 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello
We are driving to the alps next season (London to Vaujany, satellite to Alpe D'Huez) - Half Term week, oh hum - and wonder if snowHeads could share their tips with us as well as answer some specific questions below. Nothing particular novel, I'm sure, but we have always flown before and we have children with us.
We are thinking of the following.
Leave London after school closes on Friday - but to avoid traffic perhaps leave at 7pm. I know Friday out of london is always bad, is it particularly bad on the Friday before the peak ski week going down to Dover/Folkstone?
Tunnel or Ferry at around 10pm. Would be interested with peoples views as to which is best. Ferry cheaper and allows meal and stretching of legs, but slower of course and more liable to disruption?
Find a motel an hour or so from Calais. Any tips for a cheap convenient one? Around Reims perhaps?
Get up early next on saturday to make it to the resort early evening if not earlier. Can we expect lots of traffic heading that way on a transfer saturday in peak season - I assume so?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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TheManOnTheBus, Welcome to snowHeads. 
As I am sure you can imagine Your questions have been asked many times over, have a play with the Forum Search facility above left. One tip for the search click the second button marked 'Search for all terms'
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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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TheManOnTheBus, of you catch a late ferry, make sure the catering facilities are still open, sometimes quite limited on later ferries.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Er, you can always swap the bus for a car - it's easier to drive! 
You probably have the right idea in not trying to arrive before 7pm in the resort. Access roads will be very busy starting mid-morning until late afternoon.
The Saturday drive is likely to be busy, very much so around Lyon. Driving overnight for a good part of the trip, and starting the Saturday drive much closer to the resort, could be much easier in terms of traffic. So if the children are likely to sleep in the car, it may be a better bet to get a motel closer to Dijon for instance. (But you'll get there very late).
Reims is about 2.5 hrs from Calais. Wherever you pick your motel, book it early. Formule 1 and MisterBed are about the cheapest, Etap a little better and better comfort.
Welcome to snowheads!
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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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If it was me I would try to leave London around 3-4pm, before the mad rush, get a ferry / train around 7, and drive 4-5 hours on the other side before the motel.
Or the opposite - stop soon after Calais and aim to start at 9-10 am, drive past Lyon after 6pm and into resort around 8pm.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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practice putting your snow chains on one sunny afternoon so you know how to do it. You don't want first time to be in dark and snow!
Reims is a good 2 hours and don't forget the time diff. So a 8pm crossing won't get you to reims before midnight. It will be busy around lyon.
Personally swear by tunnel
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Try using the Formule 1 hotels for the first night. Ultra cheap and automated. Double bed with bunk above in every room (I think). You pay for the room and put in as many people as you want. You book and pay with credit card and get a code to open the door of you room - changed for each client - so you can arrive at any time, day or night and no staff are involved. Lots of them all over France, usually near Motorways.
However, I have set out very early in the morning from London, taken the tunnel and got to Meribel in time to watch the last skiers coming down.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 15-10-09 16:02; edited 2 times in total
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TheManOnTheBus Take friday off work/school, pack up thursday night, get an early ferry out of dover drive all day friday and stop somewhere between lyon and chambery for the night. Get up early doors the following morning and get on the road - aiming to arrive in resort for 09:30 including a supermarket stop nr. grenoble if s/catering. Get kit hire / lift passes sorted, car park change and get on the hill. Ski all day. Have a beer and smile.
If taking Friday off is impossible, then I would leave London 7ish as you've recommended, and then get a tunnel as and when - drive right through the night aiming to arrive at resort as and when you can. Kip in the car for a couple of hours, find some breakfast/lunch and then do passes and kit, ski for as long as you can then beer and smile.
Personally I'd do anything to avoid driving down through France on the Saturday before the English 1/2 term - it's horrendous. The only saving grace is that in 2010 the Parisennes aren't on holiday until the 20th Feb so you don't have to fight them on the peages.
As other posters have commented - covered many many times - http://tinyurl.com/snowheadsdrivetoalps will give you google search results on this topic 2hich is better than the site search function
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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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If you have more than one driver I would drive overnight you will be in resort for lifts to open and have an extra days skiing and then get an early night on the Saturday. You will also have a problem with traffic when you leave the resort, once again we try to have an extra days skiing on the second Saturday, leave resort late afternoon stay in a cheap hotel around Lyon and then catch late Sunday afternoon shuttle back. You might end up tired but you do manage to pack in 8 days skiing.
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kevinrhead, depending on the standard of skiing of the OP and/or his kids, extra days skiing at the start of the holiday is not always the best idea.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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leaving London at 7 will not in any way avoid the crowds
leave by 4 or wait until after 9
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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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Once you have started, best to allow time to crack on... leaving from London and getting only as far asd Rheims is useless, IMV..you still have 4-6 hrs to drive the next day.
I know plenty might advocate that...but I would work backwards from Dijon no less than a hr.. and gear the journey to that
The whole journey is doable easily in 1 day and I'd just as well do it in one hit with a few fuel stops. If you don't have the driver to do that...then as least split the journey in half...IMO.
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JT, I agree that Reims is too soon to stop if you are driving from London, we stop there on our drive from Durham. However, that depends on how early they leave London, and how late they wamt to stop for the night. Kids may not settle well in the car (one of mine slept the moment you started the engine, the other one had to be in a bed).
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Personally I'd do anything to avoid driving down through France on the Saturday before the English 1/2 term - it's horrendous. The only saving grace is that in 2010 the Parisennes aren't on holiday until the 20th Feb so you don't have to fight them on the peages.
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Absolutely !!! Traffic around Grenoble to Bourg d'Oisans is not as bad as the Tarentaise,but it will still be very slow, as no doubt will the Lyon péage. If you take the autoroute A38 from Dijon past Bourg en Bresse and then past Lyon airport (A432) instead of heading to Lyon on the A6 via Beaune, you will miss out the busiest tolls at Villefranche.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Thu 15-10-09 16:34; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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Tips? Drive on the right.....
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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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| bertie bassett wrote: |
| Personally I'd do anything to avoid driving down through France on the Saturday before the English 1/2 term - it's horrendous. The only saving grace is that in 2010 the Parisennes aren't on holiday until the 20th Feb so you don't have to fight them on the peages. |
Thanks for this and all the other great tips (keep them coming!). Yes, we have children, never done it before, worried we might get too tired to drive safely, and we may simply want to stop on that account. If however we decide to give it a go and drive through, but change our mind en route, are the Formule 1 motels (and similar) likely to be available on a show-up basis (given that this is a busy weekend for Brits (at least) travelling)?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Guvnor,
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Tips? Drive on the right.....
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I'd wait till you cross the channel.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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TheManOnTheBus, not sure I'd want to risk it on half-term weekend. Reims on a Saturday morning has a lot of Uk reg plates around heading south, it's a popular stopping off point. You might want to try the B&B chain of hotels too.They have family rooms. None in Reims, but one in St Quentin (north), and Troyes (South). There's also some suggested stops on my website www.serrechevalierapartment.co.uk/getting-there which concentrates on non-chain hotels.
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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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| TheManOnTheBus wrote: |
| , are the Formule 1 motels (and similar) likely to be available on a show-up basis (given that this is a busy weekend for Brits (at least) travelling)? |
Sorry, no idea. Anyone else?
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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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snowball, they are normally available on a show up basis.
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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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We used a B&B hotel this year in Orleans on the way down to Bordeux. We are a fmily of 4 and
the family room was more then adiquate. Decent breakfast to.
It was a summer trip and we pre booked. It appeared to be full so my advice is to book.
That is unless you have a tomtom and dont mind a bit of a drive to another hotel in the tomtoms poi's.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 15-10-09 18:07; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Helen Beaumont, B&B are my favourite but their credit card entry system isn't very reliable if you get there late in my experience. Maybe it is better if you have VISA/CB.
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TheManOnTheBus, audio CDs for young kids - life savers
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| Boris wrote: |
| TheManOnTheBus, audio CDs for young kids - life savers |
Alex Rider comes highly recommended and even the parents can enjoy it too!
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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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bertie bassett, my kids used to enjoy the Terry Pratchett children's books. We still take a Terry Practchett audio CD with us now , but usually a Discworld one rather than a children's version. And a Bill Bryson goes down well too. Seems right for a journey.
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a cool bag stocked with the small cans of coke / water / redbull in easy reach. along with handy snacks will help alot.... even though you will be stopping having something available right when you need it works great. If you go to far without small regular eats and drinks when you do stop you will overcompensate and feel rubbish.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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TheManOnTheBus, BB hotels as others have said are ideal for familys, however by October last year family rooms either side of half term were fully booked in all their hotels within a sensible stride of Calais. http://www.hotel-bb.com/index.phtml?NumLangue=2
So I would hazard a guess that most other budget hotels are pretty much fully booked by Feb as well.
My BB rooms were booked a couple of months ago!
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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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out of interest, driving to val disere from london, how much would petrol run to in an estate car? someone i know is emailing me about it!!
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For anyone wanting to stop around Reims this winter, I've been looking for an overnight stop myself for Christmas, and for a trip at the end of this month. This place http://www.sejours-affaires.com/index.php?carte_region=4 keeps cropping up. You can check for reviews and best prices with Trip Advisor. Not a bad option for families by the looks of things, and close to the A4.
For anyone travelling down before Christmas, Reims has a fantastic Christmas market.
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You know it makes sense.
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Apparently there is a patisserie opposite, and a supermarket a few yards down the road.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Avago, add to that list... a good stash of €0.50 coins for when the flask of coffee and redbull has worked its way through
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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andy, 
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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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| Helen Beaumont wrote: |
JT, I agree that Reims is too soon to stop if you are driving from London, we stop there on our drive from Durham. However, that depends on how early they leave London, and how late they wamt to stop for the night. Kids may not settle well in the car (one of mine slept the moment you started the engine, the other one had to be in a bed).
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Personally I'd do anything to avoid driving down through France on the Saturday before the English 1/2 term - it's horrendous. The only saving grace is that in 2010 the Parisennes aren't on holiday until the 20th Feb so you don't have to fight them on the peages.
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Absolutely !!! Traffic around Grenoble to Bourg d'Oisans is not as bad as the Tarentaise,but it will still be very slow, as no doubt will the Lyon péage. If you take the autoroute A38 from Dijon past Bourg en Bresse and then past Lyon airport (A432) instead of heading to Lyon on the A6 via Beaune, you will miss out the busiest tolls at Villefranche. |
Thanks for all this. Very, very helpful. I don't think I want to drive through the night. I could stop in a Formule 1 or similar only for a quick sleep to refresh (say 1am to 6am), as I say around Reims, but then it strikes me that I would be hitting Lyon etc around 11am or so. I know its all going to be bad from then on, but is it better to get round Lyon around that time than another alternative of taking it a little easier, leisurely breakfast, proper lunch en route, etc and then hitting past Lyon in the early evening? Accepting we will be later in the resort. (Noted of course it also depends on weather and accidents and roadworks - but lets assume they don't get in the way!)
Thanks again.
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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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TheManOnTheBus, if you leave Reims about 8-9am, you should bearound Lyon at lunchtime. Don't stop for lunch like the French will be doing, keep going. The autoroute restaurants and car parks will be full. Make sure you have some snacks for the kids to keep them going.
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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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I would agree with not driving through the night. It is too dangerous from a tiredness perspective in my opinion, if the weather is good.If it is bad with rain, its a nightmare as I found out once. Put myself and family in too much danger from heavy lorry spray, and quite frankly a loss of vision, which was difficult to avoid without stopping.(which we eventually did).
I'm off to Austria by car this year and if you can taking a friday for the travel is great re- road traffic, and Saturday is normally empty slopes in many resorts.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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oh and spend the cash and take the tunnel its fantastic especially in winter v the ferry.Save you 1 to 11/2 hours, and you still get to stretch your legs on the train.
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The autoroute restaurants and car parks will be full. Make sure you have some snacks for the kids to keep them going.
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and there will be no sandwiches left  . Take picnic and eat in the quieter 'Aires' if you have to stop- they can be nice, ususally have some sort of functional toilets, and are less congested than the full blown services. They are every 20k or so, so if you stop at one and don't like it, head for the next one.
Be warned that formule 1 are VERY basic - and can be in godforsaken places like industrial estates. If you do decide to check into one of these, hope it has a big old hypermarket nearby to get you food. A step up from these are Premiere Classe and Campanile. Again, tend to be on industrial estates. However, all of these sorts of places are ususally well signposted from autoroutes, and are clean, and functional.
I suggest you try the Logis de France web site for accommodation. http://www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/index.htm We have found some very nice places this way that are near autoroutes, but are generally in more pleasant surroundings, and generally will have nice restaurants attached. It is a holiday, remember!
Good luck.
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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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| MarjMJ wrote: |
Be warned that formule 1 are VERY basic - and can be in godforsaken places like industrial estates. If you do decide to check into one of these, hope it has a big old hypermarket nearby to get you food. |
True, but I've tended to go into town to a good Burgundian restaurant (at Baune for example).
If, on the contrary, you want somewhere a bit special (but not necessarily that expensive) use Alistair Saudet's " Special Places to Stay "
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| twoodwar wrote: |
| oh and spend the cash and take the tunnel its fantastic especially in winter v the ferry.Save you 1 to 11/2 hours, and you still get to stretch your legs on the train. |
Thanks. Plan to do just that. I read somewhere that Eurotunnel are quite flexible (alhtough they don't advertise it). Miss your train (even on a non-flexible ticket), catch another. Or even if you are early. Do you have experience of that?
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FAQ
and welcome to 
I would like to protect my new skis 
Supernannie