Driving to The Three Valleys from the UK

Posted on August 28, 2019

First up….

Google maps is your friend. Plot the route from door to door, chances are your apartment or chalet will be named on there. Just one note of caution, don’t have settings like ‘avoid toll roads’ on. We had a very painful family trip one Christmas when 11 of my nearest and dearest set off in three vehicles, walkie talkies in tow. The jokes started over the radio waves when we saw a lot of Belgian number plates in France…..yep, my poor Dad set the sat nav wrong and we spent a few extra hours on the road doing the scenic route. That was 2004, but you can be sure that story rears its ugly head every year!!

Pack wisely……

It is a long drive, but the big bonus is you have greater freedom for packing without worrying about luggage restrictions, so fill the boot, and maybe the roof box, but try and keep the body of the car as luggage free as possible so you have a bit more space to stretch out. Pack snacks (of all types!) and drinks aplenty, and if you are so inclined, a tablet or ipad of some sort for the smaller occupants never goes a miss to whittle away the hours without too much ‘are we there yet?’. We purchased some super cheap stands to go on the back of the headrests, so the screens were up at a reasonable height. We learnt the hard way that this was the way to do it after our five year old projectile vomited going up the windy mountain roads because she had her head bent down looking at a screen on her lap!

Moving onwards……

Based on the previous point, travel sickness tablets might be something you want to consider if you have anyone who struggles with motion sickness. You really don’t want your car shut up in an underground car park for the week smelling of vomit…..it doesn’t make for a pleasant trip home at the end of the week!!

To sleep or not to sleep?

We have done it both ways, left at 2.30am and driven all the way in one day, or made for a slightly more leisurely trip by leaving mid-morning and stopping in an overnight hotel. The latter is our preference on the way out and adds to the excitement of the holiday for the little ones. It also means you arrive slightly more rested to enjoy the week ahead.

Depending on your departure times, Reims, Troyes or Beaune all make for quite decent stopover points. We always book one of the bigger, chain style hotels as they tend to be close to the main road route and offer things like gated carparks, so you don’t necessarily feel the need to unload the full car! Book this well in advance too as they get booked up early for the traditionally popular ski weeks. The way home is a different matter, we tend to leave the resort at about 6/7am and keep going all the way…..McDonalds is a highlight when you get out the tunnel UK side!

Loo breaks….

You want to make your stopping points multi-functional….fuel, leg stretch, snack top up and loo break! I will be honest; we haven’t yet mastered which are the best stations to stop at as year on year they seem to move or be refurbished so it is hard to know which ones will offer the best services. I would say this, size is usually your friend in this instance! Do bear in mind that a lot of the stations are now pay at pump, and they take a card only, so think ahead about how you want to do that.

Toll stops…..

It is worth having cash at the ready, and any change you had floating around from previous holidays as the cost of the tolls can vary from one to the next. I think we totted up approximately €60 in toll costs each way last year. Tolls can sometimes prove a bit of a traffic bottle neck, but they pass relatively quickly in the scheme of things and traffic moves on quite well when you get the other side.

What to pack if you’re self-catering….  

At Christmas last year we stopped in Moutiers and did the big shop thinking we would save money. I don’t think we did. The kids and us were tired and we ended up confused and throwing all sorts in the trolley which we then had to fit round the rest of the luggage. If you are going to stop at one of the big supermarkets before heading up the mountain, make sure you are armed with a meal plan and a list. When we went at Easter, we did an online shop at home of all dried foods and drinks and packed it in the roof box with the rest of the luggage and then just got all meat, fresh food and baked goods in resort. This was definitely better for us, but each to their own and if you’re organized, I think either option can work.

Parting gift…..

Nothing but your own experience will ultimately help you perfect the ‘we drive to the mountains’ gig, but here are our top ten tips to give you a good kick start –

• Make sure the ipads are fully charged, with the further ability to charge in the car.
• Download new games and videos on ipads before you depart
• Have a rubbish bag in the car, and a spare bag for any emergency ‘I feel sick’ situations.
• Pack a spare, comfy travel outfit for everyone and make sure it’s easily accessible.
• Bring snacks and drinks for everyone and use a sturdy cool box for storage so it doesn’t all get squashed.
• Have snow chains (with gloves and coats to hand). Invariably you don’t have to use them (we have just once), but you wouldn’t want to be without them if they are truly needed and it is a legal requirement to have them in your car.
• Check you are insured for driving in France and carry your insurance certificate with you.  Also make sure your vehicle is fully serviced – it’s costly and stressful if you have to deal with a breakdown unnecessarily.
• Do book an overnight hotel on the drive down – and book well in advance.
• Book a parking space at your destination in advance
• Have cash in a separate wallet in the glove compartment for the tolls for ease and speed.

That’s all we have time for folks, but we couldn’t wrap up without saying we have worked out we travel door to door as family of four from the south of England to the Alps for about £600 and that includes fuel, tolls, the tunnel cost and an overnight hotel. We do this versus the flight option that usually comes out at about £2000 plus transfers for a family of four during peak weeks. Driving started out as a cost saving exercise for us, but we can’t imagine we would travel to the mountains any other way
now.

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