Risk a windscreen chip??????

I am afraid that I am a bit of an old hand at driving to the Alps - every year for the last 30 seasons.

You have a simple choice - easy, difficult or really easy. Let's take the difficult one first.

Difficult:

Pack bags and drop into office on the weekend before the holiday starts. Drop children at school at 08:15 on Friday (we live in mid Wales) and collect them at 15:30. Drive to Dover (6 hours),drive through night. Be at Swiss border around 10. You will be starving, the car will stink, your children will have not eaten and you will have 4 hours to your destination.

Easy Pack bags, drop children at school on Friday and collect in normal way. Drive to Dover and stay in a hotel with dinner in restaurant. Leave at 5 and drive as before - you will be in your resort by 18:00


This year I am doing things a little differently.

This year:Load car with all luggage and drop children at school.

Leave work on Thursday afternnoon, drive to Ashford. Stay in comfortable hotel with a decent dinner. Grab the 8:50 train and slowly drive to Frankfurt. Stay in one of the airport hotels on the Friday night. A leisurely start as will become obvious..

Meet my wife and children on the flight from Heathrow that arrives at 13:00 and treat everyone to lunch in Germany. They will have flown from Heathrow leaving on the 11:30 and staying in one of the hotels at the airport. We then have a 5 hour drive arriving at 18:00 ready to party !

You are required to have winter tyres AND snow chains in Alpine areas.

I am particularly smug in my Range Rover with chains and winter tyres for all 4 wheels, but believe me, the fine for not having these basic things is eye watering.

For future reference if I have All terrain Tyres on my Land Rover (Pirelli Scorpion STV) do they cover off 'snow tyres' or do I need specific snow tyres to avoid a potential fine? Not planning a trip this year (well we're flying to Innsbruck for Obergurgly in March) but just wondered.....

Your tires need to have the little 'Alp'or snowflake motive on them or be marked M/S.

Re chains - if the conditions are so bad that they are required then the police won't let you proceed until you fit them or the conditions improve. The chain warning signs go up and down according to the conditions, if you drive through one and don't chain up then you will be fined. I have had spot checks in Austria (Wagrain) when the roads were in good condition, still masses of snow though - they didn't ask to see the chains, they wanted to see the hi viz jackets (one each and in the car, not the boot), the tires, first aid and triangle. Insurance, licence and reg and make sure the kids are in their proper seats. They also don't like you having chains on when there isn't enough snow on the road, that's a fine too.

Travelling to Courchevel soon and picking up a hire car from the airport. I know it will have chains as we have paid extra for them but is there going to be an issue if it doesn't have snow tyres fitted?

Carlyle wrote:Travelling to Courchevel soon and picking up a hire car from the airport. I know it will have chains as we have paid extra for them but is there going to be an issue if it doesn't have snow tyres fitted?

When you get the car, check that the chains fit the wheels and are useable, before you leave the airport. If you ask the Hire desk you should be told if it has Winter Tyres fitted or not. Snow Tyres are completely different. Most of Europe uses Winter Tyres, because the rubber compound works better in cold weather.

You don't have to have Winter Tyres, you might need the chains, though.

Drove to Vaujany at xmas. Needed snow chains to get in, while we were there and to get out. I would not drive to a ski resort without them. Make sure they fit BEFORE you need them and practise fitting them as it might be a freezing blizzard and dark when you need to fit them. Don't forget your european breakdown cover. :lol: