 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Folks,
Hopefully someone will be able to give me some info, a group of us are driving to livigno on the 7th of Jan, we will be using the overnight ferry from hull to zeebrugge and would be gratefull if anyone can give me some info on the best routes to use. I did this journey years ago before the advent of sat navs and all went well untill we got to st moritz, it then took us a further 9 hours to get into livigno due to most of the passes being closed !!. I dont want to make the same mistake again.
We intend on stopping overnight on the saturday preferably just leaving a 100 miles or so to do on the sunday morning so that we can ski in the afternoon, again any advice on convenient places to stay enroute would be a great help.
Thanks in advance, Jase.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/ check out the link, its brilliant for use when planning routes through Europe, plus tells you approx toll cost also, be interested in hearing how it went as we've thought of doing that a couple of times but never had the guts to drive all that way!
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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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just ran the route through the above and it takes you through luxembourg and down .... about 607 miles apparently.....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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We went Calais, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Basel, across Switzerland vis Chur to St Moritz, then from there the only route open is to go up to Zernez, then take the Munt la Schera tunnel to Livigno. You will need to check times for the tunnel as it is one way, and on Saturdays it can be a couple of hours in each direction, so if you miss time it you can have a long wait. If the snow is going to be bad over the pass before you get to St Moritz there is a tunnel where you can put your car on the train between Klosters and Zernez which cuts out some of the high up stuff. We used it one year coming home rather than potentially many miles trundling along with chains on.
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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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jase380, RobinS' route sounds good, same as the ViaMichelin recommendation, not many tolls on that route, fuel is cheaper in Luxembourg so fill up there.
You'll need a Swiss Vignette sticker to use the motorways in Switzerland, about 40 CHF and lasts for the calendar year, they'll make you buy it as you enter Switzerland on the motorway near Basel.
Be aware that the Munt la Schera Tunnel into the Livigno valley operates in alternate directions as it's only wide enough for one way traffic. On Saturdays, when most people are transferring, the tunnel operates for extended periods in one direction, to let people out in the early morning, then to let vehicles in later in the day, here's the info, the toll is 40 CHF return:
http://www.livigno.eu/en/home.jsp?idrub=111
Best to use the Vereina Rail Tunnel (car goes on the train, 36-41 CHF fare each way) near Klosters rather than going via Chur, St Moritz and the 2284m Julier Pass, the Fluela Pass (which ViaMichelin route planner recommends) has a winter closure:
http://www.rhb.ch/Vereina.83.0.html?&L=4
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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jase380, ViaMichelin gives a driving time of 10h20m, it's a long journey and not the easiest resort to drive to in the Alps but you should be able to do that in one day if you get an early start off the ferry and press on with a couple of drivers taking turns, assuming you've got accommodation in Livigno from Saturday to Saturday, save a night's hotel in expensive Switzerland and get a full day's skiing on the Sunday, just a thought.
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jase380, Hi, the distans is 976 km, and as luigi, say, ViaMochelin says 10h20m. But I will say that U should caunt with atleast 14-15h, You need to take breaks to eat etc, and its wintertime, the rout Viamichelin says, recomended rout, use to be the best choice, if U realy need to stop for a hotel, there is a Etap hotel in Strasbourg by the highroad, Take care on the road and have a nice week in lovely Livingo 
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jase380, OK, as freeheelskier says real world journey time probably going to take longer with rest stops, meals, traffic delays, waiting for tunnels, etc. May be a bit ambitious to do in one go, but I'm sure you can get further than Strasbourg before you stop for the night.
There's a cheap Formule 1 hotel right next to the motorway junction near the Basel-Mulhouse airport:
http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-2326-formule-1-hotelf1-mulhouse-bale-aeroport/index.shtml
It's about £24 per room per night, will sleep up to 3 adults in a double plus bunk, cheap and cheerful, but OK for overnight stays.
It will still leave you at least 4 hours to do on Sunday morning.
Have a good one in Livigno! It'll be worth the long drive when you get there. 
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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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Both times we went it took 12-14hrs from Calais. This was in fairly poor conditions, with freezing fog, some snow on roads etc. especially the Julier Pass. It does also seem that whenever conditions are not perfect the Swiss implement an 80kph limit on the motorways (and they enforce it!)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi Guys, thanks for the replies so far, Luigi, driving straight to livigno in one go was one of the options but we decided just to have a steady drive on the sat and leave the last 100 miles or so for sun morning, that way we will do the worst roads while we are all fresh !! we will be sharing the driving between 3 of us so the distance is not a problem, we all do a lot miles per day at work so its no big deal to us, (we drove back from soldeu in one go last year, just short of 1100 miles in 16 hours) we would like to get at least as far as basel but will probably aim to get to zurich, the ibiz sound like it may be a good point to stop.Another option we are looking at is going through germany and stopping at bregentz in austria, one of our group does a lot of driving in germany and swears by the germans ability to keep the roads clear. Does anyone know of a route avoiding the fluela pass or if the pass is likely to be open ?? we dont realy want to have to rely on the veriena rail tunnel just in case we end up waiting for hours to get on.
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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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Since the Veriena rail tunnel was opened they stopped trying to keep the Fluela pass open - so it is closed all winter I believe. As far as I know the only way to Livigno from the North is either the Julier pass and St Moritz to Zernez, or the Veriena tunnel to Zernez, then the Munt la Schera.
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Thanks RobinS, having looked at the train timetable it looks pretty regular anyway. Will have to get the lads together and have a route planning session in the pub !!
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