Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Care Hire Help? Nice, Feb

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi

This should be easy, but it isn't... so I would welcome any tips.

Looking to book to hire a family size car. Either a 4 x 4, or some guaranteed winter tyres from Nice Airport 16-22 February. Basically anything that can cope with snow and also taking winter sports kit for a family. Up to £400.

I've looked on Autoeurope and the individual hire companies but must be missing something.

Thanks!
snow conditions
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@zombie, if I go on Europcar I can see cars for that location and date well within the budget. Only thing it doesn't tell me the availability and cost of the tyres/chains but they have a online chat facility so easy enough to ask.

I looked at Europcar because they are not one of the budget shyster operations but not the most expensive either.
snow conditions
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Thanks, looked there, but none of them are 4 x4 and they don't know about tyres or chains.
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
4 X 4 helpful but not essential. Snow tyres highly desirable but not essential. Chains will do the job but you need to fit them at the first sign of loss of traction.

Even if you are good at chains DO put them on before you leave the car park to check that they fit. They don't always.
snow conditions
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Where are you driving to? Isola?
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
ok, thanks. I'm just surprised it is not easier to find it and add it all online. Not done it before for a snow trip. Might have to sort at the desk instead. At least that means I can pick the shortest queue I suppose.
latest report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Yes, isola
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Most major car hire companies now specifically forbid the use of chains.

Not sure what the position is on snow socks.
snow conditions
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
TQA wrote:
Most major car hire companies now specifically forbid the use of chains.

Why?
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Car hire companies prohibiting chains? Not heard of that before.
snow conditions
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I had a car hire company tell me that there were chains in the car but that if I dared to open the box that they were in (secured with a zip tie) and used them then they would charge me extra.

Ridiculous.
snow report
 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
That's always the case.
snow report
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
At least if they're in a sealed bag you can check they're the right size!
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:

At least that means I can pick the shortest queue I suppose.


Europcar at Nice didn't work that way this summer. Go up to reception desk, get given a ticket no, there looked to be 3 priorities of ticket. Quick, medium and slow. We got given the slow queue presumably be cause we had booked through a budget intermediary. Then sit there waiting for your number to come up, just like waiting at Argos.
ski holidays
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@zombie, if you turn up and pay on the day you'll pay a lot more than pre booking. I've used rentalcars.com for Milan, filter out the off site suppliers, they should then show all offers inc winterisation, free additional driver or chains, then go for one of the better brands, avoid Goldstar, and buy an excess policy before you go, money maxim are good.
Check the car over fully before you leave with the hire co staff and take photos, check fuel is full, and do the same on return.
If they try and add extras stand your ground, Hertz receiving agent in the car park area tried to charge me for non city centre pick up and collection, when I'd booked airport to airport, I refused to sign anything, went to pick up desk with all my paperwork and sorted out with the agent in a couple of minutes, and he apologised for the receiving agent and said they knew she was over jealous. It's a easy way of them making extra revenue, there's a thread on here from earlier this year that's worth a read.
ski holidays
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Thanks Geoff. Good tips. I went with that and it did have a better "extras" menu. I got a guaranteed 4 x4 and chains. Smaller car than planned but will be fine. Sorted.
latest report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@zombie, Glad to have helped, it's what SH,s is here for, not all the back biting that can happen.
You may well get a larger vehicle than they state, this year we booked a Ford Focus with winterisation pack or similar, and ended up with a Jeep Renegade, ugly thing but served us very well for the week, of course the only snow that fell was on our final night in Milan, didn't really need them for the hotel to the airport, but it was nice knowing we had winter tyres and wouldn't have needed to use chains unless it became extreme.
One other point to mention, when you collect the car, it's worth checking that the tyres have the winter tyre symbol on them, 3 peaks and snowflakes, can't copy the symbol but here's a link,
https://nokiantyres.studio.crasman.fi/pub/web/heavy-tyres/img/content_images/3pmsf_Snowflakesymbol.png
latest report
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@zombie, Just be aware when returning the car to Nice after your holiday. We were fully paid up but had been upgraded when we arrived, as they didn't have the car we'd asked for. They made it quite clear this was a free upgrade. However, on returning to Nice we were given an invoice by the guy in the returns car park, and told to head to Europcar to pay. The invoice turned out to be for the built in sat nav that came with the upgraded car, which we hadn't requested. Shirty woman at the desk informed me that I could do nothing about it as they had my credit card number and were charging it anyway! I then checked through departures to the lounge & rang my bank and told them to put the payment from Europcar into dispute. He told me it was astonishing how often this happened with all car rental firms, and suggested I rang europcar head office on my return to London, which I did. Very apologetic, and put the money straight back on my card.
snow conditions
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
pam w wrote:
Car hire companies prohibiting chains? Not heard of that before.

It's standard in BC on hire cars - it's in the small print, or at least it was the last time I checked.
And I checked them all because I was driving on naughty roads and before they changed the law it was a problem.
Now they can't rent you cars which aren't legal to drive (!), so M&S are standard and it's not an issue.

...rang my bank and told them to put the payment from Europcar into dispute.
I'm always expecting to have to do that, but perhaps they can tell from my demeanor that I would, so they don't try it on wink

--
The whole "you'll die in debt if you don't buy all these extras which will cost you more than the rental itself" scam
is getting pretty widely known now I think. I just politely repeat the same "no extras thank you" until they get the message.
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
“Most major car hire companies now specifically forbid the use of chains. “

Que?

Notwithstanding @philwig’s experience and knowledge of CA but in France that’s preposterous with the Prefectures of Haute- and low Savoie now mandating the use of chains or snow tyres in the regions when conditions require. (About time, really...long overdue).
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Layne wrote:
TQA wrote:
Most major car hire companies now specifically forbid the use of chains.

Why?


Because most modern cars have minimal clearances around the tires in the wheel wells. Any slack in the chains will usually result in considerable damage.

Renters will not fit them tightly/stop and tighten them after 100 m/drive at 30 km/h.
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Re. Nice car hire: Used Avis (booked in advance) last Saturday.

Shocking queue of 50 mins - no 'Argos ticket system'... Confused

All the other counters had bad queues too - all a bit surprising for October.
ski holidays



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy