 Poster: A snowHead
|
| stefoy4me wrote: |
| Le Cinq Hyper was £400........too much for being there about 12 hours of i ll only be awake for 4!!!..LOL |
Shows the power of supply and demand. We are paying €78 in December for a Friday night
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Quote: |
you must really love driving. And not have to use the M25 in the UK
|
I'm a relaxed driver, don't mind driving, - choose my music, listen to audio books, am disciplined about stopping every two hours. I do use the M25 to get to Folkestone for the Tunnel - it's the worst part of the journey though. There just isn't an easy, or cheap, way to get to ski resorts, especially with a family, and Snowheads is full of cries of anguish about the cost of transfers at the moment. I would never go at half term, either - would prefer to take my chances with the vagaries of Christmas and Easter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Although we're generally Val Moret peeps when driving, we've also used
https://www.hotel-rey.com/
3 times now when needing to get into Bourg St Maurice early doors. Could be considered slightly off the direct route, but 30 mins "this side" of Annecy and close to the motorway.
The other one used last winter, (after a gap of some 20 years!) was Auberge de la fontaine, villiers-sur-suize, haute-marne 52210, on https://logishotels.com .,
An archetypical French village off the beaten track, great hosts (little English spoken tho') Perfect for the later arrival in the Valley - does get booked up as is quite small, but maybe not so much holiday traffic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
On the Calais side of Troyes is https://www.domaine-de-vermoise.fr/
It’s a wedding venue, so good luck with booking at weekends, but it’s got ginormous grounds to walk your dog (along with their ginormous dogs that come along for the walk). We will be staying there next week on our way back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Thanks for all the comments - Many of which are expressing similar to my thoughts about not going far enough makes it less advantageous. Personally I prefer to get into resort that little bit earlier as then even if we can't get into the apartment we can go and get the hire equipment (which I know will be chaos). Thankfully we have underground parking in the apartments we are staying at, just need to check how early we could get in there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Rob_Quads, have you drove in to the Tarentaise valley before in Feb?
it could easily take 8hrs from circa Lyon at the wrong time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
I tend to stop at the Ibis Budget just off the motorway at Amberieu-en-Bugey, leaving roughly 3 hours driving to Les Arcs taking the cross-country route to Chambery, though also do a food shop at Aime Leclerc. Very basic, but suits me fine. This summer I took a much earlier stop, with a slight detour to Noyon, northwest of Reims, also Ibis Budget. It does help now being retired and not restricted to certain days for travelling.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I think the Ibis budget formula is excellent. There's one quite central in Troyes, but probably booked for the key dates by now. The suggestion that driving up to the Tarentaise from Lyon can take 8 hours at the wrong time is depressing but true!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Mother hucker wrote: |
@Rob_Quads, have you drove in to the Tarentaise valley before in Feb?
it could easily take 8hrs from circa Lyon at the wrong time. |
I've not done it during the half term - thats why I am trying to research when and where to stay / leave. We've done it (vis Coach from Chambery) in late Jan and each March multiple times. We would be planning to leave the hotel early on the Saturday i.e. 7am to avoid all the main transfers coaches but as you say it may well take longer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
We would be planning to leave the hotel early on the Saturday i.e. 7am to avoid all the main transfers coaches
|
There are loads of private cars - it's not just transfer coaches. Unless your hotel is VERY close you might be wise to leave earlier than 7 am if you want to get ahead of the traffic. But what to do when you arrive in resort needs thinking about - access to accommodation and associated parking might not be till about 4pm, when there will be a big rush of folks doing the same. If your kids are already independent skiers, you can of course have their ski clothes handy, get them some skis and boots and a lift pass and throw them out!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
7am leave from chambery would be ok, but any further back than that, you ll be amazed at how much traffic there is.
that would get you to VDI about 10.00am
if you need a shop or fuel fill up, you can stop in BSM, before your final climb to VDI
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Rob_Quads wrote: |
| Mother hucker wrote: |
@Rob_Quads, have you drove in to the Tarentaise valley before in Feb?
it could easily take 8hrs from circa Lyon at the wrong time. |
I've not done it during the half term - thats why I am trying to research when and where to stay / leave. We've done it (vis Coach from Chambery) in late Jan and each March multiple times. We would be planning to leave the hotel early on the Saturday i.e. 7am to avoid all the main transfers coaches but as you say it may well take longer. |
IME There are three main bottle necks on the N90. The police close the motorway exits to stop you leaving the main road and trying to use the back roads to avoid the queues.
1) The payage booths. A doofer can help, but if the traffic is very heavy the 2 lane motorway can be blocked in both lanes with people queuing to pay, so it won't avoid all the problems.
2) The traffic lights at Aigueblanche just north of Moutiers. There can be a queue all the way back to Albertville from these, and it can take 2 hours to get to Moutiers. Then, there is a clear bit of dual carrageway for perhaps 10 miles before you get to ....
3) The traffic lights at the end of the dual carrageway before the Tunnel du Siaix - between Moutiers and Aime. On a busy day it can take another 2 hours to do the few Km leading up to them.
The traffic lights are only active(turned on) at busy times, so if you've done the trip off peak you may not have even noticed them. When they are turned on, they go for green for about 20 seconds, then red for what seems like ages. They let through about 20-30 vehicles per change.
After the Tunnel du Siaix the traffic is normally moving - perhaps only 50kph if you're stuck behind a bus/coach but it moves. There are a few towns and speed bumps to negotiate, but usually once you get to Aime you can relax - you're past the worst of it. Thats why I'd recommend planning to be past the Tunnel du Siaix before 9am. After that you can take your time, stop in Bourg for brekkie/shopping or press on into resort for a cheeky half day on piste or get the lift passes and ski hire sorted before the rest of the world turns up.
IME Transfer coaches aren't usually a problem going up the mountain before about 11am. The UK flights don't land in Geneva, Chambery, Grenoble and Lyon till about 9:30-10am local time, and by the time the delayed Manchester/Gatwick flight hits the tarmac in Chambery it'll be 11am before the first bus leaves the airport. There might be a few overnight Dutch/Danish/Belgian coaches, but the big rush from the airport by the hoards of brits is not until around midday.
All the above assumes normal weather. In a snowmaggeddon all bets are off.
IMHO.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
We normally go at Christmas and Easter ish but last year because of pandemic interruptions, etc we bit the bullet and went HT
The full TR is here but I guess the pertinent point is that we didn't really change our routine at all.
Our routine the majority of the time being to drive from MK round the M25 to the tunnel early evening for a crossing around 22:00 give or take an hour. Then drive through the night to Albertville arriving 08:00 ish. Then we do a supermarket shop and diesel fill up before driving up to resort. We then check in if possible. Either way, when the kids were younger we would do some sledging but in more recent years we would just do an afternoon skiing.
In regard of the drive my entry in the TR above was "Busy roads overnight but the weather was kind so no issues. A few glitches/breakdowns south of Lyon. Did food shop in Albertville. And a bit stop start since. Satnav says an hour for the last 25 Miles." As I recall we got in the resort around 12:30.
Maybe we were lucky in that it whilst traffic was definitely heavier than normal and there was some stop start, it wasn't too bad or as bad as I feared. The weather was also relatively kind. But I didn't see any evidence need to be getting up at 5 in the morning. As I say maybe we were lucky.
Another note is that we were going to Les Coches which is quite easy access and not too long of a drive in. If you are going to say Les Menuires/Val T, Tignes or Arc 2000/Aime 2000 it's a fair bit longer driving in and when the traffic is slow going it makes it even more of a schlep.
Our routine on the return is to ski all day Saturday, leave at 17:00, drive to Chambery, eat, shop for wine/cheese and drive through the night to get a tunnel crossing 07:00 ish. One thing I've always noticed leaving the resort at Christmas (hence NY traffic coming in) is that by that time of the day the traffic is horrendous. And it was the same at HT. But many of the French and others seem to accept it as a fait complete. So whilst extremely doesn't seem necessary to me certainly it gets worse as the day goes on.
Driving through the night is not for everyone but we find the kids sleep pretty good and the two of us share the driving. But if you are not comfortable with it go the Hotel route.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@Rob_Quads,
Nearer the time start checking/asking on the View from ..... Val D'Isere and/or Tignes 2022/23 threats on the Snow Reports forum for estimated vehicle numbers (the resort Tourist Infos release them for each weekend - and the numbers can be eyewatering) & weather forecast (worth checking on this on arrival at your transit accommodation too, as it changes quickly). These data should help to inform you what time to depart for VDI. You'd be wise to do the same towards the end of your holiday for departure from VDI.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Rob_Quads wrote: |
| Mother hucker wrote: |
@Rob_Quads, have you drove in to the Tarentaise valley before in Feb?
it could easily take 8hrs from circa Lyon at the wrong time. |
I've not done it during the half term - thats why I am trying to research when and where to stay / leave. We've done it (vis Coach from Chambery) in late Jan and each March multiple times. We would be planning to leave the hotel early on the Saturday i.e. 7am to avoid all the main transfers coaches but as you say it may well take longer. |
I'd say that's too late, unless you're past Chambéry in a hotel.
I'd be passing through chambéry circa 5am. Seriously you won't believe how bad and how quickly it gets bad. Normally we'll be in Brev car park by 8ish skiing the Saturday. This year in Feb, things went funky with my van and we had to fly last minute. Took us over 8 hrs from Lyon leaving there about 9.30. Xmas and Easter this past season we saw no traffic driving my preferred unsociable hours
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
A lot depends on how your half term week meshes with the Paris week. As the OP is missing the Paris week, it might not be too bad. I have driven north when the Paris hordes and half-term Brits are driving south, past miles of stationary traffic for the péage gates north of Reims. Every other car with a roof box!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
