 Poster: A snowHead
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If you want to ski Saturday - I haven't been down there for a while but the traffic post Albertville was horrendous Saturday am as they had the rationing/traffic light system limiting traffic volumes. If it still exists the advice to be up and away 630am very much stands and may be half an hour earlier or you can lose an hour or two in M6 style traffic jams inspecting the central reservation.
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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 winter tyres for our 520 and its well worth the investment over a couple of winters - we've hit snow as far north as Troyes. We've driven down at half term - our advice is to get a Friday tunnel (or ferry) and get as far down as you can, then an early start the next morning. We also go via Bourg en Bresse and down to Lyon - the worst jams we've been caught in were at the tolls on the new road round Lyon -at least coming in from Bourg the queues are a lot shorter. Also + 1 for having a toll doofer - it may be a few extra euros but its just easier. Being in resort early even if you cant ski is heaps better than sitting in a jam with half of Belgium
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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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we've hit snow as far north as Troyes
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I've hit snow in the Pas de Calais...... 
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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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Us too pam w, and had to put chains on to keep going on the autoroute with the caravan in tow! Did not need the chains at all the rest of that trip. Was quite amusing to drive past the hgv`s and cars stuck on the inside lane 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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| pam w wrote: |
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we've hit snow as far north as Troyes
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I've hit snow in the Pas de Calais...... |
Albertville to Reading, snow all the way. Just awful. We were due to stop overnight at Troyes or Dijon but after 5 hours we had hit Lyon and it was so bad we went to an Ibis for the night. Lighter the next day but still a long, long drive home.
The reality is we drive to the Alps to go skiing in WINTER. There is a relative chance the weather might be crap. be prepared
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We've hit snow as far East as Maidstone 
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We travelled home from Serre Chevalier to Durham with an overnight stop, and it snowed constantly from leaving the apartment to arriving home the following evening.
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Holiday inn express dijon E43 a night, have also used Campanile at Dardilly (N Lyon) a few times basic but good rest before driving up mountain
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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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Hells Bells, thefatcontroller, it's at times like that that it's reassuring to have winter tyres. I feel it's also important to be flexible about timing. I recall having to get off the motorway, somewhere around Troyes IIRC, because it was getting dangerous - snowing and poor vis. I followed an HGV into one of the aires. There was the slightest of inclines up off the motorway and the truck almost didn't make it. His wheels spun and he danced a bit. I was a respectful distance behind and he dropped back a little and found some traction. His chances of braking safely out on the road would have been nil. We waited there for a couple of hours until conditions ameliorated. Most of the time the roads are fine, but it's facile assuming you'll do "Calais to the Alps in 9 hours".
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Kennyboyo, I'd sign up to the airlines email service if I was you so next year you can book your flights as soon as they come out 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks everybody for your help. Given my very poor grasp of French, any anglicized traffic reports in France? Don't mind radio or the 'net. Unsure if we will have access to TV.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Hells Bells, thefatcontroller, it's at times like that that it's reassuring to have winter tyres. I feel it's also important to be flexible about timing. I recall having to get off the motorway, somewhere around Troyes IIRC, because it was getting dangerous - snowing and poor vis. I followed an HGV into one of the aires. There was the slightest of inclines up off the motorway and the truck almost didn't make it. His wheels spun and he danced a bit. I was a respectful distance behind and he dropped back a little and found some traction. His chances of braking safely out on the road would have been nil. We waited there for a couple of hours until conditions ameliorated. Most of the time the roads are fine, but it's facile assuming you'll do "Calais to the Alps in 9 hours". |
The french shepherd HGVs of the autoroutes when snow starts falling and settling.
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emwmarine, yes indeed, we got involved one year it's a bit like operation stack in Kent except they keep the outside lane free for cars to continue.
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You know it makes sense.
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Agree with all the brilliant advice. I would add....
1.get the screen wash that is made for cold temperatures. If you can't get it in the Uk then the supermarket you buy your food from will sell it. Also a bottle of ready made screen wash in the car is useful to top it up - you go through alot of it with salt on the roads. Once we travelled down and it was so cold that all the water taps at the garages had frozen.
2. Buy the diesel with the extra additive for the cold before you hit the mountains - we usually fill up near Annecy
3. Definately buy snow chains before hand and practice using them - the police will stop you going up the mountain if they decide snow chains are needed and your car doesnt have them ( have seen this in Les Arcs).
4. definately get the toll gizmo - but don't drive too close to other uk drivers going through the automatic booth in case they haven't got one and need to reverse up!
5. If you stay in a cheap hotel they often don't provide a kettle - so we take a small travel kettle, uht milk and some coffee
6. If you have long windy mountain roads to go up then an old ice cream container as a sick bowl is useful just in case the kids need it.
7. The tyres on my car are pirelli snow and mud ones which are all round tyres but better than the average road tyre in snow.
8. Tesco vouchers for eurotunnel - you get 3 times the value - so every £10 is worth £30.
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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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IwishICouldThinkOfAFabNam, ah yes no.5 been there done that
Also useful in the Channel Tunnel with flask or boil off 12v supply.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I had planned to stop about 10, but the first couple of hotels I tried, near Reims, were full so I just decided to carry on, listening to a brilliant audio book about Shackleton.
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Could you supply the title, author and where you got it from please. It sounds great.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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One comment for this side of the tunnel, if you can afford flexi plus go for it. We have driven about 5 or 6 times and usually have it. We tried it once without, for skiing over the Easter holidays and had to wait 5 hours to board. I know it's an extra cost but nothing sets your drive across France back like 5 hours lost at the tunnel. We have since vowed always to have it for peak weeks, like half term.
Plus be prepared for longish, say an hour, queues to clear uk immigration on the way back.
Don't be daunted though, it has many advantages, such as all the stuff you can take, and as long as our 3 children had sufficient DVDs they were very happy and prefer it to flying.
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FAQ
