 Poster: A snowHead
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Any tips??
Week before Feb half term (for most) flights alone to Geneva would be more than £1000 then ££££ for a transfer or car hire. So thinking about driving- possibly via Hull - Zeebruge.
But kids still quite small- youngest will be just off 2 years old (and others will be 9 and 6) - but this would save a lot of cash- but perhaps cost us our sanity (if only briefly).
We have a big enough car (Ford S-max) and would get a roof box for skis - but the issue is will the kids/us cope?
Anyone care to share their experiences- would you do it again?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ed123, Depends on your kids really. I took my daughter on really long car journeys to France from the age of 2 really. From the age of 6 we regularly travelled to the south of France and the Alps with just her and me in the car. If yours aren't used to it I suppose it could be a more of a problem, and I guess sibling squabbles when cooped up so long too could be an issue, only you will know really
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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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ed123, if you (and OH?) can cope with driving through the night that would probably be the best way - the kids should then sleep. You'd need to think carefully about timing from the traffic point of view, too. The roads will be very busy. 12 - 27 February is Paris zone holidays. Do you mean Bourg St Maurice? (there are millions of bourgs). If travelling on a Saturday I would aim to be at your accommodation, finished with engines, by early on Saturday morning. But, of course, you probably won't be allowed into your accommodation till 4 pm if it's standard French arrangement. Which could be a bit of a sod.
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I think the holiday is planned for Sunday 13th- which would mean a Saturday night crossing from Hull then driving on Sunday- from about 8am- does this make things any better? Return also on a Sunday- arriving early in Hull Monday morning.
Yes would be with Mrs Ed, but ferries from Hull preclude driving through the night as they arrive am.
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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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Yes, driving down on a Sunday should make things a lot easier as the French traffic will be 24 hours ahead of you. It would be about 9 hours solid driving at the speed limit. So, allowing for stops, with three kids (which ain't that quick - I just took 3 grandchildren up the road to buy a box of raspberries and 3 buns and it took forever just to gather up all the raincoats and shoes. I've probably just lost my touch) I'd say you'd need to allow 12 hours. If it's raining, a little more (lower speed limit) and if it's snowing...... or foggy...... anybody's guess.
It's doable if your kids are good in the car. Some people swear by DVDs. Some travel sickness medication is very drowsy inducing; I'd have a word with your friendly local GP if I were you.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We have driven and flown and to be honest driving with kids suited us better. We can stop whenever we wanted, we tended to use audio books and DVDs and DS and that seemed to make it ok,but we always do an over night stop along the way.
It depends on how well your kids travel and what the traffic will be like
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ed123, when I looked last year Hull ferries were very expensive, we ended up using the tunnel from Leeds, left leeds 6:30am, midday tunnel, stopped over on the french/german border about 5pmish for 50 euros, kids were 7 and 10 and it was fine....
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ed123, Our golden rule for driving over with the kids, if you stop for petrol everyone goes to the loo. If you stop to go to the loo everyone goes to the loo and top up with petrol. 
Seperate stops for each leads to one hell of a long journey.
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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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Boredsurfing, if the car could run on wee you'd have no trouble though 
We drove with our kids from 3 months and they are fine - audio books keep them entertained - can't do DVDs as they get car sick. Have done it in a day but usually have overnight stop to break the journey. Personally never drive overnight as a) it kills me and b) the kids are now older and won't always sleep.
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I think driving overnight is one of those things that some people can do, and others can't. Just depends on your metabolism. My dad was fine with it, when we were kids, and my mum not. Led to a lot of arguments. I remember after one very long drive to Calais (rained off an Austrian campsite in a monsoon) we landed at Dover about 10 pm and he was determined to drive home - Cardiff - 250 miles and no motorways. She put her foot down and said it wasn't safe, he'd already driven through two red lights (he denied it.....) and she and her three precious children were going to get a B & B. He said it was a ridiculous waste of money. She said he could drive home if he wanted, and we'd come on the train next day, even more ridiculous waste of money. In the end he slept in the car, just to prove his point.... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pam w, must have been a bit of a stiff trip home the next morning... 
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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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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
ed123, Our golden rule for driving over with the kids, if you stop for petrol everyone goes to the loo. If you stop to go to the loo everyone goes to the loo and top up with petrol.
Seperate stops for each leads to one hell of a long journey. |
It's the same rule when you've got women in the car.
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You know it makes sense.
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Boredsurfing, on a trip to Spain from Nottingham, we once made it as far as Derby before having to stop.
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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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ed123, have driven to France 7 times or so, plus once to Austria from Glasgow with 3 kids - ranging from new born to 12. Have done Dover Calais, Hull Zeebrugge and Rotterdam and most recently Caen Portsmouth. I usually sit around 90mph on the motorways but allow for 50 miles per hour to take account of stops/jams etc - it's usually a pretty accurate way to judge times. We have never had issues with the drive but our preffered option is the overnight ferry, especially cause we're driving from Scotland. The Hull crossing is not cheap though and will cost you around £90 (from memory) each way if you want dinner and breakfast (both excellent by the way).
If I had the choice of driving to save a few hundered pounds over flying, I would fly every time for a ski trip. Have you priced the ferry crossing yet, French tolls, cost of roof box etc....
Surely it would be better to fly and get train or transfer to Bourg?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Travelling from Leeds to our place near BSM we usually fly Sleazy Jet out of Manchester to Geneva and then hire a car - about a 2 hr drive if you stay within the speed limit. I note that for Feb half-term Jet2 out have under-cut Easy. We have also used the Hull-Zebrugge crossing - it is a very similar distance drive as from Calais. Yes it costs more, but you save on needing an hotel stop and the dreadful drive down to Dover. Once on the French motorways life is easy (if costly including the tolls). Our kids are now grown, but we did many long trips through France when they were smaller and found that a portable DVD player in the back was one of the greatest inventions ever. In summary: Hull-Zebrugge is a good option, but quite costly, the drive is easy once you get to the French motorways, the bit through Belgium is quite horrid with a lot of heavy commercial traffic. If driving we would go out on the Hull ferry and come via Calais (saves leaving BSM before the first sparrow has coughed).
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