 Poster: A snowHead
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OK, we're driving down, en famille, to Bernex over the February half term, staying over near Reims on the night of Friday 9th, heading to resort at a child-friendly 9am-ish Saturday 10th. Now, of course, this is going to pitch us right into traffic heading down to the Alps. According to Bison-Fute, it won't be the worst weekend of the holidays though. I've read that several others heading to nearby-ish Chatel take the route via Switzerland Besancon-Pontarlier-Vallorbe-Laussanne-Montreux and we'd be up for that - does anyone with experience of holiday traffic have an opinion as to whether this route is likely to save us time, or is Switzerland equally affected? We'll have Michelin Cross Climate tyres on and will have chains, although ideally it would be best not to have to use them if possible (I realise noone knows the weather this far out!).
Here's a curveball - Via Michelin suggests another alternative from Reims. Over the Vosges and down through the centre of Switzerland, so Nancy-Colmar-Basel-Bern-Montreux. Anyone tried that one? Saves a lot on French tolls.
Thanks in advance for any experience shared.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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France zone A plus Belgium that week so not crazy busy. Still would look to be on the road earlier than 9. Assuming no traffic you have around 5h30m driving time.
If me I would be going via Besancon and Lausanne. I've done the Vosges, Basel, Bern route. Definitely slower.
I like Bernex a lot and we often have a day there though not in a peak week. Hope you enjoy it and welcome to Snowheads
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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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Yes - agree with @DJL, if you can't be early in the morning, best to leave it a fair bit later and arrive in resort around 6 pm.
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@Stew P, If you want to get off the autoroute and save some toll money, then a variation of the route suggested by @DJL, is to exit the A31 Junction 6 Langres Sud and hit the D6 - D67 through Gray and on to Besancon. Fairly straight fast road (slow down for the villages  ) that will add about 20 minutes to the trip
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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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@Stew P, Agree with the others and I'd look to be leaving Reims by 8.00 otherwise you've lost your Friday night stopover advantage.
If you will be going through Chatel to get to Bernex (I don't know if you would, maybe you can carry on round the lake instead) then you need to looking to avoid arriving between around 4-7pm on that Saturday as it can be gridlocked going through the resort and if it's snowy then  with all the ill equipped cars sliding all over the road. I speak from experience of it taking over an hour to go through on one busy transfer day.
Never done the Basel Bern route. But done many variations of the route to Vallorbe. All much of a muchness but choose your road wisely according to weather conditions on the day as some of those roads are very minor and very much out in the sticks. However if the weather is good then they could save time by avoiding Besancon and Pontarlier. Our usual route of late has been Poligny, Champagnole, Chatelneuf to Vallorbe.
All the best with it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Stew P, And Welcome to Snowheads 
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@Stew_P We've driven that via Berne route the other way, coming home from the Valais, and staying a few days in Berne as part of a summer driving holiday - it seems a very odd direct route to suggest (ViaMichelin came up with it last night as a our route from Troyes to nr. Martigny as well). It's a very long way 'round and you have to get through the mountains of the Bernese Oberland (we did it using the Löschberg car drive-on/drive-off train). Lovely in the summer, but I wouldn't recommend it in the winter.
I've driven along the southern side of Lake Geneva, starting from Geneva going east, and another time from Port Valais going west. The route via Lausanne will be more on Autoroutes and will bypass Lausanne and Montreux then you come off for Port Valais and it's a B road to your turn-off for the resort. Whereas the western route involves driving through the suburbs of Geneva and much more suburbs/B roads. The southern side of the Lake is single-carriageway so it'll be busy from both directions. For me the A9 Lausanne route is preferable, but you could still get stuck in busy traffic on the A9.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Mon 15-01-18 11:27; edited 2 times in total
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From leaving the mortorway in Monthey I think it's a few of KM shorter to go via St Gingolphe and up that way.
This also avoids Chatel and the Pas de Morgins, which can be busy on weekends.
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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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| sarah wrote: |
@Stew P, Agree with the others and I'd look to be leaving Reims by 8.00 otherwise you've lost your Friday night stopover advantage.
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Having been caught in the queues at the A26 & A4 junction just north or Chalons that normally seem to start around the services shortly after the tolls, I would suggest leaving Reims no later than 7 am that weekend.
@Stew_P Don't do what we did a few years ago and over sleep. Stayed in Troyes, didn't wake up until just after 7 and managed to get away by 8, but this meant we got caught in the traffic jams near Bourg en Bresse 
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Certainly no need to go via Chatel. The route along the S side of Lac Leman is OK but all single carriageway and slowish.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks so much to everyone for all your tips and suggestions. We'll have to make a call on the day based on the weather, but all things being equal I'm leaning towards the Langres-Gray-Besancon-Vallorbe-Lausanne way and then sticking to the southern shore of the lake rather than heading up the pass towards Chatel.
While I wholeheatedly agree also with the idea of setting off early, that's easier said than done with a 4 year old and a 1 year old in tow! Getting out of the house seems to take 3 hours when it should be 3 minutes, but maybe if we take minimal kit into the motel and skip showers etc. in the morning we can be off and away. Fingers crossed!
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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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