 Poster: A snowHead
|
We (family of 4, children now 11 and 13) usually drive to Bourg St Maurice at half term and have up to now had a well practiced routine. In the past, we have always been able to access our accommodation (in Bourg) very early on the Saturday morning, so on the Friday we would get a 9 or 10pm ferry from Dover (couldn't get there earlier due to traffic and school), drive through the night and arrive in the morning. Doing it this way meant that there was little to no traffic up to Lyon, although last year there was quite a bit of traffic once we passed Lyon. We never skied on the Saturday, but did organise ski passes and hire, unpacked, did the food shopping etc and rested up so we would be fresh for the first day of skiing on the Sunday.
This has worked well for us but this year we are not going to be able to access our accommodation until 3pm on the Saturday so I have been thinking about alternative options, as I don’t fancy arriving at 8 or 9am and waiting around. We could leave on the Friday evening as usual and stay in a hotel on the way down. My concern there is that we are unlikely even if we take the train instead of the ferry to arrive in France much before 11pm-midnight due to the half term traffic on the m25. That would mean that we would need to sleep quite close to Calais. Alternatively, we could leave home around 3:30am, get a 6am train and be in Calais about 7:40. Either way, I guess we would be leaving the Calais area at around 8am on the Saturday. I am conscious that this year our half term coincides with the Paris holidays. What I don’t know is whether by leaving at around 8am from Calais, we likely to miss the bulk of the Paris traffic, or will that take us into the peak time? If the latter, are there any other suggestions for how to time this?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
we re being naughty and taking the kids out of school on the Friday and getting down to just past Lyon, to make sure we are well ahead of Saturday's traffic into the Tarentaise.
Staying at the ParKest hotel
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@PollSki, leaving Calais at 8 would put you into peak traffic flow, I'd say. If you can' t arrive early, aim to be driving into resort at 6 pm at the earliest.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
@PollSki, I'd turn up at usual time - bit of brekkie and a bit of shopping, get lift passes etc and you're at 1ish. If you then ask for key bet you can get in early.
We generally arrive in resort at lunchtime and have never yet not been able to get into apartment
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Either as @altis suggests, or get the tunnel, then drive 3 hours or so and stay in a F1/Premiere Classe/Ibis budget near Reims. If you leave there around 8am, you'll be ahead of the traffic. Having said that, if you arrive in the Tarentaise any time after 3pm, be prepared for a slow drive up the valley.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
F1 cheap and cheerful. As with @Chamcham, Reims is good mark. F1 have 24 hr key reception, was a person there at midnight. Though you will hit traffic next day. After a number of drives like this I would prefer the night drive and have breakfast in resort as @Polski suggests rather than slog France on th eSaturday (queue for everything - 30 minutes just to fill up!).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks for the hotel recommendations. The problem is I doubt that I will arrive in Reims much before 2-3am, and at that point I may as well just do the whole journey in 1 hit and wait it out in Bourg as @Boris suggests. My main concern this year is the Paris traffic. Last year it was quite bad past Lyon when we got there early in the morning. I can only guess that this year it will be gridlock from late morning to most of the afternoon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We always used to drive through the night on Friday , the drive was so easy no traffic no hold up no queues at stations and be in resort at 7.00 am and then on the slopes first thing ........bit knackered by Saturday night but it was worth it , then we started driving through the day on Friday and the roads are busy very busy but usually moving and wed stay in a little village off the motorway after Chambery , so an hours drive in the am and were in resort . The last few years we've notice the Friday traffic to be much heavier and have had to limit the Friday drive to Lyon but even leaving Lyon hotel at 6.30 am we hit traffic and didn't get into Val D'isere until midday last year .There is no doubt the night drive ensures no traffic but it screws the body clock up ,the day drive takes longer but arrive less jaded . the choice is yours .
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
We also hit traffic at Lyon in the morning last year which is why I'm thinking of driving on the Saturday during the day. I do expect traffic but will it be gridlock, or will we have missed the main traffic if we arrive in London at say 4pm on Sat?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@PollSki,
I don't think that there are any good ways to travel at half term, only least bad ways.
I think your well tried method of arriving early is still the best but you should make use of that first Saturday in resort by skiing, it is likely to be the quietest day you get.
Also once you check out of your accommodation on the last Saturday go skiing then leave the resort late afternoon and head for a hotel 2-3 hours away. You will be likely to be behind all the traffic and will have transformed your holiday from 6 days skiing to 8 days skiing with two of those days being on the quieter Saturdays.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We always ski on the last Saturday, but are all a bit knackered on the first Sat to ski.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
We have the tunnel booked for midday on the Friday and a hotel booked in Troyes.
Hope th be in Samoens mid morning on the Saturday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Leaving Calais at 8am on a holiday Saturday is the nightmare scenario, my guess is you would arrive in BSM between 9pm and midnight. I would stick as normal and have a leisurely day in Bourg, as Boris said you will probably be able to move in early, perhaps consider waiving the apartment clean to achieve this.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
@PollSki, we do almost exactly the same as you, leaving London about 8pm Friday night and drive through the night to those areas, Ste Foy for the last two years, but usually a bit later in March. Even out of peak season those sticking points around and leading into the Tarantaise can get very busy if you get a little backwards on journey time and run later into the morning.
As the other poster's have said, it may be your best option to go straight through and find something to relax with at the other end after hopefully avoiding much traffic at your usual time.
On a slightly odd note though, we got delayed at Annecy at about 8am Saturday morning (I just like going that way if it's early as it's so nice driving down along the lake) we broke down and parked at the south end of the town where the lake comes into the jetty. Now although it was obviously inconvenient, it couldn't have been a nicer place to stop. The lake is beautiful, the town's interesting and there's obviously places to eat. By the time we got sorted out with our car towed then a taxi to Ste Foy, it was 2pm. Apart from a short que down toward Albertville it was virtually clear all the way to BSM.
I feared that we where going to be completely stuffed for traffic on that section but almost everything had gone up the valley. I don't recall ever doing that route in daylight with it so clear. It was appalling traffic on the other side of the road to us, the people trying to exit the valley were even laying on their cars sunbathing. I felt sorry for the taxi driver that he'd have to come back that way on his return. He did say he'd wait at BSM and have steak with chips to avoid the delay though.
So really just food for thought. There are things like intermarche between Annecy and Albertville also, so possibly a convenient place to get stocked without any detour as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
@chocksaway, not sure I would want to arrive to other people's mess. Can't be certain the previous occupants will have left it in a decent condition.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
A couple of years ago I had a cunning plan, kids out of school at lunchtime - they were one of about 20 with dr or dental appointments that day - tunnel crossing that afternoon and drive to Troyes and got there about 9 pm. Next day ready to be up and gone by 7, but over slept. Woke about 6:45, quick ablutions for the for of us, grab bread croissants from restaurant and on road by around 7:45. All good until near Bourg en Bresse when traffic ground to a halt as we had timed it perfectly to hit the Paris traffic heading onto the A40. Yes I had made a complete man sausage of my journey plans.
Pollski, moral of story is stick to your normal regime and be ahead of the jams. Leaving Calais at 8 will mean you will hit traffic all the way down.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Thanks @knackered knees, that is what I am concerned about. I think I'd rather hang around in Bourg for a few hours than sit in the traffic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Knackered knees Oh no, my thinking was that down to Troyes for the Saturday morning ment an easy trip on the crest of the traffic wave, not rolling around in the midst 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
So now I'm thinking about taking a midnight train or ferry (can't bear the thought of the usual 4.5hrs on the m25 earlier!) and going via Annecy. I've not done that route before. Is that likely to get less of the Paris traffic?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
harrim51 I think had we got away by 7 at the latest we would have been on the crest of the wave, but ended up being in the backwash. Satnav did take us on a beautiful drive south of Oyonnax to cut off a corner and avoid some of the jams.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It's a condrundrum however you travel. Most accommodation is set up for Sat to Sat so either flight prices go sky high or roads are mad busy depending on where you are heading.
You can sometimes get a decent flight deals on such a easy jet by say flying via France or Germany to Austria /Italy etc as you get two cheap low demand flights, instead of one expensive oversubscribed one. Or fly to somewhere with a decent direct rail link to your ultimate destination, as that rail journey sometimes isn't much longer or more expensive than an airport transfer. Or you try to fly Friday evening and airport hotel it or drive overnight and work out how to then best utilise the time, getting on the slopes early would be my choice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@knackered knees,
This plan works but you have to avoid oversleeping. Up at 0600 and get on the road. The problem probably comes at Dijon when both streams of traffic out of Paris converge A5 & A6. That's the first point to get ahead of the game.
If you were in Troyes at 21.00 you could have carried on a couple more hours to somewhere like Dijon or Dole and crashed out there but still got up reasonably early to beat the Paris wave.
At least the Dutch don't coincide this year that's when it gets really ugly!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You can't beat seeing the dawn break on the peaks as you wind up into the resort....sometimes though I do have to shout to wake the passengers up. My advice is to just accept the inevitable, change in the car park toilets and have 8 days skiing - you will be first in the queue at the rental shop too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Welcome to snowHeads @umxp02 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
DJL don't rub it in 
My plan would have worked without over sleeping which is unusual.
Last February we went to Austria and are going there this Feb too. Drive time similar but traffic easier as avoiding Parisian half term.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'd keep to your successful plans and just veg around Bourg with a long breakfast, shop there and save £££s and then a saunter up the mountain and a walk around resort and then check in at 3pm - you can slow up a couple of hours and still miss the queues in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
