 Poster: A snowHead
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Arrived at Bethune 23:30 local time Thursday evening. Reception at Campanile closed and self service check in not working!!! Manager from motel next door Premium Class managed to sort us out with a room and then arranged a refund with Campanile. Top Girl!!! Checked this morning and automatic checking machine still broken so if you’re planning on on staying there and will arrive after 22:00 local time you probably want to make sure you’ve got a plan B. 4 1/2 hours in passed Dijon and approaching Beaune. Sat Nav broken so relying on Daughter Nav.
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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 the schlep down to Dijon, just north of Reims with Always29 at the helm. Fingers crossed but all going smoothly so far.
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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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Awful crash on M25 lost us an hour, but luckily enough time to make out scheduled train.
Now on the other side, just getting off the train, and continuing journey south for a few hours before stopping in Reims for the night.
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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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eurotunnel in Calais is currently stuffed. No idea why. Maybe they think the uk has left Europe?
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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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Quiet A26 to Reims and made good time. Now for some zzzz
Eurotunnel seemed very quiet on way out....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Made it to Eurotunnel at 7:45 for my 8:20 crossing and was put on the 8:13 train. After some minor delays queuing for the U.K. passport control ended up on a train which departed at 8:25. The drive down to Folkestone was very clear as expected but did lose a lot of time in the three sections 50mph road work on the M20 invluding a very long contraflow.
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Clear drive back so far. Less traffic than half term.
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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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Nice 
We are driving through Germany at the moment in our way to Mayrhofen, we can see some snow in the distance.
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Currently on a coach, climbing towards Tignes. The traffic coming down is absolutely horrific, many miles long at a standstill - we're tipping along nicely
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Spent the night in Albertville on the road by 07:30 and on the slopes by 09:30. Safe travels everybody.
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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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Making good time now almost at Dijon where stopped for lunch at the Aviva autoroute services. 4 hours and a bit from Calais including fuel stop. Traffic quite light and not too many lorries. Cycling podcasts taking boredom out of solo journey.
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After overnight stop in Reims, set off about 8:15am. One stop for fuel, one stop for bathroom break and arrived in Arcs 1950 around 3:30pm. Took 23 hours from home to accommodation with a 9 hour overnighter and breakfast. 722 miles in total, 41.3mpg on a 2l Diesel SMAX with a roof box.
Easy driving, roads quiet and clear but less so once we passed Lyon.
As a first drive down experience, couldn’t fault it.
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You know it makes sense.
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One stop for fuel, one stop for bathroom break
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You needed a wash?
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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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Left Val d’Isere at 8:30am naively expecting to drop the family at Geneva for a 13:10 flight. Hadn’t reached Chambery before the sat nav was showing a ‘no hope of catching your flight eta to the airport’.
I’m wondering whether we just had bad luck with the traffic in the valley or whether we were ridiculously optimistic with our departure time for the airport?
So we decided to return to the UK all together in the car, overnight near Troyes and visit Nigloland tomorrow am.
Anyone have any thoughts / hints or tips for Nigloland?
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Poster: A snowHead
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@sasha320,
8.30 is too late any Saturday morning. You need to leave before 07.00 am & preferably by 6.00am.
The traffic controls just back up the traffic very quickly.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Arrived in Chatel yesterday at around 18:30 local time. The journey took 11:15 hours door-to-door from SW London including 2 stops. Very smooth journey other than some delays between Annemasse and Thonon. Surprised by how light the autoroutes were yesterday and the lack of lorries on the road. Should be even quieter today for anyone driving down.
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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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Picked up an "upgrade" from Global Rental Cars at Innsbruck Airport this morning. Pleasant drive up the Inntal motorway, and despite the clouds at St Christoph and some snow on the road at Zurs/Flexenpass and a bit on the road to Zug, we made it to Strolz's sale by midday! Already had a couple of beers at the Hotel Krone in Lech. So an easy trip from Heathrow today. 
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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 passed through Eurotunnel Border controls in Calais.
Quite busy but “fluid”.
As usual you can’t help but feel that passport control are over-egging matters but equally they may be unsung heroes keeping us safe from risks that we aren’t even aware of...
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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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| stewart woodward wrote: |
@sasha320,
8.30 is too late any Saturday morning. You need to leave before 07.00 am & preferably by 6.00am.
The traffic controls just back up the traffic very quickly. |
Yeah I had a feeling it would be too late.
Of course I blame my wife who likes to a) maximise the kids sleep time and b) generally arrives everywhere last minute (but bizarrely on time).
If I had my way we’d have left at 5am and got to Geneva airport with hours to spare. I would have sat with a heroic look on my face and felt proud of how I we weren’t going to miss our flight.
I would have also spent the next few hours ignoring my wife’s death stares as I lumbered her with entertaining the kids for countless empty hours at the airport...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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[quote="sasha320"]
| stewart woodward wrote: |
@sasha320,
8.30 is too late any Saturday morning. You need to leave before 07.00 am & preferably by 6.00am.
The traffic controls just back up the traffic very quickly. |
Yeah I had a feeling it would be too late.
Of course I blame my wife who picked the departure time in order to a) maximise the kids’ sleep time and b) generally arrives everywhere last minute (but bizarrely on time).
If I had my way we’d have left at 5am and got to Geneva airport with hours to spare. I would have sat with a heroic look on my face and felt proud of how I we weren’t going to miss our flight.
I would have also spent the next few hours ignoring my wife’s death stares as I lumbered her with entertaining the kids for countless empty hours at the airport...
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Yes, UK Border control at Calais was very thorough this trip.
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Looking up at the night sky last night I remembered one of the advantages of skiing at Easter. The full moon. We always used to drive down overnight on Maunday Thursday and the full moon made the drive much easier.
Anyway this thread has gone quiet now so who is actually driving to the Alpes this Easter vacation? I'm giving it a miss this year. It's too late for me even though the conditions still look excellent.
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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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@johnE, we're not going either. Not due to the lateness of Easter, it's actually ideal for us for the EoSB as hubby only needs 4 days leave and I only need one. Just need those days for other stuff over the summer.
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Just at junction near Dijon heading north after 10 days in Maurienne. Hot and sunny now with little traffic. Heading for Reims Tinqueux tonight with a view to looking around Laon tomorrow.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Drove 10hrs yesterday, Tignes to Caen, no problems just 28'c!
Normal loading this morning on to ferry. Sorry to disappoint a few people but no extra security or passport checks.
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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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Just back through Dover. Big, big queue down ramp into port. Staff on boat said they were expecting 1000 pax.
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Much of M2 southbound is stationary too.
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You know it makes sense.
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@altis, London goes down to Margate...
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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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They might get there in time for a beautiful sunset.
Not so smug now. Big, slow queue off M2 towards Dartford Xing.
Could be a long, slow drive home.
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Poster: A snowHead
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90km to Chambery 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Linds, presumably you're on way to ESB. Bon voyage, and have fun.
We're at Bourge-en-Bresse on A39. Lovely quiet road. Heading for La Plagne.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Left Tignes at 05:30 local time just stopped outside Dijon for diesel, coffee and driver change. Decided to forgo day 8 in order to get daughter back to Uni for some well needed study time. Top week and so envious of those people just heading out. Enjoy
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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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At the tunnel UK border patrol progressing at a glacial but steady pace. Far left lane (the one I’m in) seems to be taking even greater interest in passports.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Now on the train waiting to depart. Supervisor showed up just as we got to passport control and we got through in less than a minute. Hmmmm.
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Stats for return journey. 11.5 hours travelling time 13 hours door to door. 775 miles 47 mpg 67 miles/hour average. Time for a curry, couple of beers and then planning for next year to see if we can improve on the 25 days on the slopes we managed this year (including attending one of the bashes).
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So, it was a slow journey! Got home at 16:50 yesterday after leaving Dover about 9:30.
Round trip was 1897 miles at 72.3 mpg - well, that’s what the car claims.
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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 left Tignes this morning at 1.30 got home(Nottingham) 19.20. lots of stops(3 and 5 year old toilet stops/play stops/food stops) 40.9mpg roof box on, cruise control set at 80mph.
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Round trip to VT for the family bash 1400.6 miles (plus a mile or two in town) and about 4kg of mashed up bugs to remove from the paintwork... Tomorrow. Feet up for now.
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