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Driving to 3 Valleys 30/31 March

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi all, I am planning to drive for the 1st time to 3 Valleys (St Martin de Belleville) on 30 March - early ferry to Calais, then Peage to Reims, Dijon & staying overnight Lyon or Chambery for a short trip up to the chalet on the Saturday morning. Looking for advice on traffic conditions, particularly whether its worth pushing on to Chambery for the overnight or if a jump from Lyon wouldn't be too paunful on the Saturday morning. Also any tips on making the return trip on the following Saturday also gratefully received. Thanks.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Sqski, Welcome to Snowheads.

I do the 8am ferry and usually get to Chambery about 7 pm, Have stopped in Lyon a few times as well, but must say the extra hour to Chambery makes the Saturday mornig run up to the 3V much easier.

Your return I think will be busy as its the start of the holidays, but should not be too bad.
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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?
Sqski, welcome to Snowheads. snowHead the traffic shouldn't be too bad then, and your plan sounds good. You should have no problem getting to Chambery, and getting up the mountain early.

On the way home, I'd generally prefer to ski on Saturday (v quiet, usually) then leave the resort after the lifts shut, maybe getting as far as Dijon to overnight, then home on Sunday.

You need to think about time of access to accommodation - if you are booking an apartment you generally can't get access till around 4pm and have to be out earlyish in the morning. Needs a bit of planning.

Make sure you have snowchains and know how to use them - you will, after all, be hoping for masses of fresh snow! snowHead
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Thanks - appreciate the reply
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Sqski, welcome to snowheads!

There will undoubtedly be those that will shoot me down (again)........ but it depends on how "focused" you are on the drive...... it can reasonably be done from Calais (Chunnel) to Lyon (ETap Hotel) in 6 hours without excessive speeding.

It is 488 miles and last Sunday (23rd Jan) I drove up the ramp from the train at 13:28, got slightly lost in Reims (my own fault mis judged the services) stopped once for fuel (8 minutes) and pulled into the Hotel car Park 19:32.

From Lyon on is usually a couple of hours and I think I would be inclined to get as close to resort as possible but it depends on how long the 1st leg (Calais to Lyon) takes you and how you're likely to feel.



For those that call custard here's the hours Calais to Lyon;
1st - 88miles
2nd - 84miles
3rd - 75miles (included the getting lost in Reims bit)
4th - 88miles
5th - 88miles
6th - 64miles

For the sake of others this is without excessive speed.

If you set your cruise control at 142kmh you are less than 10% above the speed limit so "les Flics" won't be interested in you, you won't be the fastest car on the autoroute and should be ok... but do so at your own risk
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Sqski, Welcome to snow heads.
We ski St Martin De Belleville at Christmas so drive down also.
I found the chunnel this year much better than ferry (less hassle & cheaper).
We tend to drive down early to stay in the F1 at Albertville on Friday night, about 3/4 hour then to piste, free car park at SMB for a days change over day skiing.
Similarly On the way home we ski Saturday then start back about 3 or 4pm, driving until about 8pm then get into an IBIS on the peage.

We go the main route and have tried various ways but this year found an easy get around which save about 20E on peage tolls without too much of a time penalty.

Take the standard peage route down via Reims towards Lyons but at Dijon take the A39 towards Geneva (saves getting caught in traffic at Lyon on the saturday change over day or peak periods), after Bourge-En-Bresse continue & take A40 to geneva & Annecy. At J11 on the A40 hop off peage onto the N508 To Annecy (cutting off all the peage squiggly bits).
This brings you into Annecy passing the Decathlon. Then follow signs into Anney & Albertville, this is slower and there are speed cameras but if you have made good time until now it does save you about 20E on the peage. Follow the N508 & N212 into the back of Albertville - where there is an F1. it is then an easy dual carriageway up to SMB.
On the way home there are 2 x IBIS motels along the A39 after Bourge-en Bresse at the services (watch for them on the way past on the way down).

Where are you staying at SMB as we are always on the look out for chalets in the area as we love it ??
Noisey
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks to all - much appreciated (will try to reply to your individual contributions but will need to practise/experiment my forum/thread skills !)
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
noisey wrote:
Sqski, Welcome to snow heads.
We ski St Martin De Belleville at Christmas so drive down also.
I found the chunnel this year much better than ferry (less hassle & cheaper).
We tend to drive down early to stay in the F1 at Albertville on Friday night, about 3/4 hour then to piste, free car park at SMB for a days change over day skiing.
Similarly On the way home we ski Saturday then start back about 3 or 4pm, driving until about 8pm then get into an IBIS on the peage.

We go the main route and have tried various ways but this year found an easy get around which save about 20E on peage tolls without too much of a time penalty.

Take the standard peage route down via Reims towards Lyons but at Dijon take the A39 towards Geneva (saves getting caught in traffic at Lyon on the saturday change over day or peak periods), after Bourge-En-Bresse continue & take A40 to geneva & Annecy. At J11 on the A40 hop off peage onto the N508 To Annecy (cutting off all the peage squiggly bits).
This brings you into Annecy passing the Decathlon. Then follow signs into Anney & Albertville, this is slower and there are speed cameras but if you have made good time until now it does save you about 20E on the peage. Follow the N508 & N212 into the back of Albertville - where there is an F1. it is then an easy dual carriageway up to SMB.
On the way home there are 2 x IBIS motels along the A39 after Bourge-en Bresse at the services (watch for them on the way past on the way down).

Where are you staying at SMB as we are always on the look out for chalets in the area as we love it ??
Noisey

(Hope I'm entering this in the right box!) Thanks Noisey, appreciate the help. We're staying in Villarenger about 5 mins outside SMB. It's skiing on a tight budget this year (but determined not to miss a season!) hence the drive and needing car to get to the lifts all of which is reflected in the chalet price, but it looks comfortable and the owners have been very helpful. I will do a 'note to self' in the diary and feedback after we've been if you like. One more query if I may - given we're going 1st week of April would you know whether conditions at that time of the season are likely to mean we might get to use our snow chains?!! I can only go on the experience we've had in places like Les Saisies, Morrillon and Tignes Le Brev. where there was plenty of tarmac at that time of year. Thanks.
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marcellus wrote:
Sqski, welcome to snowheads!

There will undoubtedly be those that will shoot me down (again)........ but it depends on how "focused" you are on the drive...... it can reasonably be done from Calais (Chunnel) to Lyon (ETap Hotel) in 6 hours without excessive speeding.

It is 488 miles and last Sunday (23rd Jan) I drove up the ramp from the train at 13:28, got slightly lost in Reims (my own fault mis judged the services) stopped once for fuel (8 minutes) and pulled into the Hotel car Park 19:32.

From Lyon on is usually a couple of hours and I think I would be inclined to get as close to resort as possible but it depends on how long the 1st leg (Calais to Lyon) takes you and how you're likely to feel.

For those that call custard here's the hours Calais to Lyon;
1st - 88miles
2nd - 84miles
3rd - 75miles (included the getting lost in Reims bit)
4th - 88miles
5th - 88miles
6th - 64miles

For the sake of others this is without excessive speed.

If you set your cruise control at 142kmh you are less than 10% above the speed limit so "les Flics" won't be interested in you, you won't be the fastest car on the autoroute and should be ok... but do so at your own risk

Thanks Marcellus - I suspect that if we were travelling at the same time you would be but a blur in the overtaking lane to me! I shall be driving a fully laden Jeep with roof box so would need a fair wind and a half to match your timetable! But thanks - not having driven this route in France (or indeed any other in France for a few years now) it's helpful to get a first hand report of the possible. Thanks again.
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livetoski, Thanks - much appreciated.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
pam w wrote:
Sqski, welcome to Snowheads. snowHead the traffic shouldn't be too bad then, and your plan sounds good. You should have no problem getting to Chambery, and getting up the mountain early.

On the way home, I'd generally prefer to ski on Saturday (v quiet, usually) then leave the resort after the lifts shut, maybe getting as far as Dijon to overnight, then home on Sunday.

You need to think about time of access to accommodation - if you are booking an apartment you generally can't get access till around 4pm and have to be out earlyish in the morning. Needs a bit of planning.

Make sure you have snowchains and know how to use them - you will, after all, be hoping for masses of fresh snow! snowHead

Thanks Pam W - We have access to our chalet from 2pm so we might opt to stay around Lyon as we didn't think a mad dash to the SMdB would work for skiing on the Saturday of our arrival, but we are hoping to squeeze in some skiing on the following Saturday before we leave and still make it up to the Dijon area for an overnight stay. Thanks for the tip re. snow chains - you'll see in the thread that I've asked Noisey whether we might get to use them - any experience of this in SMdB in April? Thanks.
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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.
Sqski wrote:
Thanks Marcellus - I suspect that if we were travelling at the same time you would be but a blur in the overtaking lane to me! I shall be driving a fully laden Jeep with roof box so would need a fair wind and a half to match your timetable! But thanks - not having driven this route in France (or indeed any other in France for a few years now) it's helpful to get a first hand report of the possible. Thanks again.


As I've said elsewhere to manage to do the sort of timings I mention you need a car that is able to maintain the set speed no matter what the roads do (in terms of undulations)... the 1st and last couple of hours of the trip are rolling hills.

The other things are having everything in the car you need (food, drinks, music) and being to hold onto your bladder for the 3 hours!!
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 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
Quote:

whether conditions at that time of the season are likely to mean we might get to use our snow chains?!!

I've had to use chains once in Les Saisies in April, despite having good snow tyres. It was one of those heavy spring snowfalls, onto a pretty warm road, and I had v little traction. I'd possibly have made it without the chains but I did see quite a few people stuck, especially when they had to move out of the only ploughed lane to pass someone coming the other way - I tend to put chains on sooner rather than later as I would be mortified to be the dope causing a hold up!

Except for last April, which was relentlessly warm and sunny, we have always had snowfalls in April. They don't last long, but...... snowHead
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
We drive down to ste foy, and overnight at the best western at chambery Nord. It's an excellent hotel on the main road so easy to find. Right by a commercial centre with restaurants and supermarket. Petrol/diesel very cheap. Also a mcdonalds for breakfast if you don't want to be ripped off by hotel breakfast prices.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:

Also a mcdonalds for breakfast

Shocked
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
yes if you dont want to pay 14 euros a head for a cold manky buffet you can get a bacon & egg Mcmuffin or Pancakes across the road at McD's and coffee and OJ.....................for 5 euros

personally I really like the McD's McMuffin as do my kids so it works for us.................but each to their own of course
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Sqski, We skied 3V last April, 9th, bearing in mind last year was very snow poor and this year will be a LOT better:
SMB was horrible in April, not able to ski from the top of SMB 1 bubble - however again this was due to poor seasonal snow - this year will be completely different.
Grand Lac (from top of Le Granges chair down was possibly the best run of the day, even late in the day as whilst still high up it had little traffic as everyone was going up to VT due to the closures in La Tania, Meribel, Courchevall etc.. again this year possibly will not be anywhere as bad.
Conditions were great once higher up last year, Mont Vallon was great, again due to everyone passing it by to get up to VT. Orrelle is always worth a trip (the restaurant in the Orelle valley near the chair lift is resonable for lunch), the new Gondala in VT is worth a trip.
I tend to avoid Les Menuires but once SMB closed about April 12th we had to ski in & out of Les Menuires (our chalet wouldn;t drive us up to VT ) which made for a slow start & rubbish end to the day - but again that was mainly due to the poor conditions last year.
Overall conditions were very good, but then we are expperienced piste skiers in 3V so know where to go to avoid people. Certainly make the most of the morning lower down then work your way higher as the sun raises up to 12 midday, but don;t panic and head high too soon as you can avoid crowds - have a late lunch so you can ski whilst everyone else is eating - then eat when they are all coming out - then ski home when they have already gone home !!
We didn;t need ski jackets, my son & I just wore water proof wind cheeters & T shirts, unfortunately our salapettes don;t have vents so we had to sweat it out in thick heavily insulated salapettes. We always have a day sack so we can drop scarves / gloves in & out - I use thin leather motocross gloves when hot....
Certainly we would go again - the snow coach is a good cheap option.
Nicely, in April it is nice & warmer to picnic lunch on piste if you can get organised...
Let us know how you get on
Noisey
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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?
Quote:

14 euros a head for a cold manky buffet

certainly no way I'd pay 14 euros for breakfast either. Never been asked to in a French hotel either - maybe i go to a lower class of hotel. wink But in a French shopping centre there's usually a really cheap Casino style cafe that does a great cheap breakfast deal - better value than a hotel breakfast, usually.
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noisey wrote:
Sqski, We skied 3V last April, 9th, bearing in mind last year was very snow poor and this year will be a LOT better:
SMB was horrible in April, not able to ski from the top of SMB 1 bubble - however again this was due to poor seasonal snow - this year will be completely different.
Grand Lac (from top of Le Granges chair down was possibly the best run of the day, even late in the day as whilst still high up it had little traffic as everyone was going up to VT due to the closures in La Tania, Meribel, Courchevall etc.. again this year possibly will not be anywhere as bad.
Conditions were great once higher up last year, Mont Vallon was great, again due to everyone passing it by to get up to VT. Orrelle is always worth a trip (the restaurant in the Orelle valley near the chair lift is resonable for lunch), the new Gondala in VT is worth a trip.
I tend to avoid Les Menuires but once SMB closed about April 12th we had to ski in & out of Les Menuires (our chalet wouldn;t drive us up to VT ) which made for a slow start & rubbish end to the day - but again that was mainly due to the poor conditions last year.
Overall conditions were very good, but then we are expperienced piste skiers in 3V so know where to go to avoid people. Certainly make the most of the morning lower down then work your way higher as the sun raises up to 12 midday, but don;t panic and head high too soon as you can avoid crowds - have a late lunch so you can ski whilst everyone else is eating - then eat when they are all coming out - then ski home when they have already gone home !!
We didn;t need ski jackets, my son & I just wore water proof wind cheeters & T shirts, unfortunately our salapettes don;t have vents so we had to sweat it out in thick heavily insulated salapettes. We always have a day sack so we can drop scarves / gloves in & out - I use thin leather motocross gloves when hot....
Certainly we would go again - the snow coach is a good cheap option.
Nicely, in April it is nice & warmer to picnic lunch on piste if you can get organised...
Let us know how you get on
Noisey

Thanks Noisey - appreciate the reply - will let you know how we got on.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:

Sqski, We skied 3V last April, 9th, bearing in mind last year was very snow poor and this year will be a LOT better:
SMB was horrible in April, not able to ski from the top of SMB 1 bubble - however again this was due to poor seasonal snow - this year will be completely different.


I've skied into St Martin 3rd week of April and its not unusual for it to be OK then, last year, as you say was pretty dire! I was in Courchevel last week of march last year and I think that was the last time you could get to the bottom of Pralong, 1550 was completely cut off. I remember on a previous year skiing down behind the guy bringing the piste markers in at Meribel on the last day of the season, 19th april I think it was, and just about every piste in the 3V was open!
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Another tip - www.saneftolling.co.uk so you can whiz through the tolls - no queing!! - yes the initial set up does cost a little more but well worth it - the tolls you use are charged at the same rate.

We drive all the time to the 3 Valleys - 4.56am train (Folkestone) so much quicker and easier than Ferry - in good traffic we can be at resort (Reberty last month) by 5pm French time. No queing at the tolls can really save you a lot of time overall on your journey.

Have fun
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Quote:

you can whiz through the tolls - no queing!!

When there are really big queues, with traffic solid for a good distance, you queue anyway, but having a T-péage badge does save a few minutes here and there, most of the time. Most usefully it saves having to wake a sleeping passenger or get out and walk round the car.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
We have only used it once - 3 weeks ago - and we definately never had any delay - never more than one car in front of us - we drove on a saturday, yes January is low season, the ques for the tolls on our return journey were much longer than our outward journey - we estimated we saved at least 40 minutes overall queing time.
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Quote:

yes January is low season

indeed. Half term is a whole different story.
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