 Poster: A snowHead
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Good afternoon. I wonder if someone more knowledgeable could offer some guidance? I’m driving Calais to Chamonix. My train gets into Calais at 01.30 (French time) and I intend taking a slow drive down with several stops, am I correct in thinking services ie toilets, coffee, food and fuel will be open at that time? I’ve done the trip a couple of times and on both occasions I stayed at the excellent Val Moret hotel in Magnant which is 4/5 mins from the A5 autoroute but have decided to cut back on costs by driving with regular stops.
Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards
Rob
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Robdav62 wrote: |
Good afternoon. I wonder if someone more knowledgeable could offer some guidance? I’m driving Calais to Chamonix. My train gets into Calais at 01.30 (French time) and I intend taking a slow drive down with several stops, am I correct in thinking services ie toilets, coffee, food and fuel will be open at that time? I’ve done the trip a couple of times and on both occasions I stayed overnight at the excellent Val Moret hotel in Magnant which is 4/5 mins from the A5 autoroute but have decided to cut back on costs by driving down with regular stops.
Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards
Rob |
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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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Weve often driven with a family through the night to French Alps, finding all the commercial services open on your route.
Restricted in on demand food and catering in comparison to daytime running (naturally with much lower traffic) but absolutely fine for travel, with prepackaged food, coffee vending and bathroom facilities not restricted. All perfectly serviceable for your journey.
Some stops are more lively with more customer etc, fuel and vehicle provision all ok through the night too. Never any concerns in our experience.
Nice peaceful drive too, with driving towards the dawn a good feeling as the light changes and Alps come into view. Hope you enjoy the journey.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hi. Thank you for all the info it’s very much appreciated. I may try to grab 40 winks around Dawn and if memory serves me right theirs an aire around 75k past Dijon but can’t remember the exact details. Thanks again 
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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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There are plenty of aires. The quiet ones, with no café or anything, are the best for having a quick sleep.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you are trying to cut costs then I would go through the Jura off the autoroutes. Ferry is a lot cheaper than tunnel too.
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Err, yes, but my understanding is that these have been the subject of criminal incidents targeting vehicles laid up alone having a sleep break. My recollection is that you’re recommended to stop at a larger service station if you plan to snooze in the car, unless you have some other adult passengers with you. It’s not any sort of criminal epidemic but more a case of if you have the option, stopping at somewhere that’s busy rather than isolated.
In my experience, you will also need to keep the engine running if you want to stay warm. We did an overnight home once and found it didn’t take long for the cabin temperature to drop. It was more practical for the co-driver to sleep while the car was moving.
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Thanks again for all the info. I had previously heard of several incidents involving lone drivers taking a break but I’ll stay clear of anywhere to isolated ?
Regards
Rob
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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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| Quote: |
If you are trying to cut costs then I would go through the Jura off the autoroutes.
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Good point - and you might well save on fuel too, if your usual motorway speed is 130 kph. And it's a nice drive, especially at the end of May. Should be light by the time you get there! But might mean a bit of careful navigation to avoid Swiss motorway and therefore the charge for the vignette.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The incidents I mention are stories I’d either read online or t.v ? I have no first hand knowledge of anything untoward happening in aires or anywhere else to be honest. I think anyone with some common sense can steer clear of trouble?
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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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Looks like the Jura route doesn’t need you to use Swiss autoroutes but you’ll have to double-check with ViaMichelin or similar just in case there’s any short section that is. Autoroutes don’t necessarily have to be 3-lane motorways.
If you decide to get a CHF 40 vignette, the official site for registering your car for an electronic vignette is www.e-vignette.ch - beware sites that come out of a Google search and are either intermediaries charging unnecessarily, or scams. The vignette will be valid for 13 months i.e. 2024 and January 2025, with no option for anything shorter term.
If you’re in Chamonix and decided to try a day out in Verbier, then you still shouldn’t need a vignette (I’d still set the satnav to avoid tolls, to be sure). Destination would be Le Chable where there’s a big car park and a gondola up to the centre of the town, at Médran.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks to everyone for the wealth
Of information and guidance it’s very much appreciated.
Best wishes
Rob
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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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Looks like the Jura route doesn’t need you to use Swiss autoroutes
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You don't "need" to do Swiss autoroutes but you do naturally kind of drop down onto the motorway east of Gva airport - how far east depends on which of the two cols you use. Then on through Bardonnex and the A40 to Chamonix. But certainly you can miss out the motorway with a bit of attention to the map.
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Poster: A snowHead
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If you come down into Ferney Voltaire through Gex it's not difficult (though it might be slow) to then drive through Geneva.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi. I didn’t make it clear in my original post but the route I’ve always followed is initially the A26 from Calais then Troyes and Dijon
Thanks again 
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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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| Quote: |
the route I’ve always followed is initially the A26 from Calais then Troyes and Dijon
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Yes, that's the obvious route, but the Jura does make a nice change - and is shorter and through some lovely country.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I’m in no particular rush so I may check it out? Thanks 
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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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Shuttle trains are few and far between during the night so make sure you don't miss the one you have booked and then hope leshuttle don't decide to consolidate crossings to maximise loads.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Robdav62, we take the Troyes, Dijon route overnight driving, at least every Feb half term, just did it last week to La Plagne and I have never experienced closed services. If you are driving through the night, the autoroute is more straightforward and as @ski3, says - you can't beat dawn approaching the Alps - stunning and gets us all energised! Enjoy yourself.
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