French Alps - Traffic and Travel Update - 27th December 2014 17:30

Heavy Snow on one of the biggest changeover days of the season was never going to be good... with a rather Gallic understatement, the current situation is being described as "complicated".

Key points at 17:30 French time / 16:30 UK time:-

In Savoie, due to extreme difficulties in accessing the Savoie ski resorts, motorists en route are advised to stop and seek shelter. The prefecture has just triggered the emergency housing plan.

Tourists still heading towards the Savoie should stop as early as possible and search for accommodation for the night. Those close to large cities should stop where accommodation is available (and being activated by the emergency plan).

Vehicles not equipped with chains are being turned around, and should not attempt to continue.

Cities where emergency shelters are now being made available are Albertville, Bourg Saint Maurice, La Bâthie, La Léchère, Aime, Moutiers, Macôt La Plagne, Bellentre, Chambery, Aix-les-Bains, Saint-Jean de Maurienne, Saint Rémy de Maurienne.

- Traffic is completely stopped in the Bourg d'Oisans sector, with access to Alpe d'Huez "virtually impossible" due to heavy snow and stuck vehicles.
- The road to La Toussuire (centre of St.Jean-de-Maurienne) is completely blocked, and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne have activated their emergency accommodation plan (Pierre Rey gym receiving holidaymakers from the roads to La Toussuire and "Crobier" (Corbier? we're not sure).
- Road conditions in Savoie are extremely difficult and local authorities are advising anyone not already there to delay their arrival.
- In Isere, "tens of kilometres" of traffic jams are reported. Access to all resorts will require chains.

If you can access the Internet, Le Dauphine is updating the situation here :-

Savoie Traffic Situation (in French)

Wife had a note from her colleague travelling to VdI and the word carnage was used several times. 18 hours and still not arrived and spent the night in an emergency shelter.
Safe travels to all those en route.
On a brighter note, just imagine the powder when you finally get there..... The journey nightmare will not take long to leave the memory... Bon ski

Situation easing a little by the sounds of it... with resort access roads now moving. Heavy traffic is still probable for much of today as the backlog from yesterday clears.

With fresh snow falling this morning, however, chains are likely to be needed and "non-equipped" cars will almost certainly be prevented from attempting the climb.

But yes, some super snow awaits those who made the journey... just stay on the pistes for now!

Le Dauphine report that nearly 15,000 people spent the night in 83 emergency accommodation shelters (schools, town halls, gyms, etc.), with many people spending the night in their cars. Services have been "circulating all night", but no emergencies reported.

Further to the above, we're hearing that pretty much all resort access roads are restricted to vehicles carrying chains and "non-equipped" cars are strongly advised not to go anywhere until the situation improves.

We drove from Oz en Oisans yesterday to Val and it took us 17.5 hours!!!! All of the information for searching for shelter was not available to those on the road so totally useless. The only Gendarme we saw all day/night was at the start of the climb to Val.

noddy

Quite shocking that there are still non-equipped cars in winter in the mountains. When will people learn?

Friends of mine got into Tignes this lunchtime after an epic 23 hour journey.

verbier_ski_bum wrote:Quite shocking that there are still non-equipped cars in winter in the mountains. When will people learn?

I also imagine a large proportion of those that are equipped don't know how to put in chains or even checked for instructions before they left :roll: