Travellers to snowy destinations might be surprised to have to pay a 'winterisation' charge when they pick up their rental car this February half term.

It is their responsibility and not the rental company's to ensure that their hire car meets local regulations.

Winterisation charges, which cover winter tyres and/or snow chains, can be compulsory and usually have to be paid for on arrival when picking up a hire car.

One leading provider of car hire excess insurance, iCarhireinsurance.com, compared the winterisation charges in six ski destinations (Geneva, Grenoble, Turin, Innsbruck, Sophia and Barcelona) levied by five car hire companies (Avis, Hertz, Budget, Europcar and Sixt) for a week's hire of a medium-size car from February 13 to 20, 2016.

The survey found that the highest charge was in Grenoble with Budget charging a £119 winterisation cost while the lowest cost was £15, if hiring from Sixt in Sofia, demonstrating the huge difference in the prices being charged.

On average drivers are paying around £37 for winterisation costs.

Ernesto Suarez, CEO and founder of iCarhireinsurance.com, said: "The rules and regulations on winter tyres and snow chains vary between countries, but car hirers do need to be up to speed on whether they need them in the country they’re hiring in, otherwise they could face a 5,000 Euro fine in Austria, for instance."

Winter tyres are not compulsory in Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Bulgaria, however, if local signs indicate that snow chains should be carried in the vehicle, you are required to do so and if an accident were to occur a motorist without winter tyres would have a far greater chance of receiving the responsibility of any damage incurred from the collision.

"Winterisation charges are another example of how car hire companies snowball costs at the rental desk, and can make an original low rental price not such a good deal after all," said Ernesto Suarez.

"With these winter destinations, however, do make sure you've done your research and know the necessary equipment required for the country you're in."