Driving to a ski resort - whats it like?

A snowHead

RachelQ, and every body on this thread. I think that it is definitely cheaper to self drive from 3+ in a car upwards. However I think that there are 4 prime benefits.
1) You have your own destiny in your own hands, and are not generally subject to the vagaries of airport delays, and and horrendously long transfers (Geneva to the Tarentaise in particular).
2) You can make the outward journey part of the holiday enjoyment if you travel on a Friday evening across the channel and then find a nice traditional French welcoming BB (try www.sawdays.co.uk and look for Les Cohettes at Auchy or try direct http://www.chambresdhotes-chezgina.com/ near St.Omer- you won't be disappointed) Les Cohettes is old French for OWLS - visit the web site and you will understand!!
3) If you go self-catering you really can score by taking a frozen casserole for your first night's meal, plus stock up with inexpensive wine or beer or both either on the ferry or at the French Supermarkets en-route. You can take all your ski gear in comfort, but you you will need a roof-rack at least.
4) In your resort you have the freedom to travel to the shops, local restaurants, and other ski resorts in the locality.
So in my book it's a big plus for self catering. It is still my preference for a hotel based stay but less so than self catering. I wouldn't self drive ski to anywhere more than 675 miles from Calais with good motorway connections as I reckon without stops one should be able to average around 60mph on the open road.
We often go to Valais in Switzerland out Friday night arrive Sat 17:00 back in one day leave Sat 09:00 back in Surrey 24:00 same day.
NB I admit that you do really need to live in SE England for the best benefit. snowHead

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

We will be driving to the PDS on Friday evening and I was going to stop after about 4-5 hrs, hopefully around dijon. Any ideas for a place to stop?

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There are a number of hotels around the Formula 1 at Dijon.... South (I think) but unfortunately can't remember what they're called so not much help really! Only thing I would say is if Dijon is your plan, I'd find something and book it now as we had the devils own job finding somewhere on spec last February half term

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Driving to LDA on Friday night. Ferry leaves Dover at 8pm and driving through the night. We find this is alot easier with the 3 kids asleep in the back than the usual " are we nearly there?" This'll be our 4th driving trip.

Planning to be in LDA for late breakfast/ early lunch.

If you enjoy driving, then I'd recommend it.

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mac, if you can;t find anywhere close to the autoroute, PM me as I know a nice B&B next to Gevrey-Chambertin, I can hunt out the details for you if you like. Family rooms and breakfast around 65 euros.

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Doesn't the decision to drive 800 miles each way (often with wife & kids in tow) presuppose you have a large, comfortable and above all reliable car? Even though my 4 year-old car has hardly missed a beat, the idea of thrashing it for 10 or 12 hours almost non-stop isn't a pleasant one.

Clearly if you're fortunate enough to have a Company car with fuel paid, it costs almost nothing to do the trip and I don't imagine break-downs are too much of a concern as it's almost certainly a fairly new car. I don't fancy being hauled all the way back by the RAC Shocked

Are you all driving Merc estates or Range Rovers?

After all it is free

Red Leon, you're being way too cautious there.

If your car is only 4 years old and you get it serviced before you go it'll be fine.

I've got a 2000 Galaxy that's done over 160,000 miles, it's been to South of France twice, West Coast of France once,Flaine, Tignes, La Plagne twice and it's still going strong.

Red Leon, don't worry about the car, not a problem for any well-looked after car to drive there. In the Summer, there's always loads of classic cars crossing the channel. We saw loads of Citroen 2cvs travelling from France to Scotland last year.

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Have done the trip in a 5 year old Galaxy, never any problems. These days it's a new (ish) Chrysler Voyager - smooth as silk!

Setting off for Alpe D'huez on Saturday morning. Aim to leave around 7.00 for a 10.00 (tunnel) Crossing. Stopping in Troyes (Mercure Troyes Centre) Saturday night and should be at Alpe D'huez by 2-3 ish on Sunday. (Check in at Club Med is 3, so this all works out fine), journey in two nice easy cruises. Coming back need to do it in one day to get the kids back to school, but we've done it before, in around 12-14 hours depending (mostly) on British traffic. This will be our 5th or 6th (I lose count!) trip across, and Red Leon, it's not 'thrashing' just an easy cruise around 70-85 mph which any modern car will eat.

mac, Dijon is a bit far for us as a 'halfway stop', From Leicester the mileages are roughly:

Calais 200, Reims 350, Troyes 450, Dijon 550 and then pick your Alpe resort all around 800 (Alpe D'huez is about 770)

So we tend to stop in Reims or Troyes depending on our leaving time. Coming back if we are stopping it tends to be Reims. We normally book in advance just to save the hassle of having to find somewhere during the journey. If plans change (and they have) we just re-book, and with 24 hours notice most hotels seem happy to accept a change for no penalty.

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Red Leon, I too have a 2000 (I think) Galaxy (my own!). Drove down to Tignes in 2004 and will drive around France this summer. In the past (with an MGB) I've used the RAC rescue service in France a couple of times; bit of a pain, but not a massive inconvenience. I wouldn't think twice about doing it if it's convenient for you.

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Red Leon, just a reminder that any of us can need the breakdwon truck, whatever the age of the vehicle. Ours was 6 weeks old when we put in some dodgy Italian diesel.

if you get up at four you can be in austria and on the slopes by lunchtime (if your within an hour of stanstead that is) .. much as i hate flying and airports getting the job done like that cant be passed up.. likewise on the way back you can ski a full day n get home by midnight..
sure u can get delays but that probably levels off with breakdowns punctures blocked roads delayed crossings.etc..
if i lived oop north i would never consider driving. the thought of 5 odd hours of uk motorways would be too much..
i have driven to tignes, leaving again at the crack of dawn, did it in one hit and really enjoyed it.. as i said i hate flying and i dont drive much so it was almost an adventure.. also if your saucepans are younger its much easier in the car .. if your within reasonable range of the channel tunnel n dont mind paying for the train n the fuel to really get cracking than i would drive to france

You know it makes sense.

CANV CANVINGTON, Another voice of reason.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

CANV CANVINGTON, we often leave 'oop north' about 7am on either Saturday or Sunday aiming for a lunchtime eurotunnel crossing around 1.30 ish. We're always early and make the previous train, also even the M25 and Dartford crossing are relatively quiet, especially so on Sunday morning. By 5pm we're usually in our hotel for the night. I know we'd have been there if we;d flown from newcastle despite our limited airport options, but we can't take the dog then. We only ever drive if it's a 2 week holidays though, even if part of the holiday isn't skiing.

A snowHead

AxsMan, I did think about troyes, but wanted to do as much mileage as poss thinking that the roads were going to be real busy on saturday morning, what with the french and our half terms. Last year I only stopped in a layby byside lake geneva for an hour or so. Wife wants a little bit more comfort this time and it should make for better skiing on sat afternoon. I'll check the web sites for F1 and co. As I don't intend to stop until late the b&b option isn't really on.

A snowHead

As a word of warning there were heavy queues at the Lyon peage southbound at 11.00 am (cet) last Saturday morning. With the UK half term starting this Friday expect the worst!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Red Leon, Mildly raising my eye-brows at what you consider to be reliable cars. I haven't checked it (doubtless someone will) but I suspect the two you mention would be nearer to the bottom of the list than the top. (p.s I am not a car buff!) snowHead

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CANV CANVINGTON, Get this . ... you are now 'The voice of Reason' .... oh how this Board has fallen. !!

Flying is best unless you have so much gear it is impossible ... working out the angles and 'corners' is part of the game.

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Having flown and driven there are valid points to both arguments. There are other ways of driving there as well especially if you live near the central south or even the midlands and Wales.
We regularly take the ferry from Porstmouth when we take the kids (from our house 20 mins).Go on a Thursday evening to Le Havre or Caen (these leave at 23:30) comfortable cabin sleep later and you arrive in France at 07:00 the following day.
A leisurely drive to say Grenoble or Albertville of 100 miles fewer than from Calais another overnighter in an F1 and you can be on the slopes for the 1st lift Saturday if you are keen........... yes you have to drive around Paris but this is still easier than the M25 to get to Gatwick!
If you stay Self Catering in a Pierre et Vacances for example, the ferry through some operators is included in the price,the cabin is a bit more.
If you are mega keen then ski the Sat you leave, get in the car after the lifts close and stop on the way back, we normally stop around Lyon in an F1. Then a leisurely drive back to a 5pm ferry landing in Portsmouth around 9pm.
This method 2 extra days skiing for 1 extra days holiday RESULT!............
All in all a trip for 5 at the end of March in the school hols for less than £125 per head is what we are paying this year, staying in La Tania.
OK add fuel and tolls and hotel, but still significantly less than £200 per head. I doubt you could fly for this price even on a late deal (which you wouldn't risk with kids)

Yes a comfy car is preferable, yes it needs to be relatively reliable, but motorway driving cruising is easy mileage and low stress on any car regardless of age....... if you have a diesel even better as this is still a lot cheaper in France than over here.

After all it is free

RDSpearing, Overnight ferries out of Portsmouth are not renowned for their cheapness

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Of the 3 trips we make to the Alps each year - one is driven from Devon (where I grew up) to La-Plagne/Les-Arcs usually. Leave mid-afternoon Friday, catch pm ferry at Dover and then drive overnight. Arrive in resort around mid-morning after a stop-off in Albertville to stock-up on tucker and booze. The only drag is the first 4 hours or more in France where it is fields after fields after fields after fields. And it's flat. Stop off at Reims, for example.

For us, a flight plus transfer is so dull and although quicker - you get into the resort at the same time minus an extra half-day holiday. But the no hassle travel, very cheap fuel and food and absence of waiting makes it worth it. Try arriving in a self catering apt up the mountain with nothing but the Spar shop to buy food for 14. About 20-30 Eur a day incl. booze. We spend about 35-40 Eur for the week now.

If you're parking outdoors, unlike most resorts we visit with underground parking, try and run your car up and down the mountain once a day just to prevent any misery when trying to turn the poor thing over when it's been at -10 to -20 all week.

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Fogliettaz,

You know it makes sense.

boredsurfin, Anyone can do it , not sure if it still works but you used to be able to get them in Calais ,, best thing to do is to get one closest to your 'biggest' charge as that peage is discounted by 10 % ....

EDIT - Just realised that is dangly bits. My cards/autopeage passes are linked to a French 'Direct Debit' on a French bank account ... however still think you can get prepaid in Calais, anyone tried recently ?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Driven, flown, train'ed to France. Trained, flown to Austria. All have their plus and minus points.

I do like the driving , and definitely with the others regards the overnight stop being " a part of the holiday".

We always go for : http://www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/index.htm : a fantastic association of family run hotels across the whole country. We stop no-where else in France (all seaons), have never had a bad experience, and recommend it highly.
PS its a bit of a secret, so don't tell everyone.

Quick tip: Avoid New Year - Bourg St Maurice to Moutiers (what... 25km?) - 4 hours!!! ohh that was stressful.

Flying - if not with TOs, then a lot better for getting flights on time, and avoiding the Lyons cattle shed, but car hire puts price up. Transfer times and/or early starts dictate the pace of your holiday, and IMHO you wind up before winding down.

Train - probably the easiest, but not cheap. And you do need to be near a resort wth a direct connection from Northern Europe / UK, or time and prices start to rise.
You do lug large amounts of luggage around in the UK when not necessarily close to starting points. Waterloos / Ashford / Dover (Calais). Again, car parking at latter two doesn't come free.
But is great with kids for space, refreshments, distractions. Doing it once more in 25 sleeps

Not coached. Or cycled.

A snowHead

I was thinking about Telepeage this year but had been told you need a french bank account. However I have just Googled Telepeage on a UK search and it seems you can now get them with a credit card and some ID. I have not read all the posts yet but looks interesting. Seems like it costs 30 euro for the unit which you get back if you were to return it and 2 euros per month for any month in which you use it, plus the toll charges.

A snowHead

and try to avoid Saturday trips, especially on the busy weekends, unless you positively enjoy sitting for hours in traffic jams.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

gsb, Thanks, Have used Google and found all relevant info. It's an extra €48 a year.... I'll stick to the CB queue!

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If you do decide to drive then check out www.speedferries.co.uk £25 each way Dover/Boulogne.

Meg Very Happy

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

boredsurfin, We use the peage as a way of getting rid of all the accumulated Euro coins from previous trips. A typical charge is less than 20 Euros, so Mrs Ax has a bg full of coins and (normally) has the right amount ready when we reach the gate. Of course sometimes we have to use a note but the challenge is to have as little change as possible left when we arrive. - Fun game to keep us amused on the trip!

(So if you are stick behind a black Voyager with top-box next week, counting out cents at the gate, you'll know who to blame Twisted Evil

)

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AxsMan, I hope there is a snowHeads sticker or two on that top box Shocked

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After all it is free

CANV CANVINGTON, Shocking news, how can this be !

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snowbunny, i have no idea.. i always thought this board was an ocean of reasonableness.. if i have risen to the top then obviously it was more of a puddle.!
i always considered myself a bit of a rebel, obviously middle age respectability hasn't so much crept up on me unnoticed as just smacked me fully in the chops.. im off to start a row about the enviroment, global warming,boarding being better than sking and the merits of people up the mountain having the right of way.

Help!!

Driving to a ski resort - whats it like?

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