 Poster: A snowHead
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Plans have changed for the season and I'm now also going at Feb half term.
I have the choice of two flights on the Saturday, one arriving into Geneva at 0915 which would mean a stupid start from the UK but if it works at the other end we will suck it up, the other arrives at 1515 any advice on which would be the better of two evils in avoiding queues at car rental desks and on the way up to resort. Or is it just going to be hell.
The end resort is still up for debate. Husband wants to go to Val d'Isere/Tignes where we have skied a LOT and have 2 other trips booked this season and I fancied trying somewhere different (Grand Massif/ St Gervais) as its near Geneva but thats another question.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The later flight might actually be better, traffic wise. You probably won't be through, got your car and on the road much before 4.45/5pm which will be after the main rush of traffic. The later you leave the airport, the better, really.
At this stage you might have to settle for going where you can get the accommodation you want; most will be booked that week already.
The roads into the Tarentaise will be bad in both directions - there's something to be said for going closer. How about La Clusaz? Will be busy with French holidays but fewer Brits than, say, the Portes du Soleil, another possible destination.
On your return you can expect a slow journey to the airport, especially from the Tarentaise. You need to get out of resort either very early or (better) ski that Saturday and head back as late in the day as possible.
If it's very snowy all bets are off; it takes comparatively little snow to close Geneva airport.
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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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Worth signing up for the relevant car hire company's loyalty scheme. In some cases (e.g. Hertz) this gets you a separate desk at GVA with, usually, no queue. Even if you've gone via Holidayautos or similar you can still wave your super-platinum-god-status card.
One other tip - if you get to the passport kiosks and there's a long queue, depending on which kiosks, there's usually a couple round the other side worth checkign out (or sending your Husband to do so!). They are in a V shape, and you arrive at one side of the V unable to see the other side, but typically there's less of a queue on the opposite side.
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@pam w, Thanks. I did think the later flight might be better. We are flying home on the Friday am as our son is returning from a school trip that day so hopefully the roads and airport should not be as manic.
@snowdave, Never thought of that before and use the same principle at a few hotel chains I have shiny card status with. I have a Hertz card so will keep that in mind. Good tip about the passport desks.
At Geneva next Friday so will check-out the car hire desks with express lines etc then.
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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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Grand Massif is a decent area for a week's skiing and handy for transfers from GVA. We (group of 4) had private taxi transfers this year and while I can't remember the cost it wasn't super expensive. We stayed in Samoens which is a proper village with decent shops/bars. Village centre is 10 minutes walk from the Gondola so it's good to get accommodation with someone that can give you a lift there and back. We used Absolute Alpine.
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1. I'd go out early because if there's any issues then there is more chance of the later flight being affected plus you might get half a day's skiing in
2. Have you thought about PDS ? Very close to Geneva (1 hr-ish)
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you might get half a day's skiing in
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improbable at half term, even if you land on time at 0915 and you'd be wiped out by starting so early.
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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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1. I'd go out early because if there's any issues then there is more chance of the later flight being affected plus you might get half a day's skiing in
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I'd go later because you won't actually get half a day skiing in given airport congestion, toll queues etc but despite knowing better you will still HOPE that you do get a half day in only to have those hopes dashed leading to irrational but very real grumpiness. What only me?
Go later and you'll have a lazy morning and no unrealistic expectations.
Other option which we like is to fly late Friday and stay in a hotel in Geneva or somewhere en-route. This avoids a lot of the crowds (get up early on Sat to beat traffic), gets you an extra day skiing on the Sat and we found that the saving on flight costs more than pays for the hotel plus lift passes on Saturday. Nice.
St Gervais or Combloux probably have the easiest transfers of the lot (you turn off motorway earlier for PdS and GM but then have longer drives on back roads). Megeve and Les Contamines are only slightly further. I wouldn't claim that the skiing is as good as EK but the area is a good option that time of year (lower altitude a non-issue). If you are driving and self-catering (few hotels/tour operators, handy to have a car to link you into St Nicholas/St Gervais) then I'd recommend Les C which is where I will be but I am biased.
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| pam w wrote: |
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you might get half a day's skiing in
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improbable at half term, even if you land on time at 0915 and you'd be wiped out by starting so early. |
Where's your stamina (wo)man ?? 
I managed to get on the slopes in Meribel before 13:00 a few years back at half term having been up at 03:00 to get a 06:00 flight and being a transfer day it was fairly quiet on the slopes. Mind you, I didn't manage to stay in the bar beyond 22:00 so there was a price to be paid !!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I managed to get on the slopes in Meribel before 13:00 a few years back at half term having been up at 03:00 to get a 06:00 flight and being a transfer day it was fairly quiet on the slopes. Mind you, I didn't manage to stay in the bar beyond 22:00 so there was a price to be paid !!
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You should try Eurostar London to Moutier - arrive 6AM having not really slept in the firm Eurostar seats. We were first in the lift queue in Meribel and skied til the lifts shut. Bit tired later on though
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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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It's obvious, but it will be dark on the later flight. 15:15 means driving the car away about 16:00 and then a drive up the mountain at around 18:00 in the dark, possible snow, possible chains, finding the apartment/hotel, etc. etc. - and that's if there are no problems.
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@msej449, we are talking about adults aren't we, and also not a journey to the Arctic?
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You know it makes sense.
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a drive up the mountain at around 18:00 in the dark, possible snow, possible chains, finding the apartment/hotel
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but with a great deal less traffic than earlier in the day. And less chance, if it's a snowy day, of the police insisting you put chains on your snow tyres to reduce the chance of big holdups on the road. If you have to put chains on, it'll be easier to pull off the road and do it. If it looks like that sort of weather, take a head torch. And rejoice - snow, on your way to a ski resort, is exactly what you want. Finding an apartment/hotel is not a big deal either - in early evening there'll be loads of people round to ask.
Rule 5 applies. Ski holidays are not for wimps. 
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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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+1 uann and pam.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Never driven in half term, and never intend to. Is there a webcam where I can witness the mayhem?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Never driven in half term, and never intend to. Is there a webcam where I can witness the mayhem?
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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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I don't think we're going to resolve this one. I recommend the morning with the daytime to transit. Other people just as strongly recommend the evening.
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We have only once had the pleasure of flying into Lyon early on a Feb half term Saturday and attempting the drive to the 3 Valleys, after planning an afternoon's skiing.
Never seen anything like it and quickly learned the meaning of the flashing (but pointless) "bouchon" signs above the carriageway.
It was an education - not least in French traffic policing, with roadblocks to prevent us from turning off the motorway to take short cuts! We had no option other than to resign ourselves to our fate. Needless to say that we didn't make it to the 3Vs but instead decided to detour to try to get some skiing. In the end we made do with a very pleasant couple of hours' skiing (not quite) en route at Villard de Lans.
I would strongly recommend a late arrival into Geneva if our experience was anything to go by.
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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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roadblocks to prevent us from turning off the motorway to take short cuts!
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which would quickly become hopelessly blocked, especially if there's any snow on the ground.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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roadblocks to prevent us from turning off the motorway to take short cuts!
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which would quickly become hopelessly blocked, especially if there's any snow on the ground.
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"roadblocks to prevent us from turning off the motorway to take short cuts!"
"which would quickly become hopelessly blocked, especially if there's any snow on the ground."
There was no snow on the roads at all - nevertheless, best keep everyone on one hopelessly blocked motorway instead? 
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best keep everyone on one hopelessly blocked motorway instead?
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absolutely. Imagine you lived along one of those "short cuts". You'd be glad the hordes weren't following each other down your little road, wouldn't you?
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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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Having been in the car with Bergmeister at the time of the unbelievable jam reported above (and still suffering nightmares and flashbacks 15 years later) I'm with him on this - I just didn't understand the Gallic logic re. the road closures.
Slowly-moving traffic spread between the motorway and B roads would surely be better than total gridlock on the motorway?? We were stationary for hours. Possibly slightly rough on the locals - but (in my view) it's like someone buying a house near a footy ground and then complaining that parking is problematic when there's a home game taking place...Is there a Francais equivalent of NIMBY?
On the flip side, we drove from Geneva to Tignes on the Sat at the end of the French school hols last winter. Our drive was fine but the traffic we met was awful - basically one big queue from joining the single carriageway at Moutiers to beyond Bourg St Maurice.
On a related note, the mass exodus of the French from ski resorts from about 5am on a Saturday - whether low season or high - always amuses Mrs MA and me. Why do none of them want to ski that day?? (We love the deserted Saturday slopes though )
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Slowly-moving traffic spread between the motorway and B roads would surely be better than total gridlock on the motorway??
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I don't think it would work that way though, and presumably the police don't, or they wouldn't take the steps they do. The volume of traffic which grid-locks a motorway would scarcely be relieved by opening a B road alternative - and once the B road was gridlocked it would be a nightmare, with no emergency access etc.
You're right about the exodus from early on Saturday - it's absolute madness. If I had to get away early Saturday I'd be gone on Friday night and actually I did notice a lot of people doing just that last year at New Year.
The bit about the French Sat/Sat obsession which puzzles me the most is that even the many people with motorhomes come and go at exactly the same time. Crazy.
We went up to La Rosiere in a coach once, at the end of the New Year week. the traffic driving out of resort was stationary for miles. It was a nice sunny day, people were walking round chatting, drinking coffee from flasks, taking it in their stride. At least, the French ones were - one British driver, seeing a UK registered coach, asked our driver how far the queue went back and was told (truthfully) that it was all the way to Moutiers. Not happy. We breezed up, of course.
I know that people with school children, or teachers in the family, have no choice. But why anyone else would go to those resorts on those holiday weeks is completely beyond me, when adjusting a week or so here or there would give them clear roads, quiet pistes and no lift queues. And a lot more money to spend. Lemmings.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There can be a massive benefit to skiing in peak holiday weeks - the large number of typically lower level holiday/family skiers fill up the lifts but don't touch the offpiste. Meanwhile all the gnar-seekers are scared off by the holidaymakers.
In Argentiere last Feb half term I had an amazing day skiing lap after lap of deep untouched powder - repeated 1000m+ descents without touching another skier's tracks, and some popular touring routes were completely unskied for days. No way is that possible even on a quiet weekday in January. Had similar years ago in Cervinia on a peak holiday weekend with 2hr queues to get up the mountain but totally untouched offpiste everywhere.
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FAQ
) but that just made it sweeter 
