 Poster: A snowHead
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most of France forget skiing exists after the February holidays
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This. If you go to one of the big French sports shops at Easter they'll be full of swimwear and camping stuff. The OP put forward a plan to drive all night and then spend the next night in a hotel. This was not easily understandable and elicited some reasonable questions. When it transpired that the plan was based on the assumption that the traffic would be manic a number of people pointed out that this would not be the case. If that information was not welcome, or useful, I don't think the messengers should be shot.
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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'm not sure why some people on snowheads seem to think that driving around London to the tunnel and through France on Easter Friday will be a doddle.
According to Bison fute the predicted traffic in France will be one of the busiest days of the year with circulation in the majority of France classed as difficult and around Paris and the Alps classed as very difficult. It's classed at the same level as this coming Saturday.
https://www.bison-fute.gouv.fr/previsions,10741.html
There is also the potential for other delays along the way. We were talking yesterday to somebody who operates transfers in the Tarentaise valley who has recently been delayed for 4 hours on the autoroute near Annecy due to an impromptu farmers demonstration and delayed around Albertville for hours due to a demonstration about the situation in Israel.
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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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@andyoxon, pretty sure you only asked for hotel/stop over recommendations. Sounds a bit like Harry Enfield "you don't wana do it like that, you wana do it like this". Where you staying in Tignes? We did something similar when France closed the boarder 2 years ago at Xmas. The apartment owner let us in a night early for free.
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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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Hi Baron, yes it has turned into a bit of a Harry Enfield sketch! we are staying in an apartment in Le Lavachet booked through Airbnb it would be great if we could rent another day but the owner only rents Sat to Sat which makes total sense unfortunately!
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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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@skichampcouk, My thoughts exactly. We're crossing early Thurs eve - about a 2.5 hour drive (A1/M11/M25 etc) to the tunnel on Maundy Thursday and conscious people might be wanting to get home early to break for the long weekend let alone on Good Friday itself.
Although a bit surprised with Bison Fute's classification of traffic on Good Friday esp as the French don't have the holiday. Probably people escaping for a longer weekend? Saturday is classified as better for traffic and would have thought it'd be the other way round!
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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 can quite understand why people with the time to do so would spend two nights en route. But not why they would spend one of those nights driving all night. I have often driven overnight - and done it solo, too. On a clear night with good visibility (and with no kids or other moaning people) it can almost be a pleasure. But that has been to do the whole journey in one hit and I haven't aimed to ski on the day of arrival (I was typically driving to stay for weeks).
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@andyoxon, Do your own thing. We took the best part of 3 days to get home from Tignes a couple of weeks ago simply because we can. Left on Friday lunch time and met family in Annecy, who were on their way to Val d'Isere. We stayed in Macon Friday night and had a quick mooch around on Saturday morning. Then drove north and had a wander around Laon in the afternoon. Stopped in Bethune on Saturday night, which left us with a leisurely 30 minutes drive to the Tunnel on Sunday morning.
Family had booked Val' at fairly short notice for half term and I had visions of them spending hours and hours in traffic. But, they've driven a few times now and know the the score. They left the north west straight after work on Thursday evening. Used the Shuttle and drove through the night with a couple of stops to Annecy, where they'd booked an Airbnb for the one night. Kids slept most of the way. Arrived around lunchtime Friday. Parked in the underground car park. Dropped their overnight bags in the digs, and went to eat in the old part of town. We met them for coffee and a stroll by the Lake.
They left reasonably early on Saturday. No delays, and were collecting skis and boots for the kids by 10.30 am. In the apartment by 11.30 am. Kids fed and out for a ski on the quietest day of the week.
They left at 5.30 pm on Friday. Stopped for food in Bourg st M. Then drove back through the night and were home in Lancashire by 9.30 Saturday morning. The kids again slept for much of the journey.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 22-02-24 12:10; edited 3 times in total
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Though perhaps the OP has kids, and having them sleep whilst you drive all night can make good sense.
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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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I drove overnight many a time on Maunday Thursday/Good Friday to Les Arcs and was amazed how busy the motorways in France were as Belgium was evacuated. Most, of course, were heading to the Med (you could tell, instad of skis on the roof there would be bikes and they'd be towing boats). However, this was in comparison to the normal deserted roads. If we left home about 19:00 we would be having breakfast in Les Arcs the next day and spending the rest of the day skiing.
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Well, back on topic we used to sometimes stay at la Petite Auberge in Bourge, sometimes if we were arriving a day early than a chalet was booked for or sometimes at the other end to get an early start and avoid the traffic. Either that mor in the latter, we used to stay at a little hotel built into the city walls of Annecy - at the time it was part of a mid-low priced chain, may have gone up a notch since then, but offers(ed) free parking underground just two doors down from the hotel entrance. Now called the Icône, apparently.
Both of these are some many (>20) years ago, although we did once do a whole week in the Bourge one - great food, as I recall, and I think my last visit to the Annecy one was around 2005 on a motorbike trip. Ahh, memories.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hotel Million Albertville. Short walk into town centre for a beer or treat yourself to a Michelin Star meal in their restaurant. Serve a fabulous breakfast at 7am and get up to the resort for 9am.
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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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| andyoxon wrote: |
| Hi Baron, yes it has turned into a bit of a Harry Enfield sketch! we are staying in an apartment in Le Lavachet booked through Airbnb it would be great if we could rent another day but the owner only rents Sat to Sat which makes total sense unfortunately! |
same with who we rented off but they didn't have a booking the week before. Maybe worth a message to see if they're booked up. I bet they'd have a few extra Euros off you for a night if they don't have a booking.
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@andyoxon, as others have said, just do it the way you feel comfortable about doing. there is no right or wrong way!!!
i have done several diy driving trips to the alps now, including driving straight through the night on a Friday night (10 blokes across 3no cars, splitting the driving) and skiing from sat morning. then as a family, we have left at stupid oclock on a friday morning, driving to an overnight stop about an hour away from resort, then up to resort sat morning.
through to leaving on a Thursday evening, overnight ferry to Caen (last and upcoming easter), drive through France during the day, overnight in albertville with a supermarket shop, then early start on sat morning to arrive in resort first thing sat morning to get out on the slopes, where it is generally quieter on a Saturday.
i also have taken different routes through France, just to make it more interesting, this year i am going via Le Mans/Tours instead of via Paris, as am sure the Loire valley should be more scenic than central France.
will be the same route on the return with an overnight in Tours, shortish drive to Caen on the Sunday and a couple of D-Day sights to visit before the afternoon ferry
the travel is part of the holiday for us, and this year my eldest daughter wants to do some of the driving in France, as she has never driven abroad before. I am going to buy her temporary insurance for the day on the drive through France to Albertville, mainly on the motorway at first, if she is happy with it, will pay for a day for her on the return leg.
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You know it makes sense.
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@andyoxon, there is still some availability, albeit limited for your date, on booking.com in Albertville. though this obviously depends on what occupancy you require, 1 bedroom studio apartment for £43 with 2 single beds available at the moment.
i tend to use booking.com a lot, as you tend to get free cancellation with a lot of the properties, so gives you a certain amount of flexibility
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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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Found a cancelled room at a basic hotel http://www.hotelvanoise.com/ in Tignes for Friday night. So we will be there all ready for Skiing on Sat morning. Thanks for all your suggestions when I first looked there wasn’t anything left in Tignes less than £500 a night.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Albertville is usually where we stay.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@andyoxon, thats great news, hope you have a great holiday
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