 Poster: A snowHead
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Right Just decided that we need to get another fix in
Considering driving as can get a a deal on the eurotunnel for £130 return and..
We are under an hour away from the tunnel so we would catch a 15:30 /16:00 train and then drive until about midnight, hoping this would get us close to Geneva or equivalent way down. then get up early Saturday morning and a couple of hours to a resort so we are there 09:00. We would ski for three days and return Tuesday afternoon and hopefully be back home for midnight.
first off is this feasible?
We are tied into the friday 31st March (school holidays) any advice on resorts, we are intermediates who quite like some difficult reds and the occasional black. although really any sking will do. Looking at Chamonix, Portes de soleil.
Is it much further to drive down to Tignes, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Les 2 Alpes or even in switerzland Verbier etc?
How good will the snow be, as I presume it is best to try and keep high to avoid slushy snow.
Any other options I should consider?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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acanno, Chatel is about the closest resort to Calais, just over 500 miles but there's not a lot in it to any major French resort, we can drive to La Rosiere from Calais in 10 1/2 hrs, so allow 11 or 12 hrs for any of the resorts in Tarentaise, although it's furhter than the PdS, it's all autoroute to within 50kms of Bourg St Maurice and then good dual carriageway for another 20kms or so. We have almost 4 metres of snow at altitude and over 2 metres at village level, 1850 metres, temps are still low so I don't think you need worry too much about poor snow anywhere in the Tarentaise, conditions would be broadly similar in the Chamonix valley, you might have more of a problem in PdS as most of the resorts are fairly low, Avoriaz being the exception. You may have a problem finding a short term break that week as it's still high season and most hotels/chalets will be already booked up.
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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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acanno, Yes its do-able. David@traxvax, has got it covered but I would also Crans Montana, Verbier, Villars.
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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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Sounds like a great plan but take the point about accom and high season etc . I would book the the rooms now with a resort you fancy/can get in..
For 3 days I wouldn't worry about the extra distance and therefore that brings into range everything down to LDA.
I say 6 hrs plus to Chamonis and PDS which is getting on a bit and but, anyway, 8 hrs max, and then 10 to anywhere else...thats providing you don't top anywhere for too long on the way down... 2 x 20mins stop is our thing and then swap drivers.
But I recently did Engelberg on my own in one hit and its a doddle...left Lucerne at 1330 and back in Dover by 2200 UK time via ferry..!!!!!
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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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acanno, Speedferries Dover to Boulogne are only £54 return 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Flaine might be a good one to consider.
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| Alastair wrote: |
| Flaine might be a good one to consider. |
Les Carroz is quicker, on the route to Flaine, more attractive and gives access to the same skia area. That would be my choice - viamichellin reckons it's 7hr37 from the tunnel sous la manche.
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Cheers for all your replies
I forgot about the Grand massif so will look at that aswell
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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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Wht not cut down your overall driving time by aiming for Bourg St Maurice - Then you cn ski Les Arcs via the funicular and you are only 30 - 40 minutes away from the other resorts that you mentioned such as Tignes. LDA might be a bit far south and is it worth getting a Swiss vignette for your car just for 3 days?
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Kieran, sorry you may have picked me up wrong as I'm looking at only one resort for the 3 days, not travelling to different resorts each day.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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acanno - totally feasible - we regularly drive to all sorts of resorts for a long weekend...... If you share the driving as we do - it isnt even necessary to stop for the night. We drive through the night (from Sussex) and hit the lifts first thing....Have done France - Italy and Switzerland - there are loads of resorts which aren't much different in time. Key thing is finding accommodation that will do a short break.
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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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For a really inexpensive long weekend experience of Verbier: 2nd week in January.
Leave home Friday PM, Drive via tunnel, non-stop except for refuelling and (2nd)driver change over. Arrive At Medran at 06.30. Sit/sleep in frozen car until sports center opens and lifts open (brrrrrrr!) Stay at the Ex Nuclear Bunker (c/o Sports Center) Saturday night and, Sunday night. leave Monday before sun rise and get home before supper time. Not very eco friendly, unless 4 travel in one car. Absolutely knackering...it took days to recover. Never doing a short break again....Will always drive rather than fly, might Eurostar it to 3valleys this winter. The drive down was fun, but the drive home was fraught with iced up french motorways and stiff muscles, from high intesity skiing (cramming 1 week into 2 days!)
Bunker was reasonable for the money and fairly quiet.....Do not go at New Year!
HTTP://www.thebunker.ch
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| Quote: |
Sit/sleep in frozen car until sports center opens and lifts open (brrrrrrr!)
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or ensure you have enough fuel to keep engine running and heater on....just make sure the exhaust is not in a snowdrift. I spent the whole night in a car park in sub-zero, perfectly warm enough, and the fuel gauge didn't show much difference in the morning.
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You know it makes sense.
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keep engine running and heater on
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I spent the whole night in a car park in sub-zero, perfectly warm enough
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.........and we moan the glaciers are melting........... can't imagine why!
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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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acanno, Totally OK with more than one driver. To here it's 10 hours from the ports with only one driver stopping regularly. (Me) With 2 you should be OK to do it in 8. Stay at various places - could be Beaune with a huge motel right at the m/way stop, or further on for Formule 1 or whatever, but if arriving anywhere late other than Beaune I've always found I had to book or there was no room at the Inn.
This trip I left Boulogne (always use Speedferries at the mo) at around 17.00 and stopped at beaune at about 23.00. From there it's about 3 hours or a little more. M/way all the way to Grenoble (same applies to ADH), and then the windy road only starts at bourg D'Oisans - not a stressful drive. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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I say 6 hrs plus to Chamonis and PDS
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Anyone who gets from the Channel to Chamonix in 6 hours is using a damn site more extra gas than letting an engine tickover for the night (not to mention any other consideration of this kind of driving). So is anyone flying, or generally roaring down the autoroutes at 150 kph which many skiers seem to consider a routine speed. I don't break the speed limits and I wouldn't do a 1200 mile round trip for 3 days. So, the ice perv, I don't think I'm contributing more than my fair share to global warming. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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12hrs door to door, Warrington to Chamonix, 4 drivers with no more than 30min breaks at changeover. Despite the number if drivers you do get very tired. However, the skiings worth it!
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