 Poster: A snowHead
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We normally do an overnight on the way down and then straight through on the way back (2.5 hours UK side). We are getting morning tunnel on Fri morning and then overnight at an Ibis in Annemasse Fri night. Only about an hour to Morzine on Sat morning so should get nearly a full days skiing in before picking up the keys for the appartment. Coming back we normally set off around 06:00 are back in time to watch some Sat night TV  . I suppose if we were really hardcore we could ski the second Sat as well then drive through the night back home but that would be pushing it. Am sure it has been said on here many times before but definitely worth getting the Emovis Tag / Bip and Go for the tolls makes life so much easier on the drive especially if your passenger is asleep!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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All ready for the morning - 8:40 train, what time do we get to Ste Foy, that’s the question  .
To say the family are excited would be somewhat of an understatement!
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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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@dannyboy23, 8.30pm
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Dover like a grave at the moment
Zero queues.
French check involved Vax cert, LFt check and declaration in a plastic folder with passport, nothing scanned, just a 30 sec visual, UK waved through and straight to empty check in.
Drinking Costa, and wishing I had stayed in bed for another hour.
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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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| Rob Mackley wrote: |
| @dannyboy23, 8.30pm |
Now that would be a fantastic result !
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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On the 6.36 train, just left. Bit of a ball ache with getting pulled for random security swipe then trying to rejoin the queue and the slowest border guard checking passports.
Next stop Ste Foy!!!!
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Just pulling in to the NEW!! Calais port.
Didn't know there was such a thing.
Hopefully not as grim on the way home
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8 hours to Bourg.
Perfect weather all the way and no traffic to speak of.
Good luck to the Saturday crew.
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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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8 hours to Bourg.
Perfect weather all the way and no traffic to speak of.
Good luck to the Saturday crew.
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Eurotunnel busy but not as bad as previous half terms. Off now to Reims for the overnight stop.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| jbf wrote: |
| I suppose if we were really hardcore we could ski the second Sat as well then drive through the night back home but that would be pushing it. Am sure it has been said on here many times before but definitely worth getting the Emovis Tag / Bip and Go for the tolls makes life so much easier on the drive especially if your passenger is asleep! |
No need to be hardcore to ski the the second Saturday.
Check out, go skiing until about 4, drive about 3 hours north and stop overnight. We like Chalon-sur-Saone, a good range of budget hotels and eating. Early start on Sunday, home in time for tea. We've done this for years, turns a week from a standard 6 days skiing into 8 days.
Added benefit on a busy Saturday you are behind all the traffic and queues and the Sunday is super quiet heading north.
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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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Left VDI at 04:15 en route to Lyon to drop daughter and bf off before heading back to Wiltshire. Traffic busy on way down and building on way up. Have a good week all. Looking forward to coming back in March.
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Terrible traffic from Lyon down to Grenoble and beyond at the moment. Anyone else suffering?
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
Check out, go skiing until about 4, drive about 3 hours north and stop overnight. We like Chalon-sur-Saone, a good range of budget hotels and eating. Early start on Sunday, home in time for tea.
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This. And you'll encounter less traffic, too.
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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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Last week took us 7 1/2 hours from leaving Lyon airport at 11am to get to VDI. Currently waiting for train to leave Calais, 8 hours since leaving VDI.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone been through GsB tunnel from Ch to aosta and know if they’re checking for PLFs and test certs?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Good luck everyone! Already done our half term driving break (to Andorra) at Christmas.
Belgians; they used to be issued driving licences without a test, and the plate stays with the driver. So if you see a plate with only five characters, they probably had no test to get it.
Taking kids out of school in the last two years; wonderful point. Can anyone manage a group/class action (geddit?!) challenge against that arbitrary rule now?
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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’re going Friday morning. Just musing what to do about school….tell them what we’re doing or just say not going to be in. I have no qualms as it’ll be their first trip of any sort after a tough two years.
Belgians don’t seem to show lack of skills which may be linked to lack of test, just a complete and utter disregard of the French autoroute limits Don’t the French chase up speeding fines with them?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I have already told the school they won’t be in next Friday - both in primary so I don’t see it much of an issue. They are never off sick - one daughter once since reception and the other had never been sick. Only time off was for covid isolation / lockdowns - but probably learned more at home than school!
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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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Lots of traffic this afternoon on the A40 between Bourg-en-Bresse and Geneva. Maybe 1.5 hours delay. Not too bad overall, so long as you allow a bit of extra time.
One thing that worked really well today was filling up at service stations off the autoroute. Saved some €€ and avoided some big queues for fuel.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I always wondered whether you lose out on the péage charges, if you go off the autoroute, or whether you pay the same price per X kilometres, no matter how many on and offs you do.
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@pam w, There is a charge set for each sector, doesnt matter if you go on and off, it all adds up to the same in the end. It's not just based on km-age AIUI, cost of building etc comes into play.
I did find a of all peage charges in France, but decided life wasnt long enough to worry about it!
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| Quote: |
I did find a of all peage charges in France, but decided life wasnt long enough to worry about it!
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quite right. when I drove down I also decided that life wasn't long enough to bother with driving off the motorway for fuel, either. It's a ski holiday..... just think of the cost of a slopeside beer, and relax. Time is money, on those trips.
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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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@pam w, I agree, but at busy times the autoroute petrol stations can get clogged up - so much so that's it's impossible to get through the queues even for a pee stop. So I think it may be worthwhile seeking out the Leclerc etc alternatives.
viamichelin.fr is good for that (hit the petrol pump icon) - but there may be other sites.
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There is a big E.Leclerc in Reims that is between the paid bits of autoroute.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Junction 19 Auxerre, on the A6 has a Cora about 1 km from the peage
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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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Anyone catch the price of diesel at the petrol station just after the eurotunnel exit today or yesterday on their drive out?
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| Quote: |
at busy times the autoroute petrol stations can get clogged up
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Ah! That's why I never drove at busy times, so my views on the journey are skewed!!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Orange200 wrote: |
Belgians; they used to be issued driving licences without a test, and the plate stays with the driver. So if you see a plate with only five characters, they probably had no test to get it.
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You will rarely encounter original 5 character plates from Belgium. Already for some time, when registering a new car or even when getting a new address one would get a new number plate (style 1-...-... or now 2-...-...).
The 5 character plates on new cars are definitely 'personalised' payed plates, only € 1.000.
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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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| MHskier wrote: |
Belgians don’t seem to show lack of skills which may be linked to lack of test, just a complete and utter disregard of the French autoroute limits Don’t the French chase up speeding fines with them? |
The fines in France are a bargain compared with those in Belgium if you stay below +- 160 km/h.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@PieterG, thanks I’d guessed my info was mainly out of date by now! Lived in Brussels 94-95, picked it up then.
Continuing the stereotyping, I’ve found Belgians generally careless, while the Dutch are quite impatient/aggressive. But now, nowhere near as bad as Andorrans!
Portuguese? No comment 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
I did find a of all peage charges in France, but decided life wasnt long enough to worry about it!
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quite right. when I drove down I also decided that life wasn't long enough to bother with driving off the motorway for fuel, either. It's a ski holiday..... just think of the cost of a slopeside beer, and relax. Time is money, on those trips. |
When diesel was much cheaper in France, used to run fairly dry then fill up at Auchan or Carrefour in Calais. The old A4 then could easily make it to Les Arcs. Newer A4 has smaller tank but better mpg so could still probably make it. Living only c. 30 min from Dover/40 min from Folkestone, though, now fill up a day or two before departure. Cut across country from Amberieu to Chambery, so options for a splash and then fill up at Aime Leclerc to ensure winter diesel. Avoiding motorway prices saves quite a bit when doing 3 to 4 trips a year (pre-pandemic).
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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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@195062, You sound like exactly the person to answer the question I have just posed on the "Route Choice" thread...
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
I did find a of all peage charges in France, but decided life wasnt long enough to worry about it!
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quite right. when I drove down I also decided that life wasn't long enough to bother with driving off the motorway for fuel, either. It's a ski holiday..... just think of the cost of a slopeside beer, and relax. Time is money, on those trips. |
In many cases the difference time wise between pulling off for a supermarket and pulling off into the motorway services is negligible. For me it's more of a why wouldn't you.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Which way you going from Caen? - we did the overnight ferry two years ago instead of the tunnel then a big drive to Aosta on the saturday. It's a long way! But we decided to go via Le Mans - Bourges then east to Macon in order to avoid Paris and the half term traffic heading to the alps from there. V quiet easy driving all the way.
We're back on the tunnel this time with an overnight between Troyes and Dijon. Quite pleased having seen the wind forcast for friday!
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| Quote: |
Which way you going from Caen?
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Caen / Paris / Auxerre / Beanue / Lyon, shortest route and even setting off at 0800hrs from Caen Viamichelin seems to think it's just under an hour quicker than the other options despite going round Paris.
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| jonathancarty wrote: |
| Quote: |
Which way you going from Caen?
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Caen / Paris / Auxerre / Beanue / Lyon, shortest route and even setting off at 0800hrs from Caen Viamichelin seems to think it's just under an hour quicker than the other options despite going round Paris. |
personally would avoid going anywhere near Paris as google/route planners never allows for the real level of traffic around the city unless you are very lucky
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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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So the wind on Friday in the UK looks pretty grim - up to 75 mph gusts on multiple forecasts. That's a hell of a wind particularly with a roofbox on so I've just changed the plan with the family and we drive from the midlands to a hotel in Kent Thursday night, leaving a hopefully stress free journey across the tunnel Friday.
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personally would avoid going anywhere near Paris as google/route planners never allows for the real level of traffic around the city unless you are very lucky
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It's a while since I drove via Paris, but I'd agree with that, and it also sticks you on the horrible A6. I live very close to the Portsmouth ferry port and used ferry to Le Havre when I could get it cheap with Tesco, but never found the overnight at all "relaxing", only being able to settle down late and being awoken horribly early. And quite noisy. Google maps suggests a route via Tours and Clermont-Ferrand, which would also save tolls. I've never driven that, but looks an interesting option.
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