 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi fellow SHers! I am sure the question on what to do en route has been asked many times, but I wouldn't mind asking again, but this time for tips travelling with an infant. We are heading to the PdS for the season and as such, I don't mind taking a bit of time on the journey, as long as it is worth it. The journey will be slower than usual: we will have to stop for feeds; and as my wife will be trying to nap/feed The Spawn, I will be doing the driving. We have a rather more comfortable vehicle than the Defender I did it in last time, but I still wouldn't mind relaxing a bit, even turning the trip into a mini road trip.
Normally I break the journey in Troyes, staying at a dirt cheap F1 hotel, before heading to resort in the morning. This time though, I wonder if any of you know of somewhere a bit nicer to stop, where we could have a good dinner whilst the baby (hopefully) sleeps. What I'd really like is some sort of small boutique style place, where I can install baby monitor in the room and head down to a good restaurant for a dinner where Lady F and I can celebrate the start of our season/parental break. My French is fine, so I don't need anything particularly English-orientated.
Has anyone done something like this, or are we all in a breakneck rush to get to the mountains. I'd even do two nights on the way in, seeing as there is unlikely to be a great deal of snow at the beginning of December, and we have 3.5 months in resort after that...and to that end, are there any particularly scenic routes to take, off the Autoroute?
All and any suggestions welcome. First time travelling with the baby, so this will be a very different season in every way!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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And apologies for thread title typo! Any chance of rectifying it please mods? Meant to say "the", rather than "teg"...
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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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Which bit of PdS ? You could go through the Jura between Dole and Geneva if you are going to the Morzine/Avoriaz/Les Gets end.
Can't help with hotels, I just use the chains.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Harry Flashman, As you started the thread you can edit the title.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hotels I can help with. Have a look at the Logis de France website. Loads of family owned and operated hotels, many with restaurants, some close to the autoroutes.
I can recommend Auberge de Moissons, Matougues, just outside Chalons-en-Champagne, but there are loads of others on the website.
https://www.logishotels.com/en/
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| Quote: |
you can get plug in baby warmer that runs off cig lighter or buy a travel kettle with cig lighter lead for hot/warm water on the go. Or a proper Thermos vacuum flask that keeps hot water hot!
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or, for a bottle fed baby, get it used to cold milk - it works fine and there's much less worry about bacteria!
But breast fed babies are the easiest to travel with.
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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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For more comfort, quieter rooms, and better meals with a baby we've use Campanile hotels rather than the super cheap type (e.g. Premiere Classe or F1). Not too much more expensive.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Can't help on the hotels as we tend to use Novotels, and did / do not leave them in the room, even with the dog. Travelling when they were little was FAB, as they slept so much, ah those were the days. Agree on the wet wipes and loads of muslins. Depending on the age, have some boiled water as well. Agree wholeheartedly about the goggles, those puppies need to be nailed to their head as the snow/sun combination is really bad for little eyes. If you just have one, then I think you can avoid the hassle of having to push a buggy about in the snow. We had to sometimes, as with twins you can't swap to relieve your arms /chest. But we kept an old inline one with big wheels in the cave and did not care that it got dinged up. Assume that you are OK regarding clothing etc? Plenty of layers that tuck in and if they are little I found an all-in-one a better option than separates. Once crawling I added waterproof trousers over the top of the all-in-one, so they could play in the snow and not get wet bums/knees. I also carried extra dry gloves, as then we did not have to go home straight after playing but could hang about and look at things. Good luck. Have a lovely season, what a great thing to do.
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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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Thanks guys - Mini Flash will be 5 months old whilst we leave, so probably learning to crawl whilst out there - good tip on the waterproof trousers and spare gloves.
We're really happy abut this. My industry is in freefall anyway, so I took the offered redundancy and decided on a career break. I'll worry about what to do next when we get back, frankly. Our thinking was that we will never get this time with the baby back again, and spending the ski season sitting in London, doing job applications was a waste of Lady F's maternity leave and our potential time together as a family. Renting the house out and leaving instead!
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@Harry Flashman, I hope you enjoy every second of your time and you are deffo doing the right thing letting the stresses of the rat race go for a while. We are a long time dead and I don't know any people who are near the end of their life saying "I really wish I had spent more time working and less with my family and children."
As an aside I will be driving down to Austria with my wife, 10 month old, 12 year old and 9 year old. Whatever happens it will be an adventure. One year driving back from Meribel my 12 year old (who was 1 at the time) picked up noro. We all did. but the 1 year old was sharting through his nappies. It was liquid poo. Disgusting. We got rid of that particular car after that journey.
What line of work are you in?
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You know it makes sense.
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@rumdiary, sorry but that made me laugh out loud. Agree with the comment as well about it being a great thing to do. Kids are so flexible when young and it is the best time to do this kind of thing.
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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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Definitely recommend https://www.le-val-moret.com/en/ for a decent room and very decent "correct" french meal. Ok-ish wifi gets v busy on a Friday/Saturday night though. Nice indoor swimming pool if the child is up for that and you get there early-ish.
If you look at French still mineral water bottles , there is a logo that indicates that they can be used to mix up formula milk.
I would hook up on the Morzine/PDS baby/nanny Facebook pages as well. Fortunately I have erased all other useful memories!
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Poster: A snowHead
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What a great way to celebrate redundancy and Lady F's maternity leave. Have a wonderful time - I am sure you will.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hotel B&B are a great chain of budget hotels. Easy to book, automated check in, normally located by the main road with a retail park next door for food.
The one in Besancon is good too.
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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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if the baby is bottle fed, get an in car warmer or a thermos so the water remains hot, last thing you want is baby becoming unwell as the bacteria in the formula hasnt been killed off properly. Or if money allows, stock up on the ready made formula to use on the journey there/back.
Feeds will take a bit longer as you need to give a decent amount of time for burping and making sure their little tummy is settled before putting them back in the car seat. I found out the hard way as we did a quick burping session and then straight back in the car seat..... oh the mess from project vomit.
Baby carrier instead of a buggy worked well around the resort, just make sure their extremities are kept super toasty warm.
Lots of muslins and cheap flannels that you can always make wet with some warm water are fab for any little messes you need to clean up. Get a messy bag to throw it all in as well.
Ive done a fair bit of travelling to very cold destinations with my son from when he was newborn so any other questions.. just ask 
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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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| Quote: |
Or if money allows, stock up on the ready made formula to use on the journey there/back.
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or make up formula with approved bottled water, as suggested above. No need to warm it. Small babies shouldn't sit for long hours in car seats - it's bad for their backs.
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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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@pam w, agreed.
Water should still be boiled, as often even bottled water is not sterile.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Only problem with Val Moret is you are too far away from the rooms in the restaurant to safely leave a baby as they are arranged motel style away from the main building.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| Only problem with Val Moret is you are too far away from the rooms in the restaurant to safely leave a baby as they are arranged motel style away from the main building. |
Baby is 5 months old. Just shove the baby carrier seat under the dinner table and get on with it. It’s one night - have him with you and save your babysitter/ child free nights for a decent go at the taster menu at Chamade
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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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Incidentally my son has also spent a fair amount of time under tables and now above them in the Chamade and other places - they’re happy with babies everywhere.
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