Car rental at Geneva Airport.
Eight rental companies on the Swiss side, six on the French side — with different desks, different opening hours and different phone numbers. Here is where each one is and when it opens.
Rental desks on the arrivals level
Geneva Aéroport lists every rental company as located on the arrivals level. The airport has two sides — the Swiss sector, which is the default, and the French sector (Secteur France), reached by its own road access from France. Several brands have a desk on each side, and the two are not connected.
Desk hours and phone numbers
Hours and numbers as published by Genève Aéroport, checked 26 August 2026. Rental desks change their hours seasonally — confirm with the company before an early or late flight.
| Company | Opening hours | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Avis | 06:30 – 23:30 | +41 22 929 03 30 |
| Budget | 06:30 – 23:30 | +41 22 929 03 30 |
| Enterprise | 06:30 – 23:30 | +41 848 445 522 |
| Europcar | 07:00 – 23:30 | +41 22 929 69 11 |
| Hertz | 06:30 – 23:30 | +41 22 761 78 70 |
| National / Alamo | 07:00 – 23:00 | +41 848 445 522 |
| Sixt | 06:30 – 00:00 | +41 22 717 84 10 |
| Thrifty | 07:00 – 23:30 | +41 22 717 80 80 |
Sixt has the widest window on the Swiss side, staying open until midnight. Europcar, National and Thrifty open at 07:00 — an hour later than Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Hertz. Enterprise also operates a car rental service from car park P1, level -3, bookable through its app.
The other side of the airport
Six companies also have a desk in the French sector. The hours are shorter on every one of them, and the phone numbers are different — a frequent source of confusion, including on other guides.
| Company | Opening hours | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Avis | 08:00 – 22:00 | +41 22 807 62 30 |
| Budget | 08:00 – 22:00 | +41 22 807 62 30 |
| Enterprise | 08:00 – 22:30 | — |
| Europcar | 07:30 – 21:00 | +41 22 717 85 96 |
| Hertz | 07:30 – 22:30 | +41 22 717 86 80 |
| Sixt | 08:00 – 22:00 | — |
The GVA peculiarity
Swiss pickup (the default)
All eight companies have a desk on the Swiss side, and the cars carry Swiss plates. Swiss motorways require the annual vignette, which costs CHF 40 and is normally already on the windscreen of a Swiss-registered rental. Crossing into France, Italy or Germany is covered by the standard Green Card insurance issued with the rental.
French pickup (Secteur France)
Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt also operate from the French sector, which has its own road access from France and is not connected to the Swiss side once you are landside. Cars carry French plates. If you are driving only in France — Annecy, Chamonix, Lyon — and dropping off there, the French desk avoids a cross-border return. Its hours are shorter, so check them against your flight.
What the airport does not publish
Genève Aéroport publishes no rental rates, no one-way fees, no insurance excess figures and no key-return arrangements — and neither do we. Those vary by company, season and booking channel, and the only reliable figure is the total quoted at the end of your own booking, insurance and vignette included. Compare the all-in price rather than the headline daily rate.
Car rental at GVA — FAQ
Where are the car rental desks at Geneva Airport?
Genève Aéroport lists all rental companies on the arrivals level, grouped in the same area — follow the “Car rental / Location de voitures” signs from baggage reclaim. The French sector has its own separate desks, with their own entrance and road access from France.
What time do the car rental desks open at Geneva Airport?
On the Swiss side, the earliest desks open at 06:30 — Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Hertz — while Europcar, National and Thrifty open at 07:00. Sixt closes last, at midnight. In the French sector nothing opens before 07:30 and most close by 22:00. Hours were checked against Genève Aéroport on 26 August 2026 and can change seasonally.
Which car rental companies are at Geneva Airport?
Eight on the Swiss side: Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National/Alamo, Sixt and Thrifty. Six of them — Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt — also have a desk in the French sector. Companies that are not listed by the airport do not have a counter in the terminal, whatever a booking site may suggest.
Do I need a motorway vignette to drive from GVA in Switzerland?
Yes. Swiss motorways require the annual vignette, CHF 40, displayed on the windscreen. A Swiss-registered rental normally already carries one. If you pick up in the French sector and then use Swiss motorways, check with the company whether a vignette is fitted — a French-plated car will not have one by default.
Can I drive a Geneva rental car into France or Italy?
Yes. Swiss rentals are covered for cross-border travel in the EU and EFTA through the Green Card insurance issued with the rental, and no extra paperwork is needed to cross. Dropping the car off in another country is a different matter — it is a one-way rental, it has to be booked as one, and the company sets the fee.
Are winter tyres included on rental cars at Geneva Airport?
Swiss law does not mandate winter tyres by date, but it holds the driver responsible for having a vehicle suited to the conditions, and rental fleets in an Alpine region are normally equipped in winter. Snow chains are a separate item that usually has to be requested when booking. Confirm both with the company rather than assuming — the requirement is on the driver, not the airport.
Skip the counter altogether.
For a single airport transfer rather than a multi-day rental, a fixed-price car with a driver means no queue, no counter, no insurance upsell and no vignette to think about.
Book a transfer →