Snow chains. Do you need them on a 4x4?

[clam]

Still have nightmares about the scenario we faced last year when waved in to a layby halfway up the mountain to be "advised" to put on chains. We had them, but it was minus 12 degrees, snowing and dark outside and we would have had more luck completing a 1000 piece jigsaw than attaching that spaghetti-like mess of metal to our wheels. Fortunately, it wasn't compulsory, just advisory. We completed our journey with no mishap.

So, my question... if we hire a 4X4 at the airport, will we have to put on chains if there is a compulsory roadblock? Or will we be allowed on up?

We had a 4*4 in Switzerland and never needed chains. Hire company may provide them if they are obligatory locally.

Think would have to pay more for them, which seems a bit daft, if we're already paying a premium to hire a 4x4.

I know that a 4x4 would cope with snow - we have one at home, but I'm more concerned to know whether the gendarmes would insist we have chains in addition, if there is a heavy snowfall the days we're travelling. If they do, then we'll not bother with the extra-expensive car and have a normal one with the chains.

Even found myself googling videos yesterady showing how to put them on!

You need snow tyres. If you hire it from the swiss side in Geneva, it will come with them; if you hire it from the french side, it won't (and they will shrug, and say, well, you could have been driving to the south of France, madam..) If you have snow tyres, you won't need chains. Having been up a mountain in Jan where we wouldn't have got half way up if we hadn't been driving a 4x4 with snow tyres (and indeed a friend didn't make it, he had to abandon his car and taxi up), I wouldn't go without!

On the same subject these sockthings look so much easier

So when they wave you into that layby at the foot of the mountain (or halfway up, or wherever), will they let you go on if you have winter tyres but no chains? A 4x4 but no chains?
We're hiring a car at Marseille, so unlikely to have winter tyres, I would think.

Seems as if we're going to have to hire the chains anyway (as I have done previously) and just pray we don't have to use them. Have got away with it so far...

Oh, and I like the look of those socks, but it says on the FAQs that it's a grey area whether they'd pass muster on an alpine pass!
Useful for over here, though.

I wouldn't worry too much about the gendarmes, but look at it from the perspective of safety. If you were unlucky enough to suddenly get lots of snow, falling rapidly, chains would help a lot.4x4s are not invincible, and many locals in snowy regions do not own 4x4s but instead drive normal 2 wheel drives with winter tyres and chains in the boot for emergencies. Maybe this is the better option, like you suggested?

I would hire the chains regardless of whether you get a 4 x 4 or not. You can have a practice session before setting out from the airport so you know how to get the chains on. It might take half-an-hour but it'll be loads less stressful than doing it in a blizzard! It's not that hard if you have good instructions but can be impossible if you have to figure it out yourselves in a blizzard, as you found out (and we did too, some years ago - was 6 months preggo at time...)

TBH, we have configured whole holidays to avoid hiring in countries or locations (e.g., Italy, some parts of france) where winterisation (e.g., winter tyres) isn't/ aren't provided as standard. But if you've already booked, go for the 4x4 with chains, I would say.