 Poster: A snowHead
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Can anyone tell me what would be about half way between Calais and French Alps? Friends are driving and catching a early afternoon train and want to try and do half the journey that day. They want to drive for about 4 and a half to 5 hours so where would that take them to all you seasoned drivers? Am trying to help them with destinatoin for overnight stop.
Any help appreciated as always.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Mouth
Have a look at http://www.latania.co.uk/resort/driving.htm half way down the page is a pretty accurate time/kilometre's breakdown of the trip from Calais to La Tania featuring all the major junctions on the way.
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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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Mouth, If they are really, really tired, Reims. If they have the energy to go on, Dijon or possibly Beaune. Some of the budget hotels get full up on a Friday night, so they might want to book a room online before setting off, but the downside is that they will be tied to that stop 
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Mouth, we caught a 5pm train last year and stopped at Reims. This year we have a 2pm train and we'll probably go as far Chaumont as I doubt that I would want to drive as far as Dijon. There's a Formule 1 at Chaumont which would be a very cheap overnight stop.
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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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Mouth, Dijon is just about 1/2 way; there are Camponile, Formule1, Premier Class hotels at just about every major autoroute junction. You can book online at www.envergure.fr which lists all their hotels and locations.
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David@traxvax, any idea how long the driving time is Calais-Dijon?
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rob@rar.org.uk, About 2.5 hours? The quietest, most boring part of the journey I used to reckon, always a section I found it hard to stay awake and alert if driving overnight...
oops I thought I read Reims/Dijon? So read 4.5 hours Calais/Dijon ...
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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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rob@rar.org.uk, I always allow about 5 hrs, depending on conditions of course.
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PG,  I wondered what car you drove when I read the first paragraph of your reply! At 4.5 or 5 hours to Dijon maybe that's where I should book our overnight stop.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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rob@rar.org.uk, make it Nuits St George, I can recommend a couple of cellars to purchase a cubitainer or two of delicious Burgundy to take home!
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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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PG, hear, hear. depends on what you prefer - we always stop in pouilly fuisse on the way back after a day's skiing, have a slap up dinner and load up all available space with white burgundy.
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We always stay at the Dijon Holiday Inn family room usually about £70.00 per night when booked online.
very nice accommodation.
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You know it makes sense.
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We allow from Calais, two hrs to Reims, 4 hrs to Dijon, and 6 to Geneva. Travelling to the Chamonix valley we can get there in 7 hrs including fuel stops and smart/quick coffee stops. We have bettered it a few times but don't do that anymore. It helps if you swap drivers and just get on with it, which is how I like to travel.
If you want to go further south to the Moutier gateway, this is where you lose time as the destinations are less direct. I hate messing around by Lyon and Chambery as you feel you are getitng nowhere. You really slow down here.
I would say anything less than Dijon is a waste of time because for Moutier resorts you might well have another 4 hrs to go. So even if you leave the overnight at 0800 you still aren't getting into the resort until midday. We ALWAYS do the journey in one hit.
Leave Calais port by 09:00 CET and you want to rolling into the resort by 19:00 or you have had a real pig of a drive IMO.
For LDA and ADH via Grenoble the timing is even worse...!!
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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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JT, the days are long gone when Jane and I were happy to do the drive in one hit! We normally take the car at Christmas time, and it would be too much of an effort to do the journey in one day after having had a very busy autumn term in school (for Jane) or university (for me). We prefer to break the journey overnight even if it means missing a few hours skiing.
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Poster: A snowHead
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rob@rar.org.uk,
Understandable, but I get a bit impatient and I suppose I don't like travelling very much. I want to get there. I would - and do, sometimes - sleep most of the way, until it is my turn to drive. The most relaxing way to get there is by train for me and I like the fact that Euro trains get there when they say they will. However, I find it frustrating to know they builid in 'waits' in sidings and the like to achieve this.
We like to use a roomy and quick saloons or estates. Worst to travel are giant 4x4's but they have their adavantages in the mountains of course. I will never ever go south in a Land Rover again..Just soooo slow for me.
It might sounds like I'm really intense about this but I chill really quickly when we have a disaster, like blow an engine or something.
After all, it is supposed to be a holiday. I just file those as 'adventures'
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Mouth, i know a lovely B&B just outside Gevrey-Chambertin/Nuit St Georges, run by a scottish couple. Only 5 mins from autoroute. PM me and I'lll try to find the details
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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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Helen Beaumont, Thanks and will do.
Thanks to everyone for their responses
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| JT wrote: |
We like to use a roomy and quick saloons or estates. Worst to travel are giant 4x4's but they have their adavantages in the mountains of course. I will never ever go south in a Land Rover again..Just soooo slow for me.
It might sounds like I'm really intense about this but I chill really quickly when we have a disaster, like blow an engine or something.
After all, it is supposed to be a holiday. I just file those as 'adventures' |
I've driven to Sicily a few times in a Landrover. Definitely filed those experiences under "Adventures". On the way back when we arrived at the Mont Blanc tunnel we considered ourselves to be almost home...
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Mon 3-10-05 16:11; edited 1 time in total
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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snowbunny, thanks for that link.
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rob@rar.org.uk,
How many days did it take you..?
Land Rover x Alpes = 2 bl**dy days...!!!
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JT, four days if we pushed on, five days if we took it easy (or broke down  ) After a few years of driving we decided to catch the ferry from Genoa to Palermo (24 hr 'cruise') which was more expensive but much easier on passengers and the Landrover!
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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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How about having some Macon in Macon?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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boredsurfin, I tend to use the Premiere Classe at Reims Taissy.
It's very close to the motoway which runs through Reims. Leave at J 26 Cormontreuil, and it's in the Parc Activities du Chateau. there is also a Bonsai Hotel next door. PM me if you want exact directions, phone numbers etc 
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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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boredsurfin,
Can't help in Rheims, I'm afraid I would hate the idea of stopping so soon as I feel I've only just started but we did pull off the Autoroute around Chartres or somesuch place on the way to Dijon....we looked at the map, spotted a reasonable size town only a few kms from the turn off and rode into town and picked the first one we liked...That worked quite well ...
I'm not a fan of the formula 1 type doss houses but they have their uses...
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boredsurfin, Formule 1 and ETAP hotels close to the autoroute a Reims Tinqueux. Not very good restaurants nearby. The extra to pay for ETAP gives you a lift in the hotel - very helpful when emptying the car.....
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You know it makes sense.
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We tend to use Reims as we've already had a 6 hour trip before we get to Dover.
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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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Down towards Troyes there's a factory outlet place isn't there? Years ago we stopped there and bought cheap Colombia clothing.
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Poster: A snowHead
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do the formule 1 and etap places have secure parking? or do you need to empty the car of all your stuff?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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aseeto, Some have big locking gates on their car parks. Even so, that will not stop someone breaking into your car. We always park the car close to our room, and take out all valuables.
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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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For characterful stops south of Dijon but northof Beaune we like Chablis (Pretty pricey but good for a stop) or to stay Tournus, which has a number of hotels and good restaurants. We've just turned up and asked for a room off season, and having now not driven for 5 years I can't remember the names, try to stay on the town side of the Rhone. there are a couple of hotels on the opposite bank but its a walk into town for dinner. Some good wine shops too with reasonable prices.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We stayed in the Campanile in Reims Tinqueux last year. We only needed a cheap and clean B&B as we arrived late and left early, and this hotel fitted the bill. It was close to the Autoroute, rooms were clean, breakfast was pleasant, etc. The car park was reasonably secure, with a large gate that was locked between midnight and 6am.
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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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ise, the whole of Troyes is full of factory outlets, they're all over the place. All the cheaper french hotel chains have places there and I usually stop over when I'm driving through France in summer or Winter. The centre is quite pleasant too if you have a little spare time.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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We have now booked our Logis de FRance hotel near Epernay. Looks like a nice restaurant too.
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