 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, Driving to Alps for the first time in a few weeks, will have 3 young kids
with us.
Any tips and advice on things to take for the journey (other than snow chains, have those)
Ta! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A Sat Nav can save the marriage as you can no longer blame the wife for getting lost.
You may need to sedate the 3 kids. Just use any means at your disposal. In car entertainment would help.
For safe journey make sure you have a decent set of tyres suitable for or has capability to cope with snow.
Finally be prepared to get whacked for the toll for going through France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Mon 9-02-09 1:17; edited 1 time in total
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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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I'm making my first trip with kids in a few days. The following are some of the things we've already considered.
If you can afford it, a dvd player headphones and screens to keep the little angels occupied.
Kit to wear fitting the chains.
Bin liner to store used chains and wet clothes in after fitting the chains.
Sat nav.
Maps.
Telepeage tag (probably too late to order, but worth a try)
Enough food to keep you all stocked up.
High viz vests for each passenger.
Warning triangle.
Beam deflectors, also a spare set for when the first falls off!
Set of spare bulbs.
Lots of cash to pay the fines if you intend to speed.
Oodles of patience !
Good luck!
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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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Like the thought of child sedation  made by saikee,
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lots of cash to pay the fines if you intend to speed.
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spare car, in case you are so far over the speed limit that your car is confiscated. also possible if you have radar detection equipment....
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LoveRossi, if any of them are prone to car sickness, try Joy Rides, which you buy at pharmacy counters. Our youngest son can throw up before we get to the end of the roao, but we have driven to and from the Alps a few times now, with only one incident since taking the Joy Rides. Take sickbags just in case though! Spare outfits for each of you, in an easily accessible place (not the roofbox, if you have space in the boot), apart from that, as others have said above. Good luck and enjoy 
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Yes to all the entertainment. Consider Harry Potter read by Stephen Fry, Lots of hours which will hook you all. We pick our times and stop for an overnight both ways. I also like via michelin, and sat nav. Not so sure speeding is necessary though we did find it frustrating on one trip this year in a 60mph governed transit minibus! We actually lost more time getting children back at stops!
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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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We drive down overnight - the kids fall asleep shortly after getting off the ferry and wake up for breakfast in resort. We take it in turns to sleep/drive and so are both only slightly knackered when we get there. The return journey is over two days with an overnight stop. They tend to sleep a lot in the car and then refuse to sleep in the hotel. We've done this for the last 3 years without the need for in car entertainment but my oldest is only just 5 - we'll see how it goes in March.
Depending on the age of your little ones consider taking a potty in the car - saved us from toddlers refusing to use french holes a few times.
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LoveRossi, sorry if this is a really silly question, but you have practised putting on your chains, have you, so that you can do it fast?
I agree with BMF_Skier that you need a big black bag to put the chains in when you take them off, but I am not normally outside the car fiddling with chains long enough to get wet enough to need to change my clothes! "Wet wipes" for the hands are useful, though (I don't use gloves - I find it quicker without).
To the lists above I would add a small plastic kids-type beach shovel, for clearing snow away from the wheels before putting chains on. A head torch is useful if you have to deal with chains in the dark (in which case, do put on the high-vis vest!).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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A good type of gloves for fitting chains are the surgeon types. They keep the grease of your hands, and also a passable attempt at keeping the cold out!
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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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I know someone mentioned this already but we had 'fun' in December driving to the Alps... Wasn't very much snow but tyres wouldn't hold the road at all, everyone else was flying up the mountain and we were going sideways.
It turned out our hire car had summer tyres on (amazing!). Anyway, wasn't really enough snow to warrant chains but no other option! Using chains really limits how fast you can drive and when you hit tarmac (under a paravalanche) they are not nice!
So, winter tyres! 4 wheel drive can come in handy too!
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Thanks all for some excellent tips, we are going in Range Rover and thanks to
the foot of snow we had last week I have had hubby out in the snow several
times fitting the chains!
I think I will get him out in the dark fitting them aswell. 
Never thought of high vis vests, but they are now ordered and on the way.
Only 4 weeks to go now and very excited!
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You know it makes sense.
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LoveRossi, The via michelin suggestion is very good, as well as speed cameras it can also list all the filling stations, very useful for Land Rover owners 
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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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Famous Five CDs kept the kids occupied
Selection of sweets, drinks, crisps etc - we always make sarnies before we go and eat on the move a) its cheaper and b) they're quiet and not killing each other when eating
Pillows and blankets to keep them warm , comfortable etc
Wet wipes to mop up after eating - a handy something (old potty in our case) if you do have kids prone to sickness
Head torch to go with gloves, rugs, etc for putting chains on
a bin bag in the car
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Poster: A snowHead
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I think high vis vest, warning triangle and I can't remember the other thing are all compulsory for driving in France now since Jul 08.
Lots of food - handing out sweeties at intervals always works well. Also depending upon age of kids, visiting WHS smith travel games/colouring book dept works well, maybe not for long but every half hour gained counts!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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the other thing are all compulsory for driving in France
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spare set of bulbs, first aid kit, your car documents. Anything else? If travelling at half term, plenty of food and drink in case you miss mealtimes stuck in traffic jams.
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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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driving licence - including paper counterpart, insurance doc, V5 to prove you own it - or letter from lease company of company car, MOT if applicable
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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 echo the DVD, but also make sure the headphones are in! We had to go through repeated Thomas the Tank engine episodes through the speakers and were going slightly mad by Calais on the way home.
We found starting on the friday night, driving into France about 150ish miles (I think we stopped in St Quentin), v. cheap hotel Premier Classe, get up quick breakfast and off, worked well. We weren't tired, kids slept and seemed to forgive the journey.
I like the audio book idea.
Lots of food in the car! When you are in one of the wonderful half term peage queues, you will appreciate the lack of begging (unless they need the loo), on that note, check where the peages are and try to get in a toilet stop before the next one, you really don't want that problem.
We thought it was a great adventure and the kids thought the same!!
Have fun. I'm taking 30 kids on a coach at easter, it'll be a breeze!!!! 
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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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Boris, thanks for that tip; hadn't come across this before. Just ordered one - it will be very useful, both now and in the summer.
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AW, hope you find it useful!
Ours is much written in with when we stopped, what we thought of it etc.
Generally all the stops are good - there are one or two little rest areas I will avoid like the plague and a couple of recently renovated garage/shops which I would drive a bit extra to get to
We usually go for the smaller areas with a garage as they tend to have basics for a snack and be less crowded than the larger service places.
Just a note that the French all seem to stop for lunch at 12 - we often drive through that period as quieter on the roads
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LoveRossi, done the trip to France from Scotland several times plus one trip to Austria with my 3 kids. Best purchase was without doubt the portable DVD player.
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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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Just been sorting out the car for our journey on Saturday and remembered some  advice from last year - we have a silly little spare wheel which you're not supposed to drive far/fast on so we got a proper spare wheel in case we punctured and wanted to get to the resort/Calais without having to find a tyre place on a Saturday afternoon.
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AW, good thinking. we've changed ours after having a puncture late on a Saturday, as we were leaving the resort. absolutely no chance of getting a repair done anywhere, and nothing open at all on Sunday (I asked at the Swiss border and the border guard looked at me as though I'd suggested roasting a few children for dinner). We drove very slowly to Macon, stayed there overnight and got the tyre repaired on Monday morning. what a pain.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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On the subject of service stations (as alluded to by Boris), our experience is that any service area that does not have a Petrol Station has horrible hole-in-the-floor toilets (and the converse applies) so we do as Boris does and stop at the smaller Petrol Station ones.
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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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LoveRossi, as it's a Range Rover you probably have your batman do this for you, but a recent service is a good idea or at least make sure that your antifreeze is in the right mix. It could (should) get v. cold overnight BUT if you time your journey wrong and get stuck in traffic, watch out for overheating. Also, spare concentrated screen wash, of the type that can go very cold. And a scraper. Or a batman...
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If it's as cold as forecast diesel vehicles may need additional additive - it can go waxy below about -15. It's sold in service stations in the Alps area. sometimes door seals can freeze (as can locks, especially on the upwind side of the vehicle). Extra dosh to rent a covered parking space might be worthwhile, but they'll all be pretty full next week. Take a BIG shovel.... and pull windscreen wipers off the screen overnight. Leave the handbrake off and the engine in gear.
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You know it makes sense.
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I thought the diesel sold in Europe has additive to cope with the lower temperature. Been going there for about 8 seasons with diesel cars and not even thought about it one. Last trip -16 was pretty common and I left the car for almost a week in Davos. No problem with starting or running of the diesel engine. The door seals were frozen solid in some doors.
I have skied with my brother who lives in Norway for several seasons where car doors could not be open unless the seals were well waxed the night efore. Didn't record the temperature but it was very cold in Christmas. The top of the cable car station was -26 degree C in one trip. Again no consideration was needed to run the diesel vehicles. Some Norwegian/Swedish resorts provide an outdoor electrical supply for warming the car engine overnight but our van didn't have the fitting/facility and had to withstand whatever temperature. I suppose when the temperature drops further the diesel has to become thicker and eventually not flowing. My impression is by then we should see many stranded vehicles.
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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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Bought a power inverter - from Argus last Friday as we set off to Kaprun. Charges laptops, PSP s etc. First time we've driven here in the winter. The cost of hire car did it for us. Make sure that you have the insurance green card. I realized just as we were about to set off the at the "free" card only lasted for 3 days. We have a 4x4 but loads of Dutch here have driven just as far as us with the family saloon. I have just invested in 5 snow tires which seems to be the trick for all the other self-drive nationalities.
Sat Nav - well ours got us here without any tolls but you'll have to decide if you want to have 2 women telling you were to go instead of one. DVD is a must too. Also remind the kids that they shouldn't try to sneak passed the women who man the toilet areas in the service stations. It is highly embarrassing when she comes chasing after you and them. I just spoke to her in Welsh and denied that the kids were mine.
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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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Glad u think so - just got a bit nervous there in case I offended someone - guess the same goes for the opposite gender of any description. We sacked Jayne Tom Tom when she took us and caravan in to Charles De Gaulle airport 3 years ago. The bloke doesn't seem to be much better so we opted for Ossy Osbourne via an ebay disk! Might get us lost but the swearing really makes us laugh and the kids think we are cool (we do turn the swearing one off, just in case any ones is offended by the harm we are doing to our kids.)
Any way ... back on thread .... I bought my winter tyres (mud and snow) from my main dealer - does anyone have a good source for this kind of rubber, can't help thinking I paid over the odds.
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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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FAQ
