 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi - we have driven many many times to French ski resorts from Calais - 3V, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Morzine - usually 2-3 times each season.
But ..... we have never driven to Austria, Switzerland, Italy.
We would really like to try pastures new this year - can anyone offer any advice or approx driving times/distances to any non French resorts?
We always set off very early, have 2 drivers, and dont stop for very long. We would be travelling in non peak times - Jan and March.
Or - any web sites that would help with judging distances for above.
Thank you - any advice appreicated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Dippy, Try Via Michelin for directions, timings, suggested routes etc 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Obviously, some non-French resorts will be no (or not significantly) further than the French ones you've mentioned and you may not need a vignette in Switzerland, depending on where you cross the border, and whether you intend to use their motorways.
Depending on where you are starting from, is Harwich-Hook of Holland a consideration for the crossing and will that affect driving times/distances to, say, Austria? I don't know the answers but it's always good to remember there are alternatives to Calais.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
Switzerland you have to buy a very expensive motorway vignette
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That gives you a year's use for less cost than the one way toll in France 
Google maps is fine too, but I think is a bit optimistic on travel times. Via Michelin is handy in that it estimates the total amount of tolls.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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boredsurfin, but I read on a Ski Forum that France is the most expensive place to ski 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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boredsurfin, smoking ban in Austria effective 1st January 2014, cheaper drive than to French resorts (no tolls) and less queuing on roads IME.
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| Quote: |
Switzerland you have to buy a very expensive motorway vignette |
30 odd euro
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And the Austrian Toll sticker too which is a massively extortionate €8.50 for 10 days.
(and potentially ca. the same again each way if you need teh Arlberg tunnel or Brenner pass)
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Almost no queues outside of February in Grand Massif ski area (great off-piste). Agree about overpriced food though - having said that there are loads of good chalets offering fully catered for same prices as 10 years ago - just skip lunch or take packed one (they are quite a few provided areas for that). Food is not going to be cheaper in Switzerland.
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| Markymark29 wrote: |
| boredsurfin, smoking ban in Austria effective 1st January 2014, . |
Hurrah, Austria catches up with the West
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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From experience, I'd say that the Ski Finder times above are way out - by at least 2 hours if not more. The site seems to be quoting times that might be achievable in the summer on dry, clear roads, but not for driving in winter conditions. That list doesn't have any Salzburgerland resorts - I regularly do Salzburg and Zell am See from Calais or Dunkirk in 9-10 hours in the summer, 10-12 hours in winter with 2 drivers and limited stops. Via Hook of Holland about an hour more.
Anyway, even using the published times, it is really not much longer to some of the Austrian resorts than to some of the French ones. As most of the route is on efficient German and Austrian autobahns, I'd say that in winter, the time variation is smaller - e.g. reaching La Rosiere involves a long slow climb up the mountain from Bourg after a long A-road drive to reach Bourg whereas Flachau is just a few minutes from the motorway.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Samerberg Sue, +1, I don't smoke and have never found it to be an issue.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Markymark29 wrote: |
| I don't smoke and have never found it to be an issue. |
Only time it's been a problem for me was when we had a smoker in our group! Think the whole novelty of it went to his head.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Its 40 CHFs
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| boredsurfin wrote: |
| Markymark29 wrote: |
| boredsurfin, smoking ban in Austria effective 1st January 2014, . |
Hurrah, Austria catches up with the West |
There has been a ban in place for some establishments for a few years now.
Anyway, to echo what has already been suggested, if you live in the right area, is a ferry to somewhere like Rotterdam/hook of Holland (same place, name just depends on the ferry company, P&O/Stena) from Hull/Harwich or the Newcastle-Ijmuidin sailing. Takes me about 10 hours drive from Rotterdam to the Arlberg.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Sitter, the ban has been at the discretion of the owner, hence patchy...... Now from Jan 14 it's law, big difference.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Rotterdam to Garmisch in about eight hours. Two drivers equals two stints of four hours each - easy!!!!
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| boredsurfin wrote: |
| Cross Austria off, you have to have a full set of snow tyres |
Is that actually correct (in Winter)?
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Cacciatore, In my view a snowflake isn't M&S .....you need the specific markings as you pointed out from the Austrian site.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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WOW - thank you all for the helpfull replies and links. I'm tempted to try one of the Swiss resorts - bu think I will wait a bit before booking to see how the - snow lays!
I think the drive2ski and ski-finder times are a little optimistic, but we have acieved close to those times with 2 drivers and quick stops during low season.
Re- Winter tyres debate - are you still required to have winter tyres for Austria if you have a 4WD?
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| Dippy wrote: |
Re- Winter tyres debate - are you still required to have winter tyres for Austria if you have a 4WD? |
Yes, very definitely...it's just what actually constitutes a Winter tyre... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you drive through the night like wot I do then the times work. Anyway, the point was largely to show the relative distances for different resorts. We all know they will vary dependent on when you are travelling and affected by traffic and weather. The OP has already driven to French resorts so isn't a rooky. I have no axe to grind on where he should go 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I find that Piedmont resorts in Italy take 14-18 hours…depending on snow/pretty girls at tolls
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Driving to Kitzbuhel mean that you don't need a motorway toll pass because you come off at Kufstein and the toll doesn't start until Worgl. Left Bradford at 2pm and arrived in Kitz at 7.30am last year. That time included an hour at a service station just before the Austrian border because we would have got there too early!
I would take driving to Austria any day over driving to French Alps. (Only an opinion!)
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You know it makes sense.
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Dougie, Wrong, it started at Kufstein-Süd (second exit) and even that is no more. As of December 1st this year it will be needed from the border. They have abolished the free transit corridors, both at Kufstein and at Bregenz now the Pfänder Tunnel has been upgraded and fully opened.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Montana, +1 Via Michelin
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Dippy wrote: |
| are you still required to have winter tyres for Austria if you have a 4WD? |
Yes. But majority of driving visitors to Austria are Dutch and virtually none of them bother with winter tyres - most Brits don't comply but all Austrians and Germans do. That's why the Dutch are well known for holding up the traffic when it gets slippy. I'm not suggesting you do likewise but plenty of people do get away with it, way more than ever get stuck or fined. If you are just driving there, parking up and then driving home at the end of the week, chances are you'll have no issues. There's a risk (like if you are involved in an accident it will probably be deemed your fault) but most roads in/out of most Austrian resorts are flat (ish) and well swept. I have winters on a 4x4 and that's what I prefer to run in the UK as well but years ago, 80s and 90s, I regularly did the drive to Austria, even whole tours around Austria, on standard British-issue tyres and had few probs (carried chains though).
Having said all that, decent boots like Vredestein WinTrac 4xtreme on a 4x4 makes the thing virtually unstoppable and negates the need for chains (mine have only ever been on for practice). That's when the tyres are new. Half way through their life frankly they start to behave not much better than brand new summer tyres so, despite having the snowflake symbol, it doesn't necessarily mean they are safer, just law-abiding that's all.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Dougie, Come off at Kiefersfelden just before the border (shares an exit with the last service area). Turn left at the big junction then follow the road round through Kufstein and pick up the B171 where it crosses under the autobahn (there's a mini rounabout there). This is a slightly easier route than coming off at Oberaudorf, crossing the Inn to Niederndorf and then driving into Kufstein using the Wildbichlerstraße. Once on the B171 you can turn off up the B173 (Eibergstraße) or carry on through Kirchbichl to Wörgl and go up the faster Lofererstraße (B178) if you are heading for Söll, Scheffau orEllmau. If you are going for Westerndorf, Brixen im Thale or Kitz, then take the B170 as it bypasses all the crawling traffic up from Söll through to St Johann and Oberndorf and you can get into Kitz via Kirchberg. That's the route I always take and it is way quicker both going in the mornings and coming home after a day's skiing. I always access the Kitz's slopes via the Fleckalmbahn. But I also have a year's vignette as I'm over the border a lot one way or another!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Samerberg Sue, Thanks for that. Sounds straight forward enough. Roll on New Year.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Dougie, no poblems - drop me a line closer to the time and I'll update you on the roadworks situation. Driving home last night from Munich, the warning signs about the roadworks on the Inntal were gone, so it looks like the A93 Rosenheim to the border is running free again.
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Thread bump...just been redirected here, having always thought of driving to Austria as too far, I am now reconsidering.
Can anybody recommend a sensibly priced but not too grotty hotel chain for an overnight stop halfway from Calais? We always use the Campanile in France, is there a German equivalent with sites close to the autobahns?
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Depends roughly where you're heading.
Ibis, Ibis Budget, Campanile, B+B Hotel ( hotelbb.de ), ... (€48/room for the one at the end of this street)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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head_like_a_rock, Going the other way, I always use a Gasthof just off the A8 on the Luxembourg/German border in Schwemlingen, which is a suburb of Merzig. It is called the Schwemlingerhof and it is less than 3km from the motorway in the middle of the village. I know holidayloverxx uses ones in or around Karlsruhe or Pforzheim. One the whole you get a way better price and service if you drop off the motorway and use one of the local places. The chain places on the motorway are pretty grim to be honest as well as over-priced for what they offer. I have had some really crummy rooms and over-priced service in the Ibis type chains I'm afraid.
I work out how far I want to travel after coming off the ferry (I do not use the tunnel), then look at Booking.com which filters according to whatever criteria I set.
Whereabouts are you thinking of driving to as this will also have some impact on where is a good place to stop, as well as when you want to travel.
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We drove to Salzburg in the summer from Rotterdam and stayed in Ibis at Wurzburg en route. Was very basic but did the job, meant a short detour off the autobahn though
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FAQ
I will have to think of a back road way to get to Kufstein from the border. Shouldn't be too much of a problem but will take slightly longer. Still think driving to Austria is better. 