Geneva Car Hire – Tips For a Smooth Rental

Once you arrive in Geneva, car hire is typically straightforward; having your own transport will enable you to explore this beautiful city and its breath-taking environs very easily. Here are a few tips worth taking into account.

Get your documents ready in advance

Every year lots of people end up having furious arguments at airport rental desks because their plans have just been thwarted by them not having the minimum required to complete the formalities. Sadly, the staff may not be able to do much about it - and it’s not really their fault, but the customers.

Check in advance what the hire company will require but typically it’s:

• A current driving licence;• A valid credit card with sufficient credit to cover both the payment (if not pre-paid) and more importantly a specified deposit amount covering any excess;• Proof of your identity and age – a passport is usually required.

Specify any unusual requirements in advance

For example, if you’re travelling into the mountains in winter, you may need ski racks and snow chains etc. Most Geneva car hire outlets can fully equip a vehicle to your specifications – preferably with advance notification, though. Arriving and simply announcing for the first that you have special requirements might cause delays or lead to disappointment.

Think about your final destination – France or Switzerland (or both)

You can rent a car in the French or Swiss sections of the airport. Typically, prices may be lower on the French side because Swiss prices will automatically include various forms of road taxation for Switzerland. But you’ll need to pay these anyway if you rent in the French part of the airport and have Switzerland as your destination. However, if you’re only visiting French territory, it may be cheaper to rent in the French section of the airport. If it sounds complex, it isn’t really! Your rental outlet will typically sort it all out for you once you tell them where you’re planning to use the vehicle. Shop around for deals and watch out for excess levels

Vehicle rental is regarded by many as being unnecessarily complicated and expensive, but these are realities of life we may all have to live with. However, prices can vary hugely, and while car hire might never be something able to be described as ‘cheap’ you might be able to save significant sums of money by shopping around.

Watch out also for the specified excess on your rental. That’s the sum of money you’ll be required to pay as the "first part" of any accident damage claim. The excess levied by companies can be very large and sometimes run into thousands of pounds. You won’t get a choice to pay or not because the company will have taken a swipe of your credit card as a deposit against any excess-related subsequent charges. The amounts do vary though and, again, comparisons are advisable. You can also typically take out excess protection insurance for a modest amount extra, and that might reduce or eliminate your liability to such charges on a Geneva car hire.

Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct. If you’re looking for airport transfers and advice on Geneva car hire, Shuttle Direct provide pre-booked shuttles to major destinations all over Europe. Wherever you travel, Shuttle Direct can make sure that you don’t miss your car on your holiday abroad.