 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm driving to Chatel tomorrow (6 February), and Google and viamichelin are telling me I can save an hour by driving through the Jura (essentially turn left south of Dijon towards Lausanne). I usually drive through France and then skirt south of Geneva, but that part of the A40 is always busy.The map looks like there's a fair amount of A-road driving until the Swiss motorway network is reached. What do people who have used that route recommend?
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I love the route through the Jura on a sunny day, the scenery is great and if the traffic is light its very pleasant. However the road is often slow going, its quite twisty and when the fog/snow bad weather closes in its not nice. Plus you will likely need the Swiss vignette.
Consider going through Oyonnax, join A40 just west Geneva, its our preferred route, but there may still be roadworks making that route slower.
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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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@CaravanSkier, I'd never thought of going through Oyonnax. Isn't it a slow road to there from the A39?
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@Chamcham, go for it. Besancon can get jammed up during the rush hour as will the Swiss autoroutes. A lot of the route is dualled but it's an easy drive, just watchout for the speed cams. You will need a vignette but you save on the tolls so break even
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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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Struggle to see the advantage of Oyonnax - may as well stay on A39-A40 if that southwest. I've definitely read a lot of people here saying the Jura route is fine easy driving. Appreciate that may change if snowy.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@MHskier, Yes I've read that too, but I can't understand how it would be faster, given the lack of motorway.
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I've spent a while looking at viamichelin/googlemaps timings and costs and it isnt' quicker....but it's not a lot slower, it's cheaper including the vignette and I guess you'd only need a few big queues at toll booths and in our case Mont Blanc tunnel for it to be the quicker route.
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@Chamcham, you just need to draw a straight line from Calais to chatel to the shortest route
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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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That would require a bond-like lotus for the lake Geneva bit 
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It gets you off the motorway, much more interesting. Probably save fuel as well as tolls. I often drove to Gva across the Jura when conditions good. Wouldn't bother in dark or snow.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I've done the Jura route to get to ski areas at the east end of Lake Geneva. (Basically the N5 & N57, with some D roads in between, going through Poligny, Bonnevaux & Vallorbe before coming down onto Lake Geneva near Lausanne). It's quicker because it's one side of a triangle versus two, saving nearly 50 miles, and it's very pretty in places. Unless the weather is snowy or foggy, I'd do it in preference to going on autoroutes round the south of the lake.
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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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So, it sounds like six of one, half a dozen of the other. I'll see whether it's dark, and what the weather's like, when I get there tomorrow afternoon. Thanks for the opinions.
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| Chamcham wrote: |
| @CaravanSkier, I'd never thought of going through Oyonnax. Isn't it a slow road to there from the A39? |
Yes, a little slow, but short! There is a big hill, but if you're not towing thats probably not relevant 
Hope you have a good journey whichever way you go. The best route is often a matter of personal preference.
(ps my comments are not just a result of towing, we have done pretty much all the variations multiple times with, and without a caravan in tow)
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You know it makes sense.
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| Julian T wrote: |
| I've done the Jura route to get to ski areas at the east end of Lake Geneva. (Basically the N5 & N57, with some D roads in between, going through Poligny, Bonnevaux & Vallorbe before coming down onto Lake Geneva near Lausanne). It's quicker because it's one side of a triangle versus two, saving nearly 50 miles, and it's very pretty in places. Unless the weather is snowy or foggy, I'd do it in preference to going on autoroutes round the south of the lake. |
^We have also done that route quite a few times and far prefer it to the motorway alternatives around Geneva.
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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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Hi, I dont think you will save 1 hr by going via the Jura, I think is almost equal time vs the Autoroute Blanche. Obviously you need you vignette for CH. A lots depends on the time of day though, if you come of at Annemasse at 17:00 its a bit slow however, so is CH as well. The Jura route is more fun after a long stint on the autoroute and the run through CH is nice before crossing the boarder back in to FR at Morgins. If you have children who are prone to car sickness the A40 is best! I do the A40 but head to a village in the Abondance valley lower down than Chatel so for me its quicker on the A40- i'm about 20 mins from Chatel. I used to go via Pontalier as opposed to Poligny, i think that's turning off toward Mulhouse then to Besancon
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Poster: A snowHead
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I do it all the the time in all weather conditions acs it’s quicker to go cross country than staying on the motorway and I think much less stressful and at much less risk of traffic etc especially in bad weather or busy period. The motorway route can be around the same but only if speeding while a lot of the cross country route is a relaxed 80 kph. I constantly do it in around 11 hours door to door from SW london.
This is my best route after having tried lots of variations:
A39 - J7(?) - Poligny - Champagnole (bypass) - Censeau - Bonnevaux - Metabief - Jougne - Swiss Border - Lausanne - Monthey (bypass) - Morgins - Châtel
There is a large supermarket between Metabief and Jougne, thinks the area is Hopitaux Neufs, where you can do your groceries for the week if that is part of the plan. There is also a great cheese shop to the left as you approach Jougne to buy regional products such as Comte and Mt’Dor cheese and Arbois Jura wine which is very good.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Chamcham wrote: |
| I'm driving to Chatel tomorrow (6 February), and Google and viamichelin are telling me I can save an hour by driving through the Jura (essentially turn left south of Dijon towards Lausanne). |
Get to Dijon, put it in Google Maps, and it will tell you the predicted times for each route including traffic delays.
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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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@Ozboy - thanks for sharing your experience. This looks interesting:
Champagnole (bypass) - Censeau - Bonnevaux - Metabief - Jougne as I was focussing on the yellow main roads on google maps but it seems they're all D classification. The yellow one's seem preferred by route finding and presumably sat nav so will may plug in each town in turn to ensure we stay on that direct route.
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There is also a quite large Intermarche in Poligny which was a convenient point for us to stop for fuel, coffee & shopping.
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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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| MHskier wrote: |
@Ozboy - thanks for sharing your experience. This looks interesting:
Champagnole (bypass) - Censeau - Bonnevaux - Metabief - Jougne as I was focussing on the yellow main roads on google maps but it seems they're all D classification. The yellow one's seem preferred by route finding and presumably sat nav so will may plug in each town in turn to ensure we stay on that direct route. |
Yes you have to force the satnav to take this route by entering in a couple of waypoints.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Ozboy, Filled up my diesel BMW 5 series at the supermarket at Hospital Neuf.....and was very glad when the Wetherby services (north of Leeds) came into view. Maybe should have filled up a bit sooner
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@Matt1959, Good going form HF to Leeds on one tank? I have E-Class 220D and can manage around 800 kms and I also always wait till I am running on fumes before filling up. Not sure why I do put myself through the stress of running the tank so low as it doesn't save time.
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@Ozboy, And we had a detour into London for an overnight stop!
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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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If you do stop to buy some wine in the Jura worth knowing that the white is a bit of an acquired taste - have a sip to check if you like it first!
There are some nice ‘easy drinking’ reds.
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| Matt1959 wrote: |
If you do stop to buy some wine in the Jura worth knowing that the white is a bit of an acquired taste - have a sip to check if you like it first!
There are some nice ‘easy drinking’ reds. |
Both tasted excellent in the little bar at the bottom of the slopes, after a full days skiing with our 3 then small sons , at La Faucille
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
| I also always wait till I am running on fumes |
Don't modern, common rail systems run on vaporized fuel all the time ?
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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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I appreciate I'm a bit late but our preferred route is (apologies to Ozboy for plagiarising part):
A39 - Besancon - Pontarlier - Metabief - Jougne - Swiss Border - Lausanne - Monthey (bypass) - Morgins - Châtel
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| Ozboy wrote: |
I do it all the the time in all weather conditions acs it’s quicker to go cross country than staying on the motorway and I think much less stressful and at much less risk of traffic etc especially in bad weather or busy period. The motorway route can be around the same but only if speeding while a lot of the cross country route is a relaxed 80 kph. I constantly do it in around 11 hours door to door from SW london.
This is my best route after having tried lots of variations:
A39 - J7(?) - Poligny - Champagnole (bypass) - Censeau - Bonnevaux - Metabief - Jougne - Swiss Border - Lausanne - Monthey (bypass) - Morgins - Châtel
There is a large supermarket between Metabief and Jougne, thinks the area is Hopitaux Neufs, where you can do your groceries for the week if that is part of the plan. There is also a great cheese shop to the left as you approach Jougne to buy regional products such as Comte and Mt’Dor cheese and Arbois Jura wine which is very good. |
I've been away from here far too long, but this ^^ is spot on info! Also a large Intermarche at Poligny which is good for quick breakfast stop on the return.
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You know it makes sense.
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And - blink and you’ll miss it - there’s a sign on the roundabout at Hospitaux Neuf that tells you that you are at the watershed between the Med and the North Sea, so you can entertain yourself with thoughts of how you could stop for a leak and watch it drain both ways!
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