Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Driving to Mayrhofen - route options

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I've just booked an apartment in Mayrhofen in January (using a recommendation from the last thread I started) and am now thinking about stopovers, which obviously requires route planning. I know there's a lot of local knowledge out there and was hoping for some information and/or opinions on which way to go. As far as I can see, from the Tunnel the choice is north past Köln and Frankfurt, or south through or round Luxembourg (presumable pausing for some very cheap diesel) and then by Karlsruhe and Stuttgart. Am I missing an obvious choice? Is either route likely to be less congested? Are there any particular hotspots we should know about? And is there any possible way to avoid Munich? (We already have a Swiss vignette but I don't think that helps...)

Thank you!
latest report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Well...as i can see it you have two option.
From stuttgart go to Munich (or round munich) and then to Mayrhofen
or from Stuttgart via Fernpass.
But that has to do with time and dates. In Jan as i know there are not any holidays. So i suppose Fernpass will be ok....especially if you are there early in the morning or after 17.00

There are a couple other option through Switzerland or Bodensee but you have to go through Arlberg Tunnel and that cost more 8 euro. And i dont think that its quicker. But i also dont know tha traffic conditions in these places. Maybe someone who lives there.
latest report
 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?
It looks quite a drive. Google maps suggests over 11 hours from Calais

deleted url

It identifies about 2 hours of traffic delays, but I suspect that is optimistic and of course they will be different when you set off.


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 4-09-14 21:41; edited 1 time in total
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
LittleRos, Actually there are alternative routes but avoiding Munich is adding to your journey considerably. The key to having a problem free journey is timing, especially around Munich. The route from the channel that I and others who live down this way have found to be the least problematic is to go via Lille then across southern Belgium to Luxembourg and from there aiming at Karlsruhe, Stuttgart and Munich. It has numerous variations you can use to avoid some hold-ups, I would certainly never use the A7/Fern Pass option as it puts you in a bottleneck situation that can lead to a far slower and more frustrating journey.

Getting round Munich can be easy if you have the correct timings. Munich is a potential nightmare simply because of the meeting of all the traffic coming from the north of Germany (Germans Dutch, Scandinavian) as well as Poland and points east via the A9 meeting with all the traffic coming from the west via the A8 (Southern German, Belgium French and southern Dutch). All this traffic then tries to beat every other road user to get over the Irschenberg before anyone else, hence loads of shunt type accidents, particularly in the so-called fast lane! This is true at any time of the year on changeover weekends, even this summer there have been some mega queues along this axis due to some road users believing they have divine right of passage and trying to push lesser mortals out of their way! rolling eyes
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
LittleRos, Are you the only driver? If not you may be able to do it without a stopover and aim to hit Munich in the wee small hours. Or do a stopover but get up before you go to bed to achieve the same end (sorry I had a Monty Python moment). We drive that route on a regular basis and the only way to cope that really works is to put some cheesy apres ski music on the i pod, relax and enjoy the ride.
snow conditions
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Thanks all, that's very helpful. robapplegate, two of us will drive but with a 10-month-old and her slightly arthritic grandma in the car as well a 12 hr+ driving day is... unappealing! Sue, you've confirmed my suspicion that adding the Rheinland conurbation to the drive isn't such a great plan. Looks like the best option is an early crossing on Friday and a stopover somewhere around Karlsruhe or Stuttgart, with an early start and the aim of getting round Munich before it gets too bad. If that fails we'd hopefully have enough time in hand to just roll with it!
snow conditions
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
We drove to Mayrhoffen last year, stopping off in Luxembourg overnight on the way down then Stuttgart, Munich, etc the next day. Set off at 9ish and hit Mayrhofen at around 4pm with half a dozen stops for fuel and and hour or so for lunch.
The roads were so bad in Belgium that we went back via Munich, Nuremburg, Frankfurt, Cologne, etc staying in Konigswinter on the way back. About the same distance each way but much, much better journey on the autobahns coming back (166mph on certain stretches Smile ). We hit Munich mid-afternoon going and late morning returning and had no issues with traffic.
[/img]
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
LittleRos, Avoid the Stuttgart to Ulm A8 there are big hold ups at the moment (and likely until mid/ late 2016 major road scheme), we drive to Arlberg regularly which is a good bit west of you but basically same route, we just drop down sooner and we were down there last 2 weeks. I'd suggest rather than going Luxembourg, Pirmasens/ Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Ulm, Munich you go Calais - Brussels - Aachen - Koblenz - Frankfurt - Wurzburg - Ulm - Munich and on from there. Cheap diesel in Luxembourg is great but a 2-3 hour hold up like we had at the weekend with diversion through centre of Stuttgart on FC Stuttgart v Koln right past Mercedes plant is no fun on matchday........... diesel is currently 1.32€/l at the moment off the main autobahns, I'd suggest you keep going as far east as you can and avoid Stuttgart/ Ulm A8. Hope this helps. Very Happy
ski holidays
 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.
Was going to suggest avoiding A61 via Koblenz, but actually all the bad bits are in the Koblenz via Mainz bit. Cut through to A3 should be fine.
A3 between NL and Frankfurt is all fine at the moment. A3 Frankfurt-Nürnberg was all OK last season (think most of that autobahn re-route/re-build is finished?).

Not been on A8 since last season, and that was somethign like 30-40km of roadworks, that for me was flowing at the 80km/h speed limit. But when I went down to Bregenz in June (on one of the 4 day weekends), my satnav said carnage. Took A6 Mannheim-Heilbronn-Crailsheim, and down A7 which was all clear (but is longer).
snow conditions
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
LittleRos, If you can push on to Munich itself or if that is too far, stop for the night somewhere after Ulm you would be better off. There are plenty of good Gasthöfe in villages and towns close to the exits. The traffic between Stuttgart and Munich can be horrendous simply because you run out of 6-lane highway soon after Stuttgart. They are widening the whole of the A8, but it is a slow, laborious process. We are getting to view the proposed route of the widened section on the cards between the Inntal and the border at Salzburg this month. When they will actually be able to start that work though depends on so many variables that I doubt it will be too soon.

The route I and many others take from the channel is not difficult and is now motorway all the way except for a shortish section through the Pfälzerwald National Park. From Lille you cross over the border to Belgium (follow signs towards Tournai along the A27 - toll free by the way) and then follow the motorway system eastwards past Mons, Charleroi and Namur. At Namur turn south following signs to Luxembourg along the A4. Shortly after Arlon you cross the border into Luxembourg and follow the signs around the city towards Metz. Just before the French border, you turn east (signposted Merzig and Saarbrücken) again and follow the A13 into Germany where it changes into the A8 (you don't need to turn off as the numbering simply changes as you cross the river into Germany at Schengen-Perl. You then follow the A8 to Zweibrücken and Pirmasens. Here you leave the motorway and switch to the B10 (don't worry it is a fast dual carriageway) and stay on it through the Pfälzerwald National Park to Landau in der Pfalz where you pick up the A65 and head south towards Karlsruhe. At Karlsruhe you will pick up the A8 again and follow it all the way to the outer ring road around Munich (A99). There are some variations you can use but so far the French part of the route is toll-free and so is all the rest. Once you are round Munich you can choose whether to stay on the A8 all the way round to the Inntal interchange where you switch to the A93/A12 southbound to Wiesing which is the exit for the Zillertal. Alternatively you can come off the A8 at Holzkirchen and follow the B13 to Bad Tolz and on to the Sylvensteinsee where it joins the B307 and climbs over the Silvenstein and Achensee Passes before dropping down to Weising where you meet up with the motorway and the B169 Zillertal Bundestrasse to Mayrhofen.

I can give you some work-arounds for any bottlenecks that appear later in the year, I have several alternatives that I use depending on traffic reports, time of day and weather conditions.

Hope that helps I think you'll find that the baby will sleep most of the way, something about the steady rocking movement a car on the motorway produces maybe! As for the grandma, make sure she gets out at regular pee stops and when you fill up. Alternatively let her sit in the front passenger seat while the non-driving partner snoozes on the back seat with the baby! Works with all my family and if grannie can't sleep then they help keep the driver amused and awake! Toofy Grin
ski holidays
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
johnE wrote:
It looks quite a drive. Google maps suggests over 11 hours from Calais

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Calais,+France/Mayrhofen,+Austria/@49.1597386,4.8313345,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x47dc3f75d7f1e363:0xacbed9e08cd279f4!2m2!1d1.858686!2d50.95129!1m5!1m1!1s0x4777dd382fd8326f:0xdebe3f334faed10e!2m2!1d11.8618122!2d47.1681071

It identifies about 2 hours of traffic delays, but I suspect that is optimistic and of course they will be different when you set off.


About as long as that code...
ski holidays
 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.
Cacciatore, Laughing

I wish johnE would come back and shorten the bloody thing!
snow conditions
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
aren't any mods about to trim it? (and trim the quoted copy too Wink )

personally, i'd want to get as far as comfortably possible before stopping over. or for those that can, drive stuttgart-munich-austria late at night (I leave work at 6pm and arrive in Innsbruck at midnight, and it's only really around stuttgart and munich that I'd call busy).

edit: PS and Google maps journey times IME tend to be a little on the optimistic side, even doing 160kmh in the "slow" lane on that dead straight bit of new(ish) autobahn west of Munich doesn't cancel out the several 100kmh limits for much of the Munich-Innsbruck section.
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Markymark29, do you not find going round Brussels causes hold-ups? It's been sloooooow every time I've done it (and Antwerp no better). TBH the biggest appeal of Sue's suggested southern route is how little driving in Belgium it involves!
ski holidays
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
on a bad day... 25 minutes to get round the brussels ring. 2:30pm on a working day afternoon. typical time for me is 15-20mins.
only time I've had much more than that was the one time they'd had to block off 2-3 lanes exactly at one of the exits where you have to get in lane, so they could park a crane that was removing an upside down car from a gap between the crash barriers and the concrete wall of one of the bridges.

edit: more likely to get a delay between gent-brussels (and that's where you can experience the seriously shyte belgian driving)
latest report
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
LittleRos, re Brussels it's a timing thing, avoid commuter times, if an issue just head Mons/ Namur way.

Agree andy, never seem such shoite driving as in Belgium, so fast, so close and roads absolutely lousy, I really don't like driving through it, seems really dangerous.....always happy in Germany, once going west past Aachen you feel like you are entering a dump, bad roads, poor maintenance, lights 1960's sodium, trees on central reservation overhanging the carriageways, road signs hidden etc........and avoid it seriously if it's snowing, they've no idea how to maintain the roads in bad weather, the a Spa/ Liege road is very bad in poor weather.......I'd love to see road accident statistics for Belgium, anyone got a link?


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 4-09-14 21:19; edited 1 time in total
latest report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Every single time I've gone via Brussels and Antwerp, be it coming home from the UK or going back to the island, I've hit problems. I tried the last time I went back to the UK and lost the best part of 2 hours as a result. Main cause was of course some roadworks, but mostly it was the catastrophically shoite driving of the Belgiums. Four accidents if I remember correctly. On my journey home I stuck to the southern route and breezed through with no hold ups at all.

Can a moderator please edit the stupidly long URL on this thread? It is really messing up the page size.
snow report
 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?
East of Brussels it's road surface that'll rattle most of the bits off the car
West of Brussels it's taligating so close that you need a micrometer to measure the gap a Belgian leaves (and is where jams occur IME - have stopped at Wetteren services (planned) for an hour and just not bothered to continue for another 30mins because I can still the the cars parked on the carriageway) edit: and if you indicate to pull out, a Belgian will floor it in to the very small gap to stop you doing so.
Brussels ring, my times are above. But it is always busyish traffic.

and yes, please edit the URLs Evil or Very Mad
latest report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Not driven to Mayrhofen but done Alpbach in the next valley. Not sure how many drivers there will be in your car but with 4 lads all taking turns we left the UK on Friday night, drove through the night and skiing at 11 (albeit knackered). You'd get an extra day in that way.

This was in the late 90s in a Volvo 850 t5 so traffic was lighter and fuel cheaper. Now I'm in my 40s I would need to add 2 hours for bladder breaks.
latest report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy