 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
We drove to the Alps last summer and found the journey very easy (with an overnight stop at Le Val Moret) and are doing the same again for our ski trip departing UK on Fri 28th March and departing France on the 4th April. We are driving to Val Cenis at 1400 altitude and it is all motorway until 15km away at Modane. We have done all the research etc and bought snow chains, got the Sanef tag from last time, etc etc.
My question is, should we expect the traffic to be as quiet as our summer holiday journey in August, or should we expect it to much busier and allow extra time for our journey? (I have looked on Autoroute.fr and there doesn't seem to be any major congestion hotspots on either date along our route.) Additionally if it does snow during our journey, I assume the only delays from this may be closer to resort as I am naively assuming any snow that will be falling will be on the mountains?!
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We drove last Easter (to Geneva and then Les Arcs) and it was real quiet, didn't have much trouble anywhere (I might have just jinxed it now!).
Also, don't know if it's something they do every year, but at the end of our stay in Les Arc they took all the barriers off the exits for the parking areas, so ended up getting it free
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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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Based on about 20yrs experience, Easter is quiet in France UNLESS you are travelling on Good Friday - when you can expect every car in France to be at the toll booth you are trying to get through.
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@RobW, which is odd as Good Friday is not a holiday in France, and when we've driven down on that day it has always been really quiet.
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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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@Hells Bells, Apart from the complete migration of Belgium to the Mediteranean. I have never found Good Friday busy, but since it is not a weekend there are many more trucks on the road.
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@johnE, perhaps it is just our timing that is right then. Early tunnel and through the main tolls by teatime. If we have been travelling on the Saturday though, that was a different matter, although it didn't affect the Alps too much.
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I don't think you'll have any problems, @mini_mo and if you need those snow chains you can be very, very, thankful. 
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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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should be absolutely fine, all i know is that this time it will be better than our hellish journey boxing day night!!!!!!.....................i hope.
we are travelling down Saturday, overnight in Dijon.......up to resort Sunday
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There's nothing quite as satisfying as having to put snow chains on to get up to a ski resort which has been starved of snow for weeks. Or as irritating as having to do it the day you leave!
Frankly, traffic in and out of ski resorts is busy on any Saturday in the season. Arriving any other day is preferable and if that's not possible aim to get up the road very early or leave it till much later in the afternoon, after the rush.
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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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@pam w, It depends on the resort though. There was barely any traffic on the road going up to Val Cenis mid afternoon when we went and you would expect this to be the busiest time. The carpark at Intermarche in Modane was also fairly empty.
@mini_mo, The drive up to Val Cenis is really easy as these drives go. No hairpins, overhanging rocks or precipices!
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yes indeed, you'd expect Val Cenis to be easier to get to than, say, the Tarentaise with so many big resorts serviced by the same access roads.
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You know it makes sense.
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@snowymum, Yes you are correct. Eek! luckily I have booked the correct Euro Tunnel! We are departing on Friday 27th at 6am, staying overnight near Troyes and arriving at Val Cenis at around 4pm on the 28th. It's a very leisurely drive down. That's also good @snowymum, as you say we will be missing key dates and Belgian holidays! Return will be on the Saturday and arriving home on the Sunday, thus missing the UK bank holiday nightmare!
If there was a massive snow fall at the weekend (as there has been on so many transfer days) that won't affect the motorways will it?  Therefore the only issue may be the last 15km from Modane.
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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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@Hells Bells, Good point. It might have been the Saturday when we had problems (it was a loooong time ago).
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Poster: A snowHead
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@mini_mo, The snowfall which caused all the problems on Saturday transfer days earlier this season had major impacts on the motorways between Bourg-en-Bresse and Geneva and between Lyon and Chambery. But they were very unusual and probably won't happen again next weekend.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Hells Bells, Since good friday is holiday in the UK I usually leave on Thursday night, driving overnight and really notice the HGVs parked up in the aires, sometimes leaving no where to park for a break. There are many more on the move compared to Friday nights
Actually I didn't notice that @mini_mo, is actually driving back before Easter Sunday so the whole trip should be quiet
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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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@johnE, Actually we will be driving from Troyes to Calais on Easter Sunday as we will be staying overnight in Troyes on the 4th.
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We're travelling out 27/28th and back on the 4th. We did the similar week last year, ie the first week of the school hols, and it was a lot quieter than we've seen at half term - we were lucky with the weather though - fog and rain can really slow things down We've got a tunnel booked at 17.50 and we're stopping at Vitry on Friday night. 3rd year for the Sanef tag - theres always that frisson of fear when you drive into the first peage that its not going to beep !!
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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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The tarmac is much warmer this time of year so falling snow tends not to stick lower down and melts quicker. In 15 years of skiing about Easter time I think I've only seen snow on the ground at Geneva level once and even then we didn't need chains to get to resort.
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@mini_mo, your timing is so leisurely that really, even if there is snow on the motorways (and as @RobW says, it does happen), you will still almost certainly get where you're aiming at.
When it snows in northern France you can spend many hours driving at 30 mph along a motorway behind a snowplough. But it doesn't look (unfortunately, in a way) that there are going to be hugely cold and snowy times between now and Easter.
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We drove to Les Deux Alpes last Easter and didn't encounter any snow on the roads at all which was lovely. Roads were fairly quiet and not a huge amount of traffic around. Repeating this next weekend
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Also driving down next Friday, have done it many times at Easter and traffic is generally fine
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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 are driving on thurs 2nd, arriving at our overnight just south of Dijon around 11pm.
6am start on Friday morning should see us on the slopes in Chamonix before 10am.
Looks like plenty of snow forecast there this week. Over 50cm
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Oh boooger. I've recently booked our first drive-down trip and we're going on Good Friday (9am shuttle train I think). I've booked an overnight motel jobby at Albertville, so was hoping to get down there around 8pm as have a 7 and 4 year old in tow, who sleep brilliantly - apart from in cars. Continuing the journey on Saturday morning, with a hypermarket shop.
I have got hold of one of the sanef tag doofers though so that will hopefully ease things a little.
I was about to order a pair of socks on the off chance chains are needed but in two minds.
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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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We often ski at Easter in Les Arcs and twice have had to dig the car out After a big snowfall Thankfully we had our chains. My sister swears by socks..... you need to take something. If it snows the snow will only be on the mountain roads about 1200 m or above.
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We are also off on the 2nd with an overnight stop en route and meeting family on the 3rd at Gilly Sur Isere near Albertville, before heading up to Foy. Sadly, although I am trawling through the weather forecasts trying to find one I like and so far, our snow chains will not be required. 
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You know it makes sense.
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@Gazzza, you can always pick up some chains in Albertville if it looks as though they'll be required.
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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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Thanks Pam, had thought about that, but for the probable rarity of use, and ease of lobbing them on I've ordered the socks, admittedly that is probably twice the price of chains from the hypermarche, but they can live in the boot all winter and the car is new and will probably keep it for 10 years so in the grands scheme of things.
Does anyone have advice on routes - I've looked at the usual via michellin and google maps routes. Do I just lob on the garmin and trust it's route and traffic updates, or is it best, for example to give Lyon a wide berth?
Actually on that main route Calais->Lyon does anyone know of any of the roadside picnic area type rest stops that has a kids play area ?? It would be nice to give the kids a run around at some point.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Gazzza,
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Do I just lob on the garmin and trust it's route and traffic updates, or is it best, for example to give Lyon a wide berth?
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For an unknown reason some French roads are flagged as congested when in fact they are not. This appears to affected the Lyon - Chambery autoroute more than most. Experience has shown me that it is generally best to ignore that advice. And yes give Lyon a wide berth, but even if you choose the A6 you should do dthat anyway.
From what I recall almost all the aires have kiddies play areas. Since it is usually the middle of the night when I am passing through I haven't really noticed them being used.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Gazzza, a word of caution - I'm not sure what you drive but we were prewarned that our VW satnav would try to take us via Geneva. That advise was spot on, it did. I plotted a google map route AND looked at Michellin routes too, I'm glad I printed off the route because the satnav started to do some weird routes once we got anywhere near a sign for Geneva  We use the A26/A5/A31/A432 route to Chambery and have never had any issues near Lyon.
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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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Updated: there are lots of roadworks on the A26 by the looks of it, I might be plotting an alternative course!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks. As in as wide as cutting across to Bourge-en-Bresse, or just that A15-A432 that skirts around Saint Expurery airport ?
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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: |
I plotted a google map route AND looked at Michellin routes too
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very good advice. Some satnavs (presumably those with French influences) also seem to think absolutely everyone always wants to travel via Paris.
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there are lots of roadworks on the A26 by the looks of it
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not when I drove down three weeks ago but I peel off the A26 before you will. Where are you looking? I'll be driving back in a week or so but I'd be reluctant to desert the A26. And if you decide on the A6 it might be out of the frying pan into the fire.
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| Fruity wrote: |
| Updated: there are lots of roadworks on the A26 by the looks of it, I might be plotting an alternative course! |
Yes I saw that. Doesn't look like much in the way of alternative options though, without taking lots of minor roads ?
I certainly don't want to be going to Geneva !  We're in a xc90 but it's bum-end model without integrated nav so have what was last November the latest garmin nuvi job with rds traffic. The RDS in my A4 saved us several hours of traffic hell when driving down to the La Rochelle a couple of years ago as it picked up that the autoroute was closed well in advance and took us off and around several junctions before the closure. We drove past on a minor road looking up at people walking around the carriageway which was effectively a car park. I think I can just exclude Switzerland as an option although it's actually my wife's so I've not really used it much.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Where are you looking? |
Google maps. It shows 8 sets of roadworks between Calais and Lyon. 1 at Arras, 1 near St Quentin, 2 by Reims, 1 by St Andres, 1 at beaune, 1 past Chalon, 1 just before Lyon.
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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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| Gazzza wrote: |
| Thanks. As in as wide as cutting across to Bourge-en-Bresse, or just that A15-A432 that skirts around Saint Expurery airport ? |
the airport route although I did reverse via Bourg on the way home last year by accident and it was a good alternative.
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| Gazzza wrote: |
| pam w wrote: |
| Where are you looking? |
Google maps. It shows 8 sets of roadworks between Calais and Lyon. 1 at Arras, 1 near St Quentin, 2 by Reims, 1 by St Andres, 1 at beaune, 1 past Chalon, 1 just before Lyon. |
From recent journeys at holiday times, I have noticed that these tend not to be operational over peak holiday times and they don't leave the cones up like we do in the UK...
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FAQ
Only noticed that as it is my son's birthday and etched in my brain as I'm still sorting his presents!
