Driving to a European Ski or Snowboarding Resort is easier than you think.
Over the last few weeks we’ve spoken to a large number of customers thining of driven to European this winter to go skiing and snowboarding?
To help we’ve put some useful information together, for those thinking of driving to a European ski or snowboarding, it’s a great alternative to flying. You can pack the family in the car, take as much ski and snowboarding equipment you want even take the dog, it's easy to travel door to door.
The Channel Crossing by Eurotunnel:
Approximately 4hours from Cardiff, 230miles (Junction 11A of the M20).
It can be a little more expensive than catching the ferry but it’s the quickest and probably easiest option to get over the English Channel to France. The crossing takes just over half an hour and you’re pretty much straight on the motorway when you arrive in France. You can find a lot more information on prices and help booking your tickets at eurotunnel.com
Alternatively, you can catch The Ferry:
This is normally the most popular way across the English Channel the most popular route is Dover to Calais but other alternatives are available your chose will depend on where you’re are starting from and your final destination.
Alternatives routs you can consider:
- Folkestone to Calais,
Portsmouth to Caen, Le Havre, St Malo or Cherbourg,
Plymouth to Roscoff,
Dover to Boulogne or Dunkirk,
Newhaven to Dieppe,
Poole to Cherbourg or St Malo.
You can book directly with the main ferry operators
DFDS Seaways, https://www.dfds.com/en-gb/passenger-ferries
Brittany Ferries, https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/
P&O Ferries, https://www.poferries.com/en
Here are a few other things to consider when driving to a ski resort in the winter.
Buy snow chains before you go, familiarise yourself with how they fit, practice putting them on, you don’t want to get stuck half way up a mountain not knowing how they fit.
Check as it’s compulsory in many countries to carry snow chains in mountain areas. You should only use snow chains when snow is on the road, there should be signs showing specific areas where chains can be fitted.
Check your car insurance and get overseas breakdown cover.
Check if you will require winter tyres.
Make yourself a safety kit, carry a spade, a road side triangle, torch and a high vis vest.
Check your anti-icing solution, keep the washer bottle topped.
Check tyre pressure and tread.
Planing your rout:
It’s quicker to use the main toll roads, when driving through Europe you’ll have to pay road tolls fees, so make sure you have some Euros (most tolls now take contactless payment) and if you're travelling in Switzerland take Swiss Francs.
At the tolls: remember they drive on the right in Europe so toll booths are on the left if you’re driving a UK car, bear this in mind!
A useful website www.autoroutes.fr can help price how much the tolls will cost.
Check overseas driving regulations, carry your driving license, vehicle registration document, and certificate of motor insurance.
Here are a few ski resorts distances from Calais, please plan your own rout. Google Maps is a great place to start.
France: Chatel is 822km approx., Morzine is 872km approx., Flaine is 881km approx., Chamonix is 892km approx., La Plagne is 930km approx., Les Deux Alpes is 933km approx. and Les Arcs is 976km approx..
Italy: Courmayeur is 911km approx., La Thuile is 940km approx. and Cervinia is 1000km approx.
We hope you find this page usefull, it's ment to be used only as advice and not as factuall.