 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
Intend to drive to the Alps over the Easter holidays. Friends are coming over from Middle East, and will probably fly into Geneva, maybe Turin. We are waiting till nearer time to see where the snow is. Would prefer Italy, but it may be France. They haven't booked flights yet.
Unsure of what their intention is regarding travelling to the resort, but as we will have car, we thought, if we could tie up timewise, then we could perhaps pick them up. Would this take us way off track on our journey and add hours on?
Would it be best if they booked Geneva now, thinking, if we decided Italy, then we'd be going through France anyway, but if they flew into Turin, and we decided resorts closer to Geneva, then we'd be doubling back.
Anyone picked up at airport on their way to resort?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Gilly28, Yes, Geneva would give you greater flexibility and avoid doubling back. Easy drive to most places from Geneva, including the Aosta Valley (through the Mont Blanc tunnel). It's often sensible to pick up a cheap flight to Turin then drive north into France through the Fréjus tunnel but that makes no sense if you are driving south from the channel.
Waiting to book accommodation is wise. Depending on the weather nearer the time you might be spoilt for choice, and there's no point going to one of the high and expensive moonscape resorts if snow cover is good lower down. The resort I stay in tops out at 2000m and snow is usually good well into April. Easter is low season for French rentals, you should have no problem at all.
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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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Thanks Pam for that, yes it's your advice I've read previously re accommodation easier for Easter, that has meant we've decided to wait. Does picking friends up from Geneva seem the best idea? Given the price of transfers and the fact we have the car (7 seater, with only 3 of us in it) it seems an obvious choice. We're just speaking to them now, and they will book flights when we know where we are going, so is there any airport we'd be crazy to offer to pick them up from?
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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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is there any airport we'd be crazy to offer to pick them up from?
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Hmm. I suppose the most likely international airports have to be Lyon and Geneva (for this part of the world) and either should be fine. One nearer to some reports then the other, but manageable. Chambery is close to quite a few resorts but there are fewer flights and it can easily be disrupted by fog.
Geneva has the advantage of not getting disrupted by the ATC strikes which seem to be relatively common in France.
Transfers are expensive, and picking up your friends would make a good start to the holiday. Might need a little bit of juggling with your schedule and driving route. My own driving route is invariably the more easterly route, through Bourg en Bresse and skirting Geneva - I don't like the A6 down to Lyon but plenty of people drive that way and it's better for some resorts.
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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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If you are picking up from Geneva then it's worth getting the Swiss motorway vignette before you go.
Order it here - http://rail.stc.co.uk/vignette.html - and they'll post it to you. It will save a bit of time at the French/Swiss border.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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agw,
Can we not just pick them up at the French side?
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Gilly28, you can pick them up from either side. But on an international flight from the Middle East they will come through to Swiss arrivals. Would have to go up to departures and walk through to the French side if you want to pick them up there. Then if you want to use the Swiss autoroute you need the vignette anyway.
You do not have to use the autoroute, but depending on day and time it can be the only sensible route. Central Geneva in the rush hour is not pretty.
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DallyPaul, ok thanks, so I'm taking from your post that, to leave via the Swiss side, is more sensible and avoids town traffic? Are we straight on a motorway? (This will be the 1st time driving to the Alps, so a steep learning curve!).
Just had been looking at your apartment actually! OH said it is booked 1st week week in April though. Just looking at all the various apartment options in diff resorts, so that we have some sort of list ready when we decide where we are going.
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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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If we pick up from Swiss side, do we not need winter tyres? Think I read on here it was compulsory in Austria and Switzerland. We had been thinking just having chains, due to time of year, and hoping we didn't need to use anyway.
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If we pick up from Swiss side, do we not need winter tyres?
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No you don't, in a UK registered car (this will start a huge argument from people who will tell you winter tyres are far better. They are, but they are not compulsory and a pair of chains which you can use effectively - and at the first sign of loss of traction - will do you OK).
It's far simpler to pick up on the Swiss side for a whole lot of reasons. You can do without the Swiss vignette (drive through Geneva, round the end of the lake) but it's easier to use the motorway and as you'll be saving your friends a packet of money on transfers they could pay!.
From the airport you are rapidly onto the motorway out to the French border and it's all very easy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Gilly28, yep sorry.
S/c appt Only got 19th Jan and 2nd March available now before April 8th.
Got B&B spaces left though.
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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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DallyPaul, Thanks very much for that info. Yes been reading on the tyres/chains, and yes we would/are considering tyres also, just due to the expense and thinking of the time of year, then we may not even need them, and save the expense for another year, but still considering. One thing I read on a post is that they use more fuel, and wondered if it was a lot of fuel diff? That would be quite annoying if we didn't need them after all!
We will be keeping the B&B option in mind!
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, thanks Pam. We r still looking into tyres and prices, if it is likely that we would be using chains, I think we will get the tyres. Friends would certainly half with us if we asked, but they r more than generous at times so I wouldn't ask. They will no doubt treat us throughout the holiday!!
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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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if it is likely that we would be using chains
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in any week it's improbable that you would need chains (unless perhaps your accommodation was up a bit of an awkward gradient, which is often the case) but there's simply no way of knowing. Despite having 4 top quality snow tyres I remember having to put chains on one April morning, after a shower of wet snow (the sun was shining as I put them on) which somehow turned a road I drive all the time into a kind of skating rink; I had no traction at all. 20 minutes later I took them off. I think that was probably the only time I'd used them all season, though no doubt I'd have had to use them much more often with summer tyres. It was most odd. "Wrong kind of snow" I suppose. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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FAQ
Have a look here, then compare to whats on your car to illustrate. At 4/5mm they are marginal however nomatter what the legal limit says (1.6mm)
