 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Good but long trip from Caen to Maurienne. Amazing roads, light traffic apart from round lyon but even that wasn’t that bad. Very exciting seeing how loaded up the tops of the mountains were when the cloud cleared.
Perfect spacious accomodation so hoping for a top week sliding.
Only fly in the ointment was we’d been using Tesla chargers for cheap charges (Tesla sub non Tesla car). But never charged that fast and confirmed it wasn’t the car when last two charges at non Tesla were twice the speed. Wondering if Tesla throttle non Tesla cars.
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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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Did the 3.5hra from Bourg to La Plagne…. Forgot how wonderful the road around Oyonnax and Geneva is, truly stunning. Ended up going straight through Annecy and then into the Hypermarket in Albwrtville.
Note: Intermarché Hyper being revamped so it’s a bit of a cluttered experience but has everything you need. 15 minute queues at the tills
Arrived in La Plagne, its ace. Eldest did an hour in his own while we sorted the apartment.
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Hope you all, who are heading out or there already for Easter, have a great time. Am just returning to Blighty after spending 2 weeks in the 3V’s.
Conditions have been fantastic the last few days, with plenty of recent snow. Hopefully will keep you all happy next week.
Not long arrived at calais, left Les menuires at 11am arrived here at 9pm, hadn’t booked an overnight as I am driving solo and thought I would wing it closer to calais, to see where I wanted to stay. In the end decided to drive to calais and booked the cheapest B&B hotel at Cité Europe.
Passed loads of uk coaches with Ski company names displayed (presumably school parties) just outside calais tonight, feel sorry for the teachers on them!!!
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@terrygasson, that’s a pretty good drive. We are planning something similar Easter Tuesday except we’ll get straight on the shuttle and get home that night. Two drivers swapping every 3 hours makes it fairly straightforward.
Just hoping that the traffic will be light as I think the holidays finish on Monday
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Turns out I got the Duck family crossing time wrong. They're actually on the 0620 train on Good Friday. I told Mama Duck of the woes of travel on Friday and Saturday just gone, and it was agreed that it's probably a very good thing to be on an early train to miss all the potential for a repeat later in the day.
They are staying in Lyon, and with us having a more leisurely start to our day (1330 Eurostar), they will have done most of Fridays travel before we've even left St. Pancras.
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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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We crossed over on the Dover Calais ferry yesterday afternoon. It was great for a rest after a 4 hour drive from home but was delayed so didn’t get to our Troyes accommodation until 10.30pm. Didn’t account for the extra hour lost with the clocks changing so didn’t get quite as much sleep as we hoped for!
Just stopped for lunch near Lyon then the last bit up to Les Arc! Very excited for snow and an early night. X
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| Quote: |
Didn’t account for the extra hour lost with the clocks changing so didn’t get quite as much sleep as we hoped for!
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Ouch!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I declared that it was time earlier and got the cases down and the ski stuff out. Spare room/Mr. O's office has been designated as my packing room. Everything is now in there, waiting to be organised and packed.
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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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Skis and board are in their sleeves, this was aided by silly swearing on my part and zen like calm of Mr M.
I then demonstrated the amazing compression properties of my packing cubes, he was less impressed than me and disappeared to put the kettle on, declaring that was enough for one day… Is this the true difference between skiers and boarders? 
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@Owlette, likewise yesterday the ski stuff came down from the loft and is all in spare room. Roofbox also went on car
With lots of people taking this week off, in between calls I will be packing
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You know it makes sense.
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We normally drive down at Easter. This being the first year in about five years we are flying. I’m having fomo just reading this thread. The drive in one of my fav parts of the holiday. We’ve never had too many problems going Plymouth to tunnel then down to ville franche sur son. Stay overnight then to Val Thorens in the morning. That way we’re up past moutier before any big traffic holdups.
Have a good drive down for those doing it. I’m quite jealous.
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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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Getting through the channel tunnel was messy. Crossed Saturday AM.
Traffic jam starting from the motorway...45' just to check in- then another 30-40' to get sent to the train, + 10'-15' for passports, then slow-ish boarding... + the fact that 1 motorway around London section was closed (something that Waze/google maps itinerary failed to take into account despite in indicating a closed road). Overall, we were 2hrs being schedule getting to France.
I dont understand how the Tunnel is struggling everytime there is a bit of traffic! Its like having a restaurant and not knowing how to handle the rush hour service! (I know It is more complicated than that, but still you get the metaphorical). They know the expected n' of vehicles, so why cant they plan for it? Also, given the price of a crossing and their marketing around a seamless, speedy crossing, I have other expectations...
Rest of the drive was fine.
Fuel stops: Total Energies petrol stations have indeed caped petrol a 1.99€ per liter (so no need to exit the motorway to find cheaper elsewhere).
At Limoges (A20), the Carrefour petrol station next to the motorway charged €1.92 for petrol).
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Poster: A snowHead
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@MotownJunk, I assume you are the fastidious boarder and mr M the laidback skier.
I was going to comment on just how long does it take to pack for a ski holiday. Surely you just throw everything into the car.
Then I remembered, I forgot my toothbrush. And at Christmas I’d forgotten my salopettes.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 30-03-26 8:36; edited 2 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
I dont understand how the Tunnel is struggling everytime there is a bit of traffic!
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@ck_v2, ditto, although to be fair the actual boarding and dispatching of trains generally works. However I think delays are caused by not knowing when people will turn up, you only have to read here of people getting there early and trying to get on trains, Passport control, largely outside of Shuttle control, and of course aging trains. You only have to have one train out of action, which seems to happen often, and there is a whole knock on impact and the queues build.
Sure I'm not the only one who has seen massive queues in terminal only to drive onto a half full train 
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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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When I first used the tunnel decades ago they would cancel quite a few trains at a time which I thought was to consolidate loads (on one occasion I think there was only a dozen cars on the train when it did run). Now I think the infrastructure is creaking and demand has shot up.
In my mind nothing has changed. I still allow 3 hours to cross the channel. I still expect that even though I arrive an hour or more before departure to eventually get on a train an hour or more later than the one I’d booked.
Though when EES is properly implemented it should be a lot easier crossing from Folkestone there will still be that problem crossing to the uk when a car in front, some way in front, has a visa problem.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Boris, Mr. O has booked both weeks of the Easter holidays off, otherwise I'd never have got away with taking over his office.
@MotownJunk, I love my packing cubes. In fact, continued packed was stopped yesterday when I decided that what was really needed was for each family member to have their own colour coded set. The three sets I already have and usually mix and match weren't doing it for me. So my fourth set (bagsied as mine) will be here today.
@johnE, I am a big fan of every member doing their own packing for holidays, until it comes to ski holidays. None of them can be trusted to remember the level of detail needed. Plus, it brings me joy. Did you end up buying new salopettes in resort?
As I have growing children, I tend to get the key bits out a month ahead of our Christmas trip, to assess what needs replacing. Anything that's replaced then, will generally be good for Easter, and I make a mental note of anything that may work for that one but not the next. This trip, the only thing was base layers, but those needed replacing for sports anyway, so that's done, so I can leave getting started until a few days before. Also, we're coming in on the train, so packing needs to be more militant than by car. But we do have absolutely gigantic cases to keep numbers down.
This trip we're aiming for 2 x suitcases, 4 x rucksacks (train picnic each/entertainment/overnight bag for Paris), and my ski bag. My rucksack is a boot/helmet bag with space for my train/overnight bits, too. When I come down on the early train, I'll just have my rucksack and ski bag. The rest will follow with the rest of the family.
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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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This is the back our VW Kombi
In my defence we had a weeks ski stuff for 6-people, two who travelled separately, plus all of boys stuff as we dropped him at Lyon to fly to Finland for his next event.
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@Boris, we manage nearly as much with just the two of us!
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@Owlette, I borrowed an old pair of my son’s they were huge but worked.
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| johnE wrote: |
| @Owlette, I borrowed an old pair of my son’s they were huge but worked. |
Took me a while to figure out what the context of this comment was. We’re extremely fortunate to manage 5 weeks a year, 3 of which involve a drive down. First trip of the season takes a while to get organised for but for remainder every thing gets put on one place. There is a danger of course we become too complacent and I have to treat myself to a critical item. Last trip in a couple of weeks time to coincide with Black Shoes event in Tignes….
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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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My usual mistake, which I'm certain to make this week, is I'll pack roofbox with skis etc and start packing cases - then come Thursday night will forget what I've packed
Just in case anyone was wondering or cared, although the van has huge load space I find it easier to put roofbox on to dump all skis in - particularly if boy is with us and carrying XC skis
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Just a quick question, are the roads good enough not to change tyres to winter tyres if I am coming next Friday/Saturday to ValThorens based on people driving this week? Thank you,
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Artistxman, Unless you know, with reasonable certainty, what the weather will be like, it's difficult to say.
I'd have thought this late in the season you will be fine, but still need to carry chains/socks just in case
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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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@Artistxman, the legal requirement to carry chains or have winter tyres expires on Wednesday. Unless you are planning to arrive in val Thorens in the middle of the night I doubt you’ll need chains but if you have them carry them. Personally I wouldn’t bother changing from ordinary tyres.
Here in les arcs the roads have been gritted and totally clear during the recent cold snap.
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@Owlette, I borrowed an old pair of my son’s they were huge but worked.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thank you, I was looking for experience from people who may have driven down on Saturday from the 3 valleys. Anyway good suggestion and based on a couple of weather apps(BBC and YR which is a Nordic weather app and was more accurate on the slopes), it's either light snow or temperatures of around 5 degrees in the day and -2/-3 in the evenings/night at VT. So, assuming the roads are unlikely to get heavy snowfalls and no legal requirement after 1st April I will save myself change in tyres before and after and also it's an EV and may get slightly better economy on the summer tyres. Yes, I also have snowsocks in case of emergency.
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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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@Artistxman, appreciate that, but good weather today doesn't mean you won't get a blizzard and snow covered roads when you leave.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Artistxman, i left Les Menuires to come back to the uk this Saturday, although there had been snow falls over the previous few days, the roads were clear all the way down to moutiers (apart from the odd few metres patches of icy roads in shady areas).
but saying that, a couple of years ago whilst travelling to VT on the 1st of April, there was some snow fall that morning and we were stopped at Les Menuires to put on chains to get up to VT as i did not have all seasons on the front, so you never know.
but, as you have snow socks you should be ok, as generally at this time of year when it snows the temperatures are higher to melt the snow on the roads pretty quickly
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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New packing cubes have arrived and I'm already in love. Mr. O asked who was at the door and then rolled his eyes and went to make a coffee when I told him.
Let the packing begin!!
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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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@Owlette, are these the type of bags that compress when pumping the air out?
i have lots of those types of bags, with the last lot coming with their own little rechargeable pump, which makes it so much easier when re-packing if there isn't a hoover about.
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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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@johnE, He’s the laid back boarder, I’m the overplanning skier Packing ahead of an early start of Friday and we’re both working til then… we’ve previously had to buy random forgotten items. Might make a bingo card and have game of guess what’s missing when we arrive!
@Owlette colour coded?! This is the kind of organisation I can aspire to!
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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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| MotownJunk wrote: |
@Owlette colour coded?! This is the kind of organisation I can aspire to! |
It got worse. I loved them so much that I've just bought three other sets for the other 3. They have zips to compress them after packing, so no extra pump required.
https://amzn.eu/d/07GVb83J
I've got the blue, and I've just bought the black with white trim, the grey, and the navy. Justified it to myself by deciding we can use them for backpacking in Brazil in the summer, and they'll make packing the cabin cases for other trips easier. We used the cheap packing cubes for backpacking in Vietnam last year, and they were good, so it's just an upgrade.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Boris wrote: |
This is the back our VW Kombi
In my defence we had a weeks ski stuff for 6-people, two who travelled separately, plus all of boys stuff as we dropped him at Lyon to fly to Finland for his next event. |
You’ve got room for more there! Intrigued by the deliveroo bag
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@MotownJunk, both the boys worked as Deliveroo riders at Uni, kept the little bag as it's a nice insulated cool bag ideal for when we stop at shops on way out and for odds and ends from fridge on way back
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Mrs996 keeps seeing petrol shortages due to panic buying on Social Media, has anyone experienced any issues in France or as per 99% of SM, is it all fake news?
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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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@Jonny996, returned yesterday all seemed normal. However I saw queues at the Total garage in the centre of Epernay but the Eleclerc at Reims south was deserted. Guess people are searching out the cheapest fuel.
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