The Booking Process - How does it work?
The Booking - what happens - how does it work
Once your request has been received, we will confirm the booking by email with a Booking Reference. Each evening before travel the mobile telephone number you supply will receive an SMS text giving the driver’s name and contact number and pick up time.
On arrival at Geneva airport
Come through arrivals on the Swiss side and our uniformed driver or representative will be waiting in the arrivals hall with the lead passenger name on a signboard. (Only flights from France use the French side of the airport. In that case you can easily walk through to the Swiss side of the airport.) Drivers are given as much information as possible to take you to your accommodation, however please ensure you bring with you contact details for your chalet, apartment or hotel.
Departing the Resort
On the evening before travel an SMS is sent to the mobile telephone number supplied to confirm time of pickup with driver’s name and contact number. If you have not received an SMS, it is your responsibility to contact the Mountain Drop-offs office to confirm the time of your pickup.
For private transfers from Chamonix, pickups are generally scheduled about 3 hours before the departure of the flight.
For shared transfers from Chamonix, pickups will be scheduled 3-5 hours before flight departure.
For transfers from Tignes/Val d'Isère, pickups are generally scheduled at least 5 hours before the departure of the flight.
On very busy days or with poor weather conditions we may leave earlier.
Delays and Communication
Transfers can be affected by a variety of events and circumstances - flight delays, poor weather, bad road conditions, security incidents, lost luggage. Mountain Drop-Offs will always work to try and minimise the impact on your trip wherever possible and maintain contact to advise the situation. Any information you can provide to us when travelling with regard to delays and changes to your travel arrangements which can assist would be greatly appreciated. Call our office on +33 (0) 450 47 17 73 or send an SMS directly to your driver.
How long does it take?
The transfer between Geneva and Chamonix normally takes between 1hr 15 mins to 1 hr 30 mins depending on road conditions.
The transfer between Geneva airport and Val' d'Isère/Tignes normally takes about 3 hrs - 3 hrs 30 mins depnding on road conditions.
Luggage
Our long wheel base Renault Trafic and Opel Vivaro vehicles are able to carry extra equipment such as skis, snowboards and mountain bikes, however please notify Mountain Drop-offs when you make your reservation so we can make special arrangements if required.
Lost Luggage
When you arrive in Geneva airport, if your luggage has been lost please contact the driver immediately. He or she will be in the arrivals hall and can then coordinate with the other passengers who may be waiting to travel.
Payment Methods
You can choose to pay either by cash, credit or debit card.
If cash is chosen, your credit card details are held as security for the booking and will only be charged for a ‘no show’ or a cancellation subject to our terms and conditions.
We accept Switch/UK Maestro Visa debit or credit card, Delta, Connect, MasterCard or Solo and a fixed transaction fee of 3€ will be applied.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if my flight is delayed?
You should keep us informed about all flight delays by calling the office or your driver. If you will not arrive in time for your original transfer booking, our cancellation policy may apply, in which case you may have to book and pay for a new transfer. If you have booked a super saver transfer you will probably have to purchase a new transfer. If you have booked a flexi-shared or private transfer we will do our best to accommodate your changes. For more details see our terms and conditions.
We do however make every effort with all our passengers to accommodate flight delays. If your flight delay is not too significant, and waiting for you would not compromise our obligations to other clients, your driver may wait. If the driver has to leave the airport without you, we will try to find a seat available for you on a later transfer. You are under no obligation to accept this offer, but you will not be refunded for your original transfer, nor for any alternative transport you may choose to arrange. You should check the terms of your travel insurance – we can supply you with proof of the amounts charged because of the delay.
You should be aware that our internal guidelines for driving hours are generally stricter than those imposed by European Union. We implement this policy to maximise safety on our services. However for this reason, we are not always able to accommodate time changes, delays and other unforeseen events that may require our drivers to work longer than originally planned.
What is a shared transfer / How do shared transfers work / How much time to I have to wait at the airport when I book a shared transfer?
Mountain Drop-offs has two goals when planning shared transfers:
1. To minimise waiting time to the client
2. To ensure that no client with a confirmed reservation is left behind at the airport because of circumstances outside of their control (such as delays with flights, customs or baggage).
For arrivals at Geneva airport, clients whose flights are scheduled to arrive at a similar time will be grouped to travel together. Our aim is that our clients should not wait more than an hour at the airport before the departure of the transfer.
Top tip: If you want to leave the airport as soon as you arrive, you should book one of our competitively priced private transfers.
Many circumstances outside of our control (such as flight, baggage or customs delays, traffic conditions, other passengers), can affect the planning for shared transfers. We appreciate your patience when delays occur.
Where unforeseen circumstances have arisen causing delays, we will always keep clients informed of the steps that we are taking to minimise waiting times, such as moving passengers to another of our transfer services (in the high season we have over 20 departures a day), or to a service with one of our partner operators.
In case of delays, we do ask that you support our drivers and office staff that are at all times doing the best they can to ensure that you leave the airport as soon as possible.
How will I find the driver at the airport?
Our driver will be wearing a Mountain Drop-offs uniform, and will have a whiteboard with your name written on it. The driver will be standing near the airport information desk in the arrivals hall, just opposite the doors you come through after passing through customs and collecting your bags.
If you cannot see your driver you should contact the Mountain Drop-offs office. You should not arrange other transport or go with another driver or operator without speaking to the Mountain Drop-offs office, because in such cases you will not be entitled to a refund for your original transfer.
What happens if the airline has lost my bags?
You should make contact with your driver or the Mountain Drop-offs office by telephone as soon as possible. We will try to make arrangements for either the driver to wait, or for you to join a later transfer. However we are under no obligation to do either of these things, and if we are unable to accommodate the delay caused by this event you will not be entitled to a refund for your original booked transfer.
How do I make changes to my booking?
If you need to make any changes to your booking you should notify the office by email at least 72 hours before your transfer. Some changes will incur additional charges - we will advise you in if this is the case in your situation.
If you need to change your in-resort address for pickup, this should be done by email at least 24h before your transfer date. After this time we cannot always accommodate a change of address, in which case we may ask you to go to a central meeting point (such as the train station). Mountain Drop-offs will not be liable for the cost of any supplementary transport needed to get to this meeting point from your accommodation.
If you need to change the time or date of one of your transfers, this may constitute a cancellation of your original booking and in such a case, our cancellation policy will apply. In that case you will need to make a new transfer booking and pay for this new fare.
What do you do with my credit card details?
Online payments made via our website are all conducted through the secure payment system Voicepay and Mountain Dropoffs does not have access to your credit card details. For payments made by telephone or email, your credit card details are held securely until completion of your booking, at which time they are destroyed. In all cases, your credit card will only be charged in accordance with our terms and conditions.
I am arriving to Geneva city. How much time should I allow to get to the airport?
There are regular trains from Geneva centre to the airport, which run on average every 15 minutes. The journey takes around 10 minutes. You should give yourself 45 minutes to get to the airport.
How much time does the journey take?
The journey between Geneva airport and Chamonix takes about 1h15m, if there are no major delays on the road.
The journey between Geneva Airport and the Tarentaise region (Tignes, Val d'Isere...) takes about 3.5 hours, depending of course on your precise resort destination and the weather and traffic conditions.
Can I take my baby on my lap?
No. In accordance with the law, which has arisen to protect passengers and babies in the event of accident, children must be carried in authorised child restraint seats. You must therefore purchase a seat for your baby or child, no matter what age.
Do I have to pay for my baby/child?
Yes. All babies, infants and children must have their own seat, with the correct child restraint seat where applicable. These can be supplied by Mountain Drop-offs free of charge upon request at the time of booking, and subject to availability. We do not offer discounts for children.
I realise I have entered the incorrect time on my booking. What should I do?
You should notify us as soon as possible. If you booking has not yet been confirmed, we will make the change without any additional charge to you. If however your booking has been confirmed, you may have to pay for a new transfer. See our Terms and Conditions, or contact us to see if the canelation policy will apply in your case.
You should be aware that our internal guidelines for driving hours are generally stricter than those imposed by European Union. We implement this policy to maximise safety on our services. However for this reason, we are not always able to accommodate time changes, delays and other unforeseen events that may require our drivers to work longer than originally planned.
Frequently Asked Questions
On the booking form you ask for ‘flight time’. Do you want the take-off or arrival time?
For your transfer from the airport to resort, please enter the scheduled arrival time of the flight.
For your transfer from the resort to the airport, please enter the scheduled departure time of your flight (NOT your check-in time).
For your arrival, we group bookings together based on the scheduled arrival time of your flight. We allow sufficient time for passengers to collect their bags and clear customs before we leave the airport. Rest assured that if your flight is on time (or you are not significantly delayed) we will not leave the airport without you! For delayed flights and delays due to lost baggage, see the relevant fields below.
For your departure, we plan to leave the resort with plenty of time for all passengers to check in at the airport, and with a margin for unexpected road or traffic delays. On a shared transfer we must also allow sufficient time to collect all the passengers around the resort. If you choose to be picked up later than the time we recommend (available on private transfers only) please be aware that you do this at your own risk and we will take no responsibility if you miss your flight or connection.
I don’t have a mobile telephone number, or my mobile telephone doesn’t work overseas. Does this matter?
Communication can be very important, especially in the case of delays either with our drivers on the road, or with your flights. If we have no means of contacting you, you must take responsibility for communication by contacting us (for example by public telephones at the airport) in the case of any delays or difficulties finding your driver. We will not be responsible for any missed transfers if we are unable to contact you.
What happens if I miss my flight?
You should let us know immediately by calling the office. If you will not arrive in time for your booked and confirmed transfer,our cancellation policy may apply, in which case you may have to book and pay for a new transfer. If you have booked a super saver transfer you will probably have to purchase a new transfer. If you have booked a flexi-shared or private transfer we will do our best to accommodate your changes. For more details see our terms and conditions.
You should be aware that our internal guidelines for driving hours are generally stricter than those imposed by European Union. We implement this policy to maximise safety on our services. However for this reason, we are not always able to accommodate time changes, delays and other unforeseen events that may require our drivers to work longer than originally planned.
What happens if my flight is cancelled?
You should let us know immediately by calling the office. If you will not arrive in time for your booked and confirmed transfer,our cancellation policy may apply, in which case you may have to book and pay for a new transfer. If you have booked a super saver transfer you will probably have to purchase a new transfer. If you have booked a flexi-shared or private transfer we will do our best to accommodate your changes. For more details see our terms and conditions.
You should be aware that our internal guidelines for driving hours are generally stricter than those imposed by European Union. We implement this policy to maximise safety on our services. However for this reason, we are not always able to accommodate time changes, delays and other unforeseen events that may require our drivers to work longer than originally planned.
