 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi. We are going to be driving to the Alps for the first time this year on the weekend of 21/22 December. We have the accommodation from the afternoon of Sunday 22nd and are therefore intending to do most of the drive on the Saturday and stay overnight closer to Val-d'Isere. We have an option of a cheap Ibis or similar in either location.
My question is: Given this is going to be (presumably) a very busy weekend on the roads, and we have a 4+ hour journey to Folkestone, would we be better to...
1. 'push on' to, say, Albertville and stay there, therefore doing the section from Lyon (where I'm assuming we may start to hit traffic) to Albertville on a Saturday evening, but adding 1.5 hours or so onto an already very long journey, or;
2. Stop near Lyon and do the whole of the rest of the journey on Sunday morning, when I'm assuming traffic might be worse than a Saturday night (day skiers, start of the holiday week, etc).
or, does it make no difference at all and the roads are likely to be equally busy/not busy at either time, or the real problems (if any) are likely after Albertville or before Lyon anyway, or....
Any advice from regular travellers would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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It is unlikely to be a busy drive on the Saturday or Sunday. If you want to stop stop when you feel comfortable. If anything I think Saturday night will be busier that the Sunday morning. If it snows then it may be better to wait until later in the day when the traffic has cleared the snow anyway. The little shops in Val d'Isere will be open, but the larger supermarkets closed. Personally I cannot be bothered with the concept of a big shop in Bourg on the way to skiing. I would rather use the smaller shops in the resort and buy on a day to day basis what I want.
The consensus amongst who stop for a night is generally to stop earlier rather than later; after all you have already had a 4 hour slog to the channel.
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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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My family did the drive to Bourg St Maurice on the Sat before Xmas last year, apparently once in the valley the going was slow, but with no major hold ups. I met with the family in Bourg and we stocked up at the Super-U before driving up to La Rosiere. There was not much traffic around at dusk but then it had begun to snow quite heavily!
I can`t imagine traffic to Val will be at all heavy on the Sunday (after the day trip drivers had gone up quite early) because most accommodation seems to be Sat to Sat.
I much prefer to stock up in Bourg as experience in many resorts over many years has taught me that the choice is much better and the prices cheaper! This Year we are going for two weeks to Les Arcs and I fully expect to want to drive back down to Bourg to re-stock mid stay!
Its many years since we were in Bourg on a Sunday so I`m not sure what would be open. However I have no doubt someone on here will know!
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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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My family did the drive to Bourg St Maurice on the Sat before Xmas last year, apparently once in the valley the going was slow, but with no major hold ups. I met with the family in Bourg and we stocked up at the Super-U before driving up to La Rosiere. There was not much traffic around at dusk but then it had begun to snow quite heavily!
I can`t imagine traffic to Val will be at all heavy on the Sunday (after the day trip drivers had gone up quite early) because most accommodation seems to be Sat to Sat.
I much prefer to stock up in Bourg as experience in many resorts over many years has taught me that the choice is much better and the prices cheaper! This Year we are going for two weeks to Les Arcs and I fully expect to want to drive back down to Bourg to re-stock mid stay!
Its many years since we were in Bourg on a Sunday so I`m not sure what would be open. However I have no doubt someone on here will know!
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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 fully expect to want to drive back down to Bourg to re-stock mid stay!
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May I humbly suggest that you get the funicular down if you want to go to Bourg. It is covered on your lift pass. Though Super U and Intermarche both have a good selection of food and excellent fish counters they are not a lot cheaper than the shop in Arc 1600. I would go down if I wanted a choice of 3 different type of oyster but not if I just wanted oysters.
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Thank you for the suggestion johnE, but I don`t think thats very practical from 2000. In any case I will do a very large shop for a large hungry family so carrying it all would be a real issue.
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Thanks for the welcome to snowHeads and all the replies and advice everyone. Its much appreciated. Looks like we don't need to be concerned about traffic too much either way!
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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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Certainly Intermarche and probably Super U are open 0830-1145 on a Sunday morning, closed Sunday PM though
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Maybe worth checking if someone is in the apartment the week before or just turning up early anyone. I don't think I've ever got into an apartment later than 2pm.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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cheztichot, The Super U isn't open on Sundays.
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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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Layne, agreed - we've always managed to get into appartments mid-afternoon. Can get settled in and sort out ski hie, passes etc well before its Happy Hour time
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Personally I'd try to stay somewhere near and get an almost full day of skiing on the Sunday. There is always, in my experience, somewhere you can change - though it is usually not your own room. You can partially get changed when you dress in the morning if you want. Arriving by overnight train at Bourg St Maurice this has been my norm.
Driving with an early start from North London I've usually arrived at the resorts in that area in time to see the last skiers coming down at about 5pm the same evening - but I appreciate this doesn't apply to your situation
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You know it makes sense.
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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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+1 for staying at Albertville then heading up the mountain changed and ready to ski first thing on the Sunday, getting in an extra day's skiing.
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Poster: A snowHead
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it has been known for the road to val to get closed in periods of extreme avalanche risk and/or val itself to be in lockdown. You may want to time your arrival in daylight to reduce this risk
It is likely to be on matrix signs on the n90 if the resort access road is closed - http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=82612 is a good thread to check as it will often have the latest conditions on it...
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FAQ
I don't think you'll have a big problem. Christmas is much quieter all round than the New Year week. Sundays are popular with local skiers and of course there are some TO transfers on Sundays too, but overall it's not comparable to a Saturday at half term!
If you are self-catering get local advice here about which supermarkets are open on Sunday.
