Well, I am considering driving out to the alps and staying in a private chalet or similar rather than my usual year flight/package deal.

Has anyone done this or have good recommendations?

I drove to Ellmau in Austria a couple of years ago.
Given the delays and long transfer time to Les Arcs the previous year, door to door (Merseyside) was about the same.
Outward journey is fine when you are looking forward to the trip. Return journey is a drag, especially the UK bit!
Saved a bit of money but not a huge amount.

Don’t do it; it’s a ball-ache not to mention dangerous. You have a 1 in 40,000 chance of being involved in a car crash, probably considerably more on unfamiliar roads when you’re tired, in winter conditions. Compared with that you have a 1 in 30,000,000 chance of being in a ‘plane crash and even then you have a 50/50 chance of surviving.

European motorways are a nightmare during the holidays, Google for the French Autoroutes association animated map of blockages at the time you plan to be driving. Fuel, tolls, insurance, motorway food etc. etc. make it not much cheaper than flying for an unpleasant and exhausting experience. And yes the bit from Dover to anywhere in the UK is even worse after European motorways.

depends where you are going

Morzine/Les gets it is much easier to fly and transfer IMO

If you’re going further afield then driving is okay. I’ve done it to Verbier and back on my own and enjoyed it. I’d do it again but maybe not alone….

Last year I drove to the Massif Central after work from London with 5 of us in the car. It worked out pretty cheap, but the main advantage was that I didn’t use up a day each side travelling. I’m tight with my minimal holiday allowance and only took 3 days off work to get 5 days on the slopes. It is tiring but I feel that’s a price worth paying.

Driven to alps many times, cost wise 2 people = breakeven. Driving on French motorways is a pleasure, only queues I have ever encountered are once getting off the motorways.

Things to consider: Snow chains are a must as Gendarmes will not let you up the mountain without if snowing.

As above you get extra days skiing compared to time off work. I work in central London, generally we leave directly after work, go via the tunnel and arrive in resort (Tarantaise) by 8am ready to ski.

ive driven to london from home a few times to see family.

its a doddle!

i wouldnt even think not too tbh. more backage no pain in the arse fat **** next to me eating his fat face and dropping crumbs on me.
…….and the biggest part is!!!!

travel before the flight is for anyway 1.5hrs
waiting for plane 2 hrs
flight time to innsbruck 1.5hrs
waiting for baggage and customs 45 mins
driving home 15 mins

thats a total of 6hrs!

only took me 9.5 hrs to drive to london in the comfort of my nice warm car with music and no pain in the arse checkout girl telling me i have to pay for that extra 1 kilo which will be 10000000000 euros!

and its a little adventure.

aus, ger, hol, bel, fra, uk

fuel and ferry costs were, 260 euro. too altogether.

Austria +1

I’d much rather catch the overnight Hull-Rotterdam then zip down through Germany, than do the airport parking + two hour check in + Flight delay + Hire car.

[Edit] Too Slow – Nick got there first [/Edit]

You still loose most of a day in travelling at each end of the holiday, whichever one you opt for.

Taking the car makes it worthwhile taking your own skis too, so you avoid the hire shop hassle too. (Bonus)

Driving gets my vote.

We ferried and drove to Deux Alps last year. French/German/Dutch motorways are much better organised than the UK’s so it’s a relatively and comparatively pleasant experience. It’s point-to-point at a speed that suits you, and you can stop randomly along the way if you feel like it. I’d defintely take it over rail or flying.

probably considerably more on unfamiliar roads when you’re tired, in winter conditions.

I agree if I was driving at night but my trip was in daylight and we stayed over in Munich for one night and were on the slopes the next morning. We didnt encouter “winter conditions” as such only when we drove into the resort and even then the roads were very clear and although we had chains we never needed them.

I did it once to Val D’Isère. Not too much fun. Heavy rain turned to monster wet snow. Then the Gendarmes ordered us all to put the snow chains on at the start of the climb. – I recall grovelling under a filthy car in pitch dark with heavy sleet in the middle of the night.

The skiing was great, but by the end of the week we couldn’t see the car. Just a pile of snow.(And a flat battery).

Not sure if its a new thing, but a lot of countries make winter tyres compulsorary.

They have to have the German markings M&S (snow and slush) IIRC, fines vary by country from the equivalent to a UK speeding fine ~£60 to £5000!

Might make it less economic seeing as they don’t last as long as summer tyres anyway.

They aircraft safety thing is a total myth. The real safety stats are related to likelihood per mile travelled by plane or car, and the plane is much much worse. In your life you are more likely to die in and RTA because you spend more time on the roads, but every time you get in a plane the risk is greater than every time you get in a car.

Great idea and have done so several times to Vallandry (les Arcs)

Took around 12 hours all in drove overnight, shared the driving load and costs between 4 and arrived in reasonable shape at 9am in time for the first lifts. Costs were lower than flying by a fair bit. Went in March and snow chains weren’t taken.