 Poster: A snowHead
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BOOOchon!
Somewhere just past the Aire d'Urvillars near St Quentin. Very slow.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| jw83113 wrote: |
| altis wrote: |
Made it to Dover in 5hr 5min (inc coffee stop) - something of a record.
Car says average 72.3 mpg. Best shown |
Thats amazing. Im lucky if I get 30mpg on a long run. Much less in normal town driving. |
What are you driving, a Bugatti Veyron?
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sat 6-04-19 15:22; edited 1 time in total
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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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@mikeycharlton, at 72.3mpg? You're having a laugh 
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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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@sasha320,
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Quick question on the peage dongle..
If you have a working dongle, can you roll through any lane at <30kph?
Or just the lanes with the 30 speed limit above them?
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The lanes with 30kph you can roll through at 30kph, usually the dongle gives a beep to show it's been recognised and the barrier raises.
The lane with the T sign for Telepeage you have to creep closer and closer to the barrier thinking that it's not going to work and then it finally does.
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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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Past Dijon now. Mpg dropped to 68.8 this morning and stubbornly refuses to go back up again. Bit of a headwind today but this often happens. Perhaps France is a bit more undulating but it's probably the vast stretches of 50 at home.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Why do most (all?) Belgian number plates start 1- ?
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1 = 1 brain cell when a Belgian is behind the wheel 
Had to give one a friendly Anglo Saxon wave an hour or so ago he was driving like a feckin idiot and at speed in the valley and then right up my chuff looking to overtake just before some road signs in the middle of the road, I was very tempted to pull over a wee bit and let him overtake to then watch him slam on the breaks hard, but I was Captain Sensible as he might off gone over to the other side of the road and maybe caused a head-on.
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| Timc wrote: |
@sasha320,
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Quick question on the peage dongle..
If you have a working dongle, can you roll through any lane at <30kph?
Or just the lanes with the 30 speed limit above them?
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The lanes with 30kph you can roll through at 30kph, usually the dongle gives a beep to show it's been recognised and the barrier raises.
The lane with the T sign for Telepeage you have to creep closer and closer to the barrier thinking that it's not going to work and then it finally does. |
Thank you!
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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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Made it to les arcs around 10am, having had two good sleeps around Dijon and chambery. Very little traffic at any point of the journey and the road all the way up to 2000 was snow free (just to spite me for buying winter tyres this year). 600miles door2door with fuel economy at 31mpg. (Petrol Audi A7. That’s the best economy we’ve ever managed on a long run).
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I had a few encounters with Belgian drivers on the way down too. What is it about them? I’m sure I’ll offend half the world in saying so but they do (anecdotally) appear to be quite aggressive / defensive drivers.
I’m probably wrong about the Belgians, but one thing is unmistakable in the whole of the Western world - people would rather dangerously pull out on you than moderate their speed slightly until you’ve passed.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| mikeycharlton wrote: |
| jw83113 wrote: |
| altis wrote: |
Made it to Dover in 5hr 5min (inc coffee stop) - something of a record.
Car says average 72.3 mpg. Best shown |
Thats amazing. Im lucky if I get 30mpg on a long run. Much less in normal town driving. |
What are you driving, a Bugatti Veyron? |
If I could afford a million pound Veyron then the cost of fuel would not be an issue.  Im driving an old Audi S4. 170000 miles on the clock but arrived in Austria no problem.
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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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Any issues with Gilet Jaune today ?
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Made it to Flaine 2:30. No traffic issues other than a few lunatic drivers on Belgium plates. No gilet jaunes to be seen though.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thinking about timings for our drive down next week - in theory we'll be through the tunnel about half 12, can anyone recommend a nice aire with decent cafe about an hour south of the tunnel?
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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 think Aire d'Urvillers might be at the right sort of distance, @always29, .
Aire d'Urvillers
4B Rue Neuve, 02690 Urvillers, France
+33 3 23 08 87 08
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Db3i8
Alternatively, I push on to Reims where there is a hypermarket right on the autoroute. Leclerc, I think. I get the makings for a baguette sandwich and fill up with supermarket fuel.
E.Leclerc Champfleury
51 Route nationale, 51500 Champfleury, France
+33 3 26 36 07 07
https://maps.app.goo.gl/iCXp7
But not much to distract two bored young boys, though.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@tomj, you're a star! We're only going as far as Dijon so we'll see what mood we're in / depth of whinge factor / emptiness of tank reached by the former and perhaps push on, will depend what the m20/5 & tunnel traffic does too.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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On our way home and just got past langres and my wife has taken over for a stint. The traffic isn't too bad now but for some reason it was busy from chambery to Lyon. The sat nav says we could make the tunnel for 7 this evening and possibly home for midnight
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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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@always29, Aire d'Urvillers has a Paul cafe which has good coffee, sandwiches and cake.
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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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Just a tip re the E.Leclerc at Champfleury (Reims) When you exit, especially from the petrol station, you're faced with this view, which can be misleading and catch you out. It looks like what's up ahead is the final exit roundabout, and the centre lane is oncoming. But it's not, the centre lane returns you to the roundabout to the Autoroute, the right lane turns right and takes you into Reims. But for some reason, it feels just wrong to jump over to the middle lane. Also be aware traffic may be behind you in the middle lane, in your blind spot, so get you passenger to help you here. If you get it wrong and take the Reims road to the right, you don't have to go far to do a 360 back at the next roundabout, it's just annoying.
https://goo.gl/maps/MUsm1CPVbwA2
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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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And another tip from the summer: we got caught out returning northbound at the last toll on the Autoroute des Anglais at Setques (A26 Jct.3). I took the lane 4th from the right because there were lorries and cars stacked-up behind all the toll booths to the left, so it seemed like A Good Idea and I've done it before. But this time, they had drawn the movable 'wall' across the tarmac area on the other side and we couldn't get back onto the Autoroute. Previously, the other side of the tolls had been completely open and I could simply drive ahead. On the picture, there's a 'wall' on the approach as well, but there wasn't anything there as we approached.
https://goo.gl/maps/v3c7rxyDjD32
The 4 lanes to the right have a 'Boulogne' sign above them, so I should have realised why there were no queues, but you know how it is approaching such a large toll complex .... at least, that's my excuse.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Considering driving down for a long weekend over Easter, 19th-22nd in Flaine, driving down on 18th for full day skiing on the 19th before checking in, then driving back at about 2:30 on Monday 22nd and getting as close to Calais as possible.
Has anyone tried this or are we being optimistic?
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@stu330, that is doable. We left Les Carroz at 8.15 this morning, arrived at the tunnel at 15.50. It rained about half of the distance, so speed limit 110 rather than 130 while raining and we did obey it. From Flaine that would have been 8 hours. Today was a slow journey as far as we were concerned.
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We did similar for Easter to Les Gets a few years back, Drove down Friday, 2 full days skiing and drove home on the Monday. It was a pretty easy steady drive approx. 8 hours in France, ferry and 4 hours in England.
The shortness of the trip makes it feel extra special, almost as if you've created those days from nothing.
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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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We drove down to Megeve for half term, and we overnighted at Dijon, leaving at 7am and arriving in resort at about 10:30 the following morning. I’d be keen to have an earlier start on the Friday morning and we wouldn’t be far off first lifts.
We left on the Saturday of half term at about 3 and got to Troyes for about 7:30 although we got a bit lost finding hotel after phones died.
Looks like snow is hitting the alps this week!
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Thanks for replies, it sounds like it’s well worth it.
Not been to Flaine before, but found some good deals.
May we’ll be hitting slopes again!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@stu330, the snow was excellent yesterday, and there's plenty to last even if temperatures rise. It was snowing as we left this morning......
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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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At the tunnel. A mammoth journey, but now a 2 hour wait for a crossing
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@johnE, are you early for the one yiu were booked on or are they delays?
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You know it makes sense.
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When we were coming back at half term we arrived two hours early (on a cheap ticket) and they bumped us forward onto the next train. Think we were past London at the time we would have been boarding our train
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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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@ajc2260626, I think they are running on time, but it is very busy and we were early. The journey just flew past with cruise control set at 130 almost all the way
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Poster: A snowHead
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Now they are announcing delays
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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 we’re off. 3 hours from Wiltshire to channel tunnel. 30 minute delay but setting off soon. Expecting to be at our hotel in Bethune just before midnight local time.
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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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When does the thread open up for the drive back?
Or is it a new thread?
I am due to leave Val d’Isere on Saturday morning at 8am by car. I assume that traffic won’t be a problem at that time?
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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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@sasha320, Probably the 27th, at the end of the Easter holidays. I think you will not encounter much traffic and have a good drive back. We did get rather a lot of insect spatter last weekend on our drive back through France.
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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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Roof box packed, all my stuff packed, all the kids stuff packed, all the other paraphernalia packed... wife's not packed a thing, yet.
We leave for the tunnel at 3:30pm tomorrow for an 6:50pm train. Hope to arrive in Les Arcs, after an overnight stop, between 5 and 6pm Saturday!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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What’s the feeling on volume of traffic on the drive through France on Saturday? It’s my first time driving to Chatel for Easter - driving solo crossing at 8:20 am. Am I right to assume it will be reasonably busy but not as bad as the Feb 1/2 term getaway?
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@Ozboy, we haven’t done Easter often but I think it will be mainly Brits on the move. Based on that I would expect busy tunnel then gradually getting sparser. Vallorbe unlikely to like it is in February. And as you’re solo you have total freedom to detour, stop, keep going, have a kip etc. etc. Snooze at/in the tunnel, coffee around Reims, lunch (pizza next to the KTM dealer just past the tunnel) in Besancon, job done!
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@DJL, thanks. Last couple of times I’ve not bothered taking the Swiss route and found it quicker continuing down to Annemasse as higher average speed has more than made up for the longer distance. If traffic is busy then take the Swiss route and go with the flow.
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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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Snow in PLJ still really nice early doors, though a bit heavy going now.
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FAQ
