 Poster: A snowHead
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Thinking of driving to Obergurgle Austria this Christmas but not sure which route would be best, we only live 40 miles from Hull so North sea ferry to Rotterdam or Zebrugger would seem the easiest, AA route planner says it is 550 miles 10 hrs from Rotterdam but I have conflicting advice that it is better to drive down to tunnel and travel via France as the roads are much better and it would avoid the Fern pass which can be hit by snow storms. This second option is much longer at around 1000 miles. Any advice?
Chris
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've done (and will be doing) the North Sea route when driving to the Arlberg. Like you I'm from up North, although further from Hull. The overnight ferry works great for me as I then don't need an overnight stop (hotel) which I would need going via the Channel. Drive off the Ferry at Zeebrugge/Rotterdam (found there wasn't much time difference between the two, so just opted for the cheaper ferry at the time of booking) in the morning and drive straight down, arriving in resort in the evening.
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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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Have done both routes in summer to kaprun driving from Glasgow. The north sea route was better for us
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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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Hull Rotterdam gives you 2 extra hours for the drive back. Crossing is pricey though
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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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Not that pricey depending on how you look at it. Book early enough in advance and the fares for a car of 2 and it comes in at around £110 each way. OK the Channel crossing is much cheaper, but going that way you'd likely need a hotel for the night, and there's the extra mileage in the car both in the UK and once you get to the continent (depending on destiation), so by the end of it there's not a massive difference for a crossing that can be much more convenient.
Globalbagtag, don't forget that if using the Autobahns in Austria you will need a Vignette, under €10 for a week IIRC.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Globalbagtag, Hull every time, we do this small cabins but a good nights sleep onboard and straight through to Arlberg
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Whether you have a co-driver or not will make a difference, one driver and a shorter journey or O/N stops are more important.
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Globalbagtag, I've never heard of the Fern Pass being closed as it is a major north south link. OK in severe storms you may have to use snowchains or it may be blocked for a short period of time. But it is a high priority route, so it will be cleared fairly rapidly. You do get very heavy traffic on it at times though as it serves as the main artery through Germany for all the Scandinavians. So they sometimes use a system of controlled use for the Fernpassstrasse Tunnel. In German it is called Blockanfertigung. They use both lanes for traffic going up, then stopped the traffic and allow the down traffic to use both lanes. This can cause quite big hold ups. But HGVs and caravans are banned from this route.
I'm assuming the route has you picking up the A7 in central Germany and travelling down it to Füssen and Reutte? If there is bad traffic, you can switch to Garmisch - Mittenwald and down to Zirl by coming off the A7 at Memmingen where it meets the A96, then dropping on to the B17 at Landsberg am Lech and following signs to Oberammergau and then Garmisch. Once you are over the Seefeld section it is downhill all the way to Zirl (the Zirler Berg the road is called) and you pick up the A12 to Ötztal.
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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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I have done bothe the Hull and the Dover routes. Hull route is good if the only driver, you get a proper nights sleep on the ferry, but it does put you in Rotterdam at 8am ready for a busy daytime drive through Europe. If you do Dover you can drive most of it overnight and make it a lot quicker.
Going via France is very expensive, around 50-60eu each way in toll fees. I go Calais, Brussels, Luxemburg, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, ...
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Been doing it every year for the last 12 years myself. I like the ferry and the German route. Used to go through the French side in the past but Autobahn is hard to beat.
Was in Solden/Obergurgl this Feb. It was 670 miles for us in the first day by stopping at Stubai first for a couple of days. Wife doesn't drive so I do all the driving.
Booked Gstaad/Monterosa/Cervinia/Saas Fee this year. The crossing cost has been creeping up slowly every year and a cabin for two is now £318 return in 2012.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Autobahn is hard to beat
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saikee, Surprised you say that, although I've only used the French route via Metz. Upon crossing the border into Germany (having breezed down the French autoroutes), I brace myself for a change to an 'M25-like' experience, with heavy traffic (and road works with closed sections) most of the way from the border to Munich. Perhaps I've just been unlucky. I do want to try alternative routes, such as that recommended by stevev,
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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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Don't believe the hype that German motorways are all unlimited speed. Most of them switch between 80, 100, 120, 130 and unlimited every few kilometres. The Germans change the speed limit at the drop of a hat, a bridge, road work, junction, tunnel are all excuses for reducing the speed. Also during the day I find that HGV's slow things down a lot as most of the motorwas are two lane affairs. Hence my preference to drive overnight, less traffic.
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Tatman I use the Dover - Dunkirk crossings as they are the cheapest and you get a much need break away from the car. I hate sitting in my car going via the tunnel! Like stevev, I also tend to do a lot of my driving overnight from the Channel, when you only have the HGVs in Germany to contend with.
Once on the Belgium side, I opt for the Lille, Tournai, Charleroi, Mons Namur and down to Luxembourg route (across southern Belgium in other words). They upgraded the road surface a couple of years or so ago and it is a smooth pain-free ride these days. The advantage of the southern route through Belgium is no serious-sized towns, so fewer hold-ups and the ones that do sometimes occur seem to be less painful. They are working on the Dunkirk - Lille A25 at the moment, which is long overdue, but whether they then charge for that section will be interesting. I'll still probably use it though.
From Luxembourg I now use the completed (or almost completed link directly into Germany missing out the Metz down to Hagenau by Strasbourg section altogether now. I get straight on the the A8 at Perl heading towards Saarbrucken, but then head off round to Kaiserslauten and towards Mannheim. I could use the route across from Pirmaesens to the Karlsruhe area, but the whole A5A8 section has been a complete mare over the last few trips, I take the easy option and stay on motorway the whole way.
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You know it makes sense.
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I am also from the North & much prefer the North Sea route. Before you go check on roadworks on the German Autobahn network. I left it to my son recently & he just followed his sat nav,we were stationarry for 2 hours. I normally head east fist past Koln then head south towards Frankfurt, Nurnburg, Regensberg. I have always found this route has less traffic once you are past Koln.
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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'm from Leeds & have done the tunnel twice now, mainly due to costs for a family of 4,& risk of rough seas. Overnight stops have been circa €60
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Poster: A snowHead
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Globalbagtag, Just a bit to add to my post above. I also live near Leeds and much prefer the Hull-Rotterdam P&O crossing and the drive through Germany rather than the slog through northern France and poor Belgian motorways (if thats what they are??) before getting to some decent German roads, BUT the downside of the Hull crossing is that you are driving in daylight hours and the resulatnt motorway traffic volume cant be ignored. We have done the tunnel crossing many times and battered it down during the night, even after a full weeks work on a Friday, and getting a 1am cheap crossing but its very tiring even with 2 drivers and the A1, M25, M20 is a tough start to any journey. It is so much cheaper using Eurotunnel, also Tesco 24 hour garage fill up pre-boarding etc. Either way its the best way to the Alps IMO, great to take all the toys. I dont know why the P&O crossing doesnt leave earlier, anfd crosses faster rather than dawdling across, but I guess they wouldnt sell the cabins, and thats where they make the cash, hence the 8am disembark which is a bit of a pain TBPH thinking you should be half way down Germany by that time and beating the crowds.
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