 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello, we are driving to Saalbach-Hinterglemm for half term 2015. We are planning to leave SW London on Friday afternoon when children have finished school (around 3pm) and are aiming to catch the Eurotunnel latest 6 pm. Where could we stay with safe parking about 2-3hrs drive from Calais on our way to maximize road time and avoid worst rush hour traffic. Thank you in advance for some advice!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@SweSki, Welcome to Snowheads. When I do this trip, I drive as far as Aachen (in order to be around the Bruxelles ring road when it is quiet) and stay overnight at the Ibis Budget Aachen Nord, which is 300 km from Calais, so about 3 hours. Not the most luxurious hotel, but the car park is secure, the beds are comfortable, the breakfast is edible and it's right next to the motorway. There is also a discount petrol station opposite, so you can fill up cheaper than on the autobahn.
From Aachen, the route is Stuttgart - Munich - A8 towards Salzburg as far as the exit for Siegsdorf - Inzell - Lofer - Saalfelden - Saalbach. You do not require an Austrian autobahn Vignette for this route. Aachen - Saalbach is approx. 825 km. You won't do it in less than 8 hours. It may take longer depending on number of comfort stops, the weight of traffic around Munich, weather etc.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 6-11-14 16:50; 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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Thank you @quinton. That sounds good used to work in Bruxelles and Antwerp and the ring road still give me the shivers! Better to hit it when it is quiet..
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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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@SweSki, like @quinton we have stayed at an Ibis on the way - but the one on the southern edge of Luxembourg. It is just off the motorway but surprisingly quiet, and there are a couple of eateries within the complex.
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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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SweSki, make allowances for the fact that the Tunnel and all approaches will be very busy - don't bank on making it over in quick time. And, obviously, you'll lose an hour on the time difference.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Good luck with getting the 6pm train. It took us 4.5 hrs to get to Dover from West London last Feb. We're booking a late ferry this year.
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To add to what @PollSki, said, if you miss your tunnel slot, it's worth remembering that they'll put you on the next available train. Which, at half-term, could be a lot later. We were coming back over the summer and missed our slot. Had to wait 4 hours. People turned up just after us around 6.00 and got told they'd be on the 01.30.
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@SweSki, I was thinking just the same!... the hardest and most stressful part of the journey is the London to Dover bit!
I live about an hour north eastish away from Saalbach.
We do the journey in one hit (with 2 kids) and rarely have any problems. Have you considered getting a few more K's covered whilst the kids are sleeping?... You could get nearly half the journey done by midnight!
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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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Just a word a warning the section from Munich To Saalbach on a Saturday can be incredibly busy, the worst it has taken us is 6 hours, best we have made it is 1.45 hours. Never made good time on a Saturday.
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Thank you all for your very useful advice did not consider it might take 4.5hrs only to get to Dover! Obviously a novice on the driving for half term as we normally fly but with the £2800! price tag for the flights we thought it could be a good idea to drive.. Really useful might book the 8pm ferry to be on the safe side and drive to around midnight instead..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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SweSki, the timing of journeys at half term can be critical. It's worth really thinking through how to avoid the worst of the traffic throughout the journey. I know about the French journeys (when, for example, it's best to arrive in resort either very early on the Saturday or after 6 pm) but there are plenty of snowheads who drive to Austria - or even live permanently nearby - who can provide invaluable specific advice on routes and timings.
Personally, with small kids, I think driving during their sleeping hours is a very good scheme. But it doesn't suit everybody - depends how your body clock works.
I use the tunnel a lot and never by the flexiplus tickets but then I never travel at peak times - might be worth considering.
Count on the whole journey taking far longer than it would on, say, a Tuesday in November.
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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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We are booked on the 8pm train for feb half term and I'm picking OH up from his school at 3.30. Last year we booked the 9pm but on the same leaving time got put on the 7pm one having made good time despite the awful weather. Can't help with the hotel though as we drive through the night, arrive in Switzerland early, have a power nap and get a half day on the nursery slope Saturday afternoon to get the ski legs back.
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ON a related topic, can I ask people for their experiences of how the kids handle half-term week with a drive at each end? We've not done it yet (although we drove last Easter) and the financial argument is compelling but my wife worries that the kids will just be exhausted after half a term at school, a fun but energetic week of skiing then a rather tiring drive home before going straight back into school again. Our two are 10 and 12 so the oldest is in his first year of secondary which is obviously a bit of extra demand on him.
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You know it makes sense.
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Where are you driving from and to?@jedster,
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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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@jedster, did it last years with ours, who were 13,13 and 11 at time, and they had no issues. Drove home in one go on Saturday getting home around 11pm, they had long lie in on Sunday and were fine for the Monday school.
They slept most of the way from Dover back up to home.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Avago - Marlow to Les Contamines - relatively short compared to some.
Boris - good to hear. It's our place so we would tend to go Fri to Sun to get the extra couple of days and avoid Saturday traffic but you make a fair point that coming back on Sat to have a lazy day on Sunday would probably make sense.
Of course the option to go Fri/Sun does mean that flights are not SO hideously priced as Sat to Sat but driving would still be a very handy saving.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@jedster, No issues for my 9 and 11 year olds. Last year we left Bourg St. Maurice at about 5pm on the Saturday, slept in Troyes, and got a 6pm ferry on the Sunday. They were fine for school the next day. They are used to long drives, as we travel by car accross Europe two or three times a year.
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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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@SweSki,
Cant the kids have an 'illness' on Friday so you can get a reasonably early off & miss the post 3pm chaos?
Mitch
PS; its a long drive when traffic is easy so dont envy you one little bit
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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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@jedster, Neither of my boys have had any issues. When using the tunnel we tend to get a crossing on Friday around 21:30 and drive straight to resort, sharing the driving while the boys sleep. We are taking the ferry from Harwich this Christmas (for a change) so hopefully we will all be rested before our drive to Austria. As @Boris, said, when coming back, a nice lie in on the Sunday does the trick.
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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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| jedster wrote: |
Of course the option to go Fri/Sun does mean that flights are not SO hideously priced as Sat to Sat but driving would still be a very handy saving. |
I would imagine it would be very difficult to find accomodation Fri/Sun at midterm.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I think he owns his own place, so that shouldn't be too much of an issue.
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PollSki
Good luck with getting the 6pm train. It took us 4.5 hrs to get to Dover from West London last Feb. We're booking a late ferry this year.
We drove from Leicester at 3:30pm to Dover last Feb half term Friday drove straight through and on to an earlier train around 8:30pm. No queues at all. Maybe we were too late for that. We stayed in a nice hotel nr Ypres (Kasteelhof 't Hooghe) though that might be too close to Calais for you. It took us nearly 12hrs to St Johann in Tirol from there with a fair few stops and some traffic. Munich ring was slow.bwe took the route through Luxembourg for the cheap petrol.
We took our girls aged 9 and 11. No probs at all. They asked to do it again, so...
This year I've booked a Holiday Inn Express at Lille Ouest. Much cheaper (90 euros inc breakfast for 4!) and a more direct route.
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