 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Going to Ortisei in 2 weeks but this looks like it will be the last time we'll take the kids out of school.
So looking at Feb 27 half term apartments around Flaine, and driving for the first time.
Any tips on timings and stops? Recommended times for Chunnel there and back? When tickets are released?
We'll driving from Rugby so 3hrs this side from the tunnel.
Not sure whether to just drive overnight or stop somewhere this side then do the whole slog in one the other side or stop somewhere along the way in France.
Longest I've driven in a day is Le Mans to Switzerland but that was before kids. Will be 3 or 4 including teenagers in a defender so a pretty comfy drive.
Thanks for any advice 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We have driven to Flaine the last two Easter holidays. This is how we did it, starting from home in Wiltshire which is 2.5 hours from the tunnel.
Thursday evening, drive to Ashford Kent and overnight in one of the Prem Inns.
Friday Morning - Eurotunnel around 8am in morning having stocked up with baguettes/cheese/ham etc night before in Ashford for picnic on French motorway stops.
Friday Evening stop over in Chalon-sur-Soane (usually get there by around 6pm, but we stop couple of times) at the Ibis budget - IMO this is better then the more expensive Ibis next door. Across the road is a large hypermarket with a brilliant wine/craft ale bar. Also, pizza place and the usual French chain restaurants.
Saturday morning short drive up to Flaine (3 hours), has been v quiet at Easter time and there's a handy stop on the motorway to have lunch/coffee and the valley town has a few supermarkets to take your choice of if you're SC.
Drive up/down the mountain road has been good both times, no snow on the road, but you never know and you'd defo need to be prepared. We have snow socks handy etc.
There are plenty of car park spaces at Flaine, they let you drop off at your accom for a short amount of time then you go and leave the car in one of the car parks for the week.
Return drive we do in one leave at 10:00 and usually make Calais by 22:00. But stopping would definitely make it easier and once over back into UK is usually where we find roads shut for over night roadworks, but can make it back to Wilts by 2am, given the hour back for time diff.
Having said all this, need a year off from driving so this year much looking forawrd to getting the train out to La Plagne instead 
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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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Great thank you!
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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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I did half term drive to Chamonix last year. There is so much to learn from this website so it is well worth the research, chains, winter tyres, doofers, stop overs etc. (Thanks every body!!)! Especially, find one of the links to half-term traffic. These will help you the most. For me the key points are getting close the night before (if not doing as a oner) e.g. Chalon-Sur Soanne above, or anything Dijon or after really, and then get up very early - set off at about 5am, get into resort at 8 - 9am and ski (it'll be your quietest day). Ideally do the main drive on Friday (out of school one day??) as there is no happiness on the valley roads after 10am on the Saturday (until late). Coming home I think the same if on a Saturday, leave at 5am to beat the masses driving back to the tunnel (it works), and book flexi in the tunnel on the way back if you can afford it, otherwise you need to book a time with a fair bit of contingency. Target stops esp petrol just off the motorway, there is a huge amount of choice within 2 miles of juctions that save a packet and are a lot less crowded. I don't believe getting on and off worsens your toll charge.
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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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| Chri$ wrote: |
We'll driving from Rugby so 3hrs this side from the tunnel.
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Assuming you're leaving Rugby 3pm after the kids finish school on the Friday, then 4 1/2 hours to the tunnel is probably more realistic with UK traffic.
At half term expect to take at least 1hr to get through the LeShuttle queues. With luck you'll be driving in France at 10pm (local time), which gets you to the cluster of hotels off the autoroute at Riems (Tinqueux) just before 1am.
From Tinqueux we always get on the road no later than 8am and drive 3 hrs to Dijon (Quetigny) for McDonalds and a fuel stop. Flaine is then less than 4 hours away, but expect queues on the A40. You should still arrive before 5pm which is typical check-in time.
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Going from skiing term time to going to Flaine at half term is a bit of a drastic move. I'd go there in the first week of the Easter holidays instead. There are self drive operators like Peak Retreats who do accommodation plus Eurotunnel flexi plus or ferry packages. We always stay en route in Accor hotels in the Dijon/Beaune area as this means you only have 3-4 hours drive (depending on resort) on the second day and plenty of time to do a valley food shop and get organised for skiing. On the final Saturday we ski all day and stay in Dijon or Beaune again and do most of the drive back on Sunday when the roads are quieter. We are 1.5 hours from Tunnel/Dover.
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We’ve driven to Flaine from London many times, including at half term, Christmas and, most frequently, Easter.
Typically we would leave after school on the Friday, getting to the tunnel for maybe 7pm and staying overnight 2 to 3 hours further down the road either in one of the Reims Tinquex hotels, or a budget hotel a bit further on in Epernay or Chalons en Champagne, usually arriving after midnight. From there it’s a leisurely start on the Saturday, leaving at maybe 10am and getting to the large Super U at Magland, at the foot of the hill for about 4 or so. Stock up on all the essentials - booze, cheese, crisps, saucissons, etc - then a steady drive up the mountain, taking it easy on the hairpins so the boy doesn’t spew and get to accommodation in Flaine about 6pm. Time to get up the hill at my speed is about 40 mins - and there are a lot of hairpins, especially after Les Carroz.
I should say that I have encountered heavy snow on occasion at all 3 of those different times of year, and put the snow chains on (perhaps not strictly necessary as I also had winter tyres), though less commonly at Easter.
Coming home we always stay over in a nice hotel near Troyes and have a good meal, so don’t usually leave resort until about 11am. We then leave Troyes at 10am for Eurotunnel departure around 4pm.
If travelling at half term then Flexi Plus is extremely advantageous given the vagaries of the UK motorway traffic and the queues at the tunnel.
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