 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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rayscoops, 2 extra?
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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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If I leave the door of my house at say 05:00, I can be in the resort between 4-5pm if we have psuhed on. Done that on a good few occasions.
That is the same sort of delivery as the plane, IMV..
But then I live close to the channel and it makes so much sense... if I had another 3 hrs this side, it would have diminishing appeal..I'd still do it though for all the other beneifits we enjoy.
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thefatcontroller, ......... being able to buffer your holiday with a day either side ............. i took as two extra days.
Not my words though 
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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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rayscoops, I fly or drive, it takes a day?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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JT, I am bit of a 'boarder of fortune' and generally select my resort based upon flight and transport convenience. So on Feb 5th I will leave my front door at 4.30 am and be boarding at Innsbruck by 12 noon and have a genuine half day on the slopes. Similarly I will be booking the earliest flight out of Heathrow on 6th Dec and be on the slopes some where that day, or if I decide to do most of my train journey that day, I will be sitting slope side by mid afternoon, ski pass in hand for the next day, taking advantage of the free 'learner' lifts that are normally available or simply having a beer.
I think ultimately it is all about how you prefer to organise and enjoy your holiday, and for me driving around a region each day is simply not on my agenda, I want a hotel/room or whatever near the lifts, so it is shower/breakfast/first lift each day and no need to have a car. I can not cook and never drink in the house at home, so sitting in an apartment each night is not what I would choose to do, but each to their own really.
As an aside, I actually get a real and physical buzz when I get to a resort, I am like a school boy in a toy shop, and that feeling of having a beer or whatever in crystal clear mountain air, looking at people sliding around is simply fantastic and I believe gives some sort of chemical 'kick' 
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Tue 13-10-09 9:50; edited 2 times in total
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thefatcontroller, I think the example from FastEddie was one of those 'travel' experience things, have a night staying some where on the way etc. He was driving down from Yorkshire to Ashford !
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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 far North is this Yorkshire place? 
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My point, rayscoops, was that by taking Friday off, I can get 8 days of skiing in rather than six - by going with the TO I get to ski Sunday-Friday only, with two hellish Saturdays either side. As RobinS pointed out, my holiday starts from the moment I clock off from work, so 24 hours wasted between Friday afternoon on my flight on Saturday is what I'm reclaiming by driving. Add to that the opportunity to offset cost by filling up with cheap booze on the way back, reduce cost by taking your own food or buying in the valley and the sheer wonderful experience of a leisurely drive to and from the slopes with stopovers and good food rather than two days of hell in airports - well, it makes sense to me.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| rayscoops wrote: |
Out of interest, of all the 'drivers to the alps' has any one ever broken down in the middle of the night ? been stuck in traffic ? had the ferry delayed due to bad weather ? had the train delayed for what ever reason? become lost ? caught in snow blizzards that had shut the 'pass' or the route for ages ? had their car broken in to in that lovely little road side gaff ? etc etc
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Did on 1/2 term trip a few years ago to Les Menuires - that was the week(s) that the piers were closed in calais due to supected concrete cancer. 5 hours spend kicking heels in dover wasn't great with no food or water in the terminal, nor was arriving in resort at 5pm on the Saturday afternoon after fighting through more traffic, rather than 9am in the morning as planned. Skied the final saturday, drove home and on the way back I parked up in an aire. My mate took over the driving and drove off forward not noticing the 12 inch high concrete ledge in front of the car, smashed up the front, radiator etc, so we could only gingerly make our way back to calais. Did get us home however, but cost over 2k to fix (good job it was a company car!)
that's only my real horror story in terms of driving and i'd much prefer it to the train which I personally think is hideous.
Most recently I drove as was doing a season so it was the obvious thing to do, so that I'd have a car in resort. This was super easy especially the drive home as it was mid-april and nice and sunny. left resort 5:30ish, 4pm ferry, ran into some traffic on the M25 but home by about 8pm.
Each to their own however...
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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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Hi Jumper, I have driven a couple of times, but I have to say that I love driving, last year I did a swop with my Da and he drove over and I drove back, meeting for about five mins in Geneva Airport. For me, half the fun is the journey, looking for somewhere to stay and more importantly eat! Love my feed and can find some amazing food at far better value than Dublin on the way back. It also allows me to stop over in London for a night if I want, so can catch up with some mates. The longest non-stop was Geneva to Dublin. I think we left around 9 in the morning and stopped in Chester about 9 or ten for a feed. We were going to get the 12:30 boat, but got "distracted" by the local wild life, headed to a couple of clubs. Finished up around 5:30 and got the 8:30 ferry. I must admit, I was a little tired after that, but good fun was had.
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You know it makes sense.
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I really want to drive, but having a 4.2 V8 as my daily drive does put me off somewhat! I need the LPG convo!!!
I also hate airports. Strange as I work for an Airline!
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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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| FastEddie wrote: |
| My point, rayscoops, was that by taking Friday off, I can get 8 days of skiing in rather than six - by going with the TO I get to ski Sunday-Friday only, with two hellish Saturdays either side. As RobinS pointed out, my holiday starts from the moment I clock off from work, so 24 hours wasted between Friday afternoon on my flight on Saturday is what I'm reclaiming by driving. Add to that the opportunity to offset cost by filling up with cheap booze on the way back, reduce cost by taking your own food or buying in the valley and the sheer wonderful experience of a leisurely drive to and from the slopes with stopovers and good food rather than two days of hell in airports - well, it makes sense to me. |
Yes, but if you had an airport not too far away from you then you could actually get 10 days of skiing in rather than 8. Leave work on Thursday, drive to airport and get late flight to Geneva say. Hire car and drive to resort, then you're out on the slopes Friday morning. For the return journey you could ski Saturday and most of Sunday, catching a late-ish flight back from Geneva to the UK.
For the 3 trips this season I'm flying, although have driven on a good few occasions for skiing (and always drive in the summer). Personal preference at the moment is to fly, based on financial basis and journey time. My skis are already at the chalet so no transport issues - only thing is I can't wax them before I get there![/b]
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Poster: A snowHead
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rayscoops, that timing is including an overnight stop and a shop in the valley - door to door for me is about 14 hours. I'm more than happy to sacrifice a meaningless day at home in order to convert it to two extra days on the slopes! If you accept that when flying, both Saturdays are basically uncomfortable, boring and write-offs, then the two days driving there and back don't look so bad either!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| snowymum wrote: |
| driving to the alps is far less eco friendly than taking the train. Maybe you could be brave and try the train one time. Millions of people driving everywhere is not doing the planet much good is it? |
I like the idea of travelling by train and oftenreccomend it as an option for many of our guests - those who do use it generally appear to enjoy the experience. It does help if you are based in the south but the biggest factor stopping many people from using it however is the price.
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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've considered the train, however Eurostar do not let my dog come with me. She is allowed on UK train, Eurotunnel, and French trains but not on Eurostar, so we will have to stik with the car journey. Nightmare with all those chandes form the North too.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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FastEddie, but why assume a flight departure on a Saturday for such a comparison ? When you yourself leave on a Thurday or Friday ? Not everyone travels with a TO on a Saturday ?
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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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Could anyone give their experience of the weather and how that would affect the drive journey? My biggest worry with driving would be skidding all over the place as the snow falls on a mountain road. On a coach transfer to the airport the coach was hit by a car coming out of the resort. Just a slide and no big deal expcept they obviously needed to exchange papers etc. I would imagine this to be a bit of a nightmare especially if there was a language issue.
I'm also slightly concerned about the mountain roads even without snow. Recently went to the South of France and wife was very anxious about the drop on her side, and these weren't the alps just mountains around Nice. Anyone else have problems with nervous passengers? I have to admit, even I found some of the narrow passes a bit problematic (and I'm used to narrow lanes where I live but not the vertical drops).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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johnnyh, if you have good winter or all-season tyres on the car, carry snowchains for the odd occasions you may need them, and drive sensibly for the conditions you should be OK.
I've crossed the Col du Lauteret in all sorts of weather conditions. Roads in France are usually cleared quickly unless there is high winds or risk of avalanche from the mountains above. You can't account for other drivers though. Put the heater on full blast and send the nervous passenger to sleep. Your insurance company or breakdown cover provider usually gives you the documents you need in advance, so you can exchange details if necessary.
Someone did a little printed guide to winter driving a couple of years ago, was it Fall Line?
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| rayscoops wrote: |
| FastEddie, but why assume a flight departure on a Saturday for such a comparison ? When you yourself leave on a Thurday or Friday ? Not everyone travels with a TO on a Saturday ? |
Because assuming Saturday-Saturday lettings is the most sensible way to compare. Driving I get 8 days skiing at the cost of 36 hours travelling, 6 days of annual leave and 9.5 days of real time. Flying I get 6 days skiing at the cost of, say, 16 hours travelling (1 hour home-airport, 2 hours check-in, 2 hours flight, 1 hour waiting around, 2 hours transfer x2), 5 days of annual leave and 8 days of real time.
Evaluate that equation and you're left with 2 extra days skiing at the cost of one day's leave, 20 extra hours travel and 1.5 days of real time, of which nearly all is either the aforementioned travel time, work or sitting around at home at either end - I can live with losing that!
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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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| FastEddie wrote: |
| rayscoops wrote: |
| FastEddie, but why assume a flight departure on a Saturday for such a comparison ? When you yourself leave on a Thurday or Friday ? Not everyone travels with a TO on a Saturday ? |
Because assuming Saturday-Saturday lettings is the most sensible way to compare. Driving I get 8 days skiing at the cost of 36 hours travelling, 6 days of annual leave and 9.5 days of real time. Flying I get 6 days skiing at the cost of, say, 16 hours travelling (1 hour home-airport, 2 hours check-in, 2 hours flight, 1 hour waiting around, 2 hours transfer x2), 5 days of annual leave and 8 days of real time.
Evaluate that equation and you're left with 2 extra days skiing at the cost of one day's leave, 20 extra hours travel and 1.5 days of real time, of which nearly all is either the aforementioned travel time, work or sitting around at home at either end - I can live with losing that! |
But FastEddie, as I posted up above you could get 10 days skiing for your 6 days of annual leave. No reason to fix your flights to a Saturday - in fact doing so means an unfair comparison. Driving does mean you can stop off for booze etc. but you could be using that time skiing. All depends on priorities again really.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
As a matter of fact driving to the alps is far less eco friendly than taking the train. Maybe you could be brave and try the train one time. Millions of people driving everywhere is not doing the planet much good is it?
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ooohhh... lets please not go off on this direction... Ban transport... ban it all! 
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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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| johnnyh wrote: |
Could anyone give their experience of the weather and how that would affect the drive journey? My biggest worry with driving would be skidding all over the place as the snow falls on a mountain road. On a coach transfer to the airport the coach was hit by a car coming out of the resort. Just a slide and no big deal expcept they obviously needed to exchange papers etc. I would imagine this to be a bit of a nightmare especially if there was a language issue.
I'm also slightly concerned about the mountain roads even without snow. Recently went to the South of France and wife was very anxious about the drop on her side, and these weren't the alps just mountains around Nice. Anyone else have problems with nervous passengers? I have to admit, even I found some of the narrow passes a bit problematic (and I'm used to narrow lanes where I live but not the vertical drops). |
In 10 years of driving, I have never had a problem getting into or out of a resort. Let's face it they have a huge incentive to making sure the roads are clear. Likewise te toll roads are exceptionally well maintained and I've seen more snowploughs in a 50 mile stretch around Troyes than the entire journey in the UK. Obviously appropriate precautions such as chains are required.
Mountain roads you will have to travel up in a coach as well from the airport/train station so nervous passangers will just have to lump it if they want to ski.
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Boris, in my experience of coach travel from airports years ago it was much more 'exciting' going up mountain roads and round the hairpin bends in the front of a coach, you feel as if you are coming right off the road, than it ever is in the car.
I am always much happier driving our own car with right hand drive rather than a hired one with left hand drive - I can see the edge of the road.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Boris wrote: |
| In 10 years of driving, I have never had a problem getting into or out of a resort. Let's face it they have a huge incentive to making sure the roads are clear. |
Let's face it... if you can't drive into or out of resort, then neither will the transfer coach/minibus 
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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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Cost is the main reason I haven't driven out yet. With 2 of us, it would be uneconomic in comparison to flying. With 4 in the car, the costs start to make more sense - that's the plan for this year. The ideal would be to get the overnight Eurostar (or train generally) but we can't afford it at the moment as it is more expensive than flying, especially getting to London!
As for flying, I don't really fancy another visit to Chambery airport, other than on a crack of dawn flight in. The queue to land was tedious, the queue of planes to park was fairly ridiculous, and the lack of stairs and buses belonged in a farce. Geneva would be more interesting there were any shops and restaurants that didn't require a healthy Swiss numbered bank account to buy anything from and I have a feeling that Grenoble is a bit like Chambery on the standard changeover days.
Self catering is much easier if you have a car - we self catered on a cheap summer holiday in Greece, and had to abandon washing up liquid and hand soap as the containers are too big for hand luggage and not robust enough to be risked in the hold with the rest of the stuff. If you have your own skis, especially more than 1 pair, the car starts to save money - 1 set of ski kit pays for snow chains anyway...
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Poster: A snowHead
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| RobinS wrote: |
Driving is not quicker than flying when measured in hours spent travelling, but if you include "wasted hours" of a holiday period it almost always is more time efficient.
My one week holiday starts when I finish work Friday afternoon, and finishes when I need to go to bed to be alert for work on Monday a week later. If I drive I start straight away, and can be in many parts of the Alps ready to ski on Saturday morning. If I fly I "waste" Friday evening at home, then leave for the airport early Saturday |
Since when did planes 'stop' flying on Fridays??? fly out Friday afternoon, you can be on the first lift Saturday....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have to say it - but my smuggest ever moment.
A few years back, as I was packing the car Friday eve in resort, I thought it looked like snowing. So not wanting to get stuck - put my chains on. To much amusement to the various Dutch, English, Germans who were also packing up.
Well it must hav dumped several inches overnight - I drove out smugly, watching many others freezing to death trying to put chains on 
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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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Boris, that was a good guess - and it would have been so quick to whip them off again if there had not been the dump of several inches overnight.
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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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To prove the point I had to take a photo
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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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Boris, I trust due to the great flexibility of driving that you enjoyed a powder day and set off after the lifts shut the next day 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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kitenski, I'd like to say yes - but on this occassion no 
The potential for extra skiing isn't a prime factor for us I have to say - yes I get to resort early but generally that gives me an unhurried afternoon to sort out lift passes, skis etc
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| mfj197 wrote: |
| But FastEddie, as I posted up above you could get 10 days skiing for your 6 days of annual leave. No reason to fix your flights to a Saturday - in fact doing so means an unfair comparison. Driving does mean you can stop off for booze etc. but you could be using that time skiing. All depends on priorities again really. |
You *could*, but then you'd have to spend on extra nights accommodation. So it's not a straight comparison. Perhaps the best way to phrase the question is "Compare the positives and negatives of flying vs driving for a standard Saturday-Saturday hotel/apartment/chalet rental".
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rayscoops, When you arrive on the Friday after an early morning flight, where do you stay that night? Every time i book an apartment through any means its a saturday to saturday stay or sunday to sunday. How do you manage to get a Friday to Saturday or Friday to Sunday apartment?
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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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| garethjomo wrote: |
| rayscoops, When you arrive on the Friday after an early morning flight, where do you stay that night? Every time i book an apartment through any means its a saturday to saturday stay or sunday to sunday. How do you manage to get a Friday to Saturday or Friday to Sunday apartment? |
I am happy to let my apartment on dates to suite you apart from February! Driving is by far the best way to get to the Alps be they in France, Italy Austria or Germany. How people can enjoy their holidays by going by plane is beyond me. Driven to France 3 times so far this year and once to Lake Garda in the summer. Nothing beats a good road trip!
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kitenski,
| Quote: |
Since when did planes 'stop' flying on Fridays??? fly out Friday afternoon, you can be on the first lift Saturday....
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Finish work as early as possible without taking extra holiday at 4pm, depart at 4.30pm, depending on airport a drive of 2-3 hours, hour or so for check-in etc, and there isn't much choice of flights to anywhere I want to go. Also, you then arrive in the middle of the night - maybe in time to pick up some poxy little hire car (anything comfortable for 4 large adults plus skis etc is normally stupidly expensive), maybe the hassle of arriving of arriving at a hotel in the middle of the night, and then having a drive in the morning, or maybe driving through the rest of the night, and dossing for a few hours in said poxy hire car.
In contrast, driving, leave work, drive to channel port or tunnel (3 hrs), then carry on driving to any resort in europe we fancy, not restricted by airports, available flights or transfers. While not taking turn driving get to sleep in large comfortable people carrier with fully reclining seats all round, chosen for that comfort. Arrive at resort for first lift, with a choice of skis for the conditions in the top-box.
Both are possible, I don't care which one anyone else chooses, but I know which I prefer.
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FAQ
sounds like you are actually losing a day to me 
but why not simply get a 7 am flight on Friday and be skiing by 12 noon the same day 
