 Poster: A snowHead
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| Layne wrote: |
| How come Total is undercutting everyone? |
Possibly because they own 3 of the 6 refineries in France and have decided to cap the price of petrol at €1.99 and diesel at €2.09 at their 3,000 stations until 31st March and will then re-assess the situation.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's Avoriaz for us next week, 2 adults and an 8 year old daughter.
We head out this Friday for an 11:00 Eurotunnel and will overnight in Dole, giving us a shorter trip on Saturday morning.
Our 14 year old white Ford C-Max has a history of coolant leaks, so fingers crossed.
Two years ago it let us down the day before our journey on good friday and had to beg/borrow a car at very late notice but my step dad's 1L honda civic did us proud 
Great shout for using Total, definitely on a tight budget this year, so every penny saved will help.
I've been doing quite well on penny pinching, Free lift pass for my daughter after 28th March, she didn't want ski school this year (although that has it's downsides too), staying at the F1 overnight and a bargain basment apartment at £550.
I was doing so well until a realised at the weekend that my baselayer tops had all shrunk and my daughter seems to have grown 2 sizes since we last tried on her stuff before christmas. Oh well, C'est la vie.
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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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@Neville, the F1 at Dole is really good - typical edge of town, trading estate vibe but easy to reach, and the rooms were super clean (we did cabrio rooms with the ensuite shower) and it's handy there's a Burger King next door and a huge supermarket just a minute or two away. There was some kind of smokehouse eatery place a minute's walk away but it wasn't open when we visited.
If you need base layers, there's a Decathlon next to the supermarket, might be a good shout for clearance bits
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This will be our first Easter trip as a family. Heading to AdH. We normally drive down at Feb half term, however ballet commitments for daughter mean an easter trip this year. Since our last trip we've acquired a son, and father in law is joining us this year. Which means it'd be a bit tight in the car so we are going to try the train. This could either work out to be a really good decision, relaxing watching the world fly by while being glad I'm not getting stung for the extra fuel costs, or it's going to be hellish stressful.
The plan - Friday morning Sheffield to London then Eurostar to Paris. Cross Paris on the metro and then overnight near to Gare de Lyon. Saturday, lie in and then 10:30 TGV to Grenoble then bus transfer to AdH to arrive about 17.00hrs. Then reverse it all on the way back. Daughter is 10 and used to travelling, she's fine. The boy is 2 & 3/4 and it'll be his first big trip and he can be quite a handful.
I'll either be checking in on this thread on the way down, chilling with a beer on the train smug thinking it's been a really good plan. Or rocking in a corner after chasing the boy about a train, stressed about connections and knackered from carting luggage around train stations wishing I'd just jammed the family in the back of the car and told them to suck it up....
Good luck everyone, hope the journeys go smoothly.
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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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@Specialman, thanks for the info.
I'd already checked out the smokehouse online but may well just grab a Whopper.
I'm all sorted now on the baselayers front but may well pop into Dec for a browse
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 25-03-26 10:46; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@KeithWakeley, wishing you a safe trip and fingers crossed for chilling with a beer on the train
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We are doing the drive down to Samnaun (CH) this Easter, Driving from West Oxfordshire on 2nd April, stopping in Ashford and catching an early train on Good Friday. We aim to be in Stuttgart Friday evening and then drive south through Austria and into Switzerland on the Saturday.
Car now fitted with winter tyres plus some new konig chains in the boot just in case (i've test fitted them to avoid any surprises on the roadside)
Not sure how busy Good Friday is going to be on the roads in Europe.
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@Mr_frosty, I stand to be corrected but I don't believe Good Friday is a Holiday in France, so unlikely to be anything more than normal traffic. We're also on the early Friday train.
From previous trips, never had traffic of note on the Friday through France
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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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Belgium is usually evacuated on Good Friday but the majority are heading south towards the med.
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@Mr_frosty, done the drive on Good Friday starting with an early tunnel several times and, as @Boris says, it's not a public holiday in France so no impact on traffic really. Can be a bit of traffic at the start as you're hitting the French side in rush hour but once you're past the first big intersection/peage near Lens/Lille (iirc) then there's generally nothing on the road - it's time to hit cruise control and try not to nod off!
Not sure what the continental habits re: WFH are but if it's anything like here and Friday is the universal skive-in-your-underpants day, you might even start to feel lonely!
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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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Lets hope that is the case.. Leaving from Bristol probably not going to be able to get the rest of the family up too early. Operation Brock and an exodus from the UK, probably means the most busy parts will be M25, down to Folkestone and LeShuttle Passport/Customs.
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@Layne, so he's teleporting from Calais to the German border is he?
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You know it makes sense.
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@Layne, For me the first part will be in France until just past Lille before going on to Mons in Belgium, Lux and then through Germany, so france and belgium info is useful. thanks on the Germany/austria info.
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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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| Boris wrote: |
@Mr_frosty, I stand to be corrected but I don't believe Good Friday is a Holiday in France, so unlikely to be anything more than normal traffic. We're also on the early Friday train.
From previous trips, never had traffic of note on the Friday through France |
We are on the 07.20 on Good Friday, I have no idea why I booked such an early train. Hoping for a smooth easy cruise through France. I always find it amusing when we are 2 miles out of Calais & the say nav say next instruction in 150+ miles.
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Poster: A snowHead
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We begin our drive this Sat afternoon for Chatel where we will be for 2 weeks and will be doing a side trip to the 3V Good Friday to Easter Monday. I will be keeping the car's diesel tank as full as I can as I am a tad worried about the fuel situation in Europe in a few weeks from now.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| jma wrote: |
| @Layne, so he's teleporting from Calais to the German border is he? |
Nope but as the poster has noted he's going through several other countries and the majority of his trip will not be 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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Great shout on Total price cap, good to know I can have an autoroute fill up after Rheims without feeling I am getting fleeced compared to off autoroute prices.....
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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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Even though it was warm for most of the journey down we have still fitted winter tyres. Looking outside right now there is a dusting of fine snow everywhere. I remember reading some time ago (it might have been in the manual for Mrs A’s Polo - so many years ago) that tyre pressures for winter tyres need to be slightly higher than normal. Makes sense as, with larger sipes, winter tyres have less rubber to press on the road so you’ll need more pressure to maintain tyre shape.
Anyway, it seems a common recommendation so I’ve bumped up ours by about 2 PSI.
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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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@altis, I'll be honest, I reckon you are overthinking things.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| altis wrote: |
Even though it was warm for most of the journey down we have still fitted winter tyres. Looking outside right now there is a dusting of fine snow everywhere. I remember reading some time ago (it might have been in the manual for Mrs A’s Polo - so many years ago) that tyre pressures for winter tyres need to be slightly higher than normal. Makes sense as, with larger sipes, winter tyres have less rubber to press on the road so you’ll need more pressure to maintain tyre shape.
Anyway, it seems a common recommendation so I’ve bumped up ours by about 2 PSI. |
In all likelihood the opposite could now apply. Older, narrower, lower speed rated tyres in winter "editions" had more compromise in notionally higher grip surface condition, that may have been mitigated a little by upping pressure.
With wider, more stabilised carcass design in current product, they need all the flexibility they can deliver to tread/contact patch. Lifting pressure reduces that effect and may reduce true low grip surface competence in reality.
Optimal may actually be split, between long distance running to the alps, on substantially grippy Road surface, reduced flexing an advantage from pressure increaese .... to locally and lower speed navigation of mountain regions, ideally benefiting from reduction of pressure especially in more extreme cold.
Long autoroute running, while carrying load for trip will usually require the maximum tyre pressure specified for the vehicle as general preparedness anyway, whichever tyre type in place.
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| Layne wrote: |
| @altis, I'll be honest, I reckon you are overthinking things. |
TBH, this could be the tagline for this whole site.
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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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Brilliant. And yes guilty as charged.
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Has anyone been through the eurotunnel this week and are the EES booths in operation yet? Is it much of a delay?
I think I read they were using them for coaches and freight only but then mentioned rolling them out to all cars on the 25th March.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Pooter wrote: |
Has anyone been through the eurotunnel this week and are the EES booths in operation yet? Is it much of a delay?
I think I read they were using them for coaches and freight only but then mentioned rolling them out to all cars on the 25th March. |
no EES at eurotunnel and no date given for it to start, they are still waiting for the French authorities to provide the relevant start date.
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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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Ok so that's good, thanks!
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Journey starts at 4pm after school collection:
Pembrokeshire to Folkstone (stay overnight)
6.50am train to Calais and cruise with boulangerie stop down to Lyon for the night. Decathlon for last minute bits and a bit of food shopping and lovely meal out.
Drive up to Les Arc Sat am, change in underground car park. On the slopes by midday. Can't wait!
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You know it makes sense.
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Leave on Good Friday and I'm over excited already - started a slow process of packing, spare room full of skis now.
Will be putting roofbox on over weekend
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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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We regularly drive down from Edinburgh. We are singing in a big choral concert on 28th and 29th so cannot leave until early on 30th. Booked on 16.40 P&O Dover-Calais. Will have a meal on ferry and stay overnight south of Calais. Breakfast in hotel then down to Meribel. Call at SuperU in Moutiers for supplies before getting to the apartment in Les Allues late afternoon.
Skiing 3V with free oldies passes we got in January. Only staying until 10th April as we are radio hams and going to a convention in Blackpool on 12th on our way home.
So many hobbies in retirement but we try to fit them all in...
Happy to meet up with anyone skiing 3V
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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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| Boris wrote: |
Leave on Good Friday and I'm over excited already - started a slow process of packing, spare room full of skis now.
Will be putting roofbox on over weekend |
I popped the 1800 webcam on just before I left work today, and danced around the classroom singing 'it's snoooowwwing' at my TAs.
I have resisted the urge to start packing as I break up from work tomorrow, so that's what I plan to do with the first week of my Easter holiday. My rucksack with boots, salopettes etc for the first Saturday has been packed for months. I had to check everything fitted, you see.
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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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I’ve been holding off posting on this thread because I’m too giddy already. We’ll be the train to London this time next Friday, I’ve been VERY restrained and not packed yet but need to this weekend as we don’t break up til Thursday 
The Seat 61 FB page posted yesterday about EES booths at St Pancras not being operational yet so I’m curious as to how that’ll affect queuing / check in time.
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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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We have left south west London 20 mins ago an are on the Eurotunnel at 10.30ish. Then heading down by EV stopping at Beaune tonight then onto Les Carroz the next morning also stopping at Decathlon for some last minute items.
Feeling pretty laden with skis in between the rear seats. One sleeping teen and one chatting teen. Nice to be doing the drive during the day rather than after school and in the dark.  safe journey Snowcrew
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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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Just finalising the packing here today. Husband is picking up one from uni today and the other is frantically trying to finish course work in school. We will leave tomorrow morning for our mid afternoon ferry and our night in Troyes.
I do sometimes wonder if it would be better to just fly and get all the traveling done in one day.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@breeze11, swings and roundabouts - if staying in hotel/catered chalet and hiring skis I'd absolutely fly, self-catering and taking a load of kit I'm happier to drive
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Many of you opting to drive through he night? Tempted to start doing that to avoid queues, stress etc but not used to it should be fine fine stop every 2-3 hours to swap driver, stretch legs and have a coffee. Presume all the aires are open 24 hours so no problem filling up the wagon?
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EES booths at St Pancras are not operational and will not be so until the French decide to turn them on whcih may be as late as October.
They make no difference to the queues as they are in seperate areas away from security and passport control.
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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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@James77, Aires are all open 24/7 although some food outlets may be closed. Driving overnight is another "if it works" in my view, I couldn't do it, would be wiped out for days
But for those who can it misses the queues and means extra slope time
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Rugby to the shuttle in 2hrs 35min including a stop for fuel at Tesco, think that’s a record for us. Very pleasant drive down, 164 miles at 50.1mpg, happy with that
Massive crowds at the tunnel though, but moved pretty quickly TBH. 8:54 delayed to 20 mins later. So pretty much on track
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Fri 27-03-26 10:02; edited 1 time in total
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