Travelling between sides of Geneva Airport
Due to some recently applied security updates to Geneva airport, you’ll only be allowed to pass between the Swiss and French side of the airport if you have a valid air ticket for +/- 1 day of when you’re trying to pass through. This applies to moving between each side.
If you’re collecting from a different side of the airport but don’t have this, you’ll need to travel by road and you may open yourself up to requiring a Vignette although most hire cars from the airport come equipped with one already.
Geneva airport has two sides
Geneva Airport is located on teh Swiss-French border and is a commong place to land for those wishing to hire a car in Switzerland. However, the northern limit of the airport straddles the Swiss-French border which can lead to complications. Although there are two terminal buildings at Geneva Airport, Terminal 2 is only used for certain flights in the winter. It is closed at other times. Therefore, you will arrive in Terminal 1 and after collecting your luggage, you will need to proceed to the car rental providers desk.
Whether you’ll be spending your holiday in France or in Switzerland will determine which side of Geneva Airport you’ll want to hire your car from. If you plan to holiday and drive in Switzerland, it is best to collect your hire car from the Swiss side of Genvea Airport, as the car will come supplied with a vignette necessary for driving on Swiss roads. You’ll also need to consider the hire of winter tyres or snow chains. Some of the suppliers located in the Swiss side may provide these free of charge during certain times of the year.
The car rental desks are located in different locations for car collections in the French side and in the Swiss side. When collecting your hire car from the French side of Geneva Airport, you will exit the airport on a secure road which will take you across the border, into France.
You can view a map of the terminal building on the Geneva Airport website, here.
What are vignettes and do I need one?
Vignettes are badges that are required to drive on any Swiss motorway. They are required to be purchased and displayed no matter how short your trip on a Swiss motorway will be. They cost 40 CHF and are only available as an annual pass.
If you’re collecting your hire car from the Swiss side of Geneva airport then the car will come with a Vignette supplied and will be included in the price of the car rental.
If you’re hiring from the French side of Geneva airport but wish to drive in Switzerland on a road requiring a Vignette, you’ll need to double-check that the car has a Vignette supplied as it’s not guaranteed. It is supplied most of the time but it’s best to double-check.
When you get your Vignette or into the hire car which has one, make sure to double-check that it’s displayed correctly as there is a fine for displaying it wrong. Make sure the sticker is stuck directly to the windscreen and not behind the tinted portion of the windscreen. It’s not enough for the Vignette to simply be visible on the dashboard it has to be stuck to the windscreen directly, don’t use tape as this renders the Vignette as tampered with and therefore invalid.
Geneva Airport – French side
We currently work with the following providers on the French side of Geneva airport:
- Europcar
- Keddy
- Thrifty
- Flizzr
Once you have landed in the arrivals hall and collected your luggage, you will need to head up the stairs to the check-in level and through customs. There are signs for the French Sector. Within the French Sector, there are car rental desks. You will need to head to the appropriate desk, as specified on your car rental voucher.
Leaving the French Sector
When leaving in your hire car, you must take the road from the French sector (Route Douanière) which comes out just past the Swiss-French border.
The location of the rental cars in the French Sector of Geneva Airport. Photo by: Google Maps
The exit of the underground car park where rental cars are parked in the French Sector of Geneva Airport. Photo by: Google Maps
Exiting the underground car park will take you onto Route Douanière which takes you straight into France.
Returning to the French Sector
When returning to the airport, you must take the same road (Route Douanière), signposted for the airport, and not go through the border. If you are expected to return your hire car to the French side, but instead leave it in the Swiss side, you may face additional charges.
When returning your car to the French Side of Geneva Airport, take the turning before the border crossing into Switzerland to return to the correct sector of the airport. Photo by: Google Maps
Heading along Route Douanière will bring you to a dead end. You’ll need to perform a u-turn and head down the other side of the road in order to return to the car park. There is appropriate signage. Photo by: Google Maps
Geneva Airport – Swiss side
We currently work with the following providers on the Swiss side of Geneva Airport:
- Europcar
- Dollar
- Alamo
- Thrifty
From the arrivals hall, head towards La Poste, as the majority of car rental desks are located just past this. You will then collect your rental car from car park P51, after exiting the lower level. More car rental desks are located in the car park.
Car park P51 where Swiss side car rentals are supplied and returned. Photo by: Google Maps
Hiring a car at Geneva Airport
Get your quote to collect your hire car from either the French side of Geneva Airport, or the Swiss side of Geneva Airport today.
Remember that Zest Car Rental operate 24/7 emergency telephone support, so should you have any issues during the collection or return of your hire vehicle, you can contact us for clarification and assistance.
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Hello there,
I am arriving in Geneva by train a bit late in the evening and thinking of picking up my rental car from the Swiss side of the Airport. Can I take a taxi/Uber and go straight to P51? Or do I first need to enter the terminal and go the rental desk?
Hi Vineet,
Thanks for reaching out!
It depends on who you have booked your car rental with, as some providers offer meet and greets and some require you to visit the rental desk. As the process varies across companies, we would recommend asking your provider directly to see what’s best for your case. We would also recommend making them aware of your estimated pick-up time if it is outside of open hours. You can find the list of car rental providers at Geneva airport, along with their opening times, here.
I apologise we’re unable to offer a definite answer, but please feel free to reach out again with any other questions!
Kind regards,
Katherine
Zest Car Rental
Hi, Planning to fly into Geneva (Swiss side), but drive into France mostly. Plan to hire a car on the Swiss side. Do all hire cars rented from the Swiss side come ready with Vignettes or is that an additional cost? Also, is there an additional cost for driving into France and is formal permission required at time of booking.
Hi Shubha,
Thank you for reaching out!
Swiss rental cars will usually come with vignettes as they are often included in the rental price, but we recommend reaching out to your provider to make sure. In the rare occurrence your rental car happens to not include a vignette and the provider is unable to organise one for you, you can purchase them online here: E-vignettes.
As for driving into France, you will need to check the rental conditions and your provider’s website as it will be stated whether you are able to do this. This will also usually come up in the booking process. If you have booked with Zest, feel free to get in touch with us and we will be able to look into this further for you.
If you have not yet booked, it is possible to access the French sector of the airport and hire a rental car there instead. You can find more information here: French sector.
Kind regards,
Katherine
Zest Car Rental
Hi
Flying into Geneva on the Swiss side but holidaying in France. Need to hire a car on the French side. Is it easy to get to the French side to collect the car ?
and agin on our return …Drop off in the French side but fly from the Swiss side.
Thanks
Hi Tanya,
Thank you for reaching out to us!
The process of arriving on the Swiss side but renting on the French side is now much more seamless than it once was. There will be “destination France” signs after you go through customs, which will lead you to the French sector where you’ll be able to rent a car. You’ll also be able to deposit your rental car in the French sector and fly out from the Swiss side.
If you would like more information please visit the airport’s website here: Geneva Airport’s Website
Additionally, this page on the French sector may help you as well Terminal 1
Kind regards,
Katherine
Zest Car Rental
So if I am going to Geneva for a day and then up to Alp Dhuez should i rent from the Swiss side. Dec 12-19
Hi Linda,
Hiring in Switzerland will generally be the better option as most providers on the Swiss side allow a border exit to France. Alternatively, when booking for France a border exit is rarely provided and the vehicle will not have the necessary vignette meaning your day trip to Geneva may not be viable.
Hope this helps,
Zest Car Rental
Hi. We are looking for a long-term rental with unlimited miles. Picking up on 27 Mar, dropping 29 Apr 2024 to Geneva. Requirements are for the vehicle to have winter tires for a trip to Chamonix, and the Crit d’Air sticker for travel to Annecy, Chamonix, Lyon. We will also be in Eastern France (Alsace) then into Germany (Schwangau) then Salzburg & Vienna, Austria then into Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy and Lake Como then back to Bern Switzerland. Can you please advise of a car rental that would have the winterization (tires) and the Crit d’Air sticker for France? Thank you and Kind regards!
Hi Tami,
We can certainly look into that for you! We’ll be in touch with an appropriate car rental quote based on your specific needs. Feel free to give us a call on 01362 852288 if you want to discuss car rental options with us further.
Hope this helps,
Zest Car Rental
Hi… I have a holiday booked for mid June. I’m travelling from the UK . I’m picking a hire car up at Geneva airport ( Alamo) .. I’m coming across a lot of contradictory information online .. Do you know if I will need an International Driving Permit ??
Thanks
Hi Doreen,
You will not need an IDP to drive a rental car from Geneva airport, this applies to both France and Switzerland.
Hope this helps,
Zest Car Rental
Hi, we are flying into Geneva the summer and will be initially holidaying in Switzerland before then traveling into France for a few days and then fly back home from Geneva.
Given we will need to drive in both countries is it easiest and cheapest to hire from the French side?
Thanks,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Apologies for the late response.
Renting from the French side and driving into Switzerland can be difficult! Firstly, most French providers will not allow cross-border travel into Switzerland. Furthermore, the location of the French side’s exit would make driving back into Switzerland difficult. Also, French rental cars may not be equipped with a Swiss Vignette meaning you will be fined if you drive on motorways in Switzerland.
Renting on Swiss side is typically slightly more expensive. However, you will benefit from cross-border travel with most car rental providers, a free additional driver, and easier pick-up/drop-off due to the better opening times the Swiss providers operate within. If you still have questions, feel free to give us a call and we’ll be more than happy to assist you!
Hope this helps,
Zest Car Rental
We are flying into Geneva in March and holidaying in France. However The hire cars from the Swiss side of the airport seem to come with winter preparation included and are cheaper. So is it easy to hire a car from the Swiss side and drive round into France? And are they any additional costs involved? Many thanks. J
Hi Joel,
You will be able to drive your car into France (some providers may charge for cross-border travel), however, getting to the provider offices on the French side if you’re flying into the Switzerland can be difficult. Any additional costs for winterisation will be advertised within our quotes under the “mandatory local charges” section so you won’t have to worry about getting surprised with any additional extras!
Hope this helps,
Zest Car Rental
We are planning a holiday in France. Firstly arriving at Geneva train station then want to hire car from the airport. We then fly back (Geneva French side) 1 week later.
Will we be able to get to the French side of the airport to hire the car when we travel from the train station?
Can we drive into Geneva during our stay with a vignette if we don’t go on Swiss motorways?
Hi Simon,
Yes, you should be able to get to the French side and hire a car. However, it would not have a vignette so you would need to avoid motorways otherwise you’ll be charged extra fees.
Hope this helps,
Jake
i am hiring a car to travel to Courmayeur and back. I am arriving at terminal 1. on which side ( swiss or french ) should I rent a car. the french side seems cheaper. should I use that sie. Is it as convenient as the Swiss side?
thanks for your help
Hi Stuart,
You should hire your car on whichever side of the terminal you land in. People have had problems accessing the terminals if they’ve flown into one side and are trying to move to the other side. Your flight ticket should display which side of the airport you will be landing in.
We hope this helps,
Jake
We are planning a ski trip in early March amd are unsure whether we will travel to Verbier and environs or Val d’Isere. We will decide when we understand the quality and depth of the snow.
Can you advise whether it would be cheaper in Geneva airport to hire in France or Switzerland?
Thank you for your help.
Mark
07974 784 153
Hi Mark,
The French side of Geneva airport tends to be the cheaper option for car rental so it may be the best choice for you. Have a wonderful skiing trip!
Hope this helps,
Jake