Would like some advice if possible on toll avoidance when driving between Calais and Les Deux Alpes.
Now, I've been told that to avoiding them completely is not possible if you wanting to keep some sanity and get there within a reasonable time. However wishing to avoid some if at all possible..perhaps that would only add an extra couple of hours to journey?
So far am getting over to calais one night and leaving from there to grenoble second night and then to resort first thing in morning.
On way back will be leaving at lunchtime and driving back to reims that night.
Thanks for the help!
Rachel
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Rachel78, when are you travelling - makes a difference to what advice to offer.
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?
Rachel78, pam w, has a valid point: I'd suggest you invest in a decent sat-nav and select the non-toll option. The predictive log will give you mileage and time/eta's: Likewise for planning map.google.com and viamichellin.com both have similar functionality but of course are not "live".
Rachel78, I tried it once for fun. Think I was half way through the journey when I headed for the nearest autoroute.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Rachel78 Good luck if you're going to try non-Autoroutes, its a mahoosive country with plenty of small towns and traffic lights, and dubious snow clearance in bad weather IME. I wouldnt even contemplate doing it unless on the fast roads.
Rachel78, We tried the straight bit of non toll road down to Troyes in the summer. I was very glad to get back onto the peage.
Loads of junctions with speed limits, small villages with speed limits, and yes a straight road which lured my car to go faster but lots of radar warnings as well!
Got stuck behind farm vehicles doing 20 KPH a couple of times just as solid lines of traffic were coming the other way
Oh yes, the only interesting bit in 2 hours was a deserted military fuel depot!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
We generally drive from Calais on the péage but if the weather permits, often go over the Jura between Dole and Geneva. It's shorter, and although it's not nearly as fast the road is well engineered. It's a pleasant drive, uses less fuel than storming down the péage and offers worthwhile saving on tolls.
The most logical route from Calais to LdA would probably not use the A40 skirting Geneva - but it's not a daft way to go.
There's also a reasonable cut across, off péage, further north. Can't remember quite where, without a map in front of me.
I'd say your best bet would be to look at a good road atlas to start with - be very careful if using a satnav that it doesn't send you via Paris, which is best avoided. Or over impossibly little twiddly hilly snowy roads. Avoid the "shortest route" option at all costs! Basic satnavs aren't "live" either - we find ours useful for timings, but are rather wary about some of the routes it picks out. I tend it to take it with a pinch of salt at times. There's one bit near LdA where satnavs regularly get people into trouble - a local (plenty on SHs) could give you more precise advice.
Some sections of a "non toll" option are not really worth considering - e.g. Geneva to Annecy. A judicious mix of toll and non toll would probably be optimal.
If you only have to get from Calais to Grenoble in a day you could probably do the whole lot off-toll without too much problem, though.
But it still makes a difference when you are travelling - advice for travelling on a Saturday at half term would be very different from that for a Tuesday in January.
After all it is free
After all it is free
I do the same as pam w and head over the Jura unless there is snow forecast. In the summer the non-toll route is fine, but in the winter I'd always take the autoroutes most of the way.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Rachel78, You've received some truly staggering advice which is fantastic -you can now take your pick!
I use my sat-nav more or less full time, logging in every location, so for example if I'm at Leroy Merlin in Ville-Le-Grand - I can travel to Toyota in Gaillard easily and quickly. I know where all of these places are and inded how to get there, but not necessarily the best way when I'm in a hurry. So far my Garmin always with up-to-date maps has never, ever been wrong and it has found streets/buildings for meetings all over France that I simply would never have found without it. On the occasions when I've thought that it must be wrong, the Sat-Nav has always turned out to be right. The advice you receive on Snowheads will often be like that too.
You just have to be wise a learn who to trust and how to make the right choice. Good luck with you navigational challenge
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I would second pam w,'s recommendation and look at a map first, do not just rely on a satnav.
We had guests staying in our place whose new satnav took them via Belgium and then Luxembourg, it added about 6 hours on to their journey.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I've done the whole journey off-toll during the summer, not winter.
I have the latest tomtom maps and just a couple of months ago, at Annemasse, it was totally confused. Really didn't know where it was and eventually took us (or tried to take us - I ignored it) the wrong way up a slip road onto a dual carriageway. It's patchy. It had taken us perfectly competently to the address of a Decathlon store I wanted to visit - but got v confused on the way back.
If you decide to rely on satnav to LdA I'd strongly advise you PM Lizzard, who lives in LdA, (though she might well come onto this thread) and get her advice on the best route, and on possible satnav hazards.
France is an exceptionally well-mapped country - even without a satnav there's not much excuse for making huge navigational errors!
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.
Rachel78, if you're doing this to save money, forget it. Bite the bullet and pay the tolls or you'll have a long and painful journey. If you want to drive about some nice bits of France and look at things, go for it.
If you're using a satnav, don't follow it up the D211 to resort - take the main road and turn right at the dam.
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
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
Rachel78, Suggestion from skichampcouk, to use a map is a good one, along with googling your route.
Aspam w, says some sat-navs can mislead their owners -you get what you pay for so caveat emptor Clearly if you're driving to LDA from Calais, venturing off towards Geneva/Annemasse would be quite a detour as ideally you'd be skirting Lyon which is around 100km west. Local knowledge can be invaluable
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:
Local knowledge can be invaluable
Although a map of France would suffice, as one glance at it would reveal bûggering off to Geneva to be a complete waste of time. Following the bloody great road signs marked 'Grenoble this way' is usually a good strategy as well.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Rachel78 wrote:
Hi all,
Would like some advice if possible on toll avoidance when driving between Calais and Les Deux Alpes.
Rachel
sure, no problem, follow a car through the peage lane, you have about 5 seconds to get through before the barrier closes, this video will give you an idea
don't keep your entry ticket. et voila, robert est votre oncle !
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I am SO trying that the next time I have to pick up a load of freeloading Limeys from GVA.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:
bûggering off to Geneva to be a complete waste of time
I did say it was not an obvious route but it's not as daft as all that - going via Les Rousses and the Jura according to both via.Michelin and google maps (which recommends the route via Paris....) adds just over 40 kms to the more usual, more westerly, route. Hardly a risible suggestion. It doesn't save much money, actually, but is a far more interesting route (and there are some excellent cheap lunch spots too).
Just depends on what people are after - I wouldn't do it in heavy snow, though we've done it in light snow, when it was very pretty.
Few people would want to do the whole lot off the péage in winter. It takes 8 hours longer so is unlikely to be worthwhile unless the opportunity cost of your time is less than about 8 euros an hour.
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?
Main problem is L2A is so far south in France as to be hard to reach via the normal non-toll routes via Luxembourg/Germany.
One possible route minimising toll roads is Calais/Brussels/Luxembourg/Epinal/Briancon/Lausanne/Geneve and then toll via Chambery and Grenoble. Putting this into google maps reckons 12h57 and 1132km (assuming already have a swiss vignette), verses 9h47 and 930 km via Reims on the tolls.
Probably not worth it....
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
davidof, thank you for posting that video again, I just LOVE it!
davidof, Saw a Guy attempt that at the Albertville barriers just miss timed it and the barrier came dwon on his roof so he just kept going, taking the barrier with him. No one batted an eye lid!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Well many thanks for all the advice and for the great YouTube Video! Think my boyfriend would be non too happy about the barrier coming down on his car if he couldn't make it through on time!
We'll be travelling down from calais on the 1st January and returning from Les Deux Alpes the following saturday 7th.
Like I siad, not thinking of trying to avoid all the tolls, and certainly not if cost of petrol will exceed it in being worthwhile! However just wanted advice if there were one or two particular section of motoroways/peage that could be avoided where there were other good roads close by?
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Clearly if you're driving to LDA from Calais, venturing off towards Geneva/Annemasse would be quite a detour as ideally you'd be skirting Lyon which is around 100km west. Local knowledge can be invaluable 
