 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello,
We are off to Les Menuires for the w/c 24th February and we are planning to drive. The original plan was to get a midnight'ish Tunnel and then drive through the night. Arriving at resort mid morning.
We are now looking at staying at a hotel overnight on the Friday and leave there early on the Saturday, again to resort mid morning.
Where would you recommend we overnight or would we be ok driving through the night (we plan to sleep Friday daytime if we do this).
2 drivers / live in Bournemouth
Thanks in advance
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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CarlT, Wouldn't try to drive through the night myself. French motorways are hypnotic with virtually no traffic and can make you very sleepy....mind you, I couldn't sleep in the daytime if someone offered me millions!! My best recommendation would be to take an overnight break somewhere....ideally with just a few hours left to get to resort so you still arrive with time to ski. If you want to do that then check out the Logis de France which are usually nice french hotels at reasonable prices, alternatively you can look at Campanile, Etap or Ibis or some of the other branded B&B stops that are on offer as good value overnight stops.
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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 very much for those recommendations, we have found a hotel through Logis de France and are awaiting confirmation of availability!
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CarlT, Logis will be a pleasant break for you - we have used them for years, and always debate as to whether to publicise or keep as a special secret. If you can't get in at your first choice there are plenty about, and their website is very good at helping you find others, so stick with it - it's well worth it.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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CarlT, I agree with the Logis de France recommendation. We use the website all the time for our trips (although being from oop north, we stay further North in France than most), or a Chambre d'Hote near Epermay.. Dijon or Macon is a good stopping point from the south. WE ususally stop in Reims area. Avoid the Reims Tinqueux Campanile, it was awful. Dire food and nowhere else to go to.
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I wouldn't want to drive all night; a rather grizzly start to a hol. Having stayed in a couple of Formule 1s in the summer, I'd go with the Logis idea (or something similar - Relais du Silence are good, if there's one handy), unless you are really going to turn up at midnight and leave at 6am. Even if you are, you might want to look at Ibis or Campanile. You should subject your family to Formule 1 once, though, just to keep them honest.
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I prefer the driving through the night option, but it depends how confident you are that you can stay awake. With two drivers I'd take turns in doing a couple of hours each, and sleeping for a couple of hours. On the other hand, if you are planning on sleeping though the day when you get there, you may as well stop on the way because you're not increasing skiing time by driving through the night.
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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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Thanks for all the replies. Still undecided on what to do!
We want to be in resort by 11am on the Saturday (cant check in to hotel till 3.00pm though). We aim to leave home at 11am - 3 hours to Folkestone. Where could we realistic get too by 8.00pm on the Friday. And, how far would this leave us from Les Menuires.
Thanks
Carl 
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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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As mentioned before driving through the night is not the best opetion, we have done it a couple of times, but can become a bit disorientating. When we used to drive down to la tania and la plange, we used to leave earlie friday morning and take a nice drive down friday during the day, taking rest stops, and petrol stops every few hours. We used to arrive a moutiers and the bottom of the mountain at about 8pm and stayed in a hotel there. Saturday morning we used to get up at about 7am have some breakfast, and drive the last hour/ hour and a half up the mountain, which gave us an extra day skiing to the saturday as we were up the mountain by about 9/10 am.
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CarlT, according to www.mappy.com your total journey time from Calais to les Menuires is just over 9hrs, so if you want to be in the resort by 11am you will need to either leave home earlier or drive later.
Beaune might be a suitable place to stop, and we have tended to use Campaniles because they are convenient, clean and (I beleive) a franchise - which means that they are individually owned and the proprietors tend to make a bit of an effort. I am on a ridiculous computer tonight which only allows me to open one Internet Explorer at a time so will post again with details of the nearest Campanile to Beaune
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You know it makes sense.
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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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My recommendation is cheaper than a Campanile and has better food plus free wifi 
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Poster: A snowHead
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OK Yoda, but from my reading ofCarlT's plans, Annecy is a prospect too far for the Friday night.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I agree Nick L, and I am a frequent user of Campaniles. The Florimont is a real find if you are in the vicinity at the right time
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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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CarlT, wrote:
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| Where would you recommend we overnight or would we be ok driving through the night |
Unless your going to drive like a demon, its going to take 8 - 10 hours from Calais, a long journey. The roads in the night are primarily un-lit and it feels like your driving into a tunnel! The weather can also a big factor. always be prepared for it to take much longer than anticipated. Remember, even the last leg up the hill from Moutieres can be an interesting drive, if there's snow on the ground or it's snowing!
You also said you'd sleep on the Friday. IMHO, better use of Friday. would be to use the Friday to get over to France earlier. make some good distance late PM early evening. DNF, Friday PM in France the roads can be very busy. If you do wish to stay overnight in a hotel, do not forget to book. This is in the French school holidays, many motels will be booked.
Ive tried the rush, no stop, drive through the night \ rest in car approach - I found this just messes up my head and is incomfortable, even if you attempt to rest on that day.
Also done the, plan the hotel stop, (Chalon-sur-Saone, sth of Dijon) late arrival at hotel (12:00 midnight, i think), early scoot to resort (this made the hotel more like a pit stop. It was only a 3 hour sleep \shower\ snack (sandwiches, chocolate etc...) \depart at 4:30 am. This was better than option 1, but was still tireing. Did get on the piste on the first lift though!
Finally, also had the earlier start from UK, early PM ferry, mid evening arrival at planned hotel (Dole east of Dijon) early morning push to 3V's. I arrived at resort 9:30 am ish, by the time car was unloaded, parked, I got extra 1/2 day on the slopes. I wan't too tired and more relaxed than the other two types.
Re hotels, been through the Formule 1 type, and used Ibis Take a look at the Accor Hotels web site , they have a full range of types from vbasic to more plush, "ya gets what ya pay for"! The B&B range also have good press. If you really only want a pit stop, take the cheapest, if you need a meal (if you get there in time, usually before 10:00pm) you'll need a better quality hotel.
Chris wrote about getting to Moutieres Friday PM, staying in a hotel and up the hill in the morning. Thats worth considering but would need you to leave Friday AM.
There are lots of other driving threads with more detailed advice that you may also wish to refer to.
Good luck!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Leave v early Friday. Book Novotel at Chambery (7 hours from Calais, next to motorway junction and only 71 euros for a 4 bed room). Leave car packed in the secure carpark. Just a 90 minute drive the next morning and on slopes by 11am. Job's a goodun 
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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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Scarpa,
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I've done 24hr drives on climbing trips, the best way to avoid drive lag is to go out on the wallop before unpacking
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Good man
Sounds just like me before my skiing days (the climbing and driving - still getting walloped)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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CarlT, on that time scale you're probably looking at Dijon area by 8pm.A 2pm crossing means 4pm in France, so 4.30 by the time you set off at the other side. About 4 hours drive to resort the next day. I'd leave earlier in the day if I were you, stop near Dole or Bourg en Bresse if you take that route.
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you haven't specified whether you're ferrying or eurotunel which obviously makes a difference in french 'arrival time' - personally I'd stop near Lyon, always worked for me. Will be a 2.5-3 hour journey following morning but that's fine if you get up and on with it, i.e. leave hotel 7.30am and get up the mountain, can easily be skison at 11am or similar..
On the way homw I've always aimed for a 4pm leave and then get to Dijon before flaking. personally 2 drivers is ok but tiring after a full days skiing..
Booking, is handy but have managed (perhaps just been lucky) to find cheap hotels both ways over a 'new years eve' week...
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An update: Thanks for all the advice.
We should be able to leave home (Bournemouth) about 9.30am, we have booked the chunnel for 1.50pm and we have reserved a room here for Friday night http://www.hotel-lyon-est.com/
How long will it take to travel from Lyon to Les Menuires? Assuming good driving conditions. We are thinking of leaving the hotel at 6.00am ish ! We would like to be in resort for 10.00am ish !
Thanks for your help !
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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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According to [url=http://www.viamichelin.fr/viamichelin/fra/dyn/controller/ItiWGPerformPage?reinit=1&strStartCityCountry=1424&strStartAddress=&strStartCP=&strStartCity=Lyons&strDestCityCountry=1424&strDestAddress=&strDestCP=&strDestCity=Les+Menuires&image2.x=36&image2.y=12#]
this[/url], 2 hours 22 minutes. However, you would need at least to double that on one of the busiest Saturdays of the year, though your early start should help. Will you be able to get into your accommodation so early? If not, remember to pack the ski stuff at the top so you can be on the slopes without delay. You'll be in a quandary; do a snow dance, or not; if you add snow into the equation it could take all day! However, at present it looks more like being rain for at least part of the way. I drove up to Val Thorens on a Saturday morning in January, completely low season, and it was still very slow, though we weren't as early as you plan to be. Have a great trip. 
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CarlT,
Just did La Tania to Lyon St. Exupery in 1 Hr 30 Mins, last Sunday.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We drive through the night to Switzerland - Ferry to get to France by Midnight local time and go from there - 2 of us drive in turns - neither sleeps, one keeps the other awake, does the navigating, feeds copious quantities of chocolate, and coffee through a straw etc. We are knakered by the time we get there, but its quite do-able if you're sensible about it. Have done it twice already and are already booked to go again next year.
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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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As it's too far from home to druve through the night, we wouldn't ever do it. Much nicer to stop over in a hotel, and have dinner, and a good nights sleep.
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We normally catch a 1ish ferry from Dover, arrive around 4pm local time with the faffing. Drive until around 10/11pm at night and overnight in a L'Etap 90 minutes short of the resort. Up at 7am, breaky, in the car, on the slopes by 10/11.
We leave at 4ish on the following saturday, drive through to Calais arriving around midnight, on the ferry (a rest) and drive the last 100mph home in the scratchers in the early hours english time.
8 days full skiing.
Two driving..
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You know it makes sense.
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CarlT, wrote:
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How long will it take to travel from Lyon to Les Menuires? Assuming good driving conditions. We are thinking of leaving the hotel at 6.00am ish ! We would like to be in resort for 10.00am ish !
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I agree with earlier posts, do-able. Sat nav reports 2:15 hrs (Lyon to Les Menuire) but factor in: other issues like a possible fuel stop, weather (Les Menuires weather snow showers friday night and freezing Friday night through Saturday Metcheck, so be prepared) and one of the busiest week-ends of the year, this may go out to nearer 4. Have your kit ready to hand and assume no accommodation access before the afternoon. IMHO, the earlier you leave the Lyon stop-over the better.
The journey from Calais reports 6hrs 20 mins but again, unless you drive like a demon it's going to be nearer 8. So your arrival in Lyon will be 10pm ish... Have a decent local map or sat Nav to direct you to the Lyon Ost hotel, nothing worse that 'hunting the hotel' late at night. This year I had fun, the intenet map was v poor, sat nav placed the hotel 1/2 mile from correct location, factor in fog, no people about. In daylight it would have been easy! It all added to the excitement and anticipation. 
Seems like you've got most of the journey covered now. Have a good journey and an even better holiday!
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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 stopped in Annecy en route to Tignes, and it was pretty traffic free even in half term week. Took just over two hours from annecy to Tignes on the sat morning, leaving at around 8. We missed Lyon altogether.
Worst bit of journey was in first 16 miles at home, took 2 hours as the M1 was closed. We still got tunnel at around 1, and arrived in Annecy just after 9.
Coming back we skied until about 3, then stopped off in Troyes at the excellent Mercure, and did the final leg on the Sunday.
Just need to make time now for another trip!
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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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We missed Lyon altogether.
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Always a good plan.
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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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It doesn't look as though there will be too much snow this coming weekend (  , it's needed and for everything except driving purposes we must hope those FLs drop) but it is the busiest weekend of the year - middle of the two "Paris" weeks. It's the end of the Lyon/Grenoble week, so lots of traffic coming home to that area, but not at 6 am. A very early start from Lyons will make a big difference; I'd be inclined to leave at 5 am; an hour earlier could give you two more on the slopes.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Helen Beaumont wrote: |
| CarlT WE ususally stop in Reims area. Avoid the Reims Tinqueux Campanile, it was awful. Dire food and nowhere else to go to. |
I feel your pain - I stopped there last year, it was terrible 
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FAQ
) so unlikely to make Annecy by 8pm 
Can you not leave earlier than 11am? That seems a leisurely start to me 
