 Poster: A snowHead
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M25 shut so had to divert - still made the 0636 though - so back on schedule. Currently under the sea.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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M25 omg, nice early start derailed by 2 1/2 hours Traffic jam
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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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M25 omg, nice early start derailed by 2 1/2 hours Traffic jam
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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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Getting there for us. Lunch at Troyes while the car charges up
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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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WARNING. WARNING.
Massive queue on M25 anti-clockwise after Leatherhead.
Definitely best to divert.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Yikes, we'll be hitting that in rush hour. Should be fun..
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Oh Lord. Supposed to leave in 30 mins… still packing. Oh lord, now where did I put the snow chains?
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Think I may be a bit optimistic practising the snow chains this weekend ahead of next week's journey... safe travels everyone. @AndrewBailey, I don't know how you do it, I just had a minor panic when I couldn't find the toll tag in its usual home 
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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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Roads in France were quiet but many of them wet which slowed the trip down a bit but got to our stop off in Annecy in quite good time in the end.
Lots of XC90s spotted definitely the car of choice for brits (and I can understand why as my brother has one)
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Who else is in the post-school crowd? M25 is not looking fun. Anyone got up to date info on the state of the tunnel?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Tunnel was running 1hr late from 0700 today hope they managed to catch up. The train we got off a little Golf was expelling all its liquids over the floor like an open tap so sad to see.
Weather awful driving to macon loads of rain and spray and a headwind destroyed my already weak mpg.
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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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M25 is just painful!!
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now being reported that farmers are blocking entrance roads to Dover.....That's cruel.
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You know it makes sense.
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@The_Gate, where at? I'm sure Wisley interchange will be horrendous
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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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It seems to be Jubilee Way and the entrance to the port. Dover TAP is in operation to divert trucks away, in my experience, that is bad.
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Poster: A snowHead
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We arrived at about 8 for our 9:18 train, were offered 8:35, which left about 5 minutes late, maybe we were lucky. The printer mangled our hanger so there were anxious minutes while real humans were summoned to issue one manually. Now in Ibis Budget Dôle, which is fine. Cheap and cheerful, clean and friendly. And the Buffalo Grill next door is so much better than the Ashford Beefeater last night...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@James77, Seems to be the A20 approach. Somewhere near the roundabout on the foreshore with the garage. There’s a queue at the lights coming down to the Town. The A2 way in looks clear. From Google and Apple Maps at 1916.
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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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At the tunnel. Arrived 18.30 and now sat queueing to get on a train. Only a couple per hour from what I can see. And given all the flexiplus people it will be a while.
Oh and we are in an X5. Eurotunnel have decided we are a large car
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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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Looks like we dodged a bullet on M25 by our early start and nice little Waze diversion from junction 8 to 7. 0635 shuttle left about 20 minutes late.
Arrived at Logis Hotel stopover in Chamousset between Chambery and Albertville at about 1830. Just about to go to bed as long drive in some awful rainy conditions especially round Bourg en Bresse - was really knackering. Plus 10c here at mo so quite warm and rain has stopped at last. Only traffic hold up was after peage at Chambery. The French don't like giving way in the queues at all!
Out by 8 am tomorrow and straight onto Maurienne motorway which starts just round the corner from our hotel to Val Cenis (Lanslevillard)and hopefully ahead of any traffic hold ups. Safe drive everyone.
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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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@AndrewBailey, I'm always tagged as a large car volvo 2021 xc60 165cm with snowboard on roof no more than 180 total.
Often sit next those terrible looking new defenders everyone seems to love with a roofbox on they're like a block of flats. Same goes for Discos but I dont hate those even though basically the same car.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@daveqpr, maybe see you at lanslevillard. First trip with MGS for us. Echo your driving comments very nasty makes for a tiring journey
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Val Cenis by noon? Lol. We are now on the train, having driven through as a small car to avoid being stuck for ages. No worries but it’s a little tight widthways
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@James77,
Yes will definately look out for you guys. We are staying up just past the le Haut gondola overlooking the terres grasses beginners lift and slope. Kids start ski school there at 9am Sunday. Hoping there will be other UK kids in their class.
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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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Made it to Grenoble ok, in spite of MiniCF asking to go via Paris Periphique ,as 'I've not been in that before'  , and with the dignified stop at Arras on the way down.
[img][/img]
Was all 'ok' until about Auxerre when the heavens opened and I could test out the speedboat characteristic of a Ford Kuga.
Hopefully, the precipitation has given a nice dusting on the Alps, and we can all have a safe, steady, travel to the various resorts tomorrow.Other
C.F. (And mini CF)
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Fri 9-02-24 22:11; edited 1 time in total
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I picked our winter tyres for rain performance as well, and am very glad I did!
Currently in an F1 hotel with wife and kids. It's pretty bad, but cheap. Charging us 3 EUR for a towel is a new one, though!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Always prioritise rain performance on winter tyres. You are most likely to encounter wet roads and slush, rather than deep snow. And any good brand winter tyres will do well on snow anyway. Braking distance and aquaplane resistance are more vital in my view.
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Good morning everyone. And safe travels for the final slog of the journey.
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You know it makes sense.
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| caughtanedge wrote: |
| We arrived at about 8 for our 9:18 train, were offered 8:35, which left about 5 minutes late, maybe we were lucky. The printer mangled our hanger so there were anxious minutes while real humans were summoned to issue one manually. Now in Ibis Budget Dôle, which is fine. Cheap and cheerful, clean and friendly. And the Buffalo Grill next door is so much better than the Ashford Beefeater last night... |
Love an Ibis, so much better than any equivalent in the UK.
Massive FOMO sitting in bed reading this thread....... though the parisians have started their decent by the looks of the A6, getting redder and redder on Google maps.
Looks like the A40 & A42 from Dijon is the s.art option. Lyon is getting snarled up already.
Safe travels!!!
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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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12 hour drive back from Levi to Helsinki on snow and ice covered roads for pretty much the entire distance with temperature bottoming out at -33C and never rising above -20C. Hairy moments including a overtaking a semi that started to snake and a reindeer herd who decided to cross the road. So glad cars have studded tyres as would have never made it even with winters. Having to concentrate for entire journey reminds me of the relative ease of driving on French motorways. Drive safe everyone.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Early start was going well until it shows the Lautaret closed. Currently being diverted through the Fréjus tunnel unless it opens up in the next few hours! Grim drive so far but hopefully it’s snowing in the mountains…
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hope everyone is having safe travels.
Our trip started Thursday in horrible weather in Penistone making for a crap drive to Ashford. Just as I was getting on the M20 my tyre pressure warning light came on, everything felt ok, but took it steady to the services to check if was just a dodgy sensor…bug slow Hiss coming from rear near side tyre  Gutted as only put a new set on just before Xmas. Managed to pump it up and get to the Premier inn at Ashford for 22:00hrs, got the girls to bed and waited for the “local” 24hr tyre guy to arrive. Despite clearly asking for an all season tyre, texting to confirm tyre size and all season tyre…. When the “we’ll be about 1hr” arrived at 0200hrs and I discovered they’d brought a crappy Winrun thing I was too knackered to care to be honest. £365+ VAT lighter in the wallet and I at least had an inflated tyre ready for 0845 train.
Train departed on time, despite warnings other trains were departed, so we got lucky there.
Drive down to just outside Grenoble (Novotel Voreppe) was steady, heavy rain and lots of spray and knocked from not getting to bed till 02:30, shared some driving with Mrs W and we got to hotel at 1930hrs, nice meal, first Beer since New Year’s Eve and a good sleep.
I’d been worried about the drive up to AdH as last year took us 8hrs from Lyon. So, good breakfast and away by 0830 this morning, worked a charm we were the Casino at the bottom of the hill at 10:30, big shop and up to our apartment by 12:00hrs. Now just sorting admin, watching the snow falling and feeling very smug about getting that extra hour closer last night.
It’s snowing here which is great as I looks like it’s well needed.
Hope you all have a great week and stay safe.
K
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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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Keith wins most expensive drive down… so far. We are in Annecy looking at the mountains whilst feeding the kids junk food. Google maps says 2.5 hours to Val d’I. Yeah. Seriously? Nah…
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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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So left at Geneva at 11.30am, and the 2.5 hr journey to Valloire took...err.. 2.5hrs. Actually arrived before we could see check in. Think we might have dodged a bullet!! Xxxx
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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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We've not had the worst of it but feels hard this year compared to previous. Left Maçon 9:30 and routes through Annecy. Didn't appreciate the crawl through the town centre. All told no real hold ups, 25 mins at start of valley with road put to 1 lane seeming just to create a traffic jam!!!
Arrived in la Plagne just before 3 to stand in queues to check-in and then get skis
Easy pasta dinner, beer wine and Netflix now.
Worst part was M25 which just put us behind schedule, not getting enough sleep on Thurs night so continuous tiredness
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@dazzle109, Annecy ? Not the direct route did the nav take you that way to avoid anything ?
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Arrived at Val Cenis at 9 30 this morning. No traffic at all but just ahead of us on motorway near St Micheal de Maurienne (i think) a car had its full roof box come off and land in the fast lane with ski gear and luggage over the motorway, luckilly we managed to get back in the slow lane just before we were overtaking a lorry. 1/2 mile ahead on the hard shoulder was a French Renault with driver standing on side of road on his phone looking frantic who had obviously lost the roof box. It was a near miss for us and looked like a bad start to the guys holiday. Not sure if it caused any problems to the cars behind but I hope no one hit it all
we have been up and down mountain a few times and the snow was coming down all day at the mid station but not in the village (just light sleety rain) until about 5pm when snow started coming down hard - our car is now white instead of blue. The kids loved their 1st play in the snow on their button sleds right in front of our apartment. Even better for me as i could stand and watch from the balcony! we are now all unpacked and feet up with beer in hand.
Hopefully the fresh snow will perk the pistes up for our 1st day skiing tomorrow.
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We went via Annecy. McD next to the lake at 2.30. In Val d’I at 5.15 (ish). The police restricting the dual carriageway to one lane at the Valmorel turn off was the hold up. Getting there from a traffic free Albertville took well over an hour.
Up and having coffee now, and reading SnowHeads about what on earth is going on.
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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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Quick update - hardly any lift queues at val cenis. Almost straight on most lifts. Fresh snow all morning especially higher up. Lower down getting soft below 1800m but still good.
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Same here in Val d’Isere. Windy. Snowing. Cold. No Sun. But no-one else on the slopes pretty much!
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