 Poster: A snowHead
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rjs, I probably wasn't going to ski the first day to be honest I'd be too knackered but to be fair you are right I would probably be knackered the next day as well and possibly the day after that, so it would affect my skiing.
Funnily enough in the meantime since my last post I have had a think about it and I have spent the last hour having a look into adjusting the crossing time to 14.20 instead of 20.20 and stopping overnight about 18.30 at Reims. That looks the best place to stop as it works out to be 7 hours from Hereford (including the crossing time but not check in time) and about 7 hours from Tignes drive the next morning (according to via Michelin-it well be less than that but also that's not including stops) so if I get to Reims at 6.30pm have dinner and a good night's sleep and then get up early the next morning and be on the road for 8.00am, then I should be in Tignes for about 15.00-16.00 including stops too just in time for afternoon tea! More importantly I think it is safer doing it that way and much more sensible as you have alluded to.
You are so right about
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| I drove out to Tignes without stopping overnight once, I wouldn't do it again |
I had a think back to a ski trip once where I had been up that morning (same as I would be had I taken the 20.20 crossing-packing no doubt!) and the flight got into Gatwick at about 10.30pm. I drove straight home that night (about 3 hours) and I had to pull over in a service station because my eyes were drooping so much I thought I would fall asleep at the wheel. I couldn't wait to get back home and go to sleep properly so next time I have a late flight to Luton for the Tignes boot camp I'm stopping in a Travel Inn before driving back home.
No reason why I shouldn't be doing that for this mega long drive as well. After starting out at 9.00am say and being up at say 8.00am beforehand then by time I've driven through to 18.30 and get to Reims I'll be too tired to carry on driving.
Is there a chain motel that you have stayed in in Reims that you can recommend?
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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 ok, got one now that suits by the looks of it. 2 miles off J26 of A4/E17/E50 called Fasthotel Reims-Taissy. 38 Euros for a double ensuite room. Got it off www.drive-alive.co.uk, good website that for European route planing. Sounds alright to me and easy to get back on the motorway from there from the map. Thanks rjs this is much more sensible. 
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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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agree that a tiring travel day can wreck you for a few days.
I have often gone to the alpes straight from work and I don't want to do that again if it takes you two days to recover. That means your 1st day of skis isn't great and you might never catch up.
Travelling overnight isn't that bad an idea but I live close enough to just have to do an early (04:00) start. On that basis ( living close to the channel ) I am not a fan of stopping as I might just as well stay in bed at home.
A crossing at 1420 sounds good on Friday as that will be taking you round the M25 by midday which will be fine..accidents permitting..
I tend to break the journey times up like this; Calais-Rheims, a shade over 2 hrs, Rheims-Dijon, 2 hrs and the Dijon-Geneva, just under 2 hrs...so you'd need to be well past Chambery to be on schedule
I'd cut across the chicken run at B n Bresse and through Annecy and onto Albertville but that's your call
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VolklAttivaS5, unless you're travelling at a busy time I wouldn't book a hotel. It's impossible to know when, exactly, you will want to stop. You migh encounter, say, very thick fog and have to stop, or just get tired sooner than you expect. Or it might all be clear, you might feel great, and be happy to carry on another couple of hours. There are loads of hotels and with a credit card you can get in any time.
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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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JT, pam w, thanks for your replies. it will take me 4 hours possibly more to get from home to Folkestone so by time I've checked in and crossed and got to Reims I'll have been driving for about 7 hours minimum, travelling from 9.00am to 18.30, all through the daytime so at least night driving/fog etc won't be a worry for me then.
Thought Reims would be a good place to stop overnight as it is practically the same distance from my house than it is from Tignes so it's about the half way point. I've not booked the hotel in Reims-Taissy yet, I know there will be loads of hotels to choose from and you can just turn up and pay with credit card especially end November, but I just had a look to see where one is that looks ok and is quite reasonably priced. Some of the others eg Novotel were like 110 Euros for the night which was quite a difference. As long as it has a comfy bed private wc and shower and is secure then that's fine. I might book it up for the way over just to have a point to aim for and to look forward to having a nice dinner and a bed for the night. I think if I don't book something to aim for like then I'll keep going and going instead of stopping for a break when I am tired so probably better for me to have a mid point to aim for so to speak.
pam w, JT, On the note of security, I'm going to have all my kit in the back of the car with the seats down, so it will be all on display rather than all in the boot out of sight-do I need to take my boardbag etc into the hotel with me to avoid the car getting broken into or is it pretty ok to leave stuff in the car at these motorway travel inns? Sorry if that's offensive asking that question but here in the UK I would probably take expensive stuff into the hotel with me for the night to be on the safe side. I've heard of a few cars broken into outside our motorway Travel Inns/Travelodge and the like, especially the ones at motorway service stations.
JT,
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I tend to break the journey times up like this; Calais-Rheims, a shade over 2 hrs, Rheims-Dijon, 2 hrs and the Dijon-Geneva, just under 2 hrs...so you'd need to be well past Chambery to be on schedule
I'd cut across the chicken run at B n Bresse and through Annecy and onto Albertville but that's your call
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Sorry if I'm being thick here, but how do you mean I'd have to be well past Chambery to be on schedule? If I stop at Reims on the Friday night and be on the road again for 08.00 on the Saturday, how long do you reckon it will take to get from Reims to Tignes and will I get stuck in the Saturday resort traffic-I'm thinking not cos it's November. February and March then yes I probably would do.
What's the chicken run? Why is that way better?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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look forward to having a nice dinner
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you won't get a nice dinner at most of those hotels! Many of the cheaper ones have no food laid on. What I do is stop at about 7pm and have a good meal (the motorway service areas mostly provide perfectly OK fodder for a hungry traveller) and then drive another couple of hours, well rested, stopping for the night about 10 - 11 pm.
I suppose by the "chicken run" he means taking the motorway down straight towards Bourg en Bresse (there's a big "aire" with a huge metal chicken, celebrating the famous "poulet de Bresse") which is often preferably to the ghastly A6 down through Macon towards Lyon. The A40 motorway then takes you towards Geneva. Until now the road south from Geneva to Annecy has been slow - very slow - but they've been building a new motorway for about 100 years and it should be open now - or by winter, anyway. That might make it a good route to take. You're stuck with a very slow trundle through Annecy and along the lake, but that can be quite a nice drive, and makes a change from bashing along the autoroute.
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pam w, ah yes I forgot about that, thanks for the heads up. I was thinking they were the same as our Travel Inns when they normally have a Brewers Fayre or something next door. Saying that mind, the Fasthotel Reims-Taissy has Hotel Restaurant over the front door from the photo, I know they do do a buffet breakfast for 5 Euros extra which I'll probably go for TBH even though it will probably be horrible food, but not sure about the dinner thing, doesn't say on the website. I'll presume not and do what you suggest and have dinner in a service area before I stop for the night.
I'm hoping if I get there for say 18.30 at the earliest already having had dinner then there will be plenty of time to chill out and get a good night's sleep so I can set of at 7am next morning. Good thing about this overnight stop means I'll be travelling both legs in the daylight so no worries about having to drive in the dark, possibly put snowchains on in the dark etc etc especially as this will be the first time that I've ever driven on the other side of the road and all that so probably better to be doing all this in the daytime. I'm hoping I am going to be putting the snowchains on even if it is end Nov because that means I'm in luck re snow!
Ah right, re chicken run. That route doesn't come up on via Michelin as the recommended route. I was hoping I'd end up going via Annecy because I like to see the lake. I haven't got a clue if my route from via Michelin takes me past there or not? It doesn't mention Annecy or the A6 through Macon towards Lyon you mention in your post either? Here have a look if you like and tell me what you think and if it's a good route or not
http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/Itineraires?strStartCityCountry=1138&strStartAddress=&strStartMerged=HR2+7SQ&strDestCityCountry=1424&strDestAddress=&strDestMerged=Tignes&choiceType=1&ie=UTF-8&x=22&y=11
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VolklAttivaS5, I never bother booking a hotel. There is a Premiere Classe motel next to that Fasthotel that is slightly cheaper and plenty of others nearby. It is worth collecting the books for each of the chains so that you have their maps.
I would go for the easy route this time, you can experiment with interesting detours off the autoroute on future trips.
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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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rjs, ok thanks. I suppose I can still aim to be stopping early evening on the Friday without booking up and then choose whatever hotel in the vicinity that looks the best one for the cost.
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rjs, have you stopped at the Fasthotel or the Premiere Classe? If so which one and was it any good?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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VolklAttivaS5,
Rheims to Tignes...about 6 hours, I'd say. I hate the route from Albertville onwards as you have driven fast and covered good ground across France
and then it just falls away when you get to Albertville/Moutier/BSM etc ..but that is just the way it gets to me. This last part always seems to take an age
Formula 1 and the like are likely to be unattended..depending what time you check-in..and you'll have to do everything by CC. then you'll get a key card which will open up the room. The room will be basic but clean with a shower and thats it... check-in...sleep and check-out, no frills.
For piece of mind take kit inside as these hotels are generally on a trading est and full of cars...so people who might be looking to break-in know that the cars aren't local and that you are carrying a full car of stuff worth nicking.
Yes, avoid Macon and follow signs to Geneva...but then dive off to Annecy, onto Albertville. On paper it appears to cut out a big ugly loop and the drive through Annecy can be quite attractive anyway...... and once you have got to Albertville you have cracked it..although you'll still have about 90mins left..maybe a tad more...By then terminal boredom has set in and I thrown the map out of the window
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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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JT, that's good then cos I was working on about 7 hours not including stops. I'll drive it straight through anyway since I'll be starting out fresh first thing that morning. Yeah will definitely take kit inside to save worrying about it. Last thing I want to do is drive half way there and get the skis and board nicked.
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Yes, avoid Macon and follow signs to Geneva...but then dive off to Annecy, onto Albertville. On paper it appears to cut out a big ugly loop and the drive through Annecy can be quite attractive anyway...... and once you have got to Albertville you have cracked it..although you'll still have about 90mins left..maybe a tad more...By then terminal boredom has set in and I thrown the map out of the window
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OK, sounds like this might be the route on my map anyway. Can you click on the link above and have a look at my via Michelin route and tell me if it tallys with what you have said above? Cheers.
I've been trying to ring Eurotunnel today but of course what with the fire I haven't been able to get through. I want to amend my crossing to 14.20 both sides (14.20 on the Sunday I mean on the way back-thought I might as well stop on way back as well now) it will cost £47 more to alter them plus the cost of the motels both sides but well, it's worth it not to try and do both journeys in one slog overnight I reckon now I've had a think about it, particularly as it's the first time I'm going and will be driving alone, it will take the stress out of doing it. I was going to have to stop in a Travel Inn after Folkestone anyway cos it was too late to drive another 4 hours on top back home and the motel in France on the way home will cost less than the Travel Inn in the UK!
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VolklAttivaS5, I have stopped at that Premiere Classe. Most of the chains are similar, the differences in price are down to extras like the selection of cable TV channels, whether you get duvets or sheets and free WIFI. F1 don't have ensuite showers, but they do seem to have the most reliable credit card check in system so are a good fallback.
Your Via Michelin route isn't the one JT is suggesting and doesn't go near Annecy.
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You know it makes sense.
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rjs, ok. The Premiere Classe has got the buffet breakfast thing, free WiFi and is the same as the Fasthotel next door but it's a bit cheaper and the breakfast is cheaper as well. Job's a good 'un.
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Your Via Michelin route isn't the one JT is suggesting and doesn't go near Annecy.
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Ok. I'll just follow that one anyway I think rather than attempting any detours for the moment.
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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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VolklAttivaS5,
As far as I know, the tunnel has limited service today and has around 1000 FR8 units to shift still. Thety must be stacked up beyond jct 9, M20 because I didn't see any this morning from jct 10 M20 through to the ports via the tunnel.
I can say that the ferries are almost full atm taking tourists. I think the tunnel is taking FR8 only.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Sat 13-09-08 16:37; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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JT, yeah. I hadn't sent the Clubcard Deals Vouchers off yet with the form anyway for the crossings I'd already provisionally booked so I've written on the top of the form what I want doing and said for them to ring me on my mobile to get the other £47 I need to pay them by Switch or take it off the card details I've given them already. Can't see why they wouldn't alter the timings if the crossings are higher priced than the orginal ones anyway. I will send it by Special Delivery to make sure it and the £90 worth of tokens get there ok!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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VolklAttivaS5,
The route for me would be, at Dijon
A39 Bourg en Bresse/Geneva
and then pick up the A40 to Geneva
take the A41 south to Annecy and then D1508 to Albertville.
I prefer to cut this corner off but you might feel better going to Macon, Lyon, Chambery and the Albertville which is pretty much all autoroute.
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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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JT, ok I will have a look on my map. Thanks.
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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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| Smokin Joe wrote: |
| We are flying over to Amsterdam with KLM then smoking ourselves into oblivion |
I forgot to add thats its not possile to smoke inside anymore (since July 1st) & in Amsterdam you can even be fined for smokng (hash) on the street. Sorry times are changing in Holland.
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FAQ
