Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Driving to Tignes

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi all,

I am new to Snowheads and thought I would get some advice on our first driving trip to the Alps. We are travelling to Tignes and will be setting off from the East Midlands at lunchtime next Friday. We are looking to stay somewhere in Northern France on Friday night, continuing down to Tignes on Saturday morning.

We are currently trying to decide between using the Eurotunnel or the Ferry, at around 6pm, and how far to travel on the Friday night before stopping. Can anyone recommend anywhere to stay around 2-3 hours away from Calais please? Does anyone have any tips for choice of route over what Google Mpas recommends? We will also need to purchase snow chains, are they cheaper in France compared to the UK?

Any other general tips on driving to the Alps would be great.

Thanks
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I don't drive to Tignes so can't help with detailed routes but don't be persuaded to go via Paris, which is sometimes suggested by the online sites. There are better and worse routes round Lyons which somebody will no doubt advise on.

Don't forget you'll lose an hour time difference getting to France. I always use Eurotunnel because it's quicker, easier and free with Tesco Club card. wink

Chains are cheaper in French supermarkets (probably too late now to buy some in Lidl) but you won't want to be faffing around looking for a supermarket, I expect. The motorway service areas will have them. If you don't need them, and keep the receipt, and buy them in one of the aires which serve both north and south bound carriageways you can probably get the cost refunded on the way home.

I don't book hotels, normally, as I never know when I'll want to stop and when I'll want to carry on, but the IBIS Budget ones are good value and pretty reliable.

Reims is less than 3 (but definitely more than 2) hours from Calais but if you got a tunnel crossing about 6 UK time you'd not get there till quite late - depends if (and where) you want to eat. Somewhere like St Quentin might be better.

Have lots of screen wash which won't freeze - the Lidl/Aldi stuff is a lot better than Halfords.
latest report
 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?
I use http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/ to plan routes. Definitely avoid Paris!
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Head for Reims Troyes, Dijon and then Lyon (Kenzie's link will do the rest), then branch off just before Lyon in the direction of Lyon airport, then Chambery, Albertville, Bourg St Maurice and Tignes - job done.
snow conditions
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I'm now in La Plagne, having driven down from Calais. I usually stop overnight at the Auberge de Moissons which can be booked online through Logis de France. It is about 3hrs from Calais and is very close to the motorway, but I would normally aim to get there around 7pm. I suspect I use the same route as @chocksaway,: A26, A5, A31, A39, A42, A432, A43. The A432 avoids Lyon and goes past St Exupery airport.

Roads here have been pretty clear, but it never hurts to have chains. Make sure you get chains which are compatible with the car - some cars require thin chains to avoid fouling wheel arches, etc.

Saturday is changeover day and you can get some bad traffic jams from Moutier onwards.
snow report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy