 Poster: A snowHead
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So we are headed to Val D'Isere with our two kids next Easter. They will be aged 3 1/2 and 6 1/2 by then.
We have three options for travel:
Car: Travel down on Good Friday, stay overnight in Chambery and then get to the resort on Saturday morning. Travel back on Saturday, stay overnight somewhere north of Reims on the Saturday night and get back home on Sunday mid morning.
Train: Eurostar on Friday overnight, Eurostar back on Saturday day
Plane: Flight to Geneva and transfer to resort, then same in reverse.
To those people with kids, what do you think is the best option?
My thought is train because it doesn't involve waits in airports and being stuck in seats on planes and transfer minibuses and the car just seems like too much of a slog, although that was my preference before the kids came along.
Any thoughts are much appreciated
Thanks
Simon
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We always flew. It was all rather exciting for them, without any particular long or monotonous stretch.
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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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Car has always been easiest for us, even if it seemed like a long slog, although my kids loved the excitement of the airport when they were that age. Driving you can take their favourite stuff with you and stop when you need to. Don't forget you won't always have access to your accommodation until later in the day on the Saturday. Not a problem for a group of adults who can head of skiing for the day, but for a family, it can be a long day hanging around.
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I'd go for the flight mate - you just want to be there.
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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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@kosciosco, we have been going with our son since he was 1.5 y.o - its day eurostar for us every time except the very first one when we flew via Chamberry.
Tried the overnight once as well, but:
a) difficult to get a good sleep as even in standard premier seats are only slightly reclining. In standard they are upright only.
b) Depends on your accommodation, but ours could not check us in early, so wife and child were very grumpy and tired.
If you do go overnight, I strongly recommend standard premier, it's quiet, as most customers are with families, and seats are much more comfy.
Either way going by train is infinity better then flying. You avoid queuing on check in, queuing on passport control, mayhem at the baggage belt, long transfer via busy motorways etc...
And door to door time is pretty much the same.
Another good thing: you have got all your luggage with you. This is especially convenient with younger kids in case of accidents, etc...
ah, and under 4s travel for free!
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 16-07-15 16:52; edited 2 times in total
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Train would be the best option in my opinion but you need to book quickly for school hols. The tickets came out today and will sell out quickly on peak dates. The price also goes up the longer you leave it.
You might be best off with the day train both ways. If you do the overnight book standard premier. The good thing about doing the train with little ones is that your 3 yr old can travel free!
We have taken the train many times and it is the children's preferred option.
Self-drive also has its advantages but I think driving to Chambery in one day is a bit ambitious with a three yr old. Reims is a good place to stop on the way back.
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| Quote: |
Don't forget you won't always have access to your accommodation until later in the day on the Saturday.
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An important point - often overlooked!
I've done the train, but not with kids - I imagine it would be a good option if your home and destination are such that transfers are easy.
But really, flying is no big deal and as several people have noted, it's exciting for the kids. My kids always argued strongly against driving - with three of them in the back! They opted for coach, rather than drive, several times. But some kids travel well, especially if they can watch DVDs without being sick and if you can do some of the journey at night, when they'll sleep.
I don't think there's one right answer - but unless you go by car, do try to travel reasonably light. It's relative, with kids - but doable.
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We always drove, when ours were babies/toddlers we always did it in one day, to family in Geneva but we were only a couple of hours from the tunnel on this side! I liked the flexibility of stopping when needed and being able to just drive on and on and on when they were sleeping.
When ours were all primary school age onwards we always took the caravan with us (back in the day of cheapish fuel) and that was so very, very convenient! Head where you want, (wherever the snow was best) when you want, have everything to hand for any contingency etc etc! Overnight in a motorway aire near the Alps and we could easily ski the following day!
Whilst some of our long journeys may have been boring for them at times they did sleep a lot of the time. When they were younger journeys were often commenced late afternoon. After dinner on a ferry they would sleep all evening transfer to the caravan without waking in the early hours and get us up for an early start next day! By the time they were teenagers computer games and dvds helped while away long motorway stretches.
The plus side now, for our 3 children in their 20`s, is that they can drop asleep at a moment's notice, in a car (passenger obviously lol) on a train or on a plane. The oldest 2 have found that a very useful attribute when commuting all over the world on business!
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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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Thanks for all the advice, we have had a talk and our gut feeling is to go by car, for a few reasons.
Firstly, we aren't restricted on what we can take, so we can take a few more toys which isn't only good for the journey but also while we are there.
It also takes away the stress of the possibility of them kicking off in front of people. I can just imagine them running up and down the carriages on the train. I hated that before I had kids, so I wouldn't want to put other people through it.
I think our plan will be to head off on the Friday, not too early, cruise down taking as many breaks as needed and stop somewhere nice for the night. Then Saturday we can aim to get to the accommodation around midday-ish, maybe a bit later and have a mooch around.
Then on the way back we would do the same in reverse with the intention of being home around midday.
Has anyone ever done this kind of journey and does anyone have any recommendations for good places to stop for the night?
Cheers
Simonb
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| Quote: |
I think our plan will be to head off on the Friday, not too early, cruise down taking as many breaks as needed and stop somewhere nice for the night. Then Saturday we can aim to get to the accommodation around midday-ish, maybe a bit later and have a mooch around.
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You probably won't have access to accommodation before 4 pm.
Don't forget that, with small kids, once they are asleep in a hotel, you're stuck there in the room. I'd think about stopping around 6/7 for a meal and for them to have a run around and play (quite a few of the French aires have nice play zones), change them into pyjamas, clean teeth, drive a few more hours when they sleep and then stop a lot later when you are ready to crash. It doesn't then have to be somewhere "nice".
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As always. my recommendation is logis de france, there's two or three places between Troyes / Chaumont we've stayed with small child while driving and well, in short, you can't go wrong.
logishotels.com
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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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@kosciosco, it looks like you decided, but our experience has always been plane. It seems to be a series of events: to the airport, check in queue, security, restaurant, departure lounge, flight, security, baggage check, transfer coach. If there are no delays there is no time to get bored. We've found that long car journeys are hard work with constant demands for wees, I spy, food, wees . . .
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In some of the basic places, like the Ibis Budget (which is fine) there's a double bed with a single bunk thing on the top. You obviously can't put a 3 year old on a high bunk (and they are high) - I'd put the mattress on the floor and sleep the two kids on it. Or buy two rooms if you're feeling flush. But I find it difficult to justify spending too much on a place at which I arrive at 10 pm and leave early in the morning.
It's enjoyable to stop for a decent evening meal and overnight stop somewhere like Dijon centre (and there are lots of other places) but having small kids in tow makes that difficult, if not impossible.
When I did an all day train journey on a Norwegian train recently there was a "family carriage" with a big play area, sort of "soft play". I walked past it on my journeys to the restaurant car every now and then and it looked like a fantastic asset - my kids would have loved it when they were little. A very civilised idea.
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You know it makes sense.
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I don't think there is a best option. We've been going with ours twice a year since they were 2 & 4, now 7 & 9. We've driven, usually through the night. We have our ski gear, take sledges and self cater which works well with driving. Going overnight means the kids sleep rather than get bored. And means there is the option to ski the second Saturday. Going out we usually do a supermarket stop on the way in. We've been lucky to be able to get in our apartment most of the time. Otherwise the kids go play in the snow, we have a wander, buy lift passes. I did the train before kids and I like travelling by train. Flying would be least favourite these days just on account of the amount of faff and hassle.
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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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@henzerani, I've with you all the way with that. Planes, a novelty and therefore exciting, car journeys, boring, are we there yet, eat, drink, wee, sick, argue, kick seat in front annoying, rinse, repeat, never again.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@henzerani, @maggi, I'm with both of you!. My kids absolutely love planes and have flown since they were a few months old. It seems like hassle to adults, but they enjoy watching their bags go down the conveyor belt, putting their soft toy through the security scanner, looking at the planes etc. A few quid extra on speedy boarding is well worth it to avoid check-in queues, and at many airports now (including GVA) you can also pay a few quid for fast track security. I fly quite a bit and >10 mins queueing for security, passports or checkin on scheduled flights is a rarity nowadays and vs friends who drive, they've had far more breakdowns and traffic jams than I've ever had delays (I think my cumulative delay in past 50 GVA flights over 5 yrs is <2hrs).
We often think about driving, but every time we realise that it costs at least as much as flying (once you throw in a hotel room, and costs more if you need snow tyres, chains etc.) and takes an extra day.
Saying all that, we're off this pm by car for a week! Decided too late, and dropping £1.5k on flights + rental car seemed excessive.
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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: |
It seems like hassle to adults, but they enjoy watching their bags go down the conveyor belt, putting their soft toy through the security scanner, looking at the planes etc
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A man who knows how to travel with kids! If you engage them, talk to them, explain what's going on, it's much easier. My 3 year old grandson, with his parents, recently spent 7 hours in the (very limited) Genoa airport waiting for a delayed Ryanair flight, with very little info. Adults were getting thoroughly fed up but the little lad found a friend and with a handful of toy cars, spent the entire time having fun driving their cars somewhere new. When I met them at Stansted I was witness to the touching scene when they said goodbye to each other. Their common language was a smattering of English.
When my two little boys were growing up in Surrey Gatwick airport was a place we sometimes took them for a day out, when it was pouring with rain. They adored it. (That was before soft play had been invented). We had a Richard Scarry book with loads of pictures about airports. If we were feeling really indulgent we went on the train. A very special treat.
At 2 and 4 they did an enforced and unscheduled 8 hour stopover in Addis Ababa, bussed into town having had our passports politely removed by a startlingly good-looking man with a nasty-looking gun. The fuss some people make about a 90 minute flight to go on a lovely family holiday is a bit OTT.
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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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The thing nowadays is to have a Trunki.
Get them one for Christmas - they will have great fun pulling them around seeing how many old ladies they can trip over, and when they get tired they can sit on it and get towed.
Sorry - picture off the internet.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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My son has been flying since he was 3 weeks old. We took him to Barbados when he was 7 months, Dubai at 2, Barbados again when he was 3, back to Dubai at 5 and many more short haul flights. Your 6.5 year old will be fine. My son has a cheap android tablet that I have loaded with movies and he is more than happy to stick his headphones on and watch movies both at the airport and on board. In fact, I'm typing this from the lounge at Faro and he is sitting in front of me with his headphones on watching a film. 
The journey from GVA to Val d'Isere is a bit of a slog but last year when we did it he spent most of the time looking out the window at the scenery.
As others have said, buy Fast Track security in advance, perhaps even treat yourself to an airport lounge (your youngest will probably be free) and just chill. The more chilled you are the more chilled the kids will be.
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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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My kids have flown numerous times too, just not skiing, and yes they do love it. But by and large my kids love going on any trip by any form of transport. If I asked them I doubt they would express a preference - or at least that preference would change with the wind. And they take no account of practicalities because of course they don't have to deal with them. So, ultimately it is down to what is more practical, cost effective and efficient for the parents. And a lot of that will depend on what type of holiday you are doing (TO/DIY, catered/SC, etc.), budget, where you are starting from or going to, what gear you want to take, whether you want/have a decent winterised car etc. Then there is of course the personal preference of the adults. Some don't like driving, some don't like flying, some don't like trains. Some find one more hassle than the other.
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I'd always been of the opinion that, despite all the downsides, plane travel was best for going with the kids as they're never stuck in one place too long - car trip to the airport: 1h, airport to the plane 2h, plane to Chambery 2.5h, Cham to mountain 2.5h - breaks the journey into manageable bits. But we did the train for the first time last season and I have to admit to being surprised as to how well the kids (3 and 5) coped with the experience. I'd suspected that being put in one seat for 7 hours would have them bouncing off the walls, but they were fine, and the <1h transfer from Moutiers to La Tania was the payoff at the end. Traditionally we'd always done flights to Chambery then coach to whatever resort we were staying in, which was normally about 2-2.5 hours away, which sucks with kids who've been up since 5am or earlier to catch the flight, and you can be sure one will be feeling queasy by the end of the mountain road.
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Highlight of the last flight with my kids was when the BA checkin lady let them press the button to send their bags down the belt.
Then when the flight had an ATC delay of 20 mins, the pilot invited all the kids into the cockpit (and the poor cabin crew were almost killed in the rush).
I always rent a car at the other end - usually cheaper than transfers and greater flexibility. Last year I collected my son from school at 3.45 and I think we reached Chamonix by 9.30 UK time, with plenty of time for dinner etc. on the way.
PS as Pam says - trunkis are great. Lots of space for trunki races in the long tunnels at GVA!
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There is no right answer, it's what suits you and your family.
We drive and have done since the twins were 1, just as we couldn't face taking twins on plane or train. The following year we had a 3-month old as well so again car appealed for our situation.
Have stuck with it ever since will be 15 and 13 come Easter!
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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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If we didn't fly then I'd drive before I'd take the train. @kosciosco, your location is Bedfordshire so I assume that you'd still have to get from home to St Pancras on another train. So that would be drive (or taxi/friend) to your local station and then change at St Pancras to catch the Eurostar. That is still a bit of faffing and no better (IMHO) than going to an airport.
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Bedfordshire would be the easiest place to get to from St Pancras. The trains to Bedford leave from there. Better than within London!
I'd suggest that it depends. I used to get travel sick so a long car journey would be worse than the train for me (fone on trains). If one of the kids is prone to ear infections flying would probably be miserable too...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@kosciosco,
train will take you to Bourg St Mourice leaving the last half an hour to get to Val. Geneva to Val is another longish stretch of a road, same or even longer than a flight to Geneva, so it may feel like two trips rather than one. On a train you can still wonder arround and do some activities. Car is the slowest but most flexible as you can leave and stop wherenever you like. I would consider plane if going to resorts that are closer to Geneva, for Val d'Isere plane would be my last option, train being my fav options (although i was only traveling by rail with a group of friends and with my family always by car).
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Mon 20-07-15 6:50; edited 1 time in total
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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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We have driven from the north east to Andorra many times with the kids, always overnight while the kids sleep.
things I now consider very important for the journey
dvd player for when the kids are awake
payage transponder so no need to disturb the sleeping co driver for tolls
sat nav even if you know the route for when you miss a turn
cruise control , takes some getting used to but far less tiring on long journeys
two drivers, even if one is not confident, it's a doddle on the motorway and let the confident driver do the fiddly bits
I've never considered stopping overnight, it just seems a waste of time and expense
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| Quote: |
I've never considered stopping overnight
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That's another one of those "whatever works for you" areas - certainly makes sense to drive overnight, but I know I couldn't do it! Well I could but would wipe me out for days after - need my kip
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You know it makes sense.
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WHen my son was young, overnight in the car was the best way; he just slept the whole way. only being woken up at the ferry. In fact he still sleeps the whole way most of the time but last night on the way back from Grenoble I did notice the glow from two kindles in the back where my wife and son rested.
like @tangowaggon, I cannot see the point of stopping overnight
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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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I would have thought that if you live within an hour of the tunnel, an early start should see you in a French Alps resort by bedtime?
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Poster: A snowHead
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We always stop over somewhere on the way, but have a 5+ hour journey to Folkestone. I've never been comfortable with the thought of what could be a 15 hour overnight drive. Like Boris , I need my sleep. Hubby wouldn't sleep in his 'rest' time, so would still be tired when I needed a break.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Best options for travel with small kids?
Shotgun, shovel and a quiet lay-by
looking for coat and taxi 
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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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| pam w wrote: |
The thing nowadays is to have a Trunki.
Get them one for Christmas - they will have great fun pulling them around seeing how many old ladies they can trip over, and when they get tired they can sit on it and get towed.
Sorry - picture off the internet. |
Love seeing those trunki's at airports - I'm not sure which I get most enjoyment out of.. seeing all those kids having fun with them, or the thought of all those gutted smug dragons who rejected it in the Den!!! 
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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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Not just any old trunki, the gruffalo trunki must be the one to have.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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My kids would have loved one. 
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I do confess that I make my overnight as nice as possible. I couldn't stand a fenced in hotel on an autoroute services. The journey has now become part of the holiday.
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@Hells Bells, ditto
For us it works - nice hotel, nice meal and then up early the following day. Hit Albertville for mid-morning and get the shopping done for week, in resort early afternoon and sort out passes, ski hire etc. Have always been able to get into apartment around 3, so by 5 all settled with drink and dinner on the go 
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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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To those who drive overnight, how on earth do you get your kids to sleep all night in an upright position? Our car is really comfortable for long journeys and the back seats recline slightly but even so there is no escaping the fact that the children need to have the seatbelt over their shoulder all the time and it is hard to sleep comfortably in that position. Once in a blue moon one of them doses off for an hour during a daytime journey and usually they wake up as their neck is aching/uncomfortable.
We always stop in Novotel / Ibis styles type hotels en route to the Alps and having the stop each way extends the holiday.
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| Quote: |
| To those who drive overnight, how on earth do you get your kids to sleep all night in an upright position? Our car is really comfortable for long journeys and the back seats recline slightly but even so there is no escaping the fact that the children need to have the seatbelt over their shoulder all the time and it is hard to sleep comfortably in that position. |
Lot's of cushions and blankets. Sometimes they will put their feet up and across, sometimes they will lie across. It's not much different to what an adult would do really. Sometimes ours will doze on the way to the tunnel/ferry. Then half an hour after the crossing it will be very late, dark and they will just sleep through with perhaps one toilet break. They've never complained of stiffness.
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FAQ
