Family Skiing trip in a motorhome in February

A snowHead

Hi, can anyone recommend a good ski location for families where we can go in our motorhome?

We haven't been skiing before but fancy a trip for half term.

Thanks in advance.

A snowHead

Austria is a very friendly place to head in a camper van...

In our town thre are 2 campsites and I know there are loads more around our area.... just make sure you have enough heating!

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redkel, welcome to Snowheads. There are always a lot of campers in our resort in France - Les Saisies - but when it's really cold sometimes, I do wonder.... if you have a very well insulated van and are completely self sufficient (there are free sites with no electric hookups) you can no doubt survive, but what do you do with a load of damp clothes. And your ski boots.... Is your van - including all the tanks etc - insulated to the level required for very cold nights?

As soon as it gets really cold, spend a few nights in the van (from 4pm through till school time next morning) and see how it goes.

Even at half term, a small apartment for the family doesn't have to cost a fortune. snowHead

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Bode Swiller, now that is a real welcome to snowHead

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There's a great campsite in Mayrhofen that will take all sorts of motorcaravans. Very child friendly too but I doubt the outdoor pool will be in use!

http://www.zillertal-austria.com/

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thanks for the replies, we use the motor home all year round and have been away in snow and ice, and we drove to Austria this summer which I found to be absolutely amazing and would love to go back, a bit worried about driving so far in the snow, and we only have 6 days, has anyone been skiing in Scotland and would you recommend it with children? Mine are 2, 9 and 12 (and the biggest kid is 33!).

After all it is free

Don't know much about Scotland I'm afraid. But if you venture to France then La Tania has a Motorhome spot, its not in a beautifull location but its either free or very cheap and only about 200m walk to the piste. You would need to be self sufficient. There are a couple of "mature" seasonnaires who live there all winter in their motorhomes.

there is a motor home park on the outskirts of Montgenevre, i think you can ski to the first 2 chairlifts from it too. it is only 800m to walk to resort centre too

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La Plagne also has a number of car parks for camper vans-we have one in Montalbert to hook up water and charge up batteries

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redkel, trouble with Scottish skiing is you can't plan ahead - last winter was exceptional but often there are weeks on end when there's little or snow skiing. It's a "spur of the moment" job. You wouldn't have to drive far in the snow going to the Alps - roads are cleared quickly but you would, as someone said, have to have winter tyres, compulsory in Austria. Not in France, though they do make life much easier. Either way, chains also essential' You don't often need them if you have the right tyres but when it's snowy, especially at half term when roads are packed, the police will stop cars without them from proceeding up the mountain roads. With only 6 days you'd spend a long time on the road - especially in the grisly half term traffic.

You could think about Easter hols - give yourselves more time and avoid driving on Saturdays. That's the big advantage of a motor home. At Easter you'd need to aim for one of the higher resorts, or one with easy access to high skiing but the days are longer, and it's a bit warmer. First half of April is a great time to ski.

There are camper places throughout the Alps - Les Saisies has both a big free park and a paying one with hook ups and I dare say the same is true of lots of resorts.

If you decide to go at half term there are some useful threads here about timing the journey - the traffic is really bad getting into resorts between breakfast time and tea time. Need to be very early or very late. Austria might well be better than France at half term and there's lots of advice available from locals about roads and routes.

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Hi Les Carroz has just completed new facillities for motorhome owners - check out their website www.lescarroz.com or call the tourist office on 04 50 90 0004.

Good motorhome site at Pettneu just below St Anton with plug-ins etc, also carpark at Tignes Les Brevieres if you wanted to do it on the cheap, ie FOC. Also La Daille at Val D'Isere usually has a bunch of die-hard grungies parked up. Think i'd rather b&B it that time of year, but I can see the attraction of a motorhome.

You know it makes sense.

Sainte Foy has a free camper-van area. Much less crowds than most places in February as well.

We do refer to the denizens as trailer-trash though. Blush

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redkel, In Les Arcs there are a number of places where you can park for a week, some free others with eletric etc cost. Down the valley in Bourg st Maurice you have a very good campsite where many brits stay with campervans. It is listed in the touring guide. The funi takes you straight to the slopes in 10 min and it is warmer down in the valley normally. So you do not need to drive once you have arrived for the week. If you are only over for a week. Driving to this part of France is one of the quickest places to get to with plenty of ski areas in the same valley to visit. Austria is a very long way to drive for a week.

For beginners skiing, St Foy a little up the valley is good. Also La Rosiere. Both very family friendly and parking with vans is easy. St Foy has the cheapest ski passes as it is a very small resort, but ok for beginners or those that like hiking for off piste. Twisted Evil

A snowHead

A snowHead

Markymark29, Maybe 50 miles further and no tolls. Is it really only 50 miles further to drive from the UK, I did not know that, which resort do you drive to. As for tolls, which route do you take to avoid paying any?

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Samoens has a site, La Thuile in Italy has a very good one near the centre of the village,

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snowcrazy, you go south to Lille then switch across into southern Belgium, on into Luxembourg and down into Germany and Austria. I do the trip on a regular basis from the Salzburg area to Calais in 8 - 10 hours depending on how busy the roads are and how tired I am.

Motorway the whole way and no tolls to pay at all unless your motorhome weighs the same as a truck! Then you are rated as a HGV and have to pay tolls. So if it's a Winibago type affair, you've lucked out on tolls in Europe to be honest! rolling eyes

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I was basing it on St Anton. Like Samerberg Sue says its a very easy journey to Arlberg, or Innsbruck etc. Calais - Lille - Liege - Koblenz - Koln - down the Rhein to Stuttgart or various similar routes - Kempten - Bregenz - Arlberg. Let me know if you need exact road numbers. I've driven it many times and its much easier than driving to France, and fuel in Germany/ Austria is cheaper than France - and you dont get speed-trapped between toll booths. Toilets and motorway services exceptional (so long as you avoid Belgium and bash onto Aachen before you stop). Belgium motorways are bad quality, as are northern French motorways but once in Germany its easy. 9-10 hours from Calais - St Anton. We leave on wayt back at 7am, catch 6pm tunnel and are back in North Yorkshire by midnight, 2 drivers a must. I gave up driving to France a few years ago when (a) I realised that getting up and down from Moutiers was a nightmare, and (b) I worked out the fuel cost vs France and tolls.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

redkel, there are camper facilities at both 2Alpes and Alpe d'Huez, though a better bet would be campsites in Bourg d'Oisans or Venosc. From Venosc you can get the telecabine direct to resort, no need to drive up.

After all it is free

Another resort with a camp site is Fieberbrunn. The Tirol Camp is right beside the main lifts.

With regards to Scotland, that's where my skiing started, often camping around Easter on the camp site at Loch Morlich in the Cairngorms. That can be fine but, as others have said, the snow might not be there. On the other hand, it might be - and then you're thawing the eggs before cooking them Laughing

. There is also a Youth Hostel at Loch Morlich but probably booked out at busy times.

The resorts in the Mont Blanc area are as little as 550 mile drive from Calais, thats alot less than 900 miles to Austria.

Fair point about the tolls, but we only pay less than 10 euro in tolls to get there, we drive from Belgium, the route is mostly toll-free, completely if you want to go a less direct route.

I'd like the idea of motorhoming to the Alps except for : 1) drying wet clothes and 2) cost of diesel.

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HI redkel
We have been motorhoming for the past 8 years and been skiing for ten just updated our van for a six birth van so we can take skiing to france but i think you need ten or more days to take it to france , did go 3 times last winter to scotland just to test the van out went down to - 7 on one night ,will put some links on which might help you http://panagah.blogspot.com/ http://www.motorhomeski.com/ http://www.motorhomeski.com/forum/ http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/

the first link is by a chap called paul and he has been in his van to france 2 or 3 times i think and is going feb half term and he goes on motorhome fun alot as i do, might be going my self to france for feb half term to ski .
all the best Terry

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Thanks Terry that's a great help, we go on Motorhome fun but motorhome ski is a new one on me

We have been as far as Croatia in the van already so the distance isn't a put off, but I have certainly give it more thought!

Thanks to everyone else for posting helpful advice, I think we will leave it till 2012 as my youngest will be three and a half and old enough for the ski school.

Blush

Samerberg Sue, Markymark29, thanks for the details, I would never have guessed there was so little in it. Do you have to pays tolls from Calais to lille or where ever you leave France. What about the tolls on the Austrian roads, I remember I use to have to buy a card.

You know it makes sense.

snowcrazy, The autoroute is free from Calais/Dunkerque until just beyond Lille - so crossing into Belgium spares you the cost of the tolls. Currently the cost of a 10-day vignette for Austria is 7.90 Euro. This will probably rise but it is still not much when taken in context of the whole thing. There are alternative routes where you do not have to use the toll roads in Austria - most of the Bavarians refuse to pay the tolls and all use the non-toll roads instead. Slower though, as you have lots of speed limit changes, traffic lights, zebra crossings, etc to contend with. Plus we know that the Austrian police are very, very snap happy when it comes to collecting pictures of German registrations. They actually put train spotters to shame sometimes Laughing

I never use the route described by Markymark29 other than the coast to Lille section. I swing east and southwards avoiding Brussels and the Rhineland. My route through Belgium avoids having to fill up there unless I have badly miscalculated: Lille, Tournai, Mons, Charleroi, Namur and then on down to Luxembourg. It has to be one of the most boring routes around, but in the middle of the night for example, when the Fuzz are nicely tucked up in bed, it can be "very, very quick", if you get my drift wink

Otherwise it is an easy plod at 130kmph. I always fill up in Luxembourg as it always seems to be the cheapest place for fuel, if not much else. I use the Bettembourg Services these days as I do not want to go looking for cheaper off motorway fuel. It is still cheaper than here in Germany or Austria regardless. By filling up until I can see the fuel I seem to be able to get right through Germany without needing to fill up again.

I regularly manage to get to the coast at Dunkerque using this route in about 8 hours driving without getting any unexpected "love letters" from the Fuzz. It is usually spread across 10 hours as I am on my own and take breaks as and when I feel tired. I enjoy the drive most of the time regardless of the time of year, but night time driving has always given me my best times. Saturday night/Sunday is a good time as the lorries are not allowed on German/Austrian roads from 22:00 Saturday until 06:00 Monday morning.

Toofy Grin

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Hello
We were none skiiers and fancied having a go so headed off to http://www.legrandbornand.com/hiver-winter/ and stayed at Campsite L'Escale during the Easter holidays 2009. We have 3 kids 10, 7 and 4 and it was brilliant for beginners like us. Heated swimming pool after a day out was great and skate rink etc kept the kids happy. We only stayed at the campsite for 3 nights and once we found our feet, we wild camped at an Aire and used the campsite to get water etc. We had 12 nights and as we come from Edinburgh it was a real trek for only 12 days so not sure if you want to travel that far for the time you have. We are planning on keeping an eye on what happening in Scotland this year, snow wise, if its like last year, we might not go down to France but to be honest its such a great adventure and we fancy Austria but need to find the money for snow tyres......
When we go up North we are planning on just wild camping in the car parks to save money and be close to the slopes. If you want any other info just ask.
Viks

A snowHead

Probably a bit late.
Theres a great spot next to the piste in La Tania - 3 valleys
Things to be aware of.
You will need a LOT of gas. We got through 21Kg of propane in a week
You will need a generator unless you are going to run the engine a lot to charge the batterys.
Your waste system WILL freeze up solid unless youve got a heated waste tank and plumbing. Best option is to remove the traps and put a bucket underneath - dont let the waste run out and freeze - Les Gendarmes take a very dim view of this!!
Make sure where your fresh water tank and piping runs - ours ran next to a metal whell arch and froze solid (despite it being a "winterised " model)
Otherwise, Enjoy!!

A snowHead

Try hotel woferlgut in Austria. It's about 10 minutes from Zell am see, 45 minutes from Kaprun it is a lovely hotel (we stay there most years we can) and has great camping/motorhome facilities as the Father in Law caravans there most years also. The owners are fantastic also.

http://www.booking.com/hotel/at/sportcamp-woferlgut.en.html?aid=311076;label=sportcamp-woferlgut-GP*Yr3CosuEtBcFQtxQY4AS5795383380;ws=&gclid=CN2k57LY7KUCFQ4f4QodRUHxnw

We also have used the local ski school (Ski Schule Bruck) the last 2 years for our children (now 5 and 9) and while the children when we went aren't mostly english the instruction is great (eldest doing reds and youngest a real snow plough racer). The areitbahn ski area is also really good for families.

We hope to go back their this year after our trip to France.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Here is a news link about the upgraded La Plagne site for Motorhomes.

http://www.perso-laplagne.fr/Actualites.htm#06_11_10

I think you'll find it is ski-in ski-out Shocked

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If you've never skied before then forget the big places and names, you don't need them. little known secrets exist in southern germany, lots of camper vans, 12 hours from calais, family friendly, relatively cheap and not a brit to be seen. names that spring to mind, Nesslewang, Oberjoch, Pfronten, Breitenberg and if you pop over the border into austria (10 miles) theres a whole area called the Tannheimertal. All resorts have ski schools. We leave for Oberjoch tomorrow for christmas, snow looks great, over a metre on the hill and still snowing.

Help!!

Family Skiing trip in a motorhome in February

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