 Poster: A snowHead
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Finally booked our accommodation through Sun Web, very good value, includes a ski pass that's more expensive individually? We are driving to the resort, how easy is it and do the roads get cleared quickly if there is a dumping of snow. We are going in the 2nd April.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Road up the mountain to Belle Plagne can be quite an ordeal for those susceptible to car sickness, otherwise great. They get cleared incredibly quickly after a dump of snow. With the warm weather forecast next week as well the tarmac will be heating up nicely so any that does fall will quickly melt on the roads. I shouldn't worry.
That said, you should always make sure you have chains and winter tyres - coming down after a dump can be quite scary without!
Budget about 25 mins from Aime to drive up to Belle Plagne depending on traffic.
Have you pre-booked car parking? There are two large underground car parks in Belle Plagne (upper village and lower village) that charge about €70 per week - there is no other parking in the village. These often get fully booked in advance at Easter - If your package doesn't include it already speak to the tourist information before you go about pre-booking. The alternative is you get an hour free to drop your bags off then move the car down to Bellecote where the parking is more plentiful and slightly cheaper - you then have to get the bubble lift back up to Belle Plagne.
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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 drove over half term and it's not problem at all. It was snowing the Saturday we arrived and we didn't have any problems, but we were in a 4wd with winter tyres.
The roads were pretty clear until the split to go to La Plagne and Bellecote and Belle Plagne.
We paid to stay in the underground car park to save having to clear off the car when we came to leave.
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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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@chopkins13,
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make sure you have chains and winter tyres
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Really? That would be a major investment to acquire both if you don't already have them. Surely standard tyres and chains would be quite sufficient for the OP?
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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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Will it still be compulsory to carry chains in April? I'd have thought chains/snow socks and normal tyres would be ok.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@foxtrotzulu, sorry that should have read chains OR winter tyres. 99% of the time you'll be fine without either, just trying to be a responsible poster and suggesting they follow the official guidance 
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That said, you should always make sure you have chains and winter tyres - coming down after a dump can be quite scary without!
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Winter tyres are for winter. You are going in spring. You should use normal all season tyres. It would be very unusual for the roads not to be clear, but it does happen. I had to use chains once to go upto Les Arcs in April. But that was at 4:00 and the traffic hadn't cleared the roads by then. Later that day they were perfectly clear.
Have a good trip.
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You could encounter new snow falling on a warm road, one of the most slippery combinations. My four excellent winter tyred once fsiled to mke it up a road I'd driven all winter in some heavy snow conditions, with no problem. ordinary tyres should be OK provided you have chains and are prepared to use them.
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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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@pam w, That might explain why snowy roads in the UK always seem more slippery than snowy roads in the Alps.
@johnE,
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| Winter tyres are for winter. You are going in spring. You should use normal all season tyres. |
Actually, winter tyres are more accurately called 'cold weather tyres' To suggest they should only be used during months defined as winter seems perverse. The point about these tyres is that they are better at gripping snow and better in colder temperatures. If there happens to be snow on the road then, clearly, the most appropriate tyres for that moment would be cold weather/winter tyres unless you are suggesting that scientists in the Antarctic should be changing from winter to all-season tyres as soon as Spring arrives in September.
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Thanks for the information especially regarding the car parking, I had no idea. I have normal tyres and snow socks, so should be ok?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks @chopkins13
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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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Actually, winter tyres are more accurately called 'cold weather tyres' To suggest they should only be used during months defined as winter seems perverse.
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That is the point. For the majority of the drive temperatures will be in the teens. There is only a possibility for low temps for the last few km. You cannot change the tyres for just the last 20km.
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There's no problem doing the drive in temperatures above those where winter tyres become much better. My winter tyres, like other people's, are on from November until I drive home from the Alps in mid April. Many people keep them on all year. They are suboptimal in warm weather but not as suboptimal as summer tyres in cold wintry weather.
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You know it makes sense.
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| louiscrow wrote: |
| Thanks for the information especially regarding the car parking, I had no idea. I have normal tyres and snow socks, so should be ok? |
That will be fine in normal Easter conditions and a few cms of snow.
Listen to the forecast and if they are talking about 30cm + stop and buy a set of chains well before the mountains.
You may find that there are guys in chain up stops who will fir them for you for a fee.
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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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Really? In France? I've never seen any but it sounds a good way to earn a few bob. 
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