you will know when you book it and it is possible to buy CDW excess cover fro a separate company. Some of the car hire deals do in fact offer a zero excess for CDW, and then they come in to scam 2:

2. OK sir, collision damage is protected, but of course this doesn't cover windscreen, any glass, tyres. You can cover these items for yet another daily charge. And then there is the fuel scam:

3.Sir, so that you do not have to worry about filling the car up with fuel on your return, we provide you with a full tank and you can return the car empty (as if you are going to do that when you are catching the flight home). Using this - and it is difficult to get out of - the fuel price is approximately 50% dearer than you would pay on the street if you brought the car back empty - usually you will have quite a bit in the tank, so the cost per litre is even greater.

It is possible to get a deal - discount codes with e main companies is probably safer - but you have to read the small print very carefully.

Cheers

Andy

[Rubbond]

If you like Hertz, try booking through Ryanair www.ryanair.com. They do
great deals on hotels too.
You don't have to fly Ryanair (at least to book) car rentals, but I got a
mouthful on Malta last year when my flight arrived about an hour after the
last Ryanair flight, and the guy at the airport had gone home
already.....probably already asleep when I had him return to the airport.
Good luck!
Andy.

[Kevin H]

Thanks Andy (x2),

I have already experienced all the extra insurances they offer, however I am fairly sure that I am covered for these by my travel insurance, but I will make sure.

The other problem I find with the car hire companies is that you book a car, say a Mondeo Station Wagon (Estate) "or similar", on the basis that they say you get can so much luggage in it, and they actually give you something like a Vauhall Insignia SW which has apalling luggage capacity by comparison. Trouble is I don't know that at the hire desk, because I don't know what a Vauxhall Insignia actually is!

From my searching so far it seems that Opodo (via carrentals.co.uk) are the cheapest.

By the way, for hiring in the UK I found these guys to be quite cheap 5th Gear Car Hire - searches for Cheap Airport Car rental UK . , they are EuropCar resellers, but much cheaper than going direct. Unfortunately they only do UK hires.

Incidentally, does anyone know how a Skoda Octavia Estate compares with a Mondeo Estate for luggage space?

[Rubbond]

I usually book the cheapest car. These are the first to sell out so you
usually get a free upgrade. They never have the car you want anyway.
Last time I did get the cheapest one, a Peugeot 107. It was only when I
couldn't find the filler cap to refuel when I returned it, that I realised
it had 4 doors!
Wonderful design if you only have a 7 foot garage!
I see now that Ryanair doesn't fly to Geneva anyway......but you can book
hotels there through them very cheaply.
Have a good trip!
Andy>

[peterg]

They both have large boots but I suspect the Mondeo is larger. The Superb
is probably the same size.

[GREG]

Probably cheaper deals if you fly to Nice. Not so far away and the city doesn't shut at 9pm !

Switzerland looks pretty but ........... glad I don't have to go any more.

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by GREG

Probably cheaper deals if you fly to Nice. Not so far away and the city doesn't shut at 9pm !

Switzerland looks pretty but ........... glad I don't have to go any more.

I'm not actually staying in Geneva, just flying in there because it's the closest airport to some friends we are visiting in France.

From what I can see the basic car hire rate is cheaper in France (even just on the French side of Geneva Airport) but then the additional charges for snow tyres and chains are horrendous, whereas they are usually included in the Swiss car hire costs, although this can be hard to verify from many of the car hire web sites!