So, I'm going with some mates to Switzerland for a long biking weekend in Sept. There are 5 of us so we need to hire a van from Geneva airport. It is almost half the price in France than in Switzerland (£365 vs £765) - but both can be picked up at Geneva airport.
Providing we buy the Swiss Vignette thingy to allow us to drive on Swiss motorways, is there any problem hiring in France and just driving straight to where we're going in Switzerland?
I would say that if the van is already at the airport, then whoever you are renting for legally has to have put the vignette on the car - as to get from Frnace into here you pass by the customs before the airport..
unless they take another oute but i dont think so..
maybe ask the company, but im pretty sure.
but to answer your question, i'd say there shouldnt be a problem if you did have to buy the vignette.
Not entirely true. The vignette is for driving on the motorways over here so it is possible that the car can be driven across the border without ever having to have had one. If you never use the motorway you actually don't need a vignette. The french rental company may not have put the vignette on the car but maybe a previous renter did.
The vignette is only about 40CHF anyway, and maybe the car already has it, maybe not. Definitely get one if you intent to drive on the motorways (Marked green not blue over here!)
I've often driven on Swiss motorways without the pass (in my own car), I think you can get away with it if just going to a destination once. I've only ever been stopped on the motorway at a border crossing, so we just refused to pay, turned the car around, drove back to the nearest junction, crossed the swiss border on a B road, got back on the swiss motorway at the next available junction.
If you're in a hire car, it may be a different issue, in that the Swiss could possibly fine the hire company and the hire company bang the fine on your credit card. Where as, the Swiss Gov are unlikely to chase Mr Hopwood from Yorkshire, England.
I'm going to buy a vignette anyway, since I'm staying in Switzerland for a few days and will definitely be using the Swiss motorways. But for CHF40, I'd rather rent the french option and pay for the vignette than pay hundered of pounds extra.
Can you drive out of the airport the same way? Do you have to clear customs differently? Do you have to return to the airport via France?
I've been in Geneva airport many times, but I've never seen a "French" section of the airport, or a separate entrance.
there is a french section of the airport - I have seen it. You can fly into the airport and leave into france without ever crossing a customs barrier into switzerland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_International_Airport
you follow signs inside the airport arrivals to french side, go thru their passport control, car hire peeps are just on the other side. pick up your car on French side, drive out of a different exit (on french side of airport). Find Switzerland road and return thru border crossing, a simple map printed off internetz should see you right. I seem to recall it all being a bit stressful, but we managed it.
iirc return arangements were same, return car to french side, pass thru french pasport control inside airport. Probably leave yourself a few extra hours incase you get hopelessly lost.