 Poster: A snowHead
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Every years a l see a lot of the Brits on here setting off for France for the kids mid-term break.
Can I ask a question.....AND don't jump down my throat, I'm genuinely curious.
So, it appears to me that you all pack your cars and drive for almost 2 days to get to the resort.
How long do you get to ski for?...5 days and then 2 days to come back?
Are you not cream crackered by the time you arrive and thus maybe lose a day due to fatigue?
Are you actually saving a lot of money by driving?...are the airlines mugging you off because of the holidays?
I gotta be honest, I have to utmost respect for you, but between the hassle, packing and traffic AND then doing it all coming back it sounds like utter torture.
Fair play to you all.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@dazman,  Generally for a family of 4 driving is MUCH cheaper than half term flights plus resort transfers or rental car. And you can take lots of stuff if you're self catering. From the South of England it doesn't take two days, though most people would have an overnight stop. And many flights require a 4 am start, which is as bad as missing a night's sleep!
But personally I don't understand why anyone would do either, for just a week's holiday. I wouldn't. I've driven loads of times, but not on peak days, and not just for a week. If I HAD to go in school holidays I'd choose Easter.
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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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We leave Friday afternoon. Don't drive through the night so motel by the autoroute on Friday night.
Arrive in resort Saturday afternoon. 7 nights accommodation at resort (Sat - Sat). 6 full days skiing. Leave Saturday lunchtime. Again motel on way home. Home Sunday evening.
Save a lot compared to flights. Take a load of food in the car so save on shopping. Don't have to spend ages deciding what to pack (throw anything and everything in car). Take own skis without paying airline charges.
Feels like loads less hassle that trying to corral kids through an airport, delays, airports transfers etc. Just sat on a nice French autoroute with occasional stops for nice food (e.g. at "The Big Chicken").
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Having flown, driven and taken the train during the school break windows with the kids for a while now, yes its a long drive, yes it's a long time to sit on the train and yes airports and transfers can be awful.
Plane is quickest, assuming you don't suffer too many delays... and there will be delays.
Train is probably most relaxing.
Driving is probably cheapest and allows you to take all your kit plus the kitchen sink if you're doing a self-catering jobber.
Airlines are DEFINITELY mugging you off because of the holidays, zero doubt about it, but so are everyone else.
If you've got someone to share the driving with you it really helps, but we never lost a day to fatigue even when I just did the driving myself.
The 2 days drive isn't 2 days if you are in the South East UK - its one with a bit extra one side or the other, we would regularly get most of a full day on the day we leave the mountain, drive to somewhere like Macon, eat, sleep, then drive back home next day. Similar on the way down - kids from school Friday night, drive, tunnel, drive to to Reims or somewhere, then onto the Alps. Yes there can be bad weather, yes there can be delays, but about 14-15 hours on the road is about right.
You pays yer money, you takes yer chance.
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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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Yes to the mugging you off.
We fly to Zurich. BA rack rate for the earlier weekends around £150 each way max. They rise to £450+ on half term weekends.
Spoke to some Swiss and German families whose countries try to spread the winter sports holiday (without even having the flights issue) and they generally couldn’t fathom why UK does things this way!
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Before kids we flew - but friends were teachers so annoyingly had to go at half term. I remember expensive flights/delays/long transfers and traffic/wearing everything due to luggage weight restrictions and much more.
Driving with the kids, we leave Thursday night and cross on the tunnel, stopping after about an hour. Then drive most of the day on Friday in daylight hours getting pretty close to the resort. It's all very relaxing - autoroute not busy like UK motorways, nice services....and we're ahead of all the traffic. Normally get some (nice) supermarket food and cheap wine and eat in the hotel room. We only use hotels as stopovers on all holidays so it's a novelty.
Saturday is a quick drive into the resort, supermarket shop plus tons of wine and treats to bring home. Ski rental shops genuinely are happy to see you as they're bored and the hoards haven't arrived yet so you get looked after better. Then we either ski the afternoon or have a very long and lazy lunch, getting into the apartment as soon as it's ready (usually earlier).
Not at all tired for our first day of skiing and have at least 6 and up to 7 days on the snow (6 days plus arrival/departure half days). The journey home is the grim bit and can be traffic heavy (and the holiday is over!). Leave resort Saturday afternoon and stop over in a hotel for the night. Get home Sunday afternoon, get an early night and up for school/work in the morning. May need a couple of early nights!
Driving means we take as much or as little as we want and we stop every couple of hours to stretch our legs (coffee!). And it's very much door to door. It also means the cost is circa £4k all in (at Grand Massif in Feb Half Term or Val Thorens at Easter).
We also drive to the alps in summer and, even though it's the same route, it's a completely different experience!
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| Quote: |
why UK does things this way!
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They do it because they can. And because of greed.
If we smoothed out school holidays over more weeks, airlines would rub their hands with joy and just apply increases over a longer period of time.
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| kettonskimum wrote: |
| Quote: |
why UK does things this way!
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They do it because they can. And because of greed.
If we smoothed out school holidays over more weeks, airlines would rub their hands with joy and just apply increases over a longer period of time. |
I don't think that's true. Currently all airlines know they can fill their planes at half term because demand exceeds supply. If the demand were spread over more weeks there would be more competition between airlines for the passengers available.
If your theory was true, why would they not charge an increased price for 52 weeks of the year ?
The real question is why are UK schools so fixed in their ways that they can't have different weeks holiday in different regions ? Ok there might be some edge cases where a family has children in schools in different regions that causes problems but that would be a rarity - they do this in other countries successfully.
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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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@JohnS4,
Aren't school term dates set by the Local Education Authorities?
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I'm in Rutland. One son is on half term this week. My other son is at College the same distance away in a slightly different direction but falls into Lincolnshire who were on half term last week.
Friends in Cardiff have kids who break for Easter hols around 23 March. So it is/is starting to fluctuate albeit probably decided at a local level.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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’ve driven a few times -we are about 3hrs from tunnel - took kids out of school Fri - overnight half way down France, arrive mid afternoon Sat to sort out skis etc - ski Sun - Sat all day so get 7 days skiing then overnight about 3 hrs from resort on way back and long drive home on Sun
Worked well except the year when hubs was gonna be dropped of at Lyon to fly to Jordan on business and I was driving home but broke my shoulder and insurance said they’d repatriate me but not the car or the kids! it would have been a lot easier if we had flown
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@dazman, we come out to the alps at least half a dozen times a year, driving, flying or even train. But for Feb half term we always fly. A lot of it comes down to which is more relaxing for that trip, and it’s a personal decision, in combination with efficiency - I can get 9days skiing if we want, or alternatively a relaxed start late morning on a Saturday, in resort by 6pm, and same for the journey home.
In general I find the costs are equivalent, with a bit of planning. Even feb half term. And that’s before you allow for whether the decision to buy a large SUV was influenced by “because we’ll drive to the alps”…
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You know it makes sense.
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I have only flown twice in the 40 years of my skiing on the continent. Once to Italy and once to Sweden. I find flying unpleasant with all the security and getting to the airport, as well as it being the most un-environmental way to travel.
The Eurostar Snow train which we caught at Ashford was quite an easy and acceptable journey. Easy car parking as well! Sadly the Eurostar is not stopping at Ashford at the moment but possibly will in 2025. We needed a minibus link to the resort. However, overall it proved just as expensive as flying. I have only had one continental holiday (not skiing) on the Eurostar from Euston and this was not too problematic even though we had to travel across London. HS2 is not going to be viable, certainly not in my skiing life time but possibly not even in my life time per se! And in any case, although I only live 25 miles outside Birmingham, it is going to be just as difficult to get to the HS2 station in B/Ham as it is to get into London, and probably quite a bit more expensive. And then still, I will have to get across London to Euston!
Most of my skiing has been in the French Alps and I probably have got there mainly by coach. A lot of my skiing has been solo, so I wouldn't want to drive it by myself. Coaching has proved to be the easiest travel for me, of the lot. If using, say, Snowbreaks and Snowcoach, I drive down the M1 to Watford, Friday pm, throw my stuff onto the coach, settle into my seat and wake up at the resort Sat morning and usually, if lucky with no delays, skiing by 10 or 11am. Travel back the following Saturday night after skiing the day, making 8 days total! Coach seats have improved in size and legroom over the past 20 years.
However, over the past 10 years or so, I have been mainly self catering skiing with one of my sons and his family and we drive over, mainly to save quite a bit of money. Five of us in a family estate with a roof box for the gear works quite well even though a bit tight. We stop in a hotel or similar half way there and half way back. There has been time to have a walk around one of the lovely French villages or towns which I found enjoyable. My son and Daughter in Law share the driving. They won't let me drive as I think they worry I might nod off. I do my part by chatting to the driver and leaning out the window for the toll booths I suppose. My two granddaughters are still at school so we have to ski in the school holidays. One caveat though, we are all of small stature around 5 ft 8 in and smaller.
But -- we avoid February half term like the plague. Everything too expensive and the pistes crowded worse than the M25! However, we go to a high altitude resort like Les Arcs in the Easter school break which have proved to still have quite a bit of decent snow left. It got a bit slushy down at 1600 last year but still plenty to ski. We should get 6 days skiing this year.
I had hoped to go twice this year but things got in the way. Champing at the bit!!!!
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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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| Quote: |
So, it appears to me that you all pack your cars and drive for almost 2 days to get to the resort.
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A day usually. It takes about 15 hours from the midlands.
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How long do you get to ski for?...5 days and then 2 days to come back?
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I normally ski for more than a week, but on a staturday to saturday booing you get 6 days skiing, but, if you do it as we used to do, drive overnight Friday and return overnight Saturday you get 8 days skiing.
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Are you not cream crackered by the time you arrive and thus maybe lose a day due to fatigue?
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No
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Are you actually saving a lot of money by driving?...are the airlines mugging you off because of the holidays?
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This is marginal, If you fly midweek and book well in advance flights are very cheep, but driving is easier and more convenient.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Keeping specific to half term, if one wants to avoid driving and paying thru the nose for flights, what I have done in the past when kids were at school is ring them in sick on Friday before half term (with no guilt as the school ski trip coach leave Friday morning too), and fly on Friday and stay in a cheap airport hotel.
Travel to resort Sat am - hire car or train - and to take up you often mandatory "sat - sat" accom booking, dump you bags and get a full days Saturday skiing. Ditto on Saturday "leave" day ski some /most of the day (accommodation usually has somewhere to shower and change) and then either do reverse (airport hotel for sunday am flight) or take a late Saturday evening flight home - which is usually cheap anyway.
Gets you 7/7.5/8 days skiing in and you don't have to spend 2 days in a car or be restricted to busy french resorts within easy brit driving distance.
Not ideal for complete beginners as kids ski-school normally doesnt start til Sunday, but there are private lesson work arounds.
I think I also once flew sat to sat but routed us via Paris, with reasonably short transfer time, as flights to / from paris in feb were cheap as Brits werent flocking there and the French tend to travel within france, not fly off to another skiing destination.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Used to do it with mates but now do it with a family of 4.
I have only done HT once but the reasoning applies regardless.
It doesn't take two days for us. We leave at 5/6 on a Friday, drive through the night and arrive in resort Saturday morning. We leave Saturday after skiing and drive through the night arriving home at around 8 or 9 in the morning.
So we get to ski 7.5 to 8 days. And that is a big part of the reason to do it. If you fly often you only get 6 days skiing.
Financial reasons are not a major factor although I think it's generally cheaper for a car of 4. However, if you prices it out by skiing day (8 v 6) I would imagine it would. Note: you can get 8 days going by train also.
Another reason is the door to door aspect and flexibility.
I am "cream crackered" after driving and skiing all day but it's a nice cream crackered. But I also find flying very tiring and certainly more hassle.
Traffic definitely can be an issue at the busiest times and the busiest weeks. We usually go at Christmas and Easter and driving overnight means we don't see much of it. The one time I did HT it was not bad.
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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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The answer is fly out Friday and back on Sunday. Never, ever, in the history of the world is anything educational achieved the day before half-term.
Hire a car.
Hotel near resort or airport depending on arrival time for Friday night.
Apartment/chalet Saturday to Saturday.
Hotel near airport on the departing Saturday night. Makes for as relaxing journey home as not tired from getting up in the middle of the night to get to the airport on time.
Cheaper flights.
More skiing.
We live in Scotland so no way would driving work for us. I like the idea of the adventure, and I would probably give it a go if I lived down south, but I very much doubt I would regularly drive to the alps for a week holiday. DIY with flights is quicker and easier every time. For example on the way back this year we had a lovely meal on the Saturday night, good sleep in a relatively cheap hotel near the airport, leisurely breakfast, and were home at around 2.30pm.
Seems a no brainer
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I don't even bother looking at flights anymore. I'd still drive even if it were more expensive. If with the family we'll usually stopover one night each way, but usually do it in one hit when travelling solo. Much more relaxing and far fewer opportunities for disaster to strike. Can take as much or as little as I want, car practically drives itself, have a toll tag so no stopping for gates and winter tyres to make sure I get up the mountain. Comfy drivers seat and decent stereo seal the deal.
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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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A good book from audible or equivalent also helps
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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 always prefer to be master of my own destiney and hate relying on others especially when things can go wrong with late flights, missed transfers etc. That's why I prefer to drive. Plus I can bring as much stuff as I want/need without all the weighing and security hassle.
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| SKia Optima wrote: |
| ---------------Can take as much or as little as I want, car practically drives itself, have a toll tag so no stopping for gates and winter tyres to make sure I get up the mountain. Comfy drivers seat and decent stereo seal the deal. |
Winter tyres! I think SKia is the first to mention winter tyres here. Essential, and can get you into legal trouble as well if you don't have them. Hope everybody else thought it was so obvious they didn't need to mention it, but I bet there are some who don't have them or chains.
The police stopped our coach a few years ago to make the coachy put on his chains. Problem though, -- he didn't know how to do it!! Luckily there was a group of the Household Cavalry on board and after observing the coachy in trouble, they took over and had it done in less than 5 mins! Thanks and well done guys and girls!
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@dazman, We do Peak Retreats trips = year 1 was tunnel on flexiplus, stop overnight at Reims, down to Tarentaise; 7 nights in resort, then reverse, again planning to stop in Reims, but...no room at the inn, as we didn't book ahead. Ended up with a couple of hours on an aire and ultimately driving bleary-eyed through the UK to home (Yorkshire).
It sounds rubbish now I've typed it out, but it was great fun - new sights and experiences.
Year 2 = we went Thursday night by ferry (Hull-Rotterdam) = great part of the holiday. Drove via Luxembourg to Dijon (hilariously crap budget hotel); great fun. Then on to Tarentaise (7 nights in resort). Stopped at Reims on way back, then onto Rotterdam (Euromast) for the afternoon = wonderful (but the Belgium roads, particularly Charleroi are garbage). Another great trip.
This year will be Hull again > Dijon (but a nicer hotel) > Tarentaise (7n) > Metz overnight > lovely Dutch town of Breda for the afternoon > then another wonderful ferry experience.
Long way of saying, it's just another way of seeing the world and having fun. Even in adversity.
Having said that, 2025 plan (because of the stupid Easter), is an independent booking, early March flights and a week in the Heaven on Earth that is Saalbach!
Sod the LEA!
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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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@NickYoung, I hadn't realised the Easter holidays were so late in 2025 (April 20th) and it will be even later in 2030. It appears that a lot more people are going skiing this Easter than last. I suppose this is because it is earlier.
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Our schools break up 4th April 2025 - so only a week later than this year.
School holidays are not dictated by when the Easter weekend is.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Layne wrote: |
Our schools break up 4th April 2025 - so only a week later than this year.
School holidays are not dictated by when the Easter weekend is. |
That means that this year's 2 week Easter ski window, is a 1 week window next year - and it's the end week.
4th April is a stretch for most resorts and unless you're at a private school, state schools are absolutely dictated by Easter weekend - doesn't have to be the middle weekend, but has to be "at least" the first or last weekend of the 2 weeks.
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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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| NickYoung wrote: |
| That means that this year's 2 week Easter ski window, is a 1 week window next year - and it's the end week. |
Not sure what you mean by that. Schools always have a two week holiday.
| NickYoung wrote: |
| 4th April is a stretch for most resorts |
Again, not sure what you mean by that. Smaller resorts will be open the first week and anywhere half decent will be open both weeks. In 2019 we went to Les Menuires 13th to 20th April.
| NickYoung wrote: |
| and unless you're at a private school, state schools are absolutely dictated by Easter weekend - doesn't have to be the middle weekend, but has to be "at least" the first or last weekend of the 2 weeks. |
Easter weekend will coincide with some part of it for sure but as you point out it could be anyone of the 3 weekends. If Easter was in mid-May do you think they would move the school holidays until then.
Don't wish to have a barny about it was more wishing to point out that because Easter is 18th to 22nd in 2025 that doesn't mean school holidays will be 3 weeks later.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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@johnE, understood.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
1. I mean that by week 2 of next year's Easter, the season will have ended in "most" resorts, so whilst Easter is 2 weeks, the ski window may only be 1 week.
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True(ish). Though the resorts haven't published their openings for next year Les Arcs will probably be open for the second week of the holidays, closing on the last Saturday of April. Most of the smaller resorts in Europe will be closed by then. The term "most" will include the likes of Notre Dame du Pre, with its 2 lifts.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| NickYoung wrote: |
Not a "barny", maybe I just need to be clearer.
1. I mean that by week 2 of next year's Easter, the season will have ended in "most" resorts, so whilst Easter is 2 weeks, the ski window may only be 1 week.
2. I mean that by April 4th, "most" resorts are struggling to be fully open.
3. School hols do follow Easter, hitting the first or last weekends on "extreme" years.
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You're right about "most resorts", but then most people going at Easter tend to target resorts that have good late snow, and consequently will be open in till at least the 3rd week of Easter.
Yes school hols do follow easter but thankfully only very loosely - as keeping a consistent term length is also a major consideration. Easter 2025 is pretty much the latest it can be - but it only results in a one week shift in the school hols. In any given year, the holidays will generally cover the week from about the 4th April - when most resorts will be open, and plenty will be open with fantastic snow still.
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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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Folks,
Thanks for all the replies.....some great reads and some seriously good adventures you've all had.
And kids are spoiled nowadays! back in our day we had to walk to Rosslare in our ski boots, swim to Cherbourg in the dark with our equipment on our back..etc etc.
Well done all...and fair play again.
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FAQ
