Poster: A snowHead
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We're going to the Portes du Soleil for Easter this year, on 5th April. In previous years we've driven through the night on a Friday, grabbed a (large) coffee and got on the first lift. It works great as the traffic is non-existent, but we do end up slightly in bits.
This year we're thinking of wimping out and getting an early Saturday tunnel and then driving through the day, arriving in resort early evening. So my question is whether this is a good idea? How bad will the traffic be late afternoon Geneva - PdS? I'd have thought the rest of the trip wouldn't be too bad, but as I've only driven it at night I may be wrong. Am I?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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shouldn t be anywhere near as bad as NY or HT as the french don t tend to ski at Easter.
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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 drove through the Saturday to Alpe d'Huez last Easter, and it wasn't too bad around Geneva, or anywhere for that matter.
This year however, we are driving through the night on all our trips, just because it's easier.
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I though HT would be carnage getting up the mountain, but guessed Easter might be OK by the afternoon (locals would be driving in the morning).
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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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Saturday afternoons can be slow on the motorway east from Geneva. Slow but not stationary. Can't speak for the bit approaching Geneva from the west as we always come over at Pontarlier etc.
You don't say where in the PDS you are going - the approach to Morzine/Les Gets is a different route to Chatel and the Swiss side.
The other thing is that coming up the hill at "home time" (4-5pm) can be a bit of a mare on the narrow bits as there is a constant stream of local day-trippers coming the other way in a tearing hurry to get home and sit around watching TV. Having said that you are unlikely to get there that early if you are only getting the tunnel that morning.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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sanman, driving to Les Gets. I don't mind driving slowly up the hill, but couldn't bear bumper to bumper stationary traffic, with my kids trying to kill each other with blunt instruments. I reckon we'd be there around 18.00 from an 06.00 tunnel, maybe a bit earlier.
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stefoy4me wrote: |
shouldn t be anywhere near as bad as NY or HT as the french don t tend to ski at Easter. |
It is Belgian holidays though so roads will probably be fairly busy that Saturday.
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michael stocking, arriving no earlier than 1800 you should be fine. And it'll be light!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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stefoy4me wrote: |
shouldn t be anywhere near as bad as NY or HT as the french don t tend to ski at Easter. |
or two weeks before.
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Yes, it isn't actually Easter, only the school holidays.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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This is us as well - grab daughter from school at 15.30 Friday then straight down to the tunnel and an overnight stop at Reims. We're hoping with an 06.00 start Saturday morning we can get down to BSM for 14.00 ish, and then up to Arc 1950. Last year we did Feb Half Term and fingers crossed its not as bad as that
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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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I've driven down (to L2A not PdS) every year since 2007 for the Easter school holidays. Traffic has never been an issue at all. In fact the last few years I've stopped over near Calais and driven the rest on the Saturday.
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Thanks for the replies. Still kind of tempted to go hardcore and get first lifts, but at least I now know the daytime run is an option. The ski hire place is open till 19.00, so the plan is to sort that out, pick up passes and then get going early on Sunday.
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You know it makes sense.
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Sounds like a plan. I always reckon on about 10 hours from Calais, pressing on but at legal speeds and stopping for toilet breaks/fuel only. So if you pop out of the tunnel at 8am local time, 1800 is about right.
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