 Poster: A snowHead
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There are a group of us travelling from South Wales to the British Ski Academy in Les Houches. Problem is that we are there from 17th February 2007 for a week - HALF TERM. In total there are about 20 of us. Some have freedom to travel a day or so in advance because the childeren are not in important years (?) at school ! Some are teachers or have children at key stages and will want to fly or travel after school finishes on 16th February. Some will want to use TESCO vochers for the channel tunnel. Some want to use the ferry. But everyone does not want to queue on the motorway !!!
What driving routes .... stops etc would snowheads advise ? Many thanks (in advance) Alun Williams
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sorry - Should not have clicked when on Equipment . Will repost Alun Williams
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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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No experience but I wouldn't have thought driving to Les Houches is a big issue - its Motorway all the way til 10k away.
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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've moved it - don't know if you re-posted...
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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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Alun Williams, straight down via reemes, dijon, skirting round Geneve and along the motorway to sallanches (excuse all the french spellings) if you can travel at night then all the better, i would think the roads will be busy but not nuts if you do that.
good luck 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Alun Williams, I would leave in the morning, so you reach the tunnel/ferry by lunchtime or shortly afterwards. Cross the channel, then stop for the night around Reims, or as far as Dijon if you wish (giving a shorter dsrive on the following day). The only queues we encounter are on the M25 or M20. Once in France the autoroutes are quiet until we skirt Dijon, and even then, the traffic is no where near UK levels.
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Done this route many times to Chamonix etc.
From Calais to Rheims is 2 hours, to Dijon, 4 and Geneva, 6. Le Houche is under an hour from Geneva.
Those times are achievable with a couple of fuel stops and a coffee/drink but no lingering lunches and by keeping to speed limits. Avoid Geneva in the rush hour but even this is not like the M25...!! Probably around 70eu each way in car tolls all the way from Calais. Its a fast road and no real bottle necks. Take care to note of any FR8 stoppages into the Mont Blanc tunnel as these can inpact on the final stages upto Chamonix but unless you come across an accident - quite common on French Autoroutes - you should make good time on this route.
We nornally get an overnight ferry and be on the road by 0900, latest, French time. Arrive in Chamonix late afternoon
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Alun Williams, Ditto everyone else...the roads should be fine. Assuming you are self catering....best do the shopping before Les Houches 
If you can, have your early arrivers purchase lift tickets for you before you first day's skiing i.e. the day before.
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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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Alun Williams - I'd agree with JT's timings. We normally reckon on 13 hours from Calais to Morzine - which is around the same distance.
Our tactic is to get a ferry around 21:00; drive as long as we can overnight and then catch some Zs in a services (Poulet de Bresse is our favourite).
I agree with Helen Beaumont - we have far more problems getting to Dover than getting from Callais to Morzine.
There's a very good Carrefour in Cluses. Cluses is about 30-40 minutes from Les Houches.
When you're in Les Houches, do check out the Vielles Luges restaurant on the mountain. If there was a "What Hut" magazine, the Vielles Luges would be its poster child...
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We've now done 'the run' as far as Morillon anyway half a dozen times at half term. I would be a little concerned that it might be busy on the roads as I think either the Paris crowd or the rest of Northern France are off that week. (there's a thread kicking around somewhere that will give you exactly who)
So far the best formula for us has been:
Catch a really early ferry on Friday (5/5.30 am) drive all day and get across the main Geneva Toll on Friday evening.
Find somewhere to sleep around Annemasse
Get up early and be on the slopes by 11.00am.
....and the worst
Leave Friday around 6.30 -Stop at Reims -A leisurely breakfast .....BIG mistake - Hit various queues ( about 4 hrs worth) - Go through Geneva toll at 8.00pm after queueing for an hour for the privelidge - Eventually get to Morillon about 10pm
Maybe I just had 1 nasty experience but if I can avoid any serious travel on the Saturday now, I always will.
I do agree with the route and the Carrefour at Cluses though!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Get up early and be on the slopes by 11.00am.
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excellent advice. Because of the Saturday change-over, and the timing of getting into accommodation, the heaviest traffic INTO the resorts tends to be after mid-day on Saturday and the A40 from Geneva can be extremely congested, especially if there is any kind of bad weather. With several drivers even the after-school crowd should be able to get to Les Houches early on Saturday and the slog through the night will be well worth it to avoid the congestion. Conversely, when you leave, you could ski Saturday (a good day, often quiet as all the French visitors are packing or unpacking), get a few hours up the motorway on Saturday evening, stay overnight and then finish the journey on Sunday, when the roads will be much quieter. Anyone who intends to fly had better book soonest - the flights are getting v expensive. Have a great time at the Ski Academy!
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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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Thank you all for the suggestions so far. Can I put your comments into an outline plan and ask for modifications and further suggestions from you ?!
Leave South Wales at 4.00 pm on Thursday after school.
Use tesco vouchers to help cost of tunnel (never crossed this way before) Get down to Saint Quentin or better suggestion ?
Nights sleep
Away with breakfast in the car and drive to .... suggestions for accomodation in a family of 4 room for Friday night within striking distance of Les Houches to allow a day's skiing on Saturday.
Return:- Leave resort after saturday skiing. Travel .... how far ... we will need a shower and be tired. Is that really 8 days on the white stuff !
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Sounds like a reasonable plan to me. We always crash in Formula 1's - but there are only 3 of us and that's all they sleep so can't help with hotel on the way down.
We normally leave on Saturday around 4pm and find roads are reasonable (after getting down from resort) then get as far as Dijon for an overnight stay. That gets us on a crossing back to UK around 2.30pm
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You know it makes sense.
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Personally we just keep going ...but anywhere past Rhiems is good going for your start. If you don't make this point you still have 5 hours drive in the morning .... still an early start will get you a half day on the slopes.
I live 20 mins from the coast so I never have to factor in the drive TO the crossing
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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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If you don't make this point you still have 5 hours drive in the morning .... still an early start will get you a half day on the slopes.
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But if you start on Thursday, this is still Friday, so no problem. Your plan sounds fine, though you could also do it with an early Friday morning start, aiming to arrive late somewhere beyond Geneva, and save the cost of an additional hotel night. But it would be a long day.
There are plenty of hotels near motorway exits into cities and you can always take 2 rooms in a Formule 1 - still cheap. They have a good website where you can book - I think we've stayed in one near St Quentin. That's probably far enough if you start in South Wales and leaves you an easy drive on Friday to somewhere like Sallanches or Cluses, which would be well placed for an early start to Les Houches, probably worth booking the Friday night in advance. There's a cheapish hotel in Sallanches, next to Carrefour, but can't remember the name, sorry. The French hotel chains have good websites with location maps. I always cover the full cost of our eurotunnel passages with Tesco vouchers - it's a great way to travel and wastes less time than the ferry.
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