Guide
Snow chains, child seats and flight delays: the rules on your route
Updated
Three things decide whether a transfer goes smoothly: whether the vehicle is legally equipped for the road, whether the right child seats are on board, and what happens when the plane is late. Two of those are set by law.
France: winter equipment from 1 November to 31 March
The French government sets out the obligation directly. If you cross mountain communes and mountain ranges (the Alps, Corsica, the Massif Central, the Jura, the Pyrenees and the Vosges) in one of the 34 departments subject to the obligation, then from 1 November to 31 March your vehicle must have one of the following: four winter tyres marked 3PMSF (Three Peak Mountain Snow Flake); a pair of snow chains on at least two drive wheels; or snow socks on at least two drive wheels. The communes concerned are defined by prefectural order and marked by road signs (ecologie.gouv.fr).
The same guidance advises keeping chains or snow socks in the boot even when there is no snow or ice, so they can be fitted quickly if conditions change. A professional operator working these roads will be equipped as a matter of course, but it is a fair question to ask, particularly of a very cheap quote.
Austria: 1 November to 15 April, and earlier for buses
Austria's rule is conditional rather than calendar-absolute for cars. Cars and lorries up to 3.5 tonnes "can only be used in wintry conditions between 1 November and 15 April if winter tyres are fitted to all their wheels", with snow, slush or ice on the road given as examples of wintry conditions; alternatively, snow chains fitted to at least two driven wheels. For buses and other vehicles of that design, the period runs 1 November to 15 March, with winter tyres on all wheels of at least one driven axle, and for buses and lorries over 3.5 tonnes "the requirement to fit winter tyres applies at all times, regardless of whether there is snow on the road or not". A tyre qualifies as a winter tyre if it carries M+S, M.S. or M&S markings or a snowflake symbol (oesterreich.gv.at, last updated 12 January 2026).
| Country | Applies | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Mountain communes in 34 departments, signposted | 1 November to 31 March | ecologie.gouv.fr |
| Austria, cars and vehicles up to 3.5t | In wintry conditions | 1 November to 15 April | oesterreich.gv.at |
| Austria, buses | Winter tyres on all wheels of at least one driven axle | 1 November to 15 March | oesterreich.gv.at |
We have not been able to verify an equivalent general winter tyre obligation for Switzerland from an official federal source, so we make no claim about one. If your route runs through Switzerland, ask the operator what equipment the vehicle carries and leave it there.
Child seats: the exemption almost nobody expects
In France the general rule is strict. A child under 10 must be secured in an approved restraint device suited to their build, and in normal driving must travel in the rear of the vehicle. A child of 10 or over must wear a seat belt, front or rear. Failure to comply is punishable by a fine of up to €750, though it is generally issued as a fixed fine of €135 (service-public.gouv.fr, verified 3 October 2025).
The exemption is the part that matters for transfers. That same official guidance states that use of an approved child restraint is not required where "l'enfant est transporté dans un taxi ou dans un véhicule de transport en commun": the child is carried in a taxi or in a public transport vehicle. So a transfer vehicle is not guaranteed to arrive with seats fitted. Do not assume. Request them at booking, give the ages and heights of each child, and get the confirmation in writing.
Flight delays and waiting time
This is not regulated, it is contractual, and it is where transfer bookings most often go wrong. Waiting is the driver's paid time, and operators handle it very differently. Some track your flight number and include a generous free wait from actual landing; others start charging quickly, or measure from the scheduled arrival time, which is no help at all when the plane is two hours late.
- Ask how much free waiting is included, measured from actual landing.
- Ask what the charge is after that, and in which currency.
- Give the operator your flight number so they can track it, and a mobile number with the country code.
- Ask what happens if the flight is cancelled or diverted, rather than merely delayed, and what refund applies.
- Ask what happens on the return leg if the resort road closes or chains become mandatory.
Checking the operator is licensed
If you want to verify who you are booking with, the licensing regimes are public. In France, companies operating public collective road transport must be entered on the national electronic register of road transport companies, and numbered certified copies of their transport licence are carried on board the vehicles (ecologie.gouv.fr). In Switzerland, BAV issues operating licences valid for five years and publishes a register of every company holding one (bav.admin.ch). In Austria, the commercial carriage of persons by motor vehicle may only be carried on under a concession granted for a specified number of vehicles, under the Gelegenheitsverkehrs-Gesetz 1996, with the conditions in Article 3 of EU Regulation 1071/2009 applying to bus-based operations.