 Poster: A snowHead
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| paulio wrote: |
| Timmaah wrote: |
| MegamumI've skied down to the alps (6 hours). |
From Calais? |
Stupid me... I meant driven not skied!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Megamum, why are you single handed? Can't you take the new boyfriend? 
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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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maggi, damn, you beat me to it. What's a skiing boyf for, if not to drive a girl and her kids to the Alps?
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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 have driven from Zeebrugge to Morzine by myself in a no stop strategy a few times!!
Always drive it in a 1er, I actually enjoy it. Have even driven back with damaged ankle ligaments, that wasn't too enjoyable!
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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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| Quote: |
tinned food for a week?
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Oh come on. Everyone knows that all food outside the UK is poisonous - not enough salt or sugar in it. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hurtle, maggi, Who wants a skiing partner..???? That is an own goal...
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Megamum, A couple of years ago i drove down to VT, sharing the driving with a friend. The mistake i made was to go to a works dinner prior to starting off. Stupid i know. I left the dinner at 9pm, drove to my friends house picked him up and set off. We missed the train connection that we wanted creating a 2hr delay and eventually arrived at around noon (if my memory is accurate).
Now, although i enjoyed the experience i was completely knackered and the tiredness effected the whole of the holiday. Factor in that you will be the only driver and the need to take care of your children; i believe that to try and do the whole trip in one go is irresponsible and down right dangerous. Not only to yourself and your kids but to every other driver on the road.
Stay somewhere and get some sleep, it is the only sensible and safe option.
Good Luck.
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For years I have been driving to the Alps with the wife who refuses to share the driving as she dislike the faster speed. Thus I have to do the 650 miles myself in the first day every time. We always take two days on the return leg due to the departure time of the ferry..
I didn't find driving a problem at all. Usually two stops; one for fuel and one for food. The conversation and MP3 keep us going. In recent years I need a rest of about 0.5 hour in one of the stops as agehas caught up with me. Sat Nav, cruise control, automatic gear box, climate control etc all help the journey pass quickly.
That has been our way to ski French, Swiss, Italian, Austrian and German resorts. Our journey starts from Amsterdam so the route is a fast one.
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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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| VolklAttivaS5 wrote: |
| paulio, no he means from central Germany to the Alps I think. |
I still don't believe it.
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There are no doubt some exceptional individuals who can drive safely for 8 hours at an average speed of over 100 kph but there are probably many more who think they can.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Have driven to the Tarentaise region several times, stopping only for fuel and food, plus an hour or so at the ferry terminal plus the crossing. Don't see what the big fuss is all about to be honest, but each to their own....
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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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Megamum, Don't worry, it is no real problem. The advice I would give, is to treat it as a job that must be done as efficiently as possible.
The biggest time losses are at the motorway halts, stopping 3 times for 40 mins is nice until you realise that you have just added an hour to the end of your journey, that extra hour is a killer after you have been behind the wheel for 10 hours or so. Fuel, Coffee and loo can be done in 20 mins. Take sandwiches made the night before and stored in a cool bag/box and eaten whilest driving, cherry tomatoes are good too. The tolls you seem to have sorted, I use credit card so I don't have to fiddle with change, but my car is Lhd so no problem feeding the card in.
Get an early-ish start on the road in France say 8am or somewhere near your usual morning start time if it is earlier.
The children need to know it is an adventure and that they will have to help by keeping you updated as to where you are on the map, I'm assuming they are old enough to read road signs, perhaps a day or so before you might show them the route on a map for their benifit and yours. But most of all have fun.
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You know it makes sense.
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Guvnor,
true... you wouldn't give the drive upto Wales or Scotland the same kind of thought..its about the same sort of time... its only France with a few tricky bits..possibly.
If you think you'll get tired or indeed do get tired..stop and rest up. Its a holiday, you don't need to add any stress to it
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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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Dypcdiver, we do just that, picnic on day 1 , usuallt eating pork pies on the Eurotunnel, but do stop for a lunch stop in France on the following day.Dangerous bugs in two day old picnics even with a cool box.
saikee, I would love to get the opportunity to drive, but hubby is a dreadful passenger. I made him get in the back seat with the dog last year.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| paulio wrote: |
| VolklAttivaS5 wrote: |
| paulio, no he means from central Germany to the Alps I think. |
I still don't believe it. |
How long do you think it takes to drive?
(if you read up on this page you'll see I meant drive and not ski...)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Guvnor wrote: |
| Don't see what the big fuss is all about to be honest, but each to their own.... |
Me neither. I've done Austria, and that is much further. I stop every 2 hours, but only for 5/10 mins to grab a drink/food/toilet stop.
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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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Guvnor,
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Have driven to the Tarentaise region several times, stopping only for fuel and food, plus an hour or so at the ferry terminal plus the crossing. Don't see what the big fuss is all about to be honest,
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Driving to the alps is not the hardest thing in the world. From the initial posting though what Megamum seems to be proposing is driving overnight with children and then looking after them the next day. I have driven many times to the continent doing all the dirving but doing it solo in a oner overnight and looking after kids single handed the next day is not the way I would choose to start a holiday.
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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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T Bar, So what was the question again? Single driver to the Alps? No problem. Single driver to the Alps with children? No problem. Single driver to the Alps, with children, overnight, and then looking after the kids single handedly the next day? Change your travelling schedule, I would have thought...
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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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With all due respect, I think that this is a silly question as are some of the answers, for the simple reason that we are all different. I know that I get tired driving for extended periods, some people don't, one just has to judge it for oneself. One thing's fairly likely, though, 5-10 minute stops for food/petrol/loo are a lot more difficult - and less energizing - with small kids in tow.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have driven the Hereford to la Plagne and Tignes trip 6 times now single handedly. The first time i used the cruise control which just made me very sleepy. Subsequent trips were made without the cruise control and at a slightly slower speed (average 85mph-90mph and can do it in one hit with fuel stops and at the same time taking on liquids. I stop approx every 4 hours but you really do need to be used to long distance driving.
I did stupidily start out from La Plagne at 20.00 and that was following a hard day's skiing and all i can say is it was very dangerous with me waking up in a lay by and i couldn't remember stopping for a stop in a lay by.
Very satisfying when you do make the journey and you feel fine the other end.
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T Bar, The overnight drive and ski the next day with the kids is what I have done other years when I have shared the driving - however, even then I have no sleep at all as I didn't trust the ex to navigate solo (there was a good reason for this that I won't go into suffice it to say he couldn't be trusted to do so).
maggi, Hurtle, Grrrr........... OK, yes, there is a strong chance of a skiing BoyF factoring into decisions (I wasn't going to bring it up if I could run the conversation without doing so, you never know who might be lurking  ). The trouble is that, although we may yet ski the holiday together, we haven't fully decided on the best plan logistically to do the journey on account of smallish cars, growing people, lots of luggage and me with a small engine in an older car. Hence, I wanted to explore what people thought of the notion of making the journey single-handedly if we ended up driving our own separate cars (yes, I know expense etc. but its still an option). I like to book the ferry within the next 5-6 weeks hence starting to think about things. Also, if I decide to travel on the Friday I have the problem of the kids still being at school - though I would hope an application for a days leave of absence for them for the purpose of making the trip safer might swing an OK from the head teacher esp. as the kids do well at school. N.B. You wouldn't believe the stick I got last night when it seemed skiing BoyF was apparently not part of the journey plans and hence by implication the skiing trip . So much for trying to keep private things private
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Megamum,
A personal feeling is that even sharing driving and staying awake is a lot less tiring than driving solo overnight. I would either take kids out of school for a day and have a relatively relaxed trip over (personal option). Take them out for a half day and still have a fair bit more time. Ferry friday evening and put up near to Calais (Possibly getting harder to book if half term). Early Saturday ferry and have a day time drive.
Each to their own but for me your option seems both the most exhausting and least safe.
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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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pam w,
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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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LMAO
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chect2000, out of interest what time do you normally leave Hereford and what time do you get to Tignes when you've driven it in the way you've described, i.e in one hit only stopping for fuel, loo stops and a drink every 4 hours? Do you go by Eurotunnel or ferry? I only ask because I live in Hereford too.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hurtle, Sorry if you felt it was a silly question - I just wondered how many people attempted the journey in one hit and how many surcumbed to the safer altenative to stop over even if this seems to slow the whole process down when lets face it - all you want to do is get there!! There seems to be a fair split between the two alternatives. Sometimes its just interesting to see how others handle something you are compemplating yourself - sorry if that seems silly, but its the way my mind thinks.
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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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Megamum, perfectly sensible to ask - not silly at all.
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| VolklAttivaS5 wrote: |
| chect2000, out of interest what time do you normally leave Hereford and what time do you get to Tignes when you've driven it in the way you've described, i.e in one hit only stopping for fuel, loo stops and a drink every 4 hours? Do you go by Eurotunnel or ferry? I only ask because I live in Hereford too. |
I have done both. On a cheap holiday i go Dover-Dunkerque with Norfolk line for £18.00. Adds about 1.5 hours to the journey. This is about 12 hours Dunkerque-Tignes including breaks.
I tend to go by eurotunnel now. This is an 10.5 hour journey from Calais-Tignes. Then you have the 3.25 hours Hereford to Dover. All adds to about a 14 hour journey.
I try and get a 07.00 ferry/tunnel to ensure I travel in France in max daylight. I stick to the toll's and cut across to Chambery missing Lyon.
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You know it makes sense.
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Boris, 
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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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chect2000, ta. If you get an early morning ferry at 07.00 then don't you find you get stuck in the Saturday afternoon transfer traffic because you'll be arriving in Tignes late afternoon?
3 1/4 hours is pretty good going Hereford to Dover, Multimap told me 4 1/2 hours Hereford to Folkestone. At least you don't get stuck on the M25 though if you are arriving for a 07.00 ferry.
Is your 10 1/2 hour journey from Calais to Tignes non stop or including short stops for fuel/snack/loo stop?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ok, work backwards...do most of the driving during the day... but then we don't have to cater for peak holiday days so that might affect your travel plans. I assume you are talking about Easter and that might affect the travel conditions
I wouldn't be in such a rush to cram things in..although I do like to crack on with the travel once I have started.. I have made the mistake of arriving tired/knackered on a ski trip and it is hard to recover. An early start for theb 06:00 fery is not such a problem though as a good night's sleep and a steady ski the next day should be the thing.
A good reason to take the ferry is that you get a driving break, IMV
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| JT wrote: |
| A good reason to take the ferry is that you get a driving break, IMV |
That worked well for us in summer, nice hour break after the drive from Leeds to Dover, got a decent coffee in, some fresh air, a walk around the boat, and arrive ready for a couple of hours drive in France before an overnight stop.
I'd be very interested to hear how many folk from up north drive, esp Hull->Zeebrugge...
regards,
Greg
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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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kitenski, It is the pricier option, but a very good one IMHO. One is decanted in Zeebrugge about 08.30 and the roads are very good.
The meals are quite pricey, but a bit cheaper if booked in advance. AIR the drive is only 45 mins further than Calais. The boats are good, and a family cabin for 4 (en suite) quite comfy. It means that the journey can be done without an overnight stop on the road. If it is rough, then have an early dinner and go to bed. I am a bad sailor and survived a force 8 crossibng as I went to bed as soon as we left harbour in Z. Not such an issue fron Hull as it takes 2 hrs to reach open sea.
The 2 issues for me are:
1) Cost (but factor in everything and it's not too bad
2) The return journey closes at about 17.30-18.00, so there is a tight schedule on return day. ie half term would need an EARLY start to ensure no delays on the return journey.
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