Driving to Flaine - advice required

A snowHead

Hi, there is a chance I may be driving to Flaine in March for a weeks skiing.

Unfortunately my car will not accept snow chains or snow socks so I am wondering how close to the resort I may be able to get without them?

Is there a long term car park further down the valley or options for a transfer from somewhere close by?

Nick

A snowHead

What sort of car? I thought socks went on anything?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

n1ckster, if you really can't use chains or socks would you get some snow tyres?

As for your question, it depends on conditions but it doesn't take much snow to stop a car on summer tyres.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Even if the road is clear on the way in you can't be sure it will be when you come to leave.

March 30th last year we left Flaine around 10am. Heavy snow had fallen overnight and the road was littered with cars whose driver was trying to put on chains. Fortunately we have winter tyres so just drove round them.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

There are many places on the road up to Flaine where you might encounter problems during snowy and icy weather and you would be foolish to attempt travelling without chains even with winter tyres on. It is quite probable that roads will be ok but is it worth it?. Interesting that you have a car that will not accept some form of chain or sock.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Thanks for the replies. Just for clarity, the car won't accept chains, but Autosocks are available and look like the best/only option (winter tyres are not an option at this time).

I see there are free car parks outside of the resort which would be where I would leave the car during the week, and it is just a case of getting to one of them.

Thanks again,

Nick

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Do you mean the free car parks near the Vernant/Les Molliets lifts? If it snows you'd need chains to get to these carparks too. I'm sure the place that says you have to put chains on (if it is snowing) is on the road between Cluses and Les Carroz so you'd have to leave your car in Cluses to be sure of not needing chains.

Last April there was a wall of snow a metre high at the edge of the road as you drive up to Flaine.

After all it is free

n1ckster, What car you got?.

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n1ckster, Try here for chains for your tyre size. If your wheels/tyres are OEM fit from Audi your handbook might recommend a chain.

http://www.snowchains.co.uk/snow-chains-fit-guide/products/?make=Audi&model=A4-Saloon-(2005-to-2007)&tyreSize=255/35-19&m=fg&id=107

Safe parking in Cluses may not be so easy to find but if you can get up the hill I expect you could park in the Telecabine car park (free) at Les Carroz, that way you could check on it every day by skiing over from Flaine. You'll obviously need to book a transfer from LC though.

snow reports

Thanks Basil, that's really useful ref the LC car park.

I will check the handbook, but I suspect it's not the wheels/tyres that are the issue per se, but the wheel arch clearance as it is an s-line model.

Nick

We've just got back from driving to / from Flaine - and there is a free car park in the resort down near the rally driving centre which you could use all week if you could guarantee getting in and out of the resort.

We didn't need chains or winter tyres on the way in, but we certainly did on the way out, partly as you have to head up to get out of the Flaine bowl first of all (and even more so if you use the free car park which is at the foot of the resort).

The LC car park was spacious and free, and when we went through there it wasn't in the region which needed snow chains, though the signs were still up indicating that they might be needed from time to time so its still possible you might get stuck.

You know it makes sense.

Worth saying that having chains or SOME types of snow socks is a Legal Requirement in Alpine areas - regardless of whether you need them or not

n1ckster, I'd be amazed if an Audi can't take chains, but may well find that another wheel size is recommended. Which would be common for many parts of Europe where dedicated winter wheels are used.

Certainly give snowchains.co.uk a call - I've fitted chanins to various cars which can't take chains before based on their recommendation. Often the 9mm low profile chains will do the trick

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

TBH, I would simply never risk a trip to the Alps without chains in a 2 wheel drive car. IMHO its not about getting up the hill, but it is all about getting down. A heavy dump on the day you are due to leave and you are skating downhill with no grip, multiple hairpin bends, huge drops and your nearest and dearest in the car.

If you cant get chains (have you tried Thule K Summit's ?) then buy some cheap smaller steel or alloy wheels and get chains for those. If this is not possible go somewhere lower, Bourg St Maurice for instance and get the Funi up the hill each day.

A snowHead

Hi, I have the same size tyres on a Seat Leon and although I can buy chains, for the tyre size, the owners manual states I can not use chains due to clearance between the wheel arch and abs sensors. I will be swapping to snow tyres and have brought snow socks to see if they will work. I’m travelling to Flaine for the first time next week and any advise would be appreciated

A snowHead

If there is good/bad snow then in a car with summer tyres you're unlikely to get that far up the road from Magland, in other words that far from the autoroute.

So you will need something; chains or socks.

My RS6 said "no chains" in the book but I went to a garage and we took our time to try several types and checked all clearances and decided they were ok so took/accepted the risk.

Help!!

Driving to Flaine - advice required

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