advice > transport

Guide to Driving in the Alps

Some people prefer to make their own way to the Alps and why not?  We believe it’s an experience that everyone should have at some point in their ‘skiing career’!  Of course, there are pros and cons with all transport options and we have listed these out for you below to help you make your own mind up.

The Pros of having your own transport

• You will get to see some beautiful scenery
• You have the flexibility of having your own car in the resort to go on adventures such as to satellite resorts or nearby tourist attractions.
• If you plan your journey well, you can benefit from extra days skiing

  

• Sometimes, driving out to the Alps takes just as long as flying and transferring depending on where you live in the United Kingdom.  It is ‘Door to Door’ and you can make an experience out of it, stopping en route to have lunch and dropping in to see some sites- the World is your Oyster!
• You can bring more luggage – no one charging you an extra £100 per kilo at the airport!
• You can bring your own skis and boards with no extra fee
• If you have a car full of passengers, not only is it greener, but it will probably work out cheaper too!  A journey from the south of the UK to the Northern Alps on average would cost a standard car around £400 including channel crossing, petrol and tolls.

The Cons of having your own transport

• It can be dangerous driving conditions in the Alps with below freezing temperatures, deep snow and blocked roads.  Snow chains are essential (which unless you are a snow chain genius are a con in themselves i.e. they are a nightmare to put on!!)
• If you do not plan your journey well or have unexpected delays, you can get stuck in the terrible transfer traffic going up and down a mountain- not recommended so try and plan your arrival outside these times.
• Parking can be expensive- always research this in advance so you do not turn up at the resort and get stung with a 15 Euros a day parking fee!

You have been given the pros and cons, now YOU DECIDE…..

If you do decide to give the self drive option a go, please make sure you read our very important guidelines which will make your driving experience as hassle free as possible!

IMPORTANT things to note:

First things first…get your car ready.  Make sure your car is in a fit state to drive the many miles- check it with your local garage to be safe. You can ask them specifically to give the car a ‘Winter service’.
Pack the following kit (note it is illegal to drive in France without certain items from the following):

• High vis vest per passenger
• Warning triangle
• Headlight converters
• Snow chains
• First Aid Kit
• A shovel!
• If you do not have a Euro Registration plate which shows you are from GB, you will also need to put a GB sticker onto your car.

Secondly….have you got the necessary paperwork?

• Vehicle registration document?
• Breakdown cover and the details?
• Proof of insurance?
• Driving licenses?
• Passports which are valid?
• Any visa documents required?
• If you do not have the necessary paperwork and you are asked for it, you could incur some hefty fines so be prepared!
• Plan your route- use search engines such as the AA route planner or Via Mitchelin to ensure you know where you are going!

Next decision… are you going to get the ferry or the Eurotunnel? 

The Eurotunnel trains take about 35-40 minutes and go from Folkestone to Calais.  As far as convenience and timing goes, the Eurotunnel wins hands down.  However, it may sometimes be cheaper to take the ferry and more convenient for you.  For example, on the ferry crossing there are facilities to entertain the kids or the opportunity to sit down and have a meal.

Euro Tunnel

P&O Ferries

Sea France

When you are abroad, the next thing is remembering to DRIVE ON THE RIGHT!  So many times, people forget this when pulling out of a petrol station or junction- do not forget!

THE KEY IS FORWARD PLANNING- do the prep before you get in the car and you will love the self drive option!

Once in the snowy conditions, it is necessary to take note of the following:

• Snow chains= common sense
• Use high gears to avoid wheel spin
• Drive slowly and safely
• Keep your fuel topped up
• When driving on difficult uphill slopes, try not to stop and try to keep moving forward even at snails pace as this will hopefully help you to keep ‘unstuck’!

It is always best to try and park underground/ inside car parks once in the resort, however this luxury is not always available or affordable so if you do have to leave your motor outside, take heed of the following tips:

• Lift your windscreen wipers away from the screen to prevent them from freezing to the window and damaging the glass.
• Leave your car in gear and the handbrake off to prevent it from freezing
• Do not forget where you left your car- it will be hard to find if a metre of snow falls!
• Check the local parking regulations.  The Police Municipal are quick to tow those cars parked illegally and this will definitely cut deeply into your holiday spending to get the vehicle back!

For specific advice on how to get to each of Wasteland’s resorts, please go to the resort advice pages where we have maps, links to route planners and information on resort nearest towns and cities as well as approximate timings.

When you stop for petrol, remember to check Diesel or Petrol!  Diesel is Gasole and Unleaded Petrol is Sans Plomb.  It’s a pricey error to fill up with the wrong fuel (trust us- we’ve been there!) so make sure you check carefully before filling up. 

Continental Fuel prices vary a lot, the AA website is good at providing an up to date price report. 

We hope you have found this page helpful.  We are always open to feedback and if there is anything missing that you think would be helpful for us to include here, let us know and we will add it!

Bon Voyage