 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm guess I'm not the only one running through the checklist for loading the car this Friday, and I guess we're not the only family with an early evening Chunnel crossing.
I think a secret Masonic style acknowledgement of other snowheads en route, at the Chunnel, on the autoroute and in rest areas would be cool, not unlike the VW camper owners do with each other.
I will start the ball rolling. Leaving Cambridgeshire for a 7pm ish crossing, St Quentin overnight and then the long drive, shopping at Bourg and finally to Arc 1950. Silver Mercedes GL, one of those privatish plates (you know what I mean) with massive roof box and three large ski bags aloft. Six up including mum, dad and those that won't leave home!!!!
Honk, hoot, flash if you're 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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My daughter leaves with the coach journey Friday lunchtime. 24 hours to Austria! Over £800. But they have blagged a 4* hotel that looks amazing. Would be off with them myself if I didn't have an 8 year old to organise.
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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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I'll be going the pub to watch CANV CANVINGTONs favourite thieving scumbags thrash those southern softies in the cup 
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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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Don't forget your chains!
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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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Me , but I'm heading back to the uk 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We'll be heading across early on Friday and then joining the usual Saturday madness with everyone else. Picking up supplies in Moutiers before heading up to Meribel.
Some kind of acknowledgment would be handy. Something that's not obviously dodgy would be helpful.
Is everything nice and calm now on Eurotunnel? No need to approach via the back roads?
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trying to beat the rush by crossing at 06:40 Friday ,Hoping the drive down won't be too busy 
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Hoping to leave London around 2:30-3pm and hit a crossing as early as possible, depending on traffic that might be around the same kind of time as you  . Silver Mercedes E-Class Estate on a private plate (W reg, it spells my wife's name), say hello if you see us!
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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 refused point blank to go Chunnel given previous, multiple 6 hour delays at school holiday time. Now looking at storm coming in Friday night so in BIG trouble with the boss  If we make it we're 6 up in disco with big silver trailer. Please provide assistance if I'm being cudgelled to death by a very cross looking blonde!
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09:50 eurotunnel on Friday morning, overnight at Dole (just past Dijon) then on to Les Contamines early (possibly v.early if forecast firms up) Saturday morning. Silver Disco, reg includes my name....ish.... 4LAN
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Half hand. A quick search got me on track with your post! Btw had you already been in the pub when you posted?
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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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Not sure it would suit me!
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Motorhome SF08 ... booked onto tunnel at noon Friday, hoping for an earlier crossing. Will see you all in the Peage jams later on and Bourg St Maurice very very very later on.
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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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Well, I just got a message from my son's school that I can't take him out even half an hour early. "The school will not grant this request for leave. The school does not grant leave for family holidays and we cannot make an exception in this case. I can understand your eagerness to avoid traffic, but this isn't something for which we can grant absence".
So we'll probably be too late coming out of London to not get stuck in traffic and make a late evening crossing... *sigh*
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Szymon, what did you expect? They can't give him authorised absence, just take it unauthorised. But might as well be hanged for a sheep -- made it a couple of hours.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Szymon, personally I'd check your LA policy about absence very carefully - the South Northants one makes it clear that fines will only be used once you breach 10-days
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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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You have to admire dogmatic adherence to trivial rules. And by "admire" I mean "hunt down the miscreants and set fire to their toenails".
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| pam w wrote: |
| @Szymon, what did you expect? They can't give him authorised absence, just take it unauthorised. But might as well be hanged for a sheep -- made it a couple of hours. |
The school he goes to won't even let him off the premises without agreement and explanation! I guess I could just not send him in at all on the day, but I want my younger son to get into the same school next year (it's one of the best in the country) so I don't want to make waves! C'est la vie -- we'll stand in the queues with all the other people...
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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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@Szymon, Just ignore them and take Friday off. If they get arsey just be very firm and polite and they'll give up after they have been seen to have made their point.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We are on a 10.20am tunnel on Saturday morning, so on the Calais roads at about midday local time.
I HOPE that means we will not hit the major bottlenecks as they will have been a few hours in front of us.
We are on our way to Switz' and will turn off to go over the Jura at Dijon, so that should avoid the other major congestion zones further on.
We've never driven on THE half term Saturday before!
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My two always get a mysterious bug on the Friday before Easter. Easier now that we can email the school regarding the 'illness' - always seems 'less wrong'.
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En route to the Chunnel. Will update on the passport checks situation when we get there. Had read similar online but I tend to take stuff the Chunnel say with a pinch of salt.
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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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@ringingmaster, I suspect ours will catch the same bug this year.
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On the train. Waved straight through, despite my best attempts to wave my passport at the man in the booth. They were checking cars at random but certainly not everyone.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Szymon, Remind them of that e mail next team the teachers go on strike! Every second counts in education........
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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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@lampygirl, I guess that's because the extra checks start tomorrow 
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came back today roads empty for those money concious the diesel at the leclerc Reims junction 23 (24hr) was 1.15 e /litre
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You know it makes sense.
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Blue XC70 Ocean Race with big roofbox LC55
First outing for the new car - Been in a petrol XC previously averaging about 23MPG!!
Can wait for the fill up at Leclerc - Thats 85P a litre!!
Picking brats up @12, then straight to tunnel for 2PM crossing (ish).
Dinner stop @ Leclerc then straight through to Bourg - All being well will hit the slopes about 11 tomorrow before a 3 hour private lesson on steep bumps - wish me luck!!
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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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@brock, at New Year diesel was 1.01 euro a litre in Luxembourg 
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Poster: A snowHead
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@AthersT, but I'd pay a bit extra to avoid driving through Luxembourg. Pretty awful roads last time I headed south through Belgium and Luxembourg to Switzerland.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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18.10 flight to Geneva tonight to avoid all the Saturday madness. And to sneak a quiet day on the slopes before you lot arrive!!
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
it's now the only way we can ski with teacher friends of ours.
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your friends are lucky to have you! Yes, Sunday will be quieter than Saturday, on the roads in France if not at Gatwick.
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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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@pam w, the roads were fine for me but we were driving to Austria and a few miles extra was definitely worth it for that ultra cheap fuel. The weather was terrible (snow ) so driving at warp speed all the way was out of the question anyway.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
| your friends are lucky to have you! |
thank you @pam w,
Although we always fly ,we try to use Sunday-Sunday TOs as it seems to make the unpleasantness of airports at either end easier together with faster flowing transfers. Plus empty pistes on the last day (Saturday) of our week
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@Mark B, my daughter and SiL are teachers - they had hoped to be able to do a "boys trip then girls trip" with non teaching friends, with their four children being looked after first by the two Mums, then the two Dads. Unfortunately they teach in different local authorities and didn't have the same Easter holidays.  They would never go skiing at half term these days - they would find it too much of a panic, and they don't like big crowds, but without kids everything becomes easier!
Have a great trip. Especially on Saturday. A good plan - can't think why anyone with a choice would travel on Saturday. I did a Sunday airport pick up at Christmas (much less busy than half term) and had to queue off the motorway to get into the airport and then cruise round the underground car park for a while, looking for a space. Next time they can get on ChamExpress and I'll pick up in Sallanches.
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I admire how honest you all are with kids teachers. Can`t you pull the sickie card like adults do?
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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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Defintely not partaking in the madness of the half term dash to the French Alps. Saving our trip to the week before Easter when hopefully a little quieter.
Safe journeys to all those embarking on the drive Alpwards from Calais over the next couple of days.
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Keep us all posted you AutoRoute warriors. Having done this myself several times I know exactly what it can be like and I'm sure they'll be a few sagas along the way
We're going to be in northern Finland so (obviously) not driving
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