 Poster: A snowHead
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Where do people like to stop, if they drive down through France on Friday so as to maximise time in resort on changeover Saturday?
I'm planning a drive from the Tunnel to 3 Valleys around Easter - probably first week in April so not the actual Easter w/e - and have flexibility to drive down on the Friday. A mate says he always stops at Bourg en Bresse and then does two hours into Avoriaz on Saturday morning, getting on the slopes by 10.30 (he claims).
Google Maps gives three hours from BeB to Courchevel. I was wondering about staying somewhere closer, like Chambéry or Moutier, and so minimise the driving time on Saturday morning.
My apologies if this has been done to death already.
Tom
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 31-10-15 11:47; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It'll not be a manic busy weekend. I'd stay in Moutiers. If you change your thread title to indicate Moutiers there are some snowheads who've stayed there and could recommend a hotel. I can't remember the name.
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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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We always try to be within an hour’s drive of our destination on the Friday night so that with a reasonably early breakfast we can be in the resort for about 9:00 a.m.
We usually just look for special offers on hotels within that distance lots of people here who can advise on specific hotels.
Don't forget about maximising your slope time on the day you leave as well. We will check out of our accommodation first thing in the morning and then ski until mid/late afternoon then drive 2-3 hours to a hotel, completing the rest of the journey home on the Sunday.
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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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Depends where you're starting. Last time we drove down we stopped in Lille. Not very far into France but it more-or-less split the journey in two. It gave us some time to wander round the city in the evening. Makes it into a relaxed two day journey rather than a stressy one and a bit day one.
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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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Hotel Terminus, Moutiers is fine, we stayed there some years ago.
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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've stayed at the Hotel Terminus a couple of times. It's cheap, cheerful and clean. We've also stayed at the Hotel Welcomes and that's fine too, as is the former Ibis in Moutiers that I (apologies) can't remember the new name of...
If you don't want to drive as far on the Friday, you could stay in Albertville and still get to Courchevel in under an hour the morning after.
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Dijon. Great place for a wander about and a meal on Friday evening and close enough to leave early Saturday and get to resort at a reasonable time.
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Although Dijon is about 4 hours ish from Courcheval, so to get there for lift opening time would mean a 5 am start.
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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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Stayed in the Ibis on the south east of Chambery (Challes-les-Eaux) after driving most of the Friday, which was ideal for the next morning, was in La Tania for 10.30am after a leisurely breakfast and drive. Worked out really cheap as well, room came to 42Euros for the both of us.
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Thanks to you all.
We're starting from N. Wilts, so about two and a half hours to Folkestone, then reckon on driving about 3 x 2.5hour slots on the French motorways. We could definitely get beyond Dijon, so Chambéry, Albertville or Moutiers all look possible.
I think availability of cheap b&b rooms for a family of six and proximity to a decent evening meal will swing it!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There are a load of really cheap places to stay in Chambery that have somewhere to eat right next to them, they are really basic but if its for one night - so what?
do a quick google search, from what I remember they are all pretty close to each other.
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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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Think it was a Campanile I stayed in with my family.
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Traffic around Lyon and the A46 can get very busy on a Friday afternoon with just the normal commuter traffic.
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You know it makes sense.
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@tomj, "it's not unusual"  to find cheap rooms in those areas.
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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 usually stay in Albertiville in the Roma, decent pizzas.. There is also a spa hotel called the Radiana nearby that I hear good things about. Also the usual F1 campanile etc...
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Poster: A snowHead
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Mrs Wooster and I stayed in Annecy when travelling to La Tania 2 years ago. Think it was under 2 hours to La Tania and we were on the mountain by 10 on the Saturday.
Never stayed in Moutier and whilst it's nice and close every time I've driven through it appears a bit of a ghost town mind you every time I've driven through it's either 7/8 am or late at night.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@tomj, we drive from the west side Gloucestershire so you get a head start on us but it sounds like you will be doing something similar to gain skiing time. We leave on Thursday after lunch/school pick-up, cross and stay around Calais on that night. We have a fairly easy drive on the Friday and usually stay in Albertville on Friday night in order to get to resort on Saturday morning, 3-Valleys being about an hour's drive.
As @Timc says, Lyon can be a bit manic when you hit it at 5ish on Friday as you'll also get all the Dutch and Belgian traffic mixing it with the commuters.
Enjoy the drive, it's meant to be a holiday after all!
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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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We always go for a 2 stop strategy but mainly because it extends the holiday for not much extra money. Also with 2 kids in the car 4 to 5 hours driving a day is plenty. We usually stop in Troyes first and stay at the Ibis Style. It has lovely family rooms and one of the best breakfasts you'll find in France. The second night we aim to get close for a short hop on the Saturday morning.
A couple of years ago we stayed in the Balladins hotel in Albertville. It's essentially a French Travellodge. No frills, cheap and decent location. If you like a bargain, this is the place to stay. If you prefer to pay more for a bit more luxury then check out some of the boutique hotels in Chambery.
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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: |
@tomj, "it's not unusual" to find cheap rooms in those areas.
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Tumbleweed...
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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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Albertville Ibis Budget every time for us.
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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've just booked a B&B (Le Clos de Flacé) in Mâcon for Easter Friday, means we won't be driving as long on the way down from Calais and will give me a relaxing evening and sleep, before setting off after breakfast in the morning, should arrive 3vs before midday with any luck.
Not massively fussed about getting there for first lift, won't be able to get into chalet immediately anyway.
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| Tiffers wrote: |
| Quote: |
@tomj, "it's not unusual" to find cheap rooms in those areas.
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Tumbleweed... |
I thought it was funny but this isn't Facebook, you don't have to "like" everything.
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best western, alexandra park in chambery is well located, right by the motorway, selection of eateries across the road at the shopping centre and petrol
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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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| Little Martin wrote: |
We've just booked a B&B (Le Clos de Flacé) in Mâcon for Easter Friday, means we won't be driving as long on the way down from Calais and will give me a relaxing evening and sleep, before setting off after breakfast in the morning, should arrive 3vs before midday with any luck.
Not massively fussed about getting there for first lift, won't be able to get into chalet immediately anyway. |
Oh we stayed there last December and are doing so again this year. Was great, fabulous meal if you're there in time for dinner - but you need to arrange it in advance. Really comfy rooms and lovely hosts.
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"Tumbleweed..." Genuinely laughed out loud at that!
Chambéry looks to have the best range of options. Will do for us. Moutier has always looked v small and dark whenever I've been through it.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@snowlamb, sounds good, we will be booking the evening meal, we should arrive there around 6ish
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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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Some great suggestions there. For us, we do the long slap on the Friday and get to Brides Les Bains for a one night stop over, means we get through all the poo bits the night before. Up for breakies, 30 mins or so to thE chalet (usually Meribel but have done 1550, 1650 and1850 from there). We pre-arrange with the chalet hosts to dump the car and get ready in the boot room and off we go. Back for dinner after a day of peaceful 'change over saturday skiing'! 
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We have stayed at La Cabriere hotel in La Lachere (about a mile from Moutieres) before. Pretty good and reasonably priced as I recall and well rated on Trip Advisor.
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You know it makes sense.
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The green green... tumbleweed... of home. 
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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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Don't be mean! There's nothing wrong with Moutiers, it's a valley town that's surrounded by steep mountains, that's why the road improvements they put in for the 1992 Olympics included a traffic control system to keep queuing traffic beyond the town boundaries to try to reduce pollution.
In our experience Moutiers doesn't try to be 24/7, it's a town that's smaller than Albertville, not surprisingly it doesn't have a 24/7 economy. I guess thats why it can appear to be a "ghost town" after about 2200 hours. I know, we have looked! And then made the final few miles to destination. On some occasions, eg Snowmagedon, I would very happily have stayed in Moutiers but not surprisingly it was all booked up.
It's so near destination points that you do need to be able get into your accommodation at any hour. Fortunately able to do that so Carrefour in Mousers is a regular stop, be it early morning or early evening. 
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