 Poster: A snowHead
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Always gone with TO's but this year having bought a place, self catering was the only option but also we had to decide to drive or fly............Driving was our preferred option. Here’s my thoughts/ramblings on first drive to the Alps. Written this as it might help someone else thinking of doing the trip.
Firstly the cost. Discussed it on this thread. This was the worst case scenario and we did save money but it still costs to drive and costs more than most think if you add up all the costs.
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=38244#899086
Route, discussed here
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=45549#1090683
Did the straight route down and came back using the A39 and avoided Lyon. Think we prefer the A39.
Lets not forget apart from 2 adults there will be a 6, 8 and 10 year old in the back. We decided on way out to do it in 2 days, stopping in Reims on the way down. Left home at 8.30am on the Friday. 4 hours for us to get to the tunnel. Filled up in Tesco’s Junction 10 M20. Got on a slightly earlier train so we arrived in Reims about 6pm French time. Took about 2 ½ hours to Reims.
We had a light overnight bag ready with some fresh clothes for the next day. Lesson learnt No 1. The hotel we stayed in had a secure, enclosed car park. A major +++. No need to unload the car.
Left Reims the next morning about 8.30am. Motorway quiet until about 100 miles south of Reims where traffic heading down from Belgium and Holland seems to join the route. Made it a little busier but no queues. Wasn’t really expecting queues as we were heading to the area for first week of January, historically the quietest week of the year. It was leaving day for the New Year week so traffic on other side was very heavy. 10 mile tailback in Dijon on other side. 
Here’s lesson 2 we learnt. Needed to fill up with diesel as we got towards Dijon. Decided to go off the motorway as there had to be cheaper fuel options close to the motorway? 45 minutes later we found something.  Lesson learnt………..it may be slightly more expensive (about 10c a litre) but for time saving fill up on the motorway .French service stations are great in that they do sell loose baguettes. Its an idea to have some ham etc in your cool box (assuming you have one) as this make a cheaper alternative for lunch with kids.
Arrived Les Arcs about 5pm. Perfect timing.
Lesson 3. Don’t expect if you leave your car in -10 for the week and don’t put in a really good washer fluid that they won’t be frozen solid for most of the journey home. We were lucky on the way back that the road weren’t to wet as the washer bottles had frozen completely. France was exceptionally cold last week but still make sure to use good freeze proof washer fluid.
The last decision was whether to do the journey home in one hit. To safeguard I had booked 2 rooms in the Holiday Inn in Calais for the Saturday night on the way back. These could be cancelled up until 4pm on the day of arrival. We left Les Arcs 7.30am on the Saturday. We got to Dijon about noon. We swapped driving every 2 hours and the roads were empty. We knew that we would hit Calais about 5.30pm and had a 7pm tunnel booked. We decided to cancel hotels and keep going.
Long story, long drive but we got home midnight French time. 16 ½ hour drive home. Accidents, delays etc..aside we would be 99% certain of attempting the drive home in one hit again.
Last point. Would we drive it again? Yes. We are doing a week on our own in March and will fly but with 3 kids and the ability to fill the car with food, all well, we will drive again next January. Plan next year would be to drive down in 2 days but a bit further on day one and get to resort early on the Saturday and a get an extra days skiing in.
My ramblings end………
Total miles driven 1752 (includes one trip down from Arc 2000 to Bourg for supermarket trip)
Average mpg over trip 28.9. way down worse than way back as we ditched the ski carriers off roof and left ski at apartment for way back but this is average over trip.
Roads were empty but on motorway stuck to 80mph on cruise, no need to worry about coppers then.
Telepeage. Get one (sorry don't ), they are great and save time and hassle.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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thefatcontroller, how long do you plan to spend at your place each year? We always drive nowadays, because hiring car for long stays is ruinously expensive. Some useful points above. Write another account when you've done it in fog/freezing rain/heavy snow! 
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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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thefatcontroller, let me be the first. Did you have winter tyres & snow chains?
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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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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| thefatcontroller wrote: |
Lesson 3. Don’t expect if you leave your car in -10 for the week and don’t put in a really good washer fluid that they won’t be frozen solid for most of the journey home. We were lucky on the way back that the road weren’t to wet as the washer bottles had frozen completely. France was exceptionally cold last week but still make sure to use good freeze proof washer fluid.
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Pretty much all the service stations after lyon sell windscreen washer 'lave glace' that's good down to -20 or -25. On my journey down I timed it so that I ran out of screen wash just after lyon and then stocked up with the french stuff just after lyon. So far not frozen at all...despite some -15 or similar nights..
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FAQ
that the snow chains might not be required. The road up to Arc 2000 is a 27km drive up from Bourg Saint Maurice. Once you get above 1600m there is a fair bit of snow so there is a setting on the Discovery for driving on gravel/snow (all it does its tighted up control to stop the driver causing wheel spin when hitting accelerator) and I did turn this on from 1600 up. Not sure it was 100% needed but why not.
