Help - driving from Grenoble to Puy St Vincent next Sunday.,,.

This is our first family skiing trip and we have hired a car from the airport. Just terrified that the roads will be like the UK roads were when it snowed earlier this year. We've hired snow chains.. has anyone had experience of this route and can offer any advice? Might be worrying unnecessarily but would be good to stop thinking about the drive and just look forward to the skiing... can't wait!! :lol:

Hi,
I did this trip in April about 7 years ago.
We had no problems as it was not snowing at the time and the temps were fairly warm...However, I've seen some of the forecasts for next week and it seems it could snow.

The trip from Grenoble to Puy takes you through La Grave, Serre Chevalier and Briancon. It is a long twisty route through Col du Lautaret mountain pass.

I would make sure I knew how to put those chains on before I left the airport. I don't want to alarm you, I bet it'll be fine, but forewarned is forearmed.

We had no problems at all as I said and it's a stunning drive.
Enjoy!

Myself and Stewart D are doing the drive over the Col next Friday. The forecast has been suggesting snow this week, but they keep that road open at all costs, virtually all year round. Its when it gets windy they have problems, as snow drifts across it. We are going without snow chains, as the chances are it will be fine in April.

The drive over the Col is indeed spectacular, have a camera ready. Stewart will be looking firmly at his feet as we go over that part!!!!

Hopefully you wont be behind coaches or lorries going over the pass, but if so be prepared for a long and slow trip. It took between 2.5 and 3.5 hours from Grenoble airport on a coach, and there were delays around Grenoble and Vizille. Just follow the Briancon signs, the N85, then the N91 or D1081 as I think it is now known, and enjoy the run down into Monetier and the villages to Briancon. Its decent road from there to PSV I think.....

Have fun, and good luck.

I didn't say that when we did the trip we were also heading for Puy. It's a great resort - completely unpretentious, the friendliest ski resort I've been to in France for sure.

The skiing there is good, though not extensive and you can also get a day in some other resorts nearby - we chose Serre Chevalier which was fun. Are you beginners? If so you probably won't need the option of an alternative resort.
We stayed in the monstrosity that looks like a cruise liner in the mountains, but we were lucky as we got a large apartment for 5 of us and weren't cramped.
You can ski right back to the door which is good although as it was 21st April when we came home it was more like water skiing!

We really enjoyed it there, the waterfalls over that pass are definitely worth a good photo for the album.


I hope you have a great time. I have fond memories of the place.