Geneva Airport (French side)
 

Hi Team,

We will be renting a car this summer on our France trip for the final portion of our vacation. We will pick it up as we depart Nice before exploring other areas of Provence before spending a few days in Annecy. We will be flying out from Geneva airport.

The rental prices were a lot cheaper to return the car to the French portion of Geneva airport so that is what we will do. My questions are; is the French side of the airport still at the airport proper? Meaning, could I conceivably return the vehicle and then still walk to the terminal with some light carry on luggage? Finally, is the French side relatively easy to find when coming from Annecy (I’ll probably rent through Sixt if that makes any difference regarding location)?

Thanks

Yes, the "French side" is fully part of the airport. There is a dedicated road to allow you to access the airport without technically leaving France (even if it is sort of a fiction, just like the Swiss road that allows the Swiss to get to Basel/Mulhouse airport which is technically in France).

The road to the "French side" starts at the border post of Ferney Voltaire.

The route from Annecy to GVA can be a bit tricky if you follow, for example, Google Maps's shortest route -- for two reasons:
1. Your rental car contract may have a clause that driving in a "foreign country" must be paid for when you pick up the car (in Nice). The few kms that Google Maps sends you through Switzerland (more or less just through Geneva proper) would legally be considered a "foreign country" - unless your contract does not have such limitations.
2. The direct route from Annecy guides you through Geneva on motorway A1. Which is very convenient, but the car you picked up in Nice may not have a valid toll sticker to drive on Swiss motorways. While the total distance you will be driving on Swiss motorways is next to nothing, you will pay a fine when you get caught.
If you want to or have to avoid both issues, you can set Google Maps to "no toll roads". And pick the more Western/Northern route that does not go through Geneva. Your destination should be "Genève Aéroport Parking P21 Location voitures secteur France, Route Douanière" (which should pop up anyway when you use Google Maps and type the first three words).