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Snowmaggedon France 21 Feb

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
pam w wrote:
I have never seen the point of Flexiplus at anything other than the most busy times. Even if you had to wait a few hours, if you are saving over £300 it's not a bad trade off.


+1
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@pam w, flexiplus can be bought for £190 via a travel agent. I agree, I wouldn't pay full price!
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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?
@OliC, Several of the cars clustered with mine on the A40 were 74 plate. Still, I broke my cardinal rule which is "when the weather is coming in, don't go on any roads where you can't do a U-Turn".

I used to be county manager for 4x4 Response and have oodles of experience of getting emergency services around the jams in horrendous conditions by sticking to that basic mantra but confess I thought I was going to get through the tunnel before the fun began. Mind you, my back-up route would have taken a fair few hours as one mate of mine in a similarly equipped Disco was a short way behind me and got enough notice to take to the back roads for his return to Luxembourg and it took him 4 hours, a lot in low range, to get clear of the affected area - a journey that ordinarily may have taken him 40 minutes. Both of us have years of experience in long distance snow, sand, mud and whatever and preach the use of chains and winter tyres, but when you can't turn around.....

Yeah, not going to live that one down. Embarassed
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C'mon guys have a thought for people coming to enjoy a weeks skiing.

The A40, A48 and A43 closed with the A43 closed until 6am on Sunday. Hundreds of people spending the night in school halls or in hotels. Not quite as bad as December due to the late arrival of the snow in the Savoie but given the important of winter tourism to the area and the income it brings in there needs to be a review of procedures (this was already supposed to have happend after the last problems on the A48 in 2013 when people were left stranded for a day by the autoroute company and eventually had to organize their own rescue by removing the central reservation barriers, something the autoroute company could have done in a couple of hours). AREA, APRR and ARMB (the autoroute companies) are blaming drivers for yesterday's chaos - chaining too late and dechaining in the middle of the autoroute. They also blame truck drivers blocking roads, but as trucks were supposed to be off the roads yesterday and they had to pass through peage the autoroute companies have some control over that.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Szymon, as I use Clubcard vouchers to purchase my Eurotunnel tickets, it would cost me far more than an extra £50, as I can't use the vouchers for Flexiplus. We had no issues with a normal crossing a fortnight ago. No queue to speak of.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
Club card vouchers are far better spent on Avios or Virgin miles, but that's just my opinion Happy. All good!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Szymon, but I don't fly anywhere.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
We stayed here.

http://www.residencevallon.it/en/wellness/wellness-12.html

Nice Wellness centre, albeit with the odd German Sausage flying around
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
I did wonder why there were trucks on the roads yesterday
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Hells Bells, as I said, all good -- if it works better for you then it's the right thing to do. I have back problems and can't fly long distance in economy, but we love to travel, so using avios to pay for long distance business class at economy prices is my best use.


Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Sun 22-02-15 20:32; edited 1 time in total
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Szymon, as you say, all good. Our only recent flights would not have been eligible to use Avios points.
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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.
We left Tignes at 07.30 in a private transfer minibus. Departure time as advised by the transfer company to allow for traffic delays. Check-in time at Lyon airport was 12.50 for 14.50 departure. Driver used minor roads to avoid jam between Bourg and Aime. Heavy snow started after the tunnel between Chambery and Lyon. Traffic soon slowed to a stop, with drivers putting chains on in both lanes. Took an hour to go about 5km. Eventually our driver managed (with winter tyres but without chains) to get to the front of the blockage. There was now slow moving traffic occupying the fast lane because the slow lane was more snowy. Our driver (who was keen not only to get us to Lyon in time but also to get to Geneva Airport for his next passengers) overtook in the slow lane and eventually we had the motorway to ourselves for the last 30km. We reached the airport at 14.10, hoping that check-in hadn't closed at the published time of 13.50. Boarded flight soon after and then waited for it to fill up with passengers stranded by cancellation of another flight. Returned to UK just an hour late.

The rest of our group left a few minutes after us in a self-drive minibus and stuck to N80. Long delay caused by traffic lights before Moutiers. Left A43 at first exit after tunnel but realised they would be hours late and so re-booked for Sunday. Stayed night in airport hotel.

Great service from Whiterides!
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 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
So according to local radio, Geneva had a bit of a mare on Saturday with luggae system failing early on, ALS failing later and two separate fires Shocked
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Got down the snowless roads from La Plagne fine on Saturday afternoon, only to encounter snow and gridlock on the autoroute to Lyon where we were planning to stay overnight before making the long trip back to Blighty on Sunday. Thanks to Google Maps, we avoided some of the worse jams, going through some very scenic routes, albeit in the dark. Didn't realise Grenoble was such an attractive city. The 2.5 hour trip took 6 hours - seems we got away relatively lightly by the sounds of it. Sunday trip to Calais was a breeze, then the 2 hour delay at the tunnel somewhat dampened our spirits. After being used to the smooth quiet(ish) French motorways, the British overcrowded version with middle lane hoggers making traffic flow inefficient together with the wind and rain made for a very unpleasant run home after a week of brilliant skiing. This was our first time driving and I am unsure if I'd do it again, particularly over half term.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Jehu, we had a private transfer from. Courchevel 1850 to chambery, our flight time was 10.55 and we left at 07.45 only delay was going through the tolls (circa 10 mins) arrived at chambery at about 9.20 local. Seems we got the best run.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@NoDosh, What time did yo set off? We left St Gervais at 6:50 in clear weather, started to see some rain around Geneva and then heavy snow on the A40 about 8-ish .. we managed to get down to he A39 before things got too nasty .. a fair amount of rain all the way back to Calais but all in not a bad run.

Sorry to hear about the ACL and ear ache .. no fun.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
We Left Champagny at 8am on Saturday, started snowing quiet hard near Chambery on the A41, but we managed to keep going even though were only managing about 25-30mph for about an hour and a half. once nearer to Lyon, things much better, just heavy rain. Cars going the other way were queueing near Moutiers and the traffic going into the vally was very heavy all the way towards Lyon with it stationary around Les Bellemins. We had a normal timed ticket on way out at 5.20am and a flexiplus ticket for the return journey on Eurotunnel as we were unsure how busy it would be and given the weather, glad we did as got loaded straight on train with little delay. Friends at Morzine left at 8am heading to tunnel, got stuck for 5 hours in stationary traffic due to snow in Jura mountains. The made it across and home at 3am on Sunday.
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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?
all this lot of snowmageddon stories seem to be about leaving resort. I suppose few Brits were going the other way.
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@pam w, Don't know if they were Brits but when we hit snow on the A40 our westbound side was moving but on the other side traffic was already going very slowly .. amazingly I was overtaken by a fair number of vehicles doing at least 70mph .. suppose they were locals but IMO it was nuts. I've driven in plenty of snow and ice and never had proper snow tires so maybe that's the difference but still slippery roads and high speed is asking for it.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@pam w, Other than me!! I only saw a couple of UK plates between Momtmelian and Tignes - but I was probably ahead of the main push from Calais. Seemed to be a lot more cars unloading in Tignes on Sun lunchtime - perhaps they took the hint and booked into a hotel.
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@bpirkle, We were delayed and weren't able to leave until spot on 0800. We didn't hit any delays or queues right up until we stopped on the run up to the first tunnel

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/A40,+France/@46.1541371,5.7860117,16z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x478c9c7da00e7ecf:0xc9b30a2e7770b5bc
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@NoDosh, Luckily I was able to chase the kids out of bed and directly in to the Shogun. I was able to leave the chalet handover to my parents who were staying with us and that hour and 10 jump saved us .. hope you and the OH are feeling better.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
We left Bourg St Maurice at about 5pm on Saturday heading for a hotel in Beaune, a drive that should have taken around 3.5 hrs. We were diverted first to Grenoble just before Chambery as the A43 was closed, and then we were diverted again to Valence as the A48 closed before we could head to Lyon through very heavy traffic and accidents on the A7. We eventually arrived in Beaune at 1pm. Next day was a bit better but thick fog in France and heavy rain in the UK made it hard going. Only consolation was that we managed to get on to a slightly earlier ferry and got home earlier than expected.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
It's easy to assume that all the half term (and other) delays happen at the Alps end of the journey. Perhaps the worst combination is snow further out - as happened on Saturday - and heavy traffic. Fortunately this time it didn't come far north but friends of mine spent many, many, hours at 30 mph behind snowploughs right across northern France and I have had a slippy journey round the Francilienne (?) route round Paris in the past, with several inches of snow on the road. Fortunately it was the middle of the night - during the day everything would have been locked solid for hours.

Most journeys are hassle free especially if you have some flexibility of timing and pay attention to conditions and forecasts. BUT the people who blithely say it'll take 10 hours from Calais and they've never had any problem with their summer tyres are probably unaware that they've just been lucky. So far.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@bpirkle - snow tyres make a massive difference. Night and day compared to summer tyres. Snow tyres and 4WD and it's no more slippy than driving on a wet road. So 70mph on snow on a relatively straight road , and people leaving gaps, is fine.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
My observations from the last week in St Foy - 10% of GB cars had winter tyres while 10% of FR cars did not have it ...
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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.
PhilipW wrote:
@bpirkle - snow tyres make a massive difference. Night and day compared to summer tyres. Snow tyres and 4WD and it's no more slippy than driving on a wet road. So 70mph on snow on a relatively straight road , and people leaving gaps, is fine.
I Think I now know why I see lots of 4x4 in ditches and scattered across fields when it snows
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 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
@BergenBergen, that's because they think 4x4 makes a difference. It's snow tyres that make the difference.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
There is a difference: that top heavy design makes it easier to flip them into ditches. Twisted Evil The difference is especially marked on downhill bends.....
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@pam w, which is where our downhill assist comes into its own.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Without wishing to re-open the interminable snow tyres debate it never ceases to amaze me just how low the penetration of snow tyres into the UK is.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@BergenBergen, @under a new name, I think prudence, patience and common sense trump both snow tyres and 4x4. On paper, our car is ridiculous (4x4 but 2.5 tonnes with stupid wheels) but, by stopping at the right times and places to add and remove equipment saved us loads of time and grief.

We just need to accept that fourgon homme blanc will always overtake you on blind bends and dive into non-existent gaps. It was a shame (mostly Toofy Grin ) to see the lunatic local who overtook us in this way on the side of the road trying to extract his broken snowchain from the front wing of his car - it looked like someone had tried to open a tin of beans with a chisel.
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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?
@sproggski, without suggesting that
Quote:
prudence, patience and common sense
are not essentials of winter driving but they're clearly not sufficient in the absence of winter tyres!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
we left ADH bright and early at 8.30 for a 14.45 flight back from Chambray. No problems getting to the airport, but not many flights managed to land. Was almost comical listening to the announcements and general lack of information, the only way to tell what was happening was to watch the flights live on flight radar, airline staff were resorting to doing the same. We got lucky with a hotel for the night, many had a sports hall floor. Jet 2 finally managed to get their act together and get us back about 28 hours late. All in all just glad we didnt bring back that nice piece of cheese in the hold luggage Smile
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@PhilipW, I'll accept that winter tyres make a difference .. but only for the vehicle they are installed on. One night back in the late 80s I drove back to Boston from Vermont through an ice storm in a car with FWD but horribly wide low profile tires (tires cause we were in the US) .. Rte 2 was an ice rink and it was as treacherous a drive as you could ever want .. the number of 4x4s off in ditches was astonishing and I even watched one 360 on the road just after overtaking me and saw him slide into the median strip .. key for me was to keep it slow and steady and leaving a big gap .. winter tyres or not it's all of the other idiots that amp up the danger IMO. Having said all of that I may start looking for a set of winters for the Shogun for next year.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
Having snow tires and snow chains is all well and good if everyone uses them. It only takes one muppet to cause chaos and bring a motorway to a grinding halt.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Tankerdriver, indeed. rolling eyes
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Any car with summers you'll often find in a ditch or abandoned (4x4, FWD, RWD doesn't matter). Winter's allow you to take the snow covered backroad and avoid the hold ups, on the autoroutes they allow you to use the snowed up lane everyone is staying out of. This happened near Annecy where it snowed heavily end of Jan. I was able to get past the hold ups due to being able to use the snowed up auto route lane that was empty then take back roads. You also don't stop for chains, and so are able to make quicker get aways. If a road is blocked completely nowt you can do, until you can get off it, but with winters you have that option. summers and Chains doesn't realistically give you that option, unless you like stopping a lot between snow covered and cleared roads.

Winters give you those route options you wouldn't even consider with Summers.
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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.
Winters are amazing. I drove up from Sallanches through St Gervais to Les Contamines on Sat 21 in a rather horrible Fiat Punto hire car with winters on. I was able to snake between all the cars with summers on which were scattered around the roads as people lost traction and struggled with chains. I felt no wheel spin or slide at all.

Just changing our car and pretty much decided on a Skoda Octavia 4x4 (Scout estate thing) to replace our 5 series - ultimate ski car I reckon - 4x4, long enough for easy ski hauling, big enough for 4/5, not too heavy or tall (CoG) and not as obnoxious as big SUVs or an A6 Allroad (just winding everyone up Very Happy ) Will buy a set of winter wheels so I can run narrower winter tyres. Should get up pretty much anything without chains.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
No way the OH is not gonna notice a spare set of wheels and 265/65/17 tyres in the loft ... might need a new thread to discuss where to hide them until I can say " what those old winter tyres? had them for years ..."
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