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Research shows varied cost of hire car ‘winterisation’
Holidaymakers hiring cars for winter sports trips are paying hugely varied prices for ‘winterisation’, according to research by iCarhireinsurance.com.
The ‘winterisation’ charge, which includes the price of winter tyres and/or snow chains, can normally only be paid for at the rental desk and varies widely according to the resort.
The average fee across the six destinations was £43, but travellers could pay up to £95 in Barcelona with Avis, £49 if hiring from Europcar in Grenoble and £19 in Sofia hiring from Sixt.
The prices quoted were for a week’s car hire from 27 December 2016 to 3 January 2017.
In all the destinations, apart from Turin, the winterisation charge is optional.
Hiring from Turin, however, travellers should expect to pay a compulsory fee of £33 when hiring from Hertz and Avis and £38 with Europcar.
It is the driver’s responsibility, not the rental company, to ensure that the hire car is equipped for the wintery conditions.
Winter tyres, for instance, are mandatory in Germany and Austria in wintery conditions, while they are ‘recommended’ in Switzerland, Andorra, Bulgaria, and Italy.
But cars which are not equipped to travel through snow, and which impede traffic, may be fined.
In France, winter tyres are not mandatory but in snowy conditions special signs can indicate that they should be used.
"Many travellers do not realise that the onus is on the driver, not the hire company, to know the rules and regulations of the country they’re hiring in," said Ernesto Suarez, CEO and founder of iCarhireinsurance.com.
"Police roadblocks near to ski resorts are common in the Alps, for instance, and police will refuse entry to a car without chains if it’s a designated ‘snow chain’ area. The driver may also have to pay a fine."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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