 Poster: A snowHead
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I know this is going to vary depending on lots of things like what car you drive etc but I just need a close figure to compare to some flights.
We are a family of 4. The kids will be 9 and 7 years. We drive a new golf estate. We will stay a night in this country and plan to get through the tunnel early. We are aiming for morillon.
Oh and it will be new year.
any advice on this would be great! This will be the first one with the kids! X
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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One's short term mental health 
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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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Check out a website called Mappy, it'll give you an idea of fuel and toll costs (you can specify the cost of fuel and the size of car). Factor in the cost of drinks, meals and snacks too.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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ALQ, is it that bad???
hammerite, thank you. I will have a look at that.
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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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VW Transporter London => Tignes via the route Google Maps says: Fuel&Tolls £250ew + Tunnel.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@breeze11, it's more than just fuel and tolls. do you already have european breakdown insurance and does your car insurance include overseas use?
Snow chains and winter tyres?
channel crossing ..you can get eurotunnel free with tesco voichers
Theres been a few threads on this before...someone will probably pitch in about wear and tear on the car 
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I used to have two kids (now three) so it was the four of us when I last drove from Cheltenham to La Tzoumaz. We used Tesco vouchers for the tunnel and stocked up with snacks etc before we left and just drove until we either needed fuel for the S-Max or fancied stretching our legs. probably cost about £400 return including a night's accommodation at the hotel chain B & B Hotels.
Now that Child 3 has arrived I cannot really see us flying to the Alps again as it is much cheaper, and IMHO, more fun as a family to drive. We can choose where to stop, where to shop, waht to look at on the way etc and the drive from Pontarlier to Lausanne is fabulous.
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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 work on the approximate figure of £400 return for fuel, tunnel and tolls. £50 of that is just getting to and from Folkestone in the UK, so it could be a lot less or more depending where you start. The most stressful part of the journey is the part in England
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| Quote: |
The most stressful part of the journey is the part in England
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+1.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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£400 ish , a bit more if you have a big/older/petrol car.
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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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Dont waste time leaving the auto route for cheap fuel, just fill up in England and drive till nearly empty ( Lyon in my case) and fill up again.
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We spent £400 on diesel in our 7m long and 3.2m high motorhome so a car should work out less. We avoided tolls as we had the time to use alternative routes.The tunnel cost £200 and we drove from Poole in Dorset. Obviously we didn't have to factor in accomodation which will bump it up a bit. 
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You know it makes sense.
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@blahblahblah, but remember that diesel is £0.15 per litre cheeper in France, about £1 a litre on the autoroute and a lot less at the hypermarkets
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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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Wow! Brilliant, thank you all. So I reckon if we budget 400 we should be ok. I should have mentioned that it is a company car so wear and tear dont matter to us. Also all of our ok fuel is covered. We would fill up before getting on the tunnel and then only pay for fuel when we needed it over there. I also think time would be more important to us than saving on the tolls.
holidayloverxx, I hadn't thought about European breakdown. I will look into that.
I think you are all right that this side will be the worst bit. We love in s.wales so its a bit of a trek. Also, unless I can get sunday to Sunday accommodation we will need to leave on Christmas Day!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@breeze11, If it is a new car then surely it will come with European breakdown cover as standard. My wife's compnay cars did.With free fuel for at least part of the journey £300 may be a closer estimate.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@breeze11, Check the ferries operate on Xmas day! They did not used to, but the tunnel did. Except that one Xmas day immigrants invaded the tunnel so nothing crossed the channel! We finally got over boxing day morning.
As a family of five, it was always cheaper to drive than fly or go by train, these days depending on the flight costs/fuel in what car we are taking, we reckon on average that break even is around 3 people, for making driving cheaper.
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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 drove down last time I went, filled up in UK and drove until empty, 450 miles later. I was not worried about the 0.15 a litre saving. Total door to door return was about 150 litres, so missed out on 22euros saved. 0.5% of the whole trip.
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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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That said will fly this year. It's just so long and boring. Even before the road closure/heavy snow fall issues.
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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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I reckon around the £500 mark, return, cheaper than flying and a hire car as long as there are 3+ in the car. Did an actual costing a couple of years ago and it was £450.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Here's a breakdown of our costs for the 2 of us for our trips to Les Gets in January and March using motorway all the way in France.
Journey approx 210 miles in UK and 550 in France
Ferry £64.00 (DFDS multitrip)
Fuel £170.00 (BMW X3 diesel automatic)
Tolls £119.00
Hotel £100.00 (2 nights, 1 down and 1 back)
Evening Meals £68.00
Total £521
It's not particularly cheap but is competitive with flights once you factor in all the costs of getting to the airport, parking, flights, ski carriage and transfers
What makes it special for us is that we leave home in the early hours of the Friday morning for a 6:00am ferry which means that we get to our hotel around Annemasse late afternoon. Saturday morning we leave the hotel dressed in our ski gear and drive approx 1 hour to Les Gets and as we have our own skis and boots and we preload our lift passes online its just a case of puting on boots and we get our first day skiing in. We leave the slopes mid afternoon to check in to our accomodation.
Leaving it's similar, get up reasonably early, dress in ski gear, empty the flat and load the car and check out of the accomodation before 9:00 (their rules) and then ski until about 3:00 and then do a couple of hours drive to our hotel and then return home on the Sunday.
This gives us 8 days skiing with 2 of them being on the quiet changeover saturdays.
Car Insurance - I always get from a company that includes automatic european cover, it cost a little more than those without but nowhere near as expensive as separately insuring each trip
Winter Tyres - I have winter tyres and get them put on around the end of November and off again around the end of March after our last ski trip in March. Yes, there is an investment, but they have got me out of more trouble in the UK than in France. Lot's of threads on the benfits of these.
Breakdown Insurance - we use Green Flag annual policy with European cover, again much cheaper than insuring separate trips.
Snow chains, again a bit like insurance, if you need to use them then you are more than glad that you have them and unlike insurance if you don't need them you can always sell them on ebay when you change your car.
As for the kids, lots of snacks, drinks, entertainment, games, soft pillow or a neck support plus a few observational games involving looking outside the car as this helps when you get the inevitable "Da......aad I don't feel very well" and don't forget the Wet Wipes.
I remember the joys of company fuel, fill up in Dover on the way out and arrive back in Dover empty and fill up just once in Cluses
Hope this helps
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Just returned from Meribel via Dieppe. Fuel (diesel - Ford Focus) was about £130 and tolls about 130 euro and ferry £142 (fairly late booking) so a total of around £375. Not including any overnight stops or fuel costs in the UK.
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Works out at £450 return whenever we do it, assume 40mpg, inc tolls, fuel, EU breakdown, chains are only £20 from Aldi but worth considering. With 4 in the car it is a no brainer if you can cope with long distance driving, we do it with 3 in the car because you can carry all the skis and other stuff, particularly food and a few basics if self catering - buying a fair bit of stuff in the UK or at French hypermarket is significantly cheaper than in mountain shops usually.
FWIW the tunnel has worked out quicker and more convenient for us on a recent trip, but being able to get out of the car and give the kids a decent meal on the ferry is probably worthwhile. Personally if I was doing it with kids in the car I'd stop over on the way or drive through the night if they will sleep in the car.
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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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For me it's largely not a question of cost. It's convenience. That said it's always good to have an idea, which you have got good replies on.
Just a couple of thoughts from me that I don't think have been mentioned.
Consider ferry v tunnel - ferry usually cheaper and longer break, tunnel, slicker and quicker
If you are skinflint like me there are hypermarkets very close to the motorways that are must cheaper than motorway services (~ 1.15 v 1.35 Euros atm)
Get a doofer for the toll roads - search on here, google appr and sanef.
If you drive overnight kids will sleep most of it and there is no traffic v day time you can see the countryside and less tiring for the drivers, sort of
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Supermarkets close to autoroutes that I can think of right now.
Reims Tinqueux
Reims Sud.
Nuits-St-George.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
Supermarkets close to autoroutes that I can think of right now.
Reims Tinqueux
Reims Sud.
Nuits-St-George. |
There's a Geant Casino just off the A6 in Chalon sur Saone (think it's exit 25 - the first Chalon exit going South) cheap fuel, cheap groceries and a cheap but good cafe.
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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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And don't forget that final fill up at Carrefour Calais, fuel and wine  . If it's a Sunday fuel at Carrefour and wine at Majestic.
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| Quote: |
For me it's largely not a question of cost. It's convenience
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Likewise
With a thirsty Disco that's a good job really 
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You know it makes sense.
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And fear.a bit anyway
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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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@breeze11, Having done the trip numerous times from when youngest was 1 (now 14) I would also thoroughly recommend Audio Books. Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter has helped on practically every trip for last 5 years!
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Poster: A snowHead
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A lot depends on where in the UK you live. A 300+ mile drive to exit this country reduces the appeal somewhat.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hull-Rotterdam is worth considering for us northerners. May cost more than a crossing down south but it's a heck of a lot less driving in the UK, the ferry is overnight so don't need a hotel and can be quite a relaxing way to start the holiday.
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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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.....and if you go via Germany there's no tolls (not much good if you are going to France though I guess!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Sitter, overnight ferries just never work for us, as it still means taking that day off work and hanging around at home before getting a ferry. We can't just knock off a couple of hours early. If I am taking a day off, I'd rather be driving to a nice hotel in Northern France than waiting for a boat. It never added up cost wise either, inevitably worked out more expensive (but haven't priced it for a while now).
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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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we like driving for the convenience of setting our own schedule, taking more luggage and having the use of car on holiday. Eg this week we are in a resort with no pharmacy and having the car enabled us to get medicines from a chemist 20 mins down the road. We sometimes use it to drive to another resort, you can stock up in valley supermarket etc. this year we are also on a longer holiday so a hire car would have been too expensive.
European breakdown and insurance cover is included in our standard policy so we have not paid anything for those. The car is vw bluemotion diesel - cheap fuel costs.
The things we do spend out on are en route hotels so it definitely comes to over £400 for us. we book the channel tunnel flexi plus with accommodation through peak retreats and would suggest looking at their website as they offer lots of accommodation in morillon.
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@stewart woodward, precisely. My bro-in-law is a regular user of Holland-Newcastle ferry. Has had appalling weather in winter and been delayed for many hours before the boat could cross/dock. He flew over last week and got caught in power cuts and gales on the plane too.
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I just checked out prices for EoSB week for Hull-Rotterdam return. £500 for 2 of us to cross with a standard 2 bed bunk cabin.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Wed 8-04-15 18:07; edited 1 time in total
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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 know @holidayloverxx, has mentioned things like chains, winter tyres and insurance... I've been marginally put off driving (considered it, but just not done it yet) by the car being frozen in resort if parked up for a week doing nothing. That said we've not really experienced to many big freezes as we tend to travel out for Christmas and Easter - although this could chancge if we get our own place.
Does any provision need to be made for car fluids that won't freeze up?
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@hammerite, As far as antifreeze is concerned then yes then you need to ensure that the concentration is at the recommended level and screen wash needs to be more concentrated than normal, concentrations for different temperatures are usually marked on the labels of good brands.
A lot of resorts have underground car parks which generally stay well above freezing and it means you don't have to dig your car out on the morning you leave. We try and book accommodation which has it's own garage space.
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FAQ
