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Driving to the Swiss Alps single handedly

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
As you all know I've done the Swiss alps several times. Usually non-stop from Calais overnight sharing the driving - takes about 10hrs or so with a few coffee stops.

So next year there is a good chance it will just be me and kids in the car. I'd welcome comments from others that drive to the alps single handedly. Is it a doable proposition, say during a daytime trip, or do most folk stop over-night somewhere and break up the journey? I do have the tolls sussed as a single driver as I've got the Sanef whatsit and today managed to speak to someone to update my bank account details at long last Very Happy and also have a satnav now so that will help on the trip, but I will face more problems driving the route by myself with the kids. It also means I've got to drive the final hairpins up the mountain road too, something I've not yet had a bash at!! Any comments from those that have done similar trips would be appreciated.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Had to do the drive home after wife and daughter flew back once (due to breaking leg) didn't seem to make much difference, only hold up was getting out and running round to pay the tolls, (before telepeage). Youngest daughter in the back was quite happy playing loads of games and eating loads of sweets Toofy Grin Playing hangman was fun, I'm sure she was cheating Laughing
Don't need/use satnav as have been driving to the Alps for 20+ years.
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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?
I have driven to and from the alps solo a few times. I have done it non stop but in recent years have taken to stopping at some cheap (29euro) f1 type place. The main issues driving alone is tiredness, this can be helped by coffee/red bull etc but one tip is not to be tired when you start. I get one of those talking books, last year it was Harry Potter, the year before was Stalins Biography. Harry would be better for the kids, PM me if you want a copy, I have all 7 on cd.
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Megamum, I've done it a couple of times in the Winter and many times in the summer with just my daughter. She is now 12 but I guess I've done it since she was 6. I've always stopped over, last year I did Calais to Grenoble in one go, I think the extra up to Alpe D'Huez would have been just too much. My daughter is used to it, she has been doing similar journeys since she was about 2, and amuses herself well. Practicalities like tolls etc can be a pain without a front seat passenger.
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Maybe cheaper to fly with just 3 of you?
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Megamum, Im planning on driving down though France to andorra this season for the first time. To break up the journey I will be stopping over night somewhere, not too keen on doing the whole journey in one whack!
What is the Sanef toll thingy? I feel this could come in handy as I will be alone too!!
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Megamum, I am driving to Tignes solo in December, and plan to do it non stop, making sure I sleep until right before I leave to ensure I'm well rested for the trip. However I'm certain if I had my family with me (I'm single so haven't got that to worry about) like you will have I would stop overnight to break the journey up. I think that would be safer to be honest. That way you will be fresh to restart the journey the next morning and will have the opportunity to have a proper dinner in the evening with the kids.
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Megamum, I have driven out and back lots of times, I always stop overnight in France though.

I have long enough arms that I haven't bothered getting a telepeage.
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Megamum, you'll feel safer if you use both hands for the driving Toofy Grin
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I think Motability do adapters for one handed drivers Toofy Grin
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Re the telepeage thing through Sanef, I've asked some questions on the Telepeage thread as I'm thinking of getting one myself, can any experienced drivers who have contributed above tell me the answers to my questions by any chance? Cheers. Very Happy Very Happy
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Megamum, I've done it three times times with my son. We have done the Hull-Rotterdam and Hull-Zebbrugge overnight arriving about 8 a.m. I always sleep well on the Ferry and it's very relaxing as a start to our holiday with a decent evening meal and a few drinks before retiring. I than drive all day with a couple of stops, arriving in resort in Switzerland early evening. My son sorts out the tolls, but there aren't many on the route I take to Switzerland.
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I drove to Grimentz a few weeks ago in one day. My wife was with me, but she won't drive my car.

I found it a lot easier than I thought, distance from Calais was 568 miles & total driving time was 9 hours, I stopped twice, once for lunch and once for fuel & a 10 minute nap.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Megamum,

It will not be a problem..and besides the kids will keep you company. Calais to most places in Switzerland is about 8 hours and a bit, depending how long your stops are..and with kids these might have to be longer than if on your own. Start early from the French point of entry and you'll get to the resort around tea-time. You can organise the kids to do the tolls and pits stops and make it their task and a bit of an adventure.

I'd treat both travelling days as just that, ie no skiing or detours, so you start the journeys in good condition and not tired.

Don't recommend relying on Red Bull or Mad Dog
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Why not fly and use Swiss trains which are painless?

Driving costs you about 50p a mile plus ferry/tunnel/peage costs.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi Megamum,

Drove down from Birmingham to 3 Valleys in March, left at 6pm on the Friday; straight to Dover. Off the boat at Dover at 01:30 French Time and in resort for about 10:00 in the morning.

Its a long old drive but no drama's. Passengers were all asleep by the time we had left Calais. Only stops were for a tank of fuel and a stretch of the legs/shopping at Moutiers (where I slept).

I think as long as your comfortable with long distance driving, and you have a car thats comfortable and easy to drive at speed it wouldn't be a problem. Just get a nice long sleep the night before

I'm driving down on boxing day this year again, I must admit I quite like the drive! Much easier and comfortable than hanging around in airports etc etc!
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Megamum, I drive from central Germany to Norwich and back all on my own a lot. It tends to take 10-14 hours depending on ferry/chunnel, traffic etc. It's draining, and I'm a young lad... I've done it in the day, and in the night and honestly; if you plan to ski the next day you're in the resort you probably won't ski very well. I usually need a nice long nap the following day to get back to my usual self.

All that said, I don't mind. I've also skied down to the alps (6 hours) and skied that same day for the entire day and that was perfectly fine for me.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Timmaah wrote:
MegamumI've skied down to the alps (6 hours).


From Calais?
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Megamum, use cash at the tolls. As you near the telepeage, put the car into a high speed handbrake (180 degree) turn, depress the clutch and freewheel the last 10m or so up to the window. Pay, and once the barrier is up, reverse out, repeat the handbrake manoeuvre and carry on your way. Cool
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
paulio, no he means from central Germany to the Alps I think.
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Megamum, yes it's do-able - as many people have pointed out.

With everything else which has gone on for you this year, I don't think you want to be stressing about this. So if you can I would suggest an overnight stop - even if you just go Friday eve and get into France for an hour that will break the journey up
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paulio,

You could do Calais to certain parts of the alpes in 6 hours, ie Chamonix...you'll use up a lot of fuel and end up very tired..and it isn't worth it and you probably wouldn't get away with it speedcam-wise now
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Whats all this about overnight's? I can leave Montalbert at 7.30am be back here for 7pm and do a late shift until midnight, it really is not that tiring a journey!
We only overnight if leaving here late evening.
We tried driving through the night and decided we are too old for that Toofy Grin
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Boredsurfing, I probably wouldn't overnight if we were travelling from the South, but it is essential if we are travelling from Durham.
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Megamum, I drive with my OH but as he falls asleep, or threatens to, within 20 minutes of taking the wheel, it's like driving alone. One year, on the way back, he drove as far as Albertville and then I drove the rest of the way to Le Havre!

Don't take much notice of these "8 hours to the Alps" stories. I don't know where your resort in Switz is (!) but to, say, Grimentz the driving time from Calais, according to viaMichelin, is 9 hours. Their driving times assume you drive fairly smartly, up to the speed limit, and assume normal traffic. I've found them very accurate. To that you add the time it takes to get you to Calais (losing an hour of clock time) and the times you stop. All the research shows that your ability to drive safely drops off fast after two hours behind the wheel. To get two kids out of the car, sort out something they'll eat, go to the toilet, argue about buying more sweets and get them back in the car will take a minimum of 40 minutes. You'll need three stops, at least, to drive safely from Calais to the Alps - and that's once you've got to Calais, which will take you several hours.

I think a lot depends on the timing of your trip, both in terms of when you can leave, how busy it will be getting to Calais, and what the traffic conditions will be like. And what your kids are like in the car. Other peoples children love their ski lessons, eat up every scrap of their dinner, never cry pathetically when left at the nursery, never throw up in the car and never try to scratch each other's eyes out when you're trying to negotiate a busy junction. Only you know your own...

Quote:

even if you just go Friday eve and get into France for an hour that will break the journey up

I'd say that's a good formula. Even so, I bet you'd feel you'd done a long day's work, when you finally unpack the car at your destination (especially if it's at all snowy which, of course, you'll be hoping it is!).

I also think flying is worth considering; are you dead set on driving? And would you drive your kids to John O'Groats, non stop? Similar journey time.
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pam w, perhaps Megamum's choice of resort means it isn't practical for her to drive. I do remember her saying she took lots of food with her from the UK as there wasn't a supermarket.
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Red Bull gives you wings, I don't like the stuff but on long long journeys it pays to have a can in the glove box. I don't really have much caffeine in my life so I only need about a quarter tin to really keep me going. Good for the last 2/3 hours, especially if you get delayed. Its illegal in France but I think only to sell rather than possess. Top tip, don't give it to the kids... Madeye-Smiley Madeye-Smiley
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Quote:

Its illegal in France but I think only to sell rather than possess.

it used to be illegal to possess, but I gather, from a Snowhead somewhere, that it's no longer illegal. It can help, preferably along with a 20 minute nap, but it shouldn't be used once you get really sleepy. Then you need to get off the road and sleep properly. Mind you, I never do sleep too well on those overnight stops; sometimes I lie awake wishing I was on the road, making progress.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I drove to Val D'Isere solo once - in the days when my car (a cavalier) had wind down windows. Great fun (not) at the peage. Very tiring. Really made my day when late at night, I was not allowed to drive on at Moutier because of road blockages/risk of avalanche, had to put on chains so that I could drive to Brides Les Bains to stay the night. So there is a thought. It's tiring enough when all goes well. Add some sort of incident and you really will wish you were less tired. Personally, I would pefer to have an overnight stop each way - but I know others think driving straight through is fine.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Megamum, I've done it a couple of times (to the northern French Alps), with and without an overnight stop.
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 Poster: A snowHead
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Red Bull is now legal in France and is sold in bars supermarkets and on Motorway service areas, I assume the ingredient that got it banned has been replaced or removed.
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Thanks for all the thoughts folks - the problem I find is being disciplined enough to stop, even when for safety I should (this is naughty given that I am a IAM driver) - pam w, I completely understand the lying awake wishing you were getting closer scenario - esp. if the children are being good in the car. The in car DVD system is brilliant - give 'em a stack of DVD's and two headsets and its unadulterated silence- they don't get it for every journey, but really look forward to using the system on long trips leaving me to enjoy grown up music. If the kids are acting up then every chance to stop for fuel is a bonus, but I find there is a terrible tendency to push on as far as possible if all is quiet in the back and I can find an excuse not to stop. Helen Beaumont, you are correct, no shops in resort - I take enough tinned food for the week with me and this makes train or plane difficult.

Another problem with sleeping is I find I need to wind down from being on the road before I can actually sleep. Unfortunately I don't have a luxurious car - the journey will probably be done in a 1300 Skoda Felicia hatchback as I have done in previous years!!.

It is really good advice though to make sure I am fully topped up on sleep before I start the journey. At least very few of you have suggested that I might be biting off more than I can chew.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Jeez... I'm something of an expert on long distance drives.

I've driven with a mate (with me doing most of the driving) from North Wales right through France, into Italy, and back into France. Took about 24 hrs. Leaves you feeling a little worn out though to say the least. I'd advise having a go on your trip but keep the addresses of a couple of rest stops just in case you feel too tired to continue the journey.

In Canada I once came straight off the slopes, into a car and a 3 hr drive though one of the worst blizzards of the winter back to Canmore for a hot date, no sleep, no proper food, then a drive back in the morning (once waking up ploughing through a snowdrift at the side of the highway LOL) and straight into another days skiing (my third ever) without breakfast. My blood glucose levels were actually good too!!!

In the States I left Ohio at 1am after a late night, drove through 12 hrs of torrential rain to Boston with multiple coffee refills and ginseng coming out of my ears, had to pack up my apartment in 25 mins, return a hire car to my firms HR dept, grab a cab and make the airport for the evening flight.

And don't even get me talking about bike tours Madeye-Smiley
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Megamum,Your journey is around 8 hours from Calais assuming you don't get stuck in traffic so to get there mid afternoon you could either set off very early or for instance stay in the B&B credit card motel at St Quentin (has 3 bed rooms) leaving 6.5 hours and the boring motorway bit mostly over with. My take on the best route to Basel can be read on http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=495181

Coming home to Zurich I do all the driving and either get a 16:00 ish ferry and drive all the way home in one hit, stopping only for fuel, toilets or coffee, arriving home 02:00-03:00 or we get a 18:00ish ferry, stop at St Quentin and get home early afternoon.
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Unless you hit a busy time, I'm not sure why people make such a fuss about the peage. Between Calais and Geneva you only go through 4 peage areas (at the beginning and end, and through Reims) and in 2 of them you only have to take a ticket. It's not an 8 hour shift down a coal mine. And kids absolutely love doing the peage, makes them feel important. On the small ones along the A40 it kept my nephew happy for ages, with a pile of little coins, getting hold of the right money to throw in the coin baskets, chick-chick-chick-chick-chick-chic-chick and then wait for the barrier to go up. He was ecstatic and couldn't wait for the next one.

If you're on your own, that walk round the car stops your hips from seizing up (or maybe that's only applicable to the more - um - mature driver). It's hardly worth bothering with telepeage for people who do one trip a year, and can avoid the unspeakable mayhem of half term.
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pam w, yes even though I will be going to France more than once a year I think I will get out the car at the peage. No point trying to reach across and end up dropping the card under the car and having to get out the car to look for it.
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Megamum,
It's up to you what to do but a personal opinion is that it is a fair bit more tiring being a solo driver and looking after kids and then having to look after kids at the other end by yourself and try and enjoy a ski holiday.
Budget hotels with everyone sharing a room are not ridiculouslyexpensive. Add to that the option of getting a cheaper crossing because you are not so time constrained, you may end up a lot less frazzled and possibly safer at your destination than trying to blast through in possibly bad weather.
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Boredsurfing, was that Taurine ??
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Megamum,

How you will drive is up to you... but I'll repeat 8 hrs is a reasonable benchmark to the Valais easily enough without going mad. If you want to take your time, then fine.

If driving like your gran works, then ok... Once I start, I just want to get there, so no faffing about with too many long stops, probably two at the most, for fuel, toilet and food...but there might be others in your car that drives that agenda. For me, it is all about keeping the car moving and that will take care of the distance quick enough

Would I give myself 8 hours from resort to make a ferry, no, not by choice, not anynore, but if I had to it could be done relatively easily... conditions permiting.
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Quote:

I take enough tinned food for the week with me and this makes train or plane difficult.

tinned food for a week? Shocked You could always fly and hire a car - stopping at big supermarket en route. If you have a car there's surely a supermarket within driving distance of your resort? Do the people there live on pemmican?

Even flying, you can take a lot given that kids have baggage allowance they don't need. We once flew to Austria along with Granny, a lot of food, a pressure cooker and four pairs of skis hired in Ayr wrapped up in a pink candlewick bedspread. My son, who was at an impressionable age, reckons he was traumatized for life by being detailed to carry the skis, surrounded as he was by guys with cool ski bags who wouldn't have been seen dead with either their granny or a pressure cooker, let alone both.
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