 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi All, after driving to ski for the first time last Xmas, all seemed to be working out well. Overnight Calais to Tignes, dont mind the drive or lack of sleep, ski on both Saturdays, so 2 days extra skiing, then we hit the problem.
The intention was to leave Tignes mid afternoon, drive to Saint Quentin, 1 hour short of Calais, meal out, b&b overnight and casual drive home on Sunday. Unfortunately we encountered a 3 hour traffic jam around Moutier, arriving at the b&b at midnight and then caught the M25 in all it's glory Sunday morning.
Anyone got any ideas on the best time to leave EK? Should we leave it later and do an overnighter back? I just dread the thought of stopping around Lyon and having a long slog on the Sunday?
Thoughts anyone?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Your problem is that Saturday is changeover day. Better skiing late - maybe even eating before you go then laying up somewhere between Lyon and Dijon.
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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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Better skiing late - maybe even eating before you go then laying up somewhere between Lyon and Dijon.
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I agree. Ski the whole changeover Saturday. Leave resort about 6 after a snack - Dijon for 11.30 bed time, no problem (one stop for a quick evening meal). Relaxed start on Sunday. Breakfast at a motorway aire an hour or two north. Very easy run to Calais. Personally I would go nowhere near Lyon.
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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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Cheers guys, I guess one of the things I would like to know is, has anyone done an overnighter ie driving straight through, on the way back. How was it after a days skiing? I reckon you'd hit the M25 around 4.30, back in Wales by 7am? As I said, just don't fancy the Sunday slog in France
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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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Coco, it will be far less of a slog in France on Sunday morning. The roads are very quiet, you will make good time. I appreciate the drive at the other end of the channel though. We have a drive to Durham after our crossing. We stay around Reims or Chalons on the Saturday evening (or Val Moret hotel near Troyes). Drive on Sunday is quiet and we reach Calais by around 11. We choose to hang about, buy some wine and have lunch before boarding the tunnel, and are still home by around 7pm.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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has anyone done an overnighter ie driving straight through, on the way back.
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Depends on how many drivers there are. Done it a couple of times with 3 and 4 drivers. We rotate every few hours. It is very tiring even with 4 because when not driving you don't get quality sleep. I'd be reluctant to drive all night again and certainly not with less than 3 drivers.
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Coco, I have done quite a few overnights. Solo driver and IF the conditions are good (no fog, preferably no rain) it's often fine - I'm always ready to stop for the night if I get sleepy. But I wouldn't do it after a day's skiing. My sister can drive overnight too - but my brother in law, a very experienced driver who does long distances (he will drive several hundred miles to a job, and back, in a day) can't cope with overnights at all. My son in law - a young, fit, PE teacher and also an excellent driver can't cope either - he and I did a two hour on/off overnighter to France once. He was much more knocked out by it than I was - I think it depends on individuals
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| pam w wrote: |
| Coco, I have done quite a few overnights. Solo driver and IF the conditions are good (no fog, preferably no rain) it's often fine - I'm always ready to stop for the night if I get sleepy. But I wouldn't do it after a day's skiing. |
I once did a two-handed (two-person) yacht race that took about 30 hours. I got some sleep. Got back into the marina around two in the morning, the yacht was wet and unappealing to sleep in. Set off to drive home and woke up to sound of tyres clacking on the cats eyes at the edge of the hard shoulder. Lesson learned about driving when my body thinks I ought to be sleeping.
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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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dogwatch, yes well, as I said, I would not drive overnight after a day's skiing and I most certainly wouldn't drive more than a very short distance after a 30 hour yacht race. I've done those..... you just can't think straight at all after that and I can just imagine how little sleep you got.
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| Quote: |
Cheers guys, I guess one of the things I would like to know is, has anyone done an overnighter ie driving straight through, on the way back. How was it after a days skiing? I reckon you'd hit the M25 around 4.30, back in Wales by 7am? As I said, just don't fancy the Sunday slog in France
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I have done it frequently (I wouldn't contemplate stopping overnight) and with two drivers it is not much problem after skiing, but I think your timings are a bit optimistic. I left Les Arcs at 16:30 yesterday after a day walking and cleaning (don't underestimate how long it takes to clean up and pack), dropped one of the party off at Geneva airport and got home at 9:00 this morning; just in time for work. The eurotunnel crossings are very infrequent over night and we waited 1 and a half hours or one. My wife and me shared the driving and got through a number of In our Time and More or Less pod casts. We did stop for an evening meal and refueled at Bourg and Calais.
Though some people report doing the journey from the tarrentaise to Calais in 8 to 9 hours the best we have managed from Les Arcs is 9 and if you need to refuel more than once or eat, 10 hours is a more realistic figure
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Anybody doing tarentaise to Calais in 8 hours is almost certainly driving irresponsibly.
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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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| johnE wrote: |
| got through a number of In our Time and More or Less pod casts. |
Good choice! In Our Time a favourite on a long journey.
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