Geneva airport rental car question
Apr 1, 23, 4:05 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,152
Regarding OP question I'm lost. my first understanding was that he would rent a car in france and then rent another car in Swizterland to go from Paris to Zurich without the renting fee.
but with the LHR flight?? anyway
Schengen is not UE. So, for customs reasons, when going from France to Switzerland, you have to declare cash or goods (according to the law).
By having a french sector in GVA, people living in France can go directly to Paris without crossing any border so without having to declare anything.
If the french sector wasn't there, someone living in France would technically have to go through a custom declaration when crossing the border by car from France to Switzerland to get to the airport and then again when arriving at his french destination.
To sum up : schengen "opens" the border for the people, not for goods and money.
but with the LHR flight?? anyway
Schengen is not UE. So, for customs reasons, when going from France to Switzerland, you have to declare cash or goods (according to the law).
By having a french sector in GVA, people living in France can go directly to Paris without crossing any border so without having to declare anything.
If the french sector wasn't there, someone living in France would technically have to go through a custom declaration when crossing the border by car from France to Switzerland to get to the airport and then again when arriving at his french destination.
To sum up : schengen "opens" the border for the people, not for goods and money.
Apr 1, 23, 10:00 am
#17
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
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I was just answering someone elses question about why I mentioned ZRH. Its was part of my trip 20 years ago that I was referring to that I last did the border switch of rental cars and then ended my trip at.
Apr 7, 23, 6:25 am
#18
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: BA, UA, Marriot
Posts: 2,195
Since 2010, there might be one (big) change :
Going from the french side to the swiss side of the airport is not possible unless you have a boarding pass.
I don't know how strict this is enforced nowadays but be careful.
Source :
https://www.gva.ch/en/Site/Passagers...0-999c98a2877e
Warning: Following security measures imposed by the Swiss and French authorities, Genve Aroport informs you that ONLY passengers in possession of an air ticket valid for day D +/-1 are authorised to pass between the international sector and the France sector, and vice versa.
Therefore, car rental agencies clients that do not meet this condition must imperatively move from one sector to another by road (car, taxi, etc.), by passing through the Ferney-Voltaire customs. Pedestrians and cyclists are not allowed to use this road.
Going from the french side to the swiss side of the airport is not possible unless you have a boarding pass.
I don't know how strict this is enforced nowadays but be careful.
Source :
https://www.gva.ch/en/Site/Passagers...0-999c98a2877e
Warning: Following security measures imposed by the Swiss and French authorities, Genve Aroport informs you that ONLY passengers in possession of an air ticket valid for day D +/-1 are authorised to pass between the international sector and the France sector, and vice versa.
Therefore, car rental agencies clients that do not meet this condition must imperatively move from one sector to another by road (car, taxi, etc.), by passing through the Ferney-Voltaire customs. Pedestrians and cyclists are not allowed to use this road.
Apr 7, 23, 11:27 am
#19
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Paris, France
Programs: Flying Blue, Accor Silver
Posts: 290
Official rules are often 20 years out of date because it gives the authorities a valid reason to stop someone in case of suspicion. This almost never happens, just like the people who are convinced that you need an IDP to rent a car.
Apr 7, 23, 11:33 am
#20
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Behind the curtain
Programs: Flying Blue, Accor
Posts: 331
The rule was enforced strictly in both direktions when I passed through last summer
Apr 9, 23, 3:08 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,152
Did you last use it between 2012 and 2014? If so, this would not be particularly relevant as the restrictions were introduced more recently (sometime during the Covid era, AFAIK).
Apr 9, 23, 1:21 pm
#22
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: BA, UA, Marriot
Posts: 2,195
Yes between 2012 and 2014, however I was responding to the post that said that these rules had been in place since 2010. Obviously if others are saying that this is now being enforced then that's way more relevant.
Apr 11, 23, 9:29 am
#23
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Paris, Geneva
Programs: Some...
Posts: 323
Actually, in my post, 2010 was a reference to OP year of previous experience and not the year of these new rules. indeed, these new rules have been set up and enforced during Covid. But I can understand I wasn't clear. 
May 11, 23, 4:06 am
#24
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Silver (OW Sapphire), A3 Gold (*G), Bonvoy LTTE, HHonors Diamond, LeClubAccor Silver, UA Silver
Posts: 1,726
A bit late to the game, but having recently moved back to Geneva after a 20 year absence, I think these border crossing restrictions are precisely in place to curtail cross-border car rentals. Whether this was requested by the car rental companies on the Swiss side, it's anyone's guess.
Case in point: a weekend rental for a midsize car costs around EUR 100 from the French sector, and EUR 300 from the Swiss sector!
Case in point: a weekend rental for a midsize car costs around EUR 100 from the French sector, and EUR 300 from the Swiss sector!
May 12, 23, 2:13 am
#25
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
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Taxi fees from French side
Lots of good info given, thanks for that. I will soon be returning the car and in talking with the concierge here at the hotel in Geneva he called up the rental car agency on the French side and asked about getting a taxi there. He was told they do this all the time and could call a taxi for me to save a trip back to the terminal. A french taxi then.
I asked about cost and if there is any supplement added for going from there to Geneva(staying down by the lake). I also wondered if possibly I'm charged for the return of the driver to France since they can't pick up a fare in Switzerland. The concierge wasn't really sure. Any ideas what to expect?
I asked about cost and if there is any supplement added for going from there to Geneva(staying down by the lake). I also wondered if possibly I'm charged for the return of the driver to France since they can't pick up a fare in Switzerland. The concierge wasn't really sure. Any ideas what to expect?
May 12, 23, 9:16 am
#26
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Silver (OW Sapphire), A3 Gold (*G), Bonvoy LTTE, HHonors Diamond, LeClubAccor Silver, UA Silver
Posts: 1,726
Yes, I think that's common practice worldwide when taking a taxi to a different country/region. You might save a few $ by just getting dropped off at the Swiss terminal and taking the train/bus back to your hotel.
Please, do let us know your experience, and taxi fare.
Please, do let us know your experience, and taxi fare.
May 12, 23, 9:41 am
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,152
A bit late to the game, but having recently moved back to Geneva after a 20 year absence, I think these border crossing restrictions are precisely in place to curtail cross-border car rentals. Whether this was requested by the car rental companies on the Swiss side, it's anyone's guess.
).
May 12, 23, 11:21 am
#28
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
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My experience
With all the unknowns with taxing a French taxi from the Hertz drop off I decided to first attempt to go to the Swiss terminal and take a taxi from there. Ended up easy(once there!), here's what I experienced:
-Google doesn't seem to have the right info, I'd put in Hertz on French side specifically and of course it didn't take me there at all correctly. While I don't think it directed me there, basically it was in the direction of the Swiss Hertz drop off. Roads parallel each other so closely I think the navigation doesn't realize the actual road you are on. And since I never passed a border, I knew it was wrong. The swiss hertz agent put in the correct directions in google maps "Route Douaniere French Sector P20, Geneva...." Then although a few hiccups finally arrived to the right place. There's been a lot of construction and changes along this route and so google maps is a bit clueless getting you there. Kind of like anywhere in Europe in fact...
-Dropped off car, have to go to desk upstairs in terminal to drop off keys
-adjacent to the rental car desks is security for domestic French flights in that terminal. Between there and the check in desks you need to walk past that area and the door to enter the Swiss terminal is to the right slightly. Just inside is a border agent, he asked for boarding pass but accepted our reservation info for the next day as well(not yet check in time). No passport check even although I would imagine some would ask, this guy was mostly disinterested. And that's it, welcome to Switzerland! Out of the customs area and outside into a taxi.
-So for Swiss taxi ended up about $28. Took about 15 min back, no traffic as middle of the day.
So the datapoints about a next day reservation instead of border pass were correct and I can't imagine it would ever be different but who knows. If my reservation were further away than next day, I kind of think within 3-4 would probably even fly. Thanks again for the help.
-Google doesn't seem to have the right info, I'd put in Hertz on French side specifically and of course it didn't take me there at all correctly. While I don't think it directed me there, basically it was in the direction of the Swiss Hertz drop off. Roads parallel each other so closely I think the navigation doesn't realize the actual road you are on. And since I never passed a border, I knew it was wrong. The swiss hertz agent put in the correct directions in google maps "Route Douaniere French Sector P20, Geneva...." Then although a few hiccups finally arrived to the right place. There's been a lot of construction and changes along this route and so google maps is a bit clueless getting you there. Kind of like anywhere in Europe in fact...
-Dropped off car, have to go to desk upstairs in terminal to drop off keys
-adjacent to the rental car desks is security for domestic French flights in that terminal. Between there and the check in desks you need to walk past that area and the door to enter the Swiss terminal is to the right slightly. Just inside is a border agent, he asked for boarding pass but accepted our reservation info for the next day as well(not yet check in time). No passport check even although I would imagine some would ask, this guy was mostly disinterested. And that's it, welcome to Switzerland! Out of the customs area and outside into a taxi.
-So for Swiss taxi ended up about $28. Took about 15 min back, no traffic as middle of the day.
So the datapoints about a next day reservation instead of border pass were correct and I can't imagine it would ever be different but who knows. If my reservation were further away than next day, I kind of think within 3-4 would probably even fly. Thanks again for the help.
Jul 26, 23, 10:30 am
#29
Join Date: May 2005
Location: London, England, United Kingdom
Programs: Marriott (Lifetime Titantium), whatever other programs as benefits make sense.
Posts: 1,910
I went down to Geneva last weekend. My friend had rented from the French side, and I was dubious things would go well given the rules around boarding passes required to get into the French sector. However, things were fine in the end. The email from the rental agency said that you needed a boarding pass for "that day," not that it had to be a domestic flight. We decided to give it a go, and went up from the Swiss side to the French side. There was a man there checking everyone's boarding passes. We presented our LHR-GVA boarding passes (flight which had just arrived on the Swiss side of the airport). He examined them, and waved us through. No requirement to take a taxi around.
On the return, after dropping off the car, we showed our GVA-LHR boarding passes to exit the French sector and get into the Swiss side.
I don't know if we had particularly lax guards, but we had no problem crossing between the French and Swiss sides with boarding passes from the Swiss side.
On the return, after dropping off the car, we showed our GVA-LHR boarding passes to exit the French sector and get into the Swiss side.
I don't know if we had particularly lax guards, but we had no problem crossing between the French and Swiss sides with boarding passes from the Swiss side.
