 Poster: A snowHead
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Yes, I know it's a long drive, but I am already flying to Geneva, have a rental car and want to go to St. Anton for the snow there are supposed to be getting. I am landing on Sunday, driving the same day. Are there any roads that I should worry about closing along the route due to snow?
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I guess the obvious route is motorway, rather than high mountain passes, so the roads should be open. Yes, it is a long way though and there's plenty of snow coming in places nearer to Geneva! If you hire a car on the Swiss side of Geneva airport it will have the motorway vignette for Switzerland and appropriate winter tyres. Make sure you get chains too.
You'll need to be sure the rental people know the car is going to Austria - there was a recent thread where people encountered problems because they'd booked in one country and were going to drive into another one.
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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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though, of course, in heavy snow roads actually up to St Anton can be closed, obviously. The place was completely cut off for some days during heavy snow last winter, IIRC. Plenty of Snowheads know St anton very well, if you needed any info on accommodation etc
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It's only across Switzerland and a bit of Austria, all on low-level motorways apart from the border crossing and Arlberg tunnel - which can create delays if traffic is heavy. We've done a similar trip but in the reverse direction may times over the past few years (Kitzbuhl to Chamonix or 3V). Just check your rental can has a swiss motorway vignette (should do if you are hiring from the Swiss side) and you will need an autrian vignette too for the time you are there: available at/near most boarder crossings
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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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Thanks. Yes I am renting on the Swiss side, and already asked about other countries since my original plan was to go to Serre Che. I am still planning on driving from St. Anton to Mongenevre, then to Chamonix. Of course I may change that based on snow.
Will it be obvious where to buy an Austrian vignette?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just call in to any garage near the border. There is no motorway between the countries, you have to come off onto normal roads. You do not want to risk not having an austrian vignette - the police are very hot on this and by you picking a popular exit they are very likely to be waiting...
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| RobW wrote: |
| Just call in to any garage near the border. There is no motorway between the countries, you have to come off onto normal roads. You do not want to risk not having an austrian vignette - the police are very hot on this and by you picking a popular exit they are very likely to be waiting... |
"Just call in to any garage near the border." Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean. I'm American, so I've had a bit of trouble understanding some of the British lingo on here. Is garage what we call a gas station? What do you mean call into? Lol, sorry I feel like an idiot sometimes.
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a2thak, Garage = Gas station. Call in to = stop at gas station, go in to the office and buy a vignette.
Don't know if Austria does the same but at Swiss border controls there is a man strolling up and down putting a vignette on your windscreen and relieving you of hard earned cash for the privilege. Austrian border crossing may be similar but never having driven in to Austria I wouldn't know.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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a2thak, make sure you pick one up if travelling this weekend. All the annual vignettes ran out tonight (Both Swiss and Austrian annual vignettes run up to and including the 31st January of the following year). The police and motorway authorities will be out in force this weekend checking everyone just after the main interchanges where a lot of traffic joins the systems. They take no prisoners by the way, fines have to paid on the spot, regardless of your excuses!
Got to pick up my Austrian annual vignette before crossing the border on Saturday 
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a2thak, gosh, you are going to do a lot of driving. St anton to Mongenevre is more complicated and longer - via Italy. When are you travelling? At the moment I think snow is pretty good everywhere, with a lot more forecast for many Alpine regions.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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a2thak, Cross the first turn into Lustenau from the E43 Swiss motorway into Austria, turn right onto Reichstrasse IIRC , gas station about 100 yds alkong open late & sells vignettes simple.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| a2thak, gosh, you are going to do a lot of driving. St anton to Mongenevre is more complicated and longer - via Italy. When are you travelling? At the moment I think snow is pretty good everywhere, with a lot more forecast for many Alpine regions. |
The plan is drive Sunday to St. Anton. The drive on the 8th to Montgenevre. I already have the hotel booked, but may cancel and go to the Dolomites or somewhere else. Drive to Chamonix on the 12th. Then back to geneva on the 15th.
I'm used to doing a lot of driving. I live in Durango but drive over 2 hrs each way to go ride Wolf Creek over Durango Mountain Resort just since WC has better snow most the time. Thats just to go ride for the day then drive back home after snowboarding.
Where else is supposed to get as much snow as St. Anton out of this storm?
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a2thak, I hope you have a great trip. Don't forget French resorts will be busy from mid February to mid March (school holidays, generally busiest times of the year).
According to snow-forecast.com Chamonix, for one, will get more than St Anton but that's just one forecast, based on the GFS model which isn't always the best.
this thread is a must-read, for snow and other weather chat http://www.snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=89088
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You know it makes sense.
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If I took the train (GVA-St Anton) how does it work with baagage? I will have 4 bags between my wife and I since we are bringing our boards and gear.
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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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a2thak, With your planned itinerary you're a lot better off driving
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Poster: A snowHead
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| red 27 wrote: |
| a2thak, With your planned itinerary you're a lot better off driving |
I'm looking into the possibility of a roundtrip train GVA-St Anton, then picking up a car at GVA and driving to Montgenevre and chamonix.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Samerberg Sue wrote: |
a2thak, make sure you pick one up if travelling this weekend. All the annual vignettes ran out tonight (Both Swiss and Austrian annual vignettes run up to and including the 31st January of the following year). The police and motorway authorities will be out in force this weekend checking everyone just after the main interchanges where a lot of traffic joins the systems. They take no prisoners by the way, fines have to paid on the spot, regardless of your excuses!
Got to pick up my Austrian annual vignette before crossing the border on Saturday |
If you are in a rented car then don't get an annual vignette for Austria, get a 10 day one (assuming you are on a short trip), much cheaper!! Sadly that's not an option for Switzerland, but if you are picking up a car in Geneva it should already have one anyway.
There is a drive through machine just after the border post at Diepoldsau that sells the Austrian vignette, however I've always pulled over at the petrol station by the roundabout there because I miss the automatic place, and I need a break by then anyway. You can get them before you cross the border too, there are signs at a few petrol stations before you cross over.
If there is a lot of snow the Arlberg Pass may close, if it does you can drive through the tunnel and get to St Anton that way. The forecast is for no where near the amount that caused road closures last year.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Fri 1-02-13 16:32; edited 1 time in total
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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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| a2thak wrote: |
| If I took the train (GVA-St Anton) how does it work with baagage? I will have 4 bags between my wife and I since we are bringing our boards and gear. |
Not sure what you mean? There are plenty of baggage racks on the trains if that's what you mean. You won;t have to put them in a separate carriage or anything like that.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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a2thak, gotcha - sounds doable. shame you can't fly to Zurich but I guess that's not an option?
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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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No, I booked with United flight miles to Geneva back in September.
Thanks for all the help! So pumped to come visit your side of the world!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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a2thak, It's a bit of a tedious drive, you can reckon on 5 hours+ if there's no traffic problems and surprisingly the scenery isn't that great for most of it - just the odd glimpse of an Alp now and then. However the roads are good, and apart from the area near Zurich you *shouldn't* have to worry about traffic too much. There are plenty of places to pull over and get food and coffee on the way. Watch your speed, they have a lot of cameras in Switzerland and the limit is 120kmh.
If the train works out I'd seriously consider that, it's not cheap but it is very low stress, you just need to wrestle your bags on and off.
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sah, the only thing I worry about for the drive and why I would want the train over driving is because I would be doing that drive on this Sunday, when there is supposed to be a bit of snow. I'm not worried about driving in snow (I live in the Rockies and drive in snow daily), it's just how long will the weather add to the drive? Will the road to St Anton be open? Do I really want to drive ~6 hrs in the snow after flying all day?
As you can see I haven't really made up my mind. I did get a fantastic deal on a rental car for 2 weeks that I booked back in August, and there's no way taking the train then getting a car for a week could come close to the cost I have for the 2 week rental.
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| a2thak wrote: |
sah, the only thing I worry about for the drive and why I would want the train over driving is because I would be doing that drive on this Sunday, when there is supposed to be a bit of snow. I'm not worried about driving in snow (I live in the Rockies and drive in snow daily), it's just how long will the weather add to the drive? Will the road to St Anton be open? Do I really want to drive ~6 hrs in the snow after flying all day?
As you can see I haven't really made up my mind. I did get a fantastic deal on a rental car for 2 weeks that I booked back in August, and there's no way taking the train then getting a car for a week could come close to the cost I have for the 2 week rental. |
The snow forecast for the mountains right now is heavy but not likely to close the main roads in my experience. The Arlberg Pass might close, but that's not going to cause a serious delay because the traffic will go through the tunnel. Most of your route will be at a low level in Switzerland, the motorway stays well away from the mountains so it is more likely that you are looking at a 5 hour+ drive in the rain. Dull but pretty normal weather for Switzerland in the winter.
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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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Good to know. Thanks again for all your help.
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| a2thak wrote: |
| If I took the train (GVA-St Anton) how does it work with baagage? I will have 4 bags between my wife and I since we are bringing our boards and gear. |
Easy - I did the opposite last season (Innsbruck-Geneva) to meet my parents in Morzine for a week. Myself and gf had suitcase plus ski bag each, jsut lift 'em on, chuck 'em in a luggage rack, and sit somewhere nearby.
Edit: We booked early and it was only €70 each return! I assume it'll be more expensive booking this close to the date though.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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