 Poster: A snowHead
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Many years ago when we used to take the kids to Austria in the Sierra, we had the Fischer Price cassette recorder and story tapes to stop us going bonkers.
I doubt that I can listen to BBC Sounds once over the channel, so downloading may be the answer.
Then .. What's worth listening to?
Apart from trying to learn Italian on the way with Kieran Ball on Spotify.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There are endless podcasts you can download, depending on taste. And audio books are good - a limited selection almost certainly available free from your local public library if you don't want to pay for Audible or similar.
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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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@DrLawn, We listen to "more or less" and "in our time" podcasts from the BBC. I like to listen to audio books but my son and wife do not as they fall asleep and loose the plot. Magazine type podcasts mean that they can join in at any time.
Some how I suspect you will not learn Italian on a single journey to the Alps. (good reason to go more times  )
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The BBC has a lot of downloadable stuff. If you're abroad it inserts adverts, but a VPN dodges that, or just download it before you leave UK.
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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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| Quote: |
I like to listen to audio books but my son and wife do not as they fall asleep and loose the plot
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Driver chooses the entertainment. Important rule! The last time I went to the Alps I was sitting in the back and my son in law drove. It was bliss, after having done a lot of drives down and back. I had my own audio books and earphones.
There were 5 of us and the extra cost of Flexi-Plus, per head, was almost covered by the number of macarons etc we managed to pick up.
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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 a member or become a member of your local library you can join BorrowBox and download books for free via the appropriate App.
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Audiobooks-ideally around 8-10 hours long. We've very much enjoyed old school spy and adventure books. The James Bond ones are great (in all their un-PC glory) and the narrators are excellent-Samuel West and Rory Kinnear to name but two.
Recent other top choices are early Frederick Forsyth novels and John Le Carre. Anything where Michael Jayston is the narrator (RIP), what a voice!
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I love an Audiobook. I recently finished Geena Davis's autobiography, which was narrated by her and is absolutely superb.
Who is in the car and what are their tastes? If you are not easily offended, the 'My Dad Wrote a Porno' podcast is hilarious.
Marian Keyes does long books and she also narrates them. Her accent is very soothing and I find her books entertaining and easy to listen to.
I think that as long as you download before leaving the UK, you can listen to your choices on the BBC Sounds app outside the UK.
My husband usually listens to his choice of music as he drives, and the kids and I have earbuds in, with our own preferences.
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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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| DrLawn wrote: |
| I doubt that I can listen to BBC Sounds once over the channel, so downloading may be the answer. |
Providing you have sufficient data roaming allowance BBC Sounds is easy to listen to. There are the occassional data dead spots on the motorways but Sounds resumes where it dropped cover, just dont rely on the times quoted unless you have pressed the catch up button. Our "radio" listening on journeys in France switch between listening to French "pop" and traffic news on 107.7 and Sounds. Phone plugged into a USB power lead and Bluetooth to the car radio works perfectly.
If you haven't enough roaming Lebara currently have a deal on through Uswitch for single month contract 30GB for £3.18 per month With a max 30GB EU roaming.
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Just to add, my husband listens to Kiss via his phone when we're on the other side of the channel.
@Timc, I really like 107.7, I often listen to it on the way to work here in the UK via the radio.net app.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We generally download some mutually agreeable audio books on audible, last few road trips we've worked our way through the Hitchhikers Guide. On solo trips and when working on my own I've been listening to Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy, very good if you like gritty fantasy but quite graphic in places and not suitable for children or those of delicate constitution!
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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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I still have about 2000 songs on my i phone/i tunes. Just plug that in and away we go.Though weve done the journey enough times that we also have loads of radio staions saved that we like.
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I am a recent convert to audio books
My current one is this by Dom Joly
The Conspiracy Tourist: Travels Through a Strange World
I have a feeling he wrote it about a certain member of my family (Flat earther, clot shot type) 
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You know it makes sense.
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Jane Gardam: Old Filth.
It's actually a trilogy.
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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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The Ricky Gervais Show, old XFM podcasts and TRGS Guide to... episodes are absolute gold.
If you haven't listened to them then you are in for a treat and might enjoy your driving more than your skiing. I have probably listened to them all the way through about 10 times each and I still laugh.
Probably about 30h of content.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Ryunis, what are XFM and TRGS?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DrLawn, we like crime and detective thrillers. Audible is an excellent resource.
Download from Audible any/all of the Hawthorne books by Anthony Horrowitz, narrated brilliantly by Rory Kinnear.
Or try How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie which actually works better as an audio book.
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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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Athletico Mince is my choice of podcast for long journeys.
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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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I was once so engrossed in "Days without End" by Sebastian Barry, driving solo home from the Alps, that I pulled into an aire for a snack and coffee and sat in the car for ten minutes, reluctant to switch it off. I do think there's a potential attention problem about being really engrossed in an audio book but perhaps it's no worse than chattering kids or dozing off from boredom.
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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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| johnE wrote: |
@DrLawn, We listen to "more or less" and "in our time" podcasts from the BBC. I like to listen to audio books but my son and wife do not as they fall asleep and loose the plot. Magazine type podcasts mean that they can join in at any time.
Some how I suspect you will not learn Italian on a single journey to the Alps. (good reason to go more times ) |
My two favourite BBC as well- but the rest of the family hate hate hate them so I have to wear AirPods!
I can recommend the history of the world in 100 objects with Neil macgregor (100+ episodes) and especially if I wanted to annoy the family the history of rome with Mike Duncan, (192 episodes- according to my data took me three years to listen to it all!)
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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 tend to load up on podcasts (Spotify) and the audiobooks that are available on BBC sounds - all can be downloaded before the trip.
For long journeys through eastern France with a car full of primary school kids, we all enjoyed the 'Alex Rider' series by Anthony Horowitz, 'Skullduggery Pleasant' and also the 'Mr Gum' series by Andy Stanton - the last is unbeatable for sheer anarchic silliness. My kids laugh at it even now they are attending Uni!
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| @Ryunis, what are XFM and TRGS? |
TRGS = The Ricky Gervais Show.
XFM is a now defunct radio station that RG used to have a show on.
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@Owlette, thanks
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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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| Perty wrote: |
Audiobooks-ideally around 8-10 hours long. We've very much enjoyed old school spy and adventure books. The James Bond ones are great (in all their un-PC glory) and the narrators are excellent-Samuel West and Rory Kinnear to name but two.
Recent other top choices are early Frederick Forsyth novels and John Le Carre. Anything where Michael Jayston is the narrator (RIP), what a voice! |
Tolkien trilogy would take hours!
I would just download a load to a USB stick or memory card if your car can play them direct.
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My daughter and family (with whom I'll be travelling to the Alps at Christmas) have listened over and over again to the Harry Potter series. Stephen Fry is a brilliant narrator. It's always worth listening to a sample of an audio book because some narrators are very annoying! But sitting in the back of the van, and with less good hearing, I can't hear the radio very well, so my own earphones are the answer. I'm in my own little world, just staggering out every few hours to queue for the Ladies in the busy motorway aires!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I don't think it's a good idea for the driver to wear earphones, otherwise it seems sensible for each person to listen to what they prefer. Weirdly, I don't think I've ever listened to an audio book. My only attempt was trying to listen to Proust at the gym - plainly doomed to failure. 
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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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| Quote: |
I don't think it's a good idea for the driver to wear earphones
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I agree. As for Proust at the gym....... and in French? With a good narrator, the right book comes alive in audio. For some non fiction books the author-narrator works well because it's their own "voice". I am currently listening to Diarmaid MacCulloch reading his "Lower than the Angels" a history of Christianity and sex. His narration is perfect. Laugh out loud funny in places. But generally actors are the best narrators.
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Audible have an offer on ATM, 3 months for 99p a month. So you could get three decent length audiobooks by the start of Jan, just remember to cancel after the 3 month trial 
I enjoyed the Micheal J Fox autobiography, he reads it and does a great job which as others have said really adds something.
Also, interesting, but depressing, is Roots by Alex Haley. Read incredibly well by Avery Brooks who is Captain Sisko in Star Trek DS9.
At the opposite end of the spectrum my wife likes some light detective and the Agatha Raisin are an easy way to pass a few hours in the car. Again read very well by Penelope Keith.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| I don't think it's a good idea for the driver to wear earphones, otherwise it seems sensible for each person to listen to what they prefer. Weirdly, I don't think I've ever listened to an audio book. My only attempt was trying to listen to Proust at the gym - plainly doomed to failure. |
An interesting point and one that has been discussed in the family. However any different from having the car radio on loud? And also deaf people are allowed to drive.
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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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I think it's different to having the radio on loud, though I'd struggle to explain how, exactly! Deaf people are allowed to drive, but they aren't listening to stories and they are constitutionally attuned to using other cues to what is going on around them. I confess that audio books can be distracting. I did once drive past my motorway exit when listening to an audio book, and that shook me - though people drive past their exits for other reasons too.....
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yes, distraction is the issue for discussion.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Quick google search-
Whilst there is no law against someone driving whilst wearing headphones, it is not recommended. If a police officer believes you appear distracted, you could be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention under the Road Traffic Act 1988
However-
Wearing an earpiece or earphones is prohibited for all motorists and cyclists in France. The offence is punishable by a fine of 135 euros and 3 penalty points. Kits integrated into cars or motorcycle helmets are exempt
Also lots of discussion about deaf people driving in this context!
The neuro-psychology of undertaking complex but well known tasks is really interesting, and it seems there is a degree of non-conscious automatic processing involved- so drivers suddenly realise they haven’t really been aware of the drive home from work they’ve just done for the thousandth time, or a pedestrian has no real recollection of how they just crossed a busy road.
Anyway no AirPods in France!
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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 everybody, too many of you to answer individualy.
I visited our local library this morning for the first time in years...
Things have changed in those years.
The nice lady gave me so much info....
Libby, Pressreader and Borrowbox.
She pointed me tp the Audio Books section,
I was just overwhelemed by it all.
There were so many titles of Audiobooks and none of them jumped out at me.
I'm going to take a bit more time over this.
My car has a CD player and a couple of SD card slots, but I think the best way forward is to download to the phone although it does not have Android Auto. 
I didn't think I could feel so confused.
I'll pop back and let you know what happens.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Ooops! That was a dull answer, I'll must try harder.
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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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@DrLawn,
10,000 bottles of beer on the wall…
Or I spy…
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@DrLawn, you can listen and watch BBC progs live elsewhere if you use a VPN. I use “hotspot shield” and I believe NordVPN works as well.
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@DrLawn, my experience with Borrow Box and the audiobooks available is not great - and the search/index function seems hopeless, at least in our local (Hampshire) Library. There is a great deal of absolute rubbish. But Audible has a fantastic range available, and buying a few of your top favourites there would be a very minor cost in relation to a ski holiday! You can get an introductory membership, as someone has already mentioned. Long books are better value than short ones, under the membership system. You can search on Amazon a lot more easily than on Borrow Box.
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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 could listen to the Off Menu podcast endlessly.
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Whatever it is just make sure it’s not in shuffle as that confused me a bit in the summer when I was driving on my own and the ‘plot’ was a bit confusing. Stopped for a coffee and realised it had been on random 
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FAQ
