Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Where to hire a car to drive from London to the alps and back? Last minute panic. Usual family car not available for Easter break

59 replies

incognitomummy · 12/03/2026 02:01

The title says it all….. any advice please? Usually DH sorts out cars but we have suddenly separated. However my kids were looking forward to the trip so I’d like to carry on as planned. Without him! I’ve never hired a car before…..

leaving at the end of term for a week ski trip.

thanks for any hints or tips. Especially those who have done something similar.

OP posts:
incognitomummy · 16/03/2026 21:14

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 12/03/2026 10:45

Can you not use the family car and your H hire a car in the UK whilst you’re away?

We are not in contact

it’s tricky.

OP posts:
PinterandPirandello · 16/03/2026 21:27

Enterprise but will be pricey.

incognitomummy · 16/03/2026 21:51

faerylights · 12/03/2026 17:28

Yep, that too.

I would personally fly over and catch a shuttle to the resort. They're really common in France from the airports and aren't expensive.

There are snow chains somewhere in this house. I just need to find them!!

OP posts:
Seeingadistance · 16/03/2026 21:52

MrThorpeHazell · 12/03/2026 11:20

Hire in Europe. Don't try to take a UK hire car overseas.

This.

CatherinedeBourgh · 16/03/2026 21:55

It will likely be much cheaper to take the train or a plane, and either take a transfer or rent a car on arrival. If you do rent, remember to make sure you are covered for driving abroad.

CatherinedeBourgh · 16/03/2026 21:56

And any car you take to the mountains has to have winter tyres.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 16/03/2026 23:04

incognitomummy · 16/03/2026 21:14

We are not in contact

it’s tricky.

I’m sorry.
I hope you get sorted.

notnorman · 17/03/2026 08:16

Echo thoughts about taking cars over country borders - car companies in Portugal wouldn’t let me go over the Spanish border, for example.
dont drive Is my advice!

Dolphinnoises · 17/03/2026 08:24

Goodness, everyone has got their hot take on this one. If you’re used to driving to the resort it’ll be fine.

Call Enterprise, Avis and Hertz today. It’s certainly easier driving with the right sided drive but it’s not impossible as you know. There will be surcharges but it’s sortable.

This is useful - www.enterprise.co.uk/en/car-hire/deals/europeantravel.html

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 17/03/2026 10:49

Can you get Eurostar on foot and then hire a car in France? Or get as close as you can to ski resort and then bus or taxi? Seems silly to hire for the week when you won’t be using it at the ski resort

BillyBites · 17/03/2026 10:51

Snow chains aren’t a universal fit so you will need to be sure of the wheel size of any car you hire.

Clearinguptheclutter · 17/03/2026 10:57

Honesty just fly and get a transfer
no way would I drive to the alps with kids by myself

FernandoSor · 17/03/2026 11:00

VW/Skoda car rentals. And get some chains on Amazon as it obviously won't come fitted with winter tyres.

Blueskiesnotgrey · 17/03/2026 11:05

snow chains arent universal fit are they? Will they fit on hire car?

I really admire your resolve to go but I would hire a car in France or fly in your position.

LadyGreySpillsTheTea · 17/03/2026 11:33

I admire your resolve too, but I think this would be one mountain too far, for all the reasons mentioned - we have hired many, many cars over the years in various countries, and we‘re fine with driving on the left and right, but I wouldn’t do this.

For me it would be that most Alpine countries insist not just on snow tyres for compacted snow, but also winter or universal tyres for all winter conditions. Presumably your own car already has these installed. It’s incredibly difficult finding car hire in the UK that offers this (I tried some years back).

Car hire companies have got increasingly scammy over the years, meaning that if you don’t take out full collision damage waiver they’ll try to find some sort of scratch, somewhere, to hold onto your deposit. I always do full CDW as a precaution and just treat it as a necessary cost of the hire. And I take a zillion photos and videos regardless - easy to delete them afterwards. When checking a new hire car, if you find even the tiniest scratch that’s not listed on the rental agreement you must get it added.

Even if you find a reputable company (Sixt, Europcar etc) that will let you take a hire car that far post-Brexit, you‘ll be charged through the nose for the privilege, plus excess mileage. It would honestly be cheaper to buy a used car, which you can either carry on using or sell afterwards. If you do buy, make sure you have breakdown insurance that includes a replacement hire if it, ahem, breaks down.

Or just bite the bullet and fly/train there plus local hire or shuttle to the resort. Although driving a left-hand drive for the first time ever, without another adult in the car, and in snowy conditions, is also far from ideal.
Best of luck with it, whatever you do.

Imlyingandthatsthetruth · 17/03/2026 11:45

OP has asked where to hire a car in UK to drive to Europe.

Staggering amount of free advice about why she shouldn't be driving to Europe, advise about snow chains, that she should go on foot to Eurostar (best yet), that she should hire from VW (what?) that Sixt are a good company (ROFL).

And they said comedy was dead.

BillyBites · 17/03/2026 12:10

The OP mentioned digging out snow chains from somewhere in the house as part of her plan to crack on so I think my point about them fitting a random hire car was valid and potentially helpful so please stop with your unpleasant snark.

elastamum · 17/03/2026 12:16

Hiring a car in the UK to get to the alps will be really expensive. Chains need to fit the car and you need to know how to fit them if you need to use them. I would get a flight to Geneva and then a bus transfer. Much easier and cheaper than hiring a car you don't need and parking it for a week.

Ritaskitchen · 17/03/2026 12:26

You usually cannot take a hire car over country boarders. Be careful with Switzerland as I believe there can be issues with hire cars and driving over boarders. Go on the train? Or fly and book a mini bus transfer?

incognitomummy · 17/03/2026 12:28

Obvs 🙄 I will make sure the car and the snow chains are compatible!!

OP posts:
FernandoSor · 17/03/2026 12:29

Ritaskitchen · 17/03/2026 12:26

You usually cannot take a hire car over country boarders. Be careful with Switzerland as I believe there can be issues with hire cars and driving over boarders. Go on the train? Or fly and book a mini bus transfer?

OI course you can. We have been in exactly the same position as OP and had to hire last minute for a trip to France. No problems at all.

FernandoSor · 17/03/2026 12:35

@LadyGreySpillsTheTea

"For me it would be that most Alpine countries insist not just on snow tyres for compacted snow, but also winter or universal tyres for all winter conditions. Presumably your own car already has these installed. It’s incredibly difficult finding car hire in the UK that offers this (I tried some years back)."

This isn't the case for France. You must have winter tyres fitted between 1st November and 31st of March OR have chains or socks in the car. It's not both. Obviously winter tyres are preferable as there is a 50kph limit for chains or socks and fitting chains in -15C in a driving blizzard in an aire de chainage is a uniquely miserable experience. We have a second set of wheels (cheapo steel rims) with winter tyres on and just swap them round before going, but we always take chains too as sometimes winter tyres on their own aren't enough.

Imlyingandthatsthetruth · 17/03/2026 13:07

BillyBites · 17/03/2026 12:10

The OP mentioned digging out snow chains from somewhere in the house as part of her plan to crack on so I think my point about them fitting a random hire car was valid and potentially helpful so please stop with your unpleasant snark.

Bollocks

Give all the advice you want about snow chains, wasn't the question though, was it?

BillyBites · 17/03/2026 15:44

Right, so I see “unpleasant snark” has degenerated even further.
And the OP herself isn’t much better so I’m out of here.
Beat of luck with the plan.

CatherinedeBourgh · 17/03/2026 21:40

FernandoSor · 17/03/2026 11:00

VW/Skoda car rentals. And get some chains on Amazon as it obviously won't come fitted with winter tyres.

If you are in Haute Savoie (French side of the Alps) in winter you are required by law to have winter tyres even if you have chains in the car. It's for when roads get icy but aren't sufficiently snowy to use chains, winter tyres greatly reduce the stopping distance.