Car hire in Switzerland
 

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me how expensive it is to hire a car in Switzerland if this cost is significantly more to not return to the same place? My partner and I will be travelling through the Alps in June and want to pick up a car in Geneva, head to Chamonix and then over to Zermatt (I know we would have to leave the car at Tasch while there), and would either drop it back in Geneva or leave it close to Zermatt and then get the train to Milan. All information is most welcome!

Thanks,
RT

You don't need to wait for someone to tell you. Why don't you enter your itinerary into whichever booking sites you plan to use? It will tell you the estimated cost of the rental.

What greg wrote.

In general, I did not find car rentals in Switzerland too far off the norm.
Maybe a bit more expensive - I paid appr. €200 for a compact car for one week last year.

How many lifts and mountain railways will you use around Zermatt?
Be aware that a RT ticket from Zermatt to Matterhorn Paradise costs 110 CHF, to Gornergrat 114 CHF and to Unterrothorn 74 CHF.
May be things woud get cheaper with a Swiss Travel Pass: Chamonix - Zermatt and Zermatt - Domodossola free, half fare on the above mentioned mountain railways.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/...avel-pass.html

Yes a car for that trip is not a good idea IMO - cars useless once in those places and to pay a few hundred bucks to travel between them is a waste of money - very scenic trains link Zermatt and Visp - Martigny - Chamonix. For lots on trains check www.sbb.ch - Swiss Federal Railways - BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

Don't think a Swiss Travel Pass would be a good deal for you as it only covers in full trains between Chamonix and Zermatt but gives only 50% off mountain trains and gondolas once there - the Half-Fare Card should be a better deal it seems - buy it at any Swiss station.

Book Switzerland to Milan trains at www.sbb.ch for discounted tickets.

Thanks all. Yes I know how to get an online estimate greg but I enjoy the extra info people on here can give that a compute search site doesn't. Thanks for those details PalenQ and neckervd. I'll give it some more consideration.

RT

In that spirit... I can't imagine renting a car in Switzerland unless absolutely necessary! I'm not opposed to renting a car when traveling, but in a place like Switzerland, I want to be able to enjoy every bit I can of the spectacular scenery, and of course, a responsible driver can't do that. JMO.

Good point kja, thanks!

In that case ... let me add that public transportation in Switzerland is exceptionally comfortable and convenient. :)

Well, tastes do differ.
I can imagine only a few other places in the world where driving is as much fun and rewarding than the mountain pass roads of Switzerland.
But if you only need transport between A and B and C, public transport will be more reasonable.

I agree with cowboy.
But the OP doesn't really plan a Swiss alpine Pass experience.
He would rent a car in Geneva, then drive along the highway to Chamonix, stay there, then continue via Col des Montets and Col de la Forclaz (both passes are not so exciting) to Martigny, change to the motorway up to Visp and drive along the Zermatt Valley up to Taesch.
Then he would backtrack to Visp, drive over the Simplon Pass to Varzo, wwhere he woud change to the motorway up to Gravellonna. then he would drive to the Lake Maggiore car ferry at Intra and via Laveno - Luino to Lugano where he would drop off the car in order to reach Milan by train.

All of that is better done by train if just going between pt A and B and C- cars useless in places OP is basing. Yes thrill of driving passes like Simplon would be neat but seems no plans to do that.