 Poster: A snowHead
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Perfect thank you, I am also thinking on driving to Moutiers and getting a taxi from there as another option.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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This season I drove to Tignes in December and Maribel in February. I carried chains but did not have to use them.
I thought that the road up to Meribel might be the most difficult of the two in snow. I felt that it had more steep corners than the road to Tignes.
As someone else has pointed out, Meribel is chalet land with some steep access roads. I would say that you must carry something be it snow socks or chains.
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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 and another couple both hired cars at Lyon airport last week to drive to La Plagne. Both had winter tyres. There was no need for snow chains of course as the weather was blazing sunshine all week
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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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Snow now forecast for the next few days. We are driving to Meribel from Scotland next week. Hope the snow keeps coming to top up the pistes as it is needed!
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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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Having done that drive a few years ago in an S2000 (in summer not winter mind you), I suspect your main problems will be tinnitus from the motorway road noise and DVT from the low driving position, rather than loss of traction.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Why would a low driving position make a DVT more likely? Mind you, I wouldn't go 10 miles in an MX5 if I could avoid it, let alone to Meribel. I have a friend with an MX5 and a Volvo estate and when she turns up to give me lift a couple of miles to the marina I always pray she'll be driving the Volvo and I won't have to be scraping my backside along the road. Not to mention cram my bag into the teeny weeny space and stash food for the weekend under my knees.  A cute little car is totally wasted on me.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Why would a low driving position make a DVT more likely? |
I complained about the driving position in my Merc. When you raised the seat it kind of tipped forwards at the same time leaving the backs of my legs unsupported, and me perched on the bones of my @rse. Anyhow, the response was that "extensive research" has shown that the effects of sitting down for long periods causing DVT can be reduced if you keep your hips above your knees when driving.
I conducted my own extensive research (down the pub), and ended up putting a couple of spacers under the front runners to lift the front edge of the seat up by a couple of inches. Much more comfortable. 
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@IamDanKeeley We take our BMW M235i Convertible skiing every year, sometimes twice - that's a (relatively light) 330 BHP RWD car. We usually hit snow at least once each trip. But it has winter tyres and an LSD. I still have chains as well, because while winters are better than summers or summers+socks, but they still have their limits. As mentioned, the trickiest issues I've had have been with the steep and un-straight slope out of the apartment block's underground car park. And the worst surface has been churned slush (where it's unclear whether you can make it without chains, or have to put them on) rather than ice (where you just have to put the chains on).
So my advice is in an ideal world, to have winter tyres + chains. If that's simply not feasible in terms of cost and usage, then have socks + chains. The socks turn your summer tyres into winters (up to a point) but as mentioned, even winters (or socks) have their limits.
Irrespective of all this, if your car has a setting for snow traction, then research how to engage this. Don't leave it 'till you're approaching the resort. On our car, there's a button I have to press if I go onto snow, sand or gravel. But it's labelled with an icon that means absolutely nothing (certainly it isn't a snowflake symbol or anything obvious like that). @Robbieog11 This also applies to rental cars and can be something of a challenge if the manual isn't in the car and/or in an unfamiliar foreign language.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Thu 31-03-22 11:41; edited 4 times 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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@Robbieog11 https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Mottaret/6day/mid are forecasting 7-11 cm on Thursday night/Friday morning, so you might need chains or snow tyres for the final part of your journey. It is compulsory for a car to be equipped with one and/or the other in the Savoie region until 31 March. A lot will depend on how far up in Mottaret, you need to go. You can usually get up to Mottaret Centre without any difficulty but the run up to Le Hameau (Route du Laitelet) can get pretty slippery. I would definitely check that you have the right snow chains before leaving the airport and work out how to fit them in daylight, in case you do end up needing to use them later. Also make sure that you have a torch, gloves, something to kneel on and plastic bags for carrying wet chains, if required. If it is snowing and you are going up to the top (Le Hameau), it may be worth paying to go into the underground carpark for the night to save having to faff around trying to get into one of the outside parking places.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Wed 30-03-22 19:24; edited 1 time in total
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@Robbieog11 https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Mottaret/6day/mid are forecasting 7-11 cm on Thursday night/Friday morning, so you might need chains or snow tyres for the final part of your journey. It is compulsory for a car to be equipped with one and/or the other in the Savoie region until 31 March. A lot will depend on how far up in Mottaret, you need to go. You can usually get up to Mottaret Centre without any difficulty but the run up to Le Hameau (Route du Laitelet) can get pretty slippery. I would definitely check that you have the right snow chains before leaving the airport and work out how to fit them in daylight, in case you do end up needing to use them later. Also make sure that you have a torch, gloves, something to kneel on and plastic bags for carrying wet chains, if required. If it is snowing and you are going up to the top (Le Hameau), it may be worth paying to go into the underground carpark for the night to save having to faff around trying to get into one of the outside parking places.
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