Driving to the Alps: 1st time

Depending on when your travelling make sure you buy low temperature screen wash.
Bit more expensive but worth it if you window doesnt freeze up whilst doing 150kph.

Recommendations from previous threads include making sure you have gloves, torch and a mat to kneel on for changing chains; leave with maximum-concentration screen wash (as mentioned); spade, card and brush to shift snow; thermos and emergency food; and sleeping bag. In all, imagine you're stuck in snow somewhere in France or the Jura and then the above list looks reasonable. Ideally, your car will have winter tyres on and you'll carry snow chains for more extreme conditions. Chains alone are no substitute for winter tyres, which all the locals will be using. This is probably overkill for the majority of years but not for conditions as we're seeing now in the North, or which occurred in France last winter. The risk/benefit decision is up to you.
As regards accommodation, many people stop about 4-5 hours out of Calais, which is usually between Troyes and Besancon if you're en route to Switzerland or Troyes and Challon-sur-Soane if you're heading to French Alps. Look for somewhere near to the autoroute, rather than too far off the beaten track. If the weather's bad you just want to get there. I'd seriously consider such a stop if I was travelling with children. If you have multiple drivers and go for a non-stop drive then change drivers every 2 hours, which means 4-5 sessions. Arriving early has many advantages but make sure that you're not just hanging-round waiting for your accomodation to become available.

Can of de-icer.

Hi,

For accomadation in Bourg-Saint-Maurice you could try the following....

Hotel L'Angival - www.angival.com - 90 Rue Jean Moulin - +33 (0)4 79 07 27 97

The ChillChalet - www.chillchalet.com

L'Autantic - 69 Route d'Hauteville-Gondon - +33 (0)4 79 07 01 70

L'Hostellerie du Petit Saint Bernard http://www.jond.fr/english/ - 74 Ave du Stade - +33 (0)4 79 07 04 32.

Jon.

Another recommendation was to have slip-on driving shoes and separate outdoor shoes/boots. You don't want to drive in heavy boots and you don't want to clomp around in deep snow wearing light shoes. Keep the footwear in the driver's footwell ready to change.

msej449 wrote:Another recommendation was to have slip-on driving shoes and separate outdoor shoes/boots. You don't want to drive in heavy boots and you don't want to clomp around in deep snow wearing light shoes. Keep the footwear in the driver's footwell ready to change.

That, I have to say, is very good advice. I was picking up at the airports recently when it was icy, in a suit and leatyher soled shoes. Needless to say I was goosing around like a beginner on the bunny slopes.
My car has been getting PROPER dirty with the salt and damp roads, but its worth cleaning it once a week at least to get the salt off as that will damage your paintwork.

Many thanks all, snow chains at the top of the boot - good point! Change of shoes - another good point! Mat to kneel on!

I've had a word with the mechanic, he's not that keen on winter tires, but suggests the best thing to do if you're doing it is to get a spare pair of front wheels, put the winter tires on that and then you can swap them on and off much easier.

So now I just need a destination.

Is there anywhere a little closer to calais?

I'd like to do it in one night so ideally about 5hrs from Calais would be better than the 8 I'm quoted from the aa routeplanner to get to La Clusaz, or 9 to Bourg.

I didn't expect such a wealth of responses, so thanks again. :)

jonG wrote:Hi,

For accomadation in Bourg-Saint-Maurice you could try the following....

Hotel L'Angival - www.angival.com - 90 Rue Jean Moulin - +33 (0)4 79 07 27 97

The ChillChalet - www.chillchalet.com

L'Autantic - 69 Route d'Hauteville-Gondon - +33 (0)4 79 07 01 70

L'Hostellerie du Petit Saint Bernard http://www.jond.fr/english/ - 74 Ave du Stade - +33 (0)4 79 07 04 32.

Jon.

Jon,

Thanks. Rather than a particular hotel though, I'm trying to determine what town or village I should be looking at for a family driving in. So somewhere that has non-ski related activities - something like a cinema would be ideal, and my kids are 2 and 5 so the cold will get to them pretty quick when they're outside so they'll need something to do indoors half the day, I'm imagining.