 Poster: A snowHead
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After a year of ski abstinence due to having a newborn bambino, myself and my lovely family are off skiing again this coming season. As usual, it's working out much cheaper to drive than to fly. We've driven a few times before, but never with an infant.
Does anyone have any successful stories of family drives to the alps with little ones? I guess I'm just looking for some positive vibes to make me feel a bit more positive about this potentially nightmare journey. 
Any tips? Things to avoid?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Tordi, at 1 year old, they will probably sleep for most of 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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By then you will have a good idea of how good a car traveller your little one is - they do vary enormously. Some will sleep for hours, others scarcely at all..... 
You will need to do some research as to the best seats for an infant to use for long periods - it's not terribly good for them to be scrunched up with slumped spine.
If yours is not a good traveller, drive overnight (assuming he/she sleeps during the night...... )
Some people will counsel splitting the journey and driving over two days. Works well for some, but for others just means two ghastly days instead of one.
I have three children. Never drove to the Alps with them but did lots of long flights. They were all quite different in their tolerance of the journeys. The easiest, by some long way, was a breastfed baby of four months. It's much easier with non-mobile children. Once they are properly mobile (some are at 12 months, some aren't) being strapped into a seat irks them. Understandably.
The train might be worth thinking about.
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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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Yes, it was fine when my son was the same age. Well it was fine there. We all had a dose of noro on the drive home and there were issues with sharting through nappies and onto the car seat etc etc. Leaking... More than once. Going into service areas followed by that nast amonia smell and people thinking "ah British". But that was unlucky. On the way there we drove at night.
As a side issue, for tiredness, there is a drug that is used to treat narcolepsy. Modafinil. Much bette thamn pro plus or other tricks for keeping you awake. Ask your local students who have recently been cramming for exams if they have any left over.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
By then you will have a good idea of how good a car traveller your little one is - they do vary enormously. Some will sleep for hours, others scarcely at all.....
You will need to do some research as to the best seats for an infant to use for long periods - it's not terribly good for them to be scrunched up with slumped spine.
If yours is not a good traveller, drive overnight (assuming he/she sleeps during the night...... )
Some people will counsel splitting the journey and driving over two days. Works well for some, but for others just means two ghastly days instead of one.
I have three children. Never drove to the Alps with them but did lots of long flights. They were all quite different in their tolerance of the journeys. The easiest, by some long way, was a breastfed baby of four months. It's much easier with non-mobile children. Once they are properly mobile (some are at 12 months, some aren't) being strapped into a seat irks them. Understandably.
The train might be worth thinking about. |
+1
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Tordi, our daughter and son have done the drive with their babies at similar age. Daughter returned to UK yesterday using the tunnel. On the way down here they were on a train about 6.30 am I recall so left home about 4, scooped the 18 month old and nearly four year old out of bed and into the car where they carried on sleeping. They get them out of PJs then at the first stop they gave in France and do breakfast then. Yesterday driving home they kept about 8 am so the girls had daytime all the way, dozed a bit, whined a bit. They had picnics with them both ways and just used Aires yo stop at and not the huge service stations.
Sometimes they leave in the evening and drive overnight arriving with us straight from the boulangerie either fresh croissants.
Son did the trip four weeks ago on a Friday evening, on the ferry, and the one year old slept then after they got off the ferry.
The four year old has suffered travel sickness a quite a bit, mountain roads don't help, do they are now equipped with old towels and beach buckets as she is old enough to know the signs in time!
Lots of drinks, snacks, changes of clothes etc, and if possible room for the non driver to sometimes sit in the back to amuse the baby.
Good luck.
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Most 1 year olds would be fine - we drove Kendal-Grenoble when our son was 3 months, and then Chamonix at 8 months for our Summer holiday, and a few more times since. It is harder as they get older and don't want to be confined for long periods, so make the most of the first couple of years! Last time we did it, he was 14 (years) - getting back to the point where some books and electronics and a comfortable seat make the journey bearable (Avoriaz to Amsterdam with only 3 stops - see @pam w's comment about splitting, or not, the journey).
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| Quote: |
We all had a dose of noro on the drive home and there were issues with sharting through nappies and onto the car seat etc etc
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That sounds horrible, @rumdiary. You must have been really ill to be sharting on the car seats.
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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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Done it with our daughter aged 6 mths, 18 mths, 2 and a half, three and a half and onwards with no problems (three times each year.) We considered ourselves lucky but my wife did put a lot of forward planning in to the journey.
Daughter is 8 now and only iPad necessary for a stress-free journey!
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@rumdiary I'm glad I'm not the only one to have been scooping poop out of a car seat in the car park at Carrefour in Moutiers! The little bug gave it to the rest of us (4 adults) then who spent the next 3 days competing for the bathroom in the flat.
We have more trouble with our 51/2 year old in the last year than we ever did as a baby - he loved being in the car - either sleeping or happily awake for hours on end. Whenever we stopped, we always got him out to let him wriggle a bit. Stops usually timed by him ordering his next meal - loudly. If he's sleeping, keep going!
Watch out for the direction of the sun - use a window blind. Also keep an eye on temperature - the car seat can become an oven quite easily. Our car has supposedly automatic climate control in the rear, but always blows cold air out of the vents. We turn them off now as they blow over the baby.
Changing a wriggly baby on the eurotunnel can be interesting!
Depending on your destination, and the weather, we found a sling was much easier to manage than a pushchair when walking around Val Thorens. If you do use the wheels, lock the front ones to point straight ahead as it makes things much easier in snow. Ours had zero grip on ice, so would slide all over the place, even with brakes on. It was also a pain to get around any of the resort shops - all too small and full of people in ski boots carrying cases of biere on their shoulders!
For anyone else, we've tried the usual avoidance strategies for the motion sickness - no reading / tablet, look at the horizon etc. Did Caen to the Pyrenees in a day at Christmas and gave him a suitable dose of Phenegarn - worked well, slept most of the way, but was totally off his face when he was awake, till the next morning. Now, wristbands with pressure points seem to be working remarkably well - any journey over about 30 mins and he puts them on himself, and hasn't felt sick since.
Good Luck, you'll be fine!
Chris
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks all, feeling a bit more positive about the journey now. Not the prospect of scooping poo out of the car seat though, that sounds horrendous! He is a very chilled baby, so hopefully the trip should be relatively stress free. We've got a baby carrier rucsac which we were intending to use instead of a stroller (although I think one of these is provided in our apartment), as we are off to avoriaz so it'll be very snowy walking around (hopefully).
My husband is a bit worried about the chaos in Calais still; he's worried about people trying to get into the car. It's been a while since I got the chunnel, presumably it's all ok at the moment? I thought it was more a problem for the lorries with people trying to sneak on? 
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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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| Quote: |
it'll be very snowy walking around (hopefully).
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Buy some of those crampon things for your walking boots. My grandchildren liked being pulled round in one of those sledge pushchair things - readily available for hire.
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Oh what a delightful topic. Yes the small person/long journey/seepage and spillage conundrum. We used to use a small sized disposable inco bed pad between Jnrs and the car seat which would be comfy but grippy enough to hold them in place without being uncomfortable but absorbent and disposable if the inevitable accidents happen.
Yes to the sling/carrier thing, particularly if its a front-mount. Its better for staying stable on your feet and Jnr is safer there than on your back if you take a slip.
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You know it makes sense.
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Hi Tordi
We have been travelling regularly to Grenoble or Haute Savoie with our kids since our son was 18 mons. Using kids carrier we trekked in alps below snow level-June/July when he was 18 months. Currently we have been skiing with our, now, 8 year old and leaving youngest (only 2)daughter in a nursery. This winter she is 3 so we are hitting slopes with her if is interested in skiing if not-nursery! Calais? never had any issues, we are taking channel tunnel train.
good luck & have a great time
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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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@Tordi, drove with twins aged 1 - was fine. Did it following years when twins were 2 and new arrival was 3 months! Was fine
We did it over 2 days, plenty of wet wipes and snacks and listening to nursery rhymes and songs on CD.
Worst part was feeding twins aged 1 in back of car while stuck in slow moving traffic.
Have done it every year since - twins will be 16 this year
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