The last couple of Winters have often seen advance car hire bookings cheaper on the Swiss side than the French side of Geneva Airport (it used to be always the case that the Swiss side was more expensive except during major currency fluctuations with the Swiss Franc being pegged and un-pegged to the Dollar or Euro over the years).
However this Summer has seen some huge differences with France being a lot cheaper, purely due to supply and demand we guess. See below for a basic, budget car for a long weekend in August 2018:
French Side: £61.88
Swiss Side: £214.15
A quick check on a 7 day car hire (basic/budget car booked now) Sat to Sat in Winter 2019 shows:
Swiss Side Jan 12-19: £139. French Side Jan 12-19: £149
Swiss Side Mar 23-30: £172. French Side Mar 23-30: £124
Lots more info here on whether to hire a car from the French or Swiss side of Geneva Airport
French or Swiss Side – Pros & Cons
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Swiss side has a mandatory requirement to have snow tyres or chains in Winter from 1st November until 15th April (usually additional to “all-in-costs” from around £40 per week, but sometimes included, it does vary with supplier) on the French side you have a choice to pay or not – but you might get them anyway!
A Shuttle Bus is provided for access on the Swiss side to the hire car parking, although it is just over a 5 minute walk from the shuttle bus stop – easy with hand luggage or wheelie bags. Note that the luggage trolleys provided in Geneva Airport take UK 2p coins – you may consider not returning the trolley to its rightful place… A very selfish act of course. French side cars are next to the terminal and it’s all under cover plus the queues for the desk are usually shorter.
A Vignette is usually always included with a Swiss hire car (the Swiss motorway tax disc / sticker required for motorway driving). Motorways can be avoided however – French side of GVA driving directions. For the first time ever in 2017 we had a Swiss plated car without a Vignette and heard of a least one other. Note that you’re only likely to be stopped without a Vignette on the Motorway border on the way in, not the way out.
Directions back to the Swiss side are well signposted and much easier. For the French side follow the signs to Ferney Voltaire and you should make it ok, once you’ve done it you’ll think it’s easy.
Nearest Swiss side fuel station is immediately before entrance to car rental parking. Although in Swiss Francs, not cheap and 24/7 automated – not all UK Cards always work. Fuel is available 100m from the entrance road to the French side of the airport which is manned during weekday hours. If you fill to the brim in Annecy you’d probably get away with returning a “full tank”.
(Expensive) McDonald’s, Starbucks, Thai, Chinese, Street Food, The Montreux Jazz Café and other options in the food court before security on the Swiss side. Only one, but arguably a better and cheaper restaurant on the French side. Your one hour GVA free WiFi doesn’t extend to the French side.
If using the French side you can pick up or drop off your hire car at different French airports such as Grenoble, Lyon or Chambéry for free or without excessive charges. Dropping off in another “country” from pickup is not usually allowed or has a very high excess charge.
We always find Carrentals.co.uk is the best comparison site for the best deals on both sides…
Of course if you can’t be bothered with any of this take a Private Transfer, relax, switch off and have a few drinks on the plane…