content-page.php

Frequently Asked Questions

Airport Transfer Information

Here to Help! We know you may have some questions about your transfer, so we have compiled this extensive answers section for you.

Our Commitment to You
Mountain Drop-offs has two goals when planning shared transfers:

  1. To minimising your waiting time
  2. To ensure that if you have a confirmed reservation you are never left behind at the airport because of circumstances outside your control (such as flight delays, customs or lost baggage)

What extra Covid-19 protocols are being used?

– the vehicle will be deep cleaned before and after your transfer
– your driver will open all outside doors
– the vehicles need to be regularly aired, so the driver may open their window frequently
– you need to load and unload your own luggage
– keep your important travel documents on your persons in case you need to show them at the border
– passengers are not permitted to sit next to the driver in line with the Department of Travail “VTC conducteur and Taxi” guidelines
– you will need to wear a mask, our drivers have the right to refuse to carry any passenger who does not wear a mask or demonstrates COVID symptoms
– you are not permitted to eat in the vehicle, but you can carry your own soft drink for personal consumption
– please remove any of your own rubbish

  • the above protocols are in accordance with Department of Travail “VTC conducteur and Taxi” guidelines and were valid until 16 May 2022.  They will be reintroduced if needed

When will my booking be confirmed?

Once your transfer request has been received, we will contact you by email within 24 hours.

On the evening before travel you will receive an email and SMS text to the email address and mobile number you supplied, giving you the driver’s name, contact number and confirming your pick up time. These communications are usually sent out around 6pm French time.

Can I book extra luggage/skis/boards/bikes/golf clubs etc?

Within the on-line booking process you can add these options. Please note a surcharge may apply.

How much is a transfer for a child/baby?

As children and babies in car seats (and older children not needing a child seat/booster) will take up a full seat in the vehicles, the normal transfer tariff will apply.

By law, children are not allowed to travel on your lap, so you will need to book the appropriate seat for travelling with your children. There is no charge for pre-booked car seats.

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 your flight.

For your transfer from resort to the airport, please enter the scheduled departure time of your flight (and not the check-in time).

* Please note: as we track flight arrivals and departures live, it’s essential we have the correct information so we can provide you with an optimal service.

I’m not travelling by plane, bus or train. Can I still book a transfer?

Yes you can. Select ‘Other’ in the ‘Arriving By’ and ‘Departing By’ fields and then enter the requested time you would like to be met at the airport or picked up from in resort and we will try to accommodate this request and get you travelling within a reasonable time.

Can I travel on a transfer with my dog?

To avoid potential allergic reactions by other passengers, we are only able to transport dogs on private transfers.

I put the incorrect time on my booking. What should I do?

Please notify us as soon as possible. If your booking hasn’t been confirmed yet, we will make the change without any additional charge to you.

If your booking has been confirmed and the correct times mean a change of transfer, you may have to pay for a new transfer, depending on the type of ticket you chose. Please see our Terms & Conditions, or contact us to see if the cancellation policy will apply in your case.

How can I pay for my Mountain Drop-offs transfer?

We accept Visa and Mastercard payments.

* Please note: we don’t accept AMEX or Maestro cards.

How do I make changes to my confirmed booking?

Any changes to the booking will need to be made by email (info@mountaindropoffs.com) to the office at least 14 days before your travel date. Please note that some changes will incur additional charges – we will advise of this if this is case with your situation.

In the case of a time or date change for your transfer, it may constitute a cancellation of your original booking and our cancellation policy will apply. You may need to make a new transfer booking and pay for this new fare.

If you need to change your in-resort address, this should be done by email at least 72hrs before your transfer date. After this time we may not be able to accommodate a change of address, in which case we may suggest a central meeting point/drop-off such as the train station. Please note the cost of getting to/from this meeting point would be at your own charge.

How do you transport skis/bikes etc?

Mountain Drop-offs uses long wheel base Renault Trafic vehicles that can transport extra items of luggage such as skis, snowboards, mountain bikes (maximum dimensions 1m x 1.3m) and golf clubs.

Please check point 5.4 of our T&C for costs.  Please ensure you inform us of any requirements when you make your reservation and please be aware we cannot accept any unaccompanied baggage on our transfers.

Do I need to book a baby/booster seat?

The law in France states that all children travelling in vehicles fitted with seat belts must use an appropriate car seat for their age and stature. In general, this is until the age of 10 years, or more precisely when a standard seatbelt sits on the child’s shoulders and not the neck, which is generally when they are between 135 and 150cm tall.

Mountain Drop-offs provides car seats for babies and toddlers for parents/guardians to fit into our vehicles, as well as boosters for older children, free of charge when pre-booked.

After you’ve entered your travel details and contact details, the online booking process takes you to the ‘other requirements’ page where our child seats are listed. We have:

  • Rear facing baby seats up to 12mths/12kg (Grp 0+)
  • Rear or forward facing as required for 9-18kgs/9mths-4yrs (Grp 0+ and 1)
  • Front facing upright seats for 15-25kgs/4-6yrs (Grp 1, 2 and 3)
  • Booster seats 22-36kgs/4-10yrs (Grp 3)

Please do not hesitate to contact our customer service team if you need any more information on baby/child seats in our vehicles.

How long will I have to wait at the airport?

On shared transfers for arrivals at Geneva Airport to the Chamonix Valley, we endeavour to group clients with flights scheduled to arrive within 45 minutes. However, this can be extended to 1 hour.

For Interseason* travel to the Chamonix valley, Mountain Drop-offs operate a 50€ Super Saver fare only for shared transfers where available.  Flight arrivals are grouped within 2 hours, unless agreed otherwise.  *Interseason includes, but is not limited to, May, October and November.

For shared travel to the Portes du Soleil & the Grand Massif areas, the maximum time between grouped flight arrivals is 3 hours for groups of 3 passengers or more.

Our scheduling team works hard to offer the most efficient transfers to and from resort for you.

Top Transfer Tip
If you want to leave the airport as soon as you arrive, book a private or VIP transfer. Your driver will depart once you/your group are at arrivals and ready to go, as you have the transfer to yourself/selves. These premium services are available 24hrs a day, seven days a week, all year round and can cost the same or even less than shared transfers if there are enough of you travelling together.

Delays, Cancellations and So On
Our team at the airport, our drivers and our office-based admin team will work hard to resolve any operational situations that may arise due to unforeseen circumstances out of our control (such as flight, baggage or customs delays, industrial action, weather, traffic conditions or other passengers).

We aim to always keep clients informed of the steps 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 scheduled), or a service with one of our partner operators.

If something goes wrong will I be left at the airport?

If clients with confirmed reservations encounter problems out of their control (delayed flights, lost baggage etc) Mountain Drop-offs always aims to get you on the next available transfer.

In the case of lost luggage, please contact Mountain Drop-offs to keep us informed of the situation, either by talking directly with your driver or representative at the airport, or by calling the Mountain Drop-offs office.

The airline handling agent will usually arrange to deliver the delayed bags directly, or negotiate with us to collect the luggage on your behalf to minimise delays.

In exceptional circumstances such as a missed outward flight with the passenger then rescheduling their travel, a new transfer booking may need to be made and paid for, depending on the type of transfer ticket you booked.

Please see our Terms and Conditions for full details and always consult your own travel insurance terms and conditions too.

How long will my transfer take?

We often get asked how long the transfer will take. Of course, it all depends on road conditions (most significantly rush hour leaving Geneva on Thursday and Friday evenings), weather and where in resort your accommodation is, but to give you a general idea, here are the approximate times from Geneva Airport.

Approx Transfer Time
Geneva Airport to Chamonix 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Geneva Airport to Morzine 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Geneva Airport to Avoriaz 2 Hours
Geneva Airport to Les Gets 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Geneva Airport to Vallorcine 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Geneva Airport to Les Houches 1 Hour
Geneva Airport to Argentiere 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Geneva Airport to Megève 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Geneva Airport to Saint Gervais 1 Hour
Geneva Airport to Les Contamines 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Geneva Airport to Flaine 1 Hour
Geneva Airport to Tignes 3 Hours
Geneva Airport to Val d’Isère 3 Hours
Geneva Airport to La Plagne 2 Hours 30 Minutes
Geneva Airport to Les Arcs 3 Hours
Geneva Airport to Courchevel 2 Hours 30 Minutes
Geneva Airport to Verbier 2 Hours
Geneva Airport to Zermatt 3 Hours
Geneva Airport to Annecy 1 Hour
Geneva Airport to Talloires 1 Hour

What time will you pick me up?

Departure Time Estimates
On busy days (such as peak times on weekday mornings), or in severe weather conditions, we may leave earlier, but to give you an idea of departure times for your journey back to the airport:

  • Private/VIP transfers from Chamonix to Geneva: three hours before your flight departure
  • Chamonix Valley to Geneva shared transfers: between three and six hours before the flight
  • Transfers from Tignes/Val d’Isère: at least five hours before the flight departure
  • Transfers from the Three Valleys: between three and seven hours before the flight departure
  • Transfers from Morzine/Portes du Soleil/Grand Massif: between three and five and a half hours before your flight departure* Please note: we will not be able to stop at customs at the Swiss border for passengers to reclaim taxes/change money etc

I can’t find an answer to my question…

Please do not hesitate to contact Mountain Drop-offs by email or telephone if you can’t find the answer to your question on this Frequently Asked Questions page and we will be happy to help.

How do I find our driver at the airport?

Geneva Airport
After coming through the arrivals hall on the Swiss side of Geneva Airport, turn left and walk down to our dedicated transfer desk, which is situated next to Tekoe Tea Shop, opposite the UBS bank cashpoints.

Our airport representative or uniformed driver will be waiting for you at our clearly signed transfer desk.

* Please note: only flights originating from France arrive on the French side of Geneva Airport. There is a clearly indicated short walk through to the Swiss side of the airport to our Mountain Drop-offs desk.

For shared transfers, we only off pick up and drop off from and to the airport, which is on the outskirts of the city. There is a main train station in the airport, with all services departing from here passing through Geneva city’s main Cornavin Station. The journey takes around 10 minutes, but please allow around 45 minutes to get to the airport if taking a train from the centre to the airport for your transfer.

However, private transfers to and from anywhere in the Geneva city centre region can be organised for direct access.

Grenoble, Lyon and Chambery Airports
On arrival at Lyon, Chambery or Grenoble airport, your uniformed driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall with your name (or the lead name for your group) clearly marked on a whiteboard.

If you can’t contact your driver please contact the Mountain Drop-offs office (out of office contact numbers are recorded on the office answerphone message).

Will I be dropped off at my accommodation?

Yes! Mountain Drop-offs prides itself in providing ‘door to door’ transfers. In normal circumstances you will be dropped off to the in resort address you provided on your booking form.

Our drivers know their resorts very well and are given as much information as possible to take you to your accommodation, but please remember to bring contact details of your chalet, hotel, apartment, etc.

(The exceptions to this are transfers to car-free resorts like Zermatt and Avoriaz, where central pick up and drop off points are used by all transfer companies.)

In exceptional circumstances it may not be possible to drop you right outside the door, such as where accommodation is up steep routes for example, especially in severe weather conditions.

All our vehicles are equipped with snow tyres, but not 4WD. We will, of course, endeavour to get you as close as we can and our drivers are all very experienced at driving in winter conditions.

Am I am picked up from my accommodation to go back to the airport?

Yes! As with in resort drop offs, in normal circumstances, we will collect you from the address on your booking form for your journey to the airport.

For your departure, we always plan to leave resort with plenty of time for all passengers to check in at the airport and with a margin for unexpected delays due to weather, traffic or other events.

On a shared transfer, we also allow sufficient time to collect all the passengers around resort. If you have booked a private or VIP transfer, you will have a dedicated vehicle with timings arranged especially for you.

How will I know what time my in resort pick up is?

We will send you a SMS text message and an email the evening before the day you travel (at around 6pm French time) to the number and email address supplied on your booking to confirm the pick up time, driver’s name and their contact number.

If you have not received an SMS or email message, you will need to contact the Mountain Drop-offs team to confirm the time of your pick up. If you made the booking yourself, you can also log in to our Mountain Drop-offs account and see your pick information.

Please note, unconfirmed details will be showing on your account until the scheduling is complete and confirmed at around 6pm French time the day before travel.

For your transfer to the airport, Mountain Drop-offs will drop off passengers at the Departures level/section, within easy walking access to the terminal building.

If your question is not listed here we would love to hear from you. Just contact us via telephone or email and we will be happy to answer any queries you have.

Mountain Drop-offs has been operating the Alps’ best transfer service since 2003. Have a look at our customer reviews.

Book your airport transfer