 Poster: A snowHead
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There's something very appealing about the freedom of being able to go off and explore the surrounding areas- not just on the mountain.
However, from some of my experiences of driving around the ski resorts, it has been a nightmare.
(I live in Southern England so rarely have to deal with driving in snow.)
"We forget that tire deflation is a real problem. For every 10 degrees the temperature drops, you can lose 1 to 2 psi."
"A 20 degree drop in temperature can yield a decrease of 4 psi."
“As the tire loses pressure, it can become overheated where the tire meets the rim and fail catastrophically. Heat is the real problem.”
Source: http://www.carfax.com/blog/tips-for-ski-trips
This info really did make me laugh. Takes me straight back to a trip to Alagna, when our tire split. That was a looong day.
How many of us usually try to drive to the slopes? Keen to hear about your struggles dealing with the snow.. Hopefully it's not just me!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've driven to the slopes many times... I think the only problems I've had are:
1 - Following a car up the switch-backs up to La Plagne.. the kid in the back chucked up out of the window, but managed to smear it all down the side of their car... bits were dripping off for the next 10 minutes!
2 - I got caught out by some ice on a "straight" bit going up the hill, the wheels went straight into spin-mode.... and I was the "numpty" putting the chains on in the middle of the road (sorry!)
3 - I was driving my BMW 540 (4.4ltr v8 of rear wheel drive power) up a lane to the front door of the chalet so I could unload, just as skiers were skiing down the middle of the road (it was well packed snow). I stopped to let them pass, and one of them stopped next to me, tapped on the window, and told me I should put the chains on the front wheels!
Apart from that... I've never had an issue at all.
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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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@skiking, I drive to ski resorts one or two times a year for at least 20 years. Never had a problem with snow while driving, though it has taken me over an hour on occasions to dig the car out of the snow after a week parked outside. Used snow chains 3 times and had one puncture which I fortunately noticed while the car was parked inside and had a spare tyre. The only other problems were blown headlight bulbs (two separate occasions). One could not be changed without dismantling the whole front of the car!
To be honest the biggest nightmares have been the channel tunnel delays and traffic in the UK. Once we actually get moving in France it has been plain sailing.
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I've been driving around in the snow most of this week and last week. The only thing that would put me off driving to the Alps is how long it takes.
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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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In 35 years of driving to the Alps in winter the only challenges have been a snowstorm around Lyon once and vehicle repatriation twice. The M25 and increasingly the tunnel are the only major hold ups, the route is also much quicker now due to the much improved French motorway network. (Usually 12 hours door to door)
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 30-01-15 14:41; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Oh yes and digging the car out this Christmas...
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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
| (Usually 12 hours door to door) |
Where to? I've done Chamonix to Hampshire in 12 hours, 2 drivers, not much stopping. I'd have thought the Tarentaise would take significantly longer but it's ages since I drove that & can't remember how long it took.
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I've driven a fair bit. Been very lucky with the Tunnel (never travel at peak times, fortunately) and roads in northern France, whereas friends caught snow up there and spent hours at 30 mph behind a snowplough. Sometimes been forced off the motorway by fog, once by heavy snow near Bourg en Bresse, had to use chains moderately frequently but my car spends several months in the mountains each winter. I do have snow tyres but also believe that putting chains on is something to do (like reefing the sails) when you first think of it; never yet got stuck. If you use chains every now and then they hold no terrors - I can generally get them on in a couple of minutes.
Clutch went in Aosta - but that was in warm weather, though it was only 1 April, nothing to do with snow.
One puncture - fortunately noticed before we left the garage and changed wheel. Would never drive in the mountains without a spare. You're looking at a very expensive tow at best and possibly some hours on a freezing road as well. And don't assume that the guy who finally arrives to tow you to his garage in an obscure corner of Savoie (where he will sell you two new tyres because he doesn't have the type you have, and is not allowed to mix tyres) will speak any English.
Need loads of good screen wash, not the Halfords rubbish. Lidl do good stuff.
iI can't do Hampshire to my apartment in 12 hours. It's over two hours to the Tunnel, then a minimum of an hour crossing, even if you time it really well, and 10 hours (including minimum brief stops) the other side. And if the road's wet and speed limit therefore 69 mph, longer.
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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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I've driven to my place in Austria quite a few times now and the only problems that I've encountered have been in the final 100 metres or so - i.e. the driveway up to my house which does not get ploughed as often as the access roads. I am very fortunate that my trip is almost entirely motorway and I exit the A10 at Eben and have maybe 8 kilometres of normal road to deal with before I get to the house. But that last little bit up the drive has been my undoing on several occasions and each time I fail to make it to the top I am then faced with some slippy-slidey reversing to get back down to the road.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| skiking wrote: |
"We forget that tire deflation is a real problem. For every 10 degrees the temperature drops, you can lose 1 to 2 psi."
"A 20 degree drop in temperature can yield a decrease of 4 psi."
“As the tire loses pressure, it can become overheated where the tire meets the rim and fail catastrophically. Heat is the real problem.”
Source: http://www.carfax.com/blog/tips-for-ski-trips
This info really did make me laugh. Takes me straight back to a trip to Alagna, when our tire split. That was a looong day. |
Made me laugh too - the heat from friction will prevent a tyre from being anywhere near the ambient temperature. No idea how you would drop a tyre from ambient UK winter (maybe 10 degrees) by 20 degrees, let alone with the heat from being used.
Struggling with the idea of overheating where the tyre meets the rim. The reason for catastrophic failure is the sideways forces on the flat tyre breaking the bead, which then allows the tyre to rotate independent of the wheel.
Also losing 4psi out of a tyre won't cause major problems, if it did then the majority of cars on UK roads would be losing tyres all over the place, they frequently are left by owners not checking their pressures to drop as much as that. Plus when you drive up a mountain and the ambient air pressure reduces, your tyres will inflate very slightly as a result.
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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 don't see the issues.
Have snow tyres.
Chains if not 4x4, maybe if.
End of.
Learn how to handle winter conditions.
Avoid all the other idiots.
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@CaravanSkier, that was probably a Marder (marten family and a bloody nuisance) Badger in German is Dax and they are bloody big so the can't get into the engine compartment where it is warm.I have insurance against damage from the wee bastards as our version is the Pine Marten and they also "mark" their cars keep the others in the area away, it stinks!
I used to drive down to Austria in about 12 hours from Calais/Dunkirk on my own; very easy drive on motorway the whole way except for a small gap that used to exist between Luxembourg City and Merzig on the German-Luxembourg border. With 2 or more drivers we made it regularly in 8 hours from the Channel. By far the worst bit was getting from Bristol to Dover, especially the M25.
Now it's a mere 90 minutes maximum because I live near Chiemsee! 
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, dogwatch, I have been corrected by my Navigator, its 13 hours there and 12 back, (clocks change) West Hampshire to Montalbert. We usually travel off peak. Overheight on tunnel, so (usually in the past) no hanging about, only need to stop for fuel in Moutier on the roadside. Through the peage gates at 30k where available and cruise control on for most of the journey. Only two way road on the entire journey is after Moutier, then its Aime and 10 mins up to Montybert.
However, the trip has taken 18 hours on one occasion because of Fog sleet snow and heavy rain. 
and no I have never paid a French speeding fine. Or a UK one come to that!
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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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Driven out quite a few times! I've got an A4 estate and I have an extra set of rims and snow tyres (eBay).
Never had a problem. From the Grim North to Austria
Friday home - Aachen, Saturday Aachen - Austria arriving in daylight most times. Drive from Dunkirk is circa 11 hours.
Return journey always the same
Saturday Austria - Aalst, Sunday Aalst to home via mid morning ferry - usually having a cup of tea by 4pm.
Went to Sauze D'Oulx in the 1990's with a Calibra Turbo on summer tyres - needed to fit the chains in the dark to get it out of the hotel carpark fro the homeward journey. At the Campanile we stayed at near Lyon, there were six cars broken into, but strangely not mine. The gendarmes said they avoided it as it was most likely alarmed - it transpired when I went to open it that it wasn't even locked!!!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
Plus when you drive up a mountain and the ambient air pressure reduces, your tyres will inflate very slightly as a result.
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Oh yes - when I buy something like a big bag of crisps at a supermarket in Albertville it's blown up like a pillow at 1500m
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I have been corrected by my Navigator, its 13 hours there and 12 back, (clocks change)
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 Let's say the actual time taken for the journey is 12 hours "underway". That'd make it 13 hours out and 11 back by "clock time", shirley?
However I make it 8h 45 minutes from Calais to Montalbert without stopping at all at 110 kmh (wet road) so I reckon you might be pushing your luck a bit. I'd prefer to take an extra hour or two - after the first long stretch from Calais to get south of Reims I always stop every 2 hours for a coffee and stretch legs (more frequently if driving overnight) but I'm the sole driver so aiming to break records isn't too good an idea.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
skiking wrote:
"We forget that tire deflation is a real problem. For every 10 degrees the temperature drops, you can lose 1 to 2 psi."
"A 20 degree drop in temperature can yield a decrease of 4 psi."
“As the tire loses pressure, it can become overheated where the tire meets the rim and fail catastrophically. Heat is the real problem.”
Source: http://www.carfax.com/blog/tips-for-ski-trips
This info really did make me laugh. Takes me straight back to a trip to Alagna, when our tire split. That was a looong day.
Made me laugh too - the heat from friction will prevent a tyre from being anywhere near the ambient temperature. No idea how you would drop a tyre from ambient UK winter (maybe 10 degrees) by 20 degrees, let alone with the heat from being used.
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The reasoning goes like this - The tyre is very cold so the pressure drops a small amount. This causes the tyre to overheat and hence the tyre fails. There does appear to be a flaw in this logic somewhere.
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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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Drive out every year, have done for last 18
Struggle to understand why anyone would fly
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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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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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@CaravanSkier, Your Dad was in the German army - that must have made for some very interesting "What did you do in the war Daddy" conversations. 
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Just drove past a UK plate car in a ditch - looked heavily loaded up to go home and was now upside down having slide across the road in heavy snow.
You dont always need winter tyres/chains BUT IF YOURE STUCK IN A RESORT WITH HEAVY SNOW SODDING BUY SOME
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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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@CaravanSkier, I kinda knew that but couldn't resist a pathetic attempt at humour 
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@bobbev999, You made me laugh! Humour is good stuff!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Just drove past a UK plate car in a ditch - looked heavily loaded up to go home and was now upside down having slide across the road in heavy snow.
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and you drove past?
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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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Damn right @pam w, RA-me not RAC
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I had a bad homeward journey back in 2002 or 3. An accident on the motorway (Dijon area?) in snow and we were almost stationary for 11 hours. Have to say we didn't pay any more tolls because of the problem and after a stop for sleep we caught the ferry at the 'appointed time' just 12 hours late and no additional ferry charge either.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
we were almost stationary for 11 hours
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 that must have been a right pain. Of course you didn't pay any more tolls! Your journey should have been free.
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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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@pam w, it was and made worse by the fact that the first services had no food left and the worst toilets I've ever seen.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Boris wrote: |
| Struggle to understand why anyone would fly |
Cheaper (if you count wear and tear on your car), quicker (slightly), more relaxing. Especially the latter. I can understand why those travelling with a family or with luggage for a long stay might choose to drive.
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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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| dogwatch wrote: |
| Boris wrote: |
| Struggle to understand why anyone would fly |
Cheaper (if you count wear and tear on your car), quicker (slightly), more relaxing. Especially the latter. I can understand why those travelling with a family or with luggage for a long stay might choose to drive. |
And some of us live a long way North, making driving down 2 long days, which is not great for restless kids.
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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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@dogwatch, @Yellow Pyranha, fair points and I would usually add to my post that is horses for courses and whatever suits, which I've posted numerous times, but omitted this time.
For us, family of 5, is cheaper and far more relaxing. Wear and tear is negligible in life of car in my view
But yes not everyone's cup of tea
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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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@Boris, I'll admit that I quite enjoy the drive - I've done it when I lived in SE England, Cumbria and since moving to Scotland. we tend to make the return journey an added bit of the holiday (last time we had a 3 day stop in Amsterdam). As a driver, and I enjoy driving, it's much better than all that sitting around airports, and the dreaded early transfer from resort. If I can only manage a week, though, it's got to be flying, unfortunately.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Oh yes - when I buy something like a big bag of crisps at a supermarket in Albertville it's blown up like a pillow at 1500m
Absolutely crapped myself last year as a bag of crisps exploded in the back of the car on the last turn into tignes after a very uneventful journey from cornwall last year. 
On topic. Drive every year from west cornwall to the tarantaise and love the freedom of having a car, the extra bits you can bring with you. Extra 2 days skiing on each end and of course way cheaper if there is 4 of you in the car.....
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Enjoying driving is probably important, as it's a long way to go if you're not a keen driver. I love driving and am terrified of flying, so an easy choice for me
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| Quote: |
Struggle to understand why anyone would fly
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Cheap
Quick
B@stard long way from Edinburgh to here
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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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We had a puncture in resort in France once. The local garage refused to sell us just one tyre, said it was the law to change both on the same axle at the same time (anyone know if that is actually true, Or just a tourist scamming ploy?)Of course the price of the 2 tyres was at least double that in the UK. Decided to drive home on the space saver. 45mph for some 600 miles makes for a very tedious journey, but OMG the fuel efficiency was out of this world!
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@Wrekingirl, they don't have to change both but they can't mix tyre types which in practice often means the same thing. Best idea is to have a spare, change the wheel yourself and hope you don't get another puncture before you get home.
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FAQ
) but the strangest was probably an animal (we think the german garage said badger?) chewed through one of the tubes in the engine over night in Koblenz (way below freezing at the time so we were told it had gone looking for warmth) meaning a delay whilst the local garage repaired it (a Vauxhall, so Opel bits were fine).
