Driving from Geneva to Chamonix

Since the best way from Geneva airport cuts through Switzerland on the motorway, you will need a 40 CHF Swiss vignette. If you rent a car on the Swiss side, the car will already have a vignette. So unless you save $50 on renting the car on the French side, rent it on the Swiss side.

Lisa,
Just be sure to return the car in Switzerland if you rent it in Switzerland. There are huge fees to drop in another country, even if 2 miles away.

We are planning to rent on French side of Geneva and we will be returning the car in Lyon, France which is why we will rent on the French side. So it sounds like we will need to get the Swiss Vignette? We travel from Geneva to Chamonix the first day.

You can cut though central Geneva without getting on a motorway until you cross into France. Just takes longer.

I would just drive through Geneva. It's pretty.

After passing under the airport, to avoid accidentally entering the highway, keep left on route des Nations (there's a tunnel), drive in front of Palais des Nations, then towards Quai Wilson, cross the Mont Blanc bridge, and head towards Annemasse.

Thank you!

Similar issue as the OP but picking up leased car in Ferney-Voltaire (France) just north of GVA. Is any local expert knowledgeable of an office, station or store that sells the vignette in F-V?

Since Switzerland has customs stations at its borders (it is not in the EU), you can just stop in and get the vignette at these.

Easiest way to get the Swiss vignette is online at https://via.admin.ch/shop/dashboard. The vignette will be associated online with the license number of the car you're driving, so you can't get it until the car is in your possession. You may even discover there's already a vignette associated with the rental car, especially picking it up in Geneva. Note that there's no need to have a physical copy; the e-vignette works fine.

NOTE: Don't use the other websites that show up on a Google search. Lots of scams are being perpetuated, apparently.