MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Hi
A few of us are heading to Les Arcs to ride with Trail Addiction this summer.
The plan is to go in one of the group's company car. The only catch that's come up is car insurance. His company/lease company won't insure other drivers fully comp. I could drive the car third party on my insurance, but I'm not keen in case I end up crashing the thing!
Any ideas/suggestions on a solution?
Cheers
Sean
Fly or eurostar
Hire a mini bus ?
I could drive the car third party on my insurance
are you sure your 3rd party cover applies aboard.
Fly to Geneva is the main alternative option
It's not that long a drive that you'd have to share the driving. I drove all the way there when I went 18 months ago.
Only caveat, I guess, is that I live in Kent, so an early train didn't mean too early a start.
I think we got a train at around 6-7 am, and arrived at about 6pm after a fairly leisurely journey.
Go in someone else's car.
I've been to the alps as an only driver quite a few times now. Tend to go overnight as the roads are quieter. Keep eating and drinking regularly, and it's not too bad at all (bar the year we got caught in a horrendous thunderstorm somewhere round Dijon). Good co-pilot helps loads.
Thanks for the responses.
Good advice about checking my car insurance and whether I'm covered in Europe.
I could take the family car, but not confident it would make it (1999 Ford Galaxy)!
Need to see if we can convince the owner to drive all the way... 🙂
the way there will be fine, but he'll absolutely hate you on the way home 😉
I drove from Chester to Chamonix this summer, with wife, 3 kids and my folks (4 bikes on the back). Tell him to man up.....
But to be a bit more realistic we did have a stop over half way which made it ok but I would suggest wasting 4 days traveling is not an option. Did the same drive the year before with my mates, straight trough 20 hours, 2 of us doing the driving, tough drive and the 2 of us where knackered the next day.
So either have a stop over, find a way to share it or plane.
Lastly, very jealous.....
If it's leased you just need to ring the lease company and ask for a VE103 form. Costs a tenner and you can add additional drivers. It's all I've done for the past few years.
Rusty chain- what week you going!?
Can't you just get some short term insurance of your own for the car? He'll need the lease companies permission to take it out of the country too, I don't know if thats what wilsoncat is referring to above.
I've driven to the Alps and back on my own, not that big a deal if you take it easy.
I'd be most surprised if the leasing company would allow the car to be driven third party only. If it was and there was a crash your friedns would probably be liable for damage and fired !
The drive is do-able with a single driver and as posted by others I've done the drive alone a few times. Long distance lorry drivers travel alone. 3-4 hrs max then take a break. As above it depends how long a drive it is to the tunnel in the uk. Lastly a 1999 Galaxy should handle the drive if the car is in decent condition mechanically and serviced,
Don't know about the insurance but used to drive from Macclesfield to that area every three weeks every December - april. Probably done it 40 times in total and it's not a hard drive. I found it easiest to drive through the night as there was no traffic and you could boot it on the French side. Only ever got caught speeding between Lyon and albertville. Best I ever had was getting off the ferry at 18:00 and just making last orders at the Pacific in val d'Isere.
Silliness aside, the best bet is ferry rather than tunnel as you get a decent break and the chance for a kip before the long run on the other side.
I drove from Chester to Chamonix this summer, with wife, 3 kids and my folks (4 bikes on the back). Tell him to man up.....
Stupid advice, it will take longer, need more breaks and maybe an overnight depending on how he feels - driving tired is stupid and dangerous not a source of extra man points.
Cars dont magically stop working in france.....
No reason a well serviced car wont make it to les arc and bac.
Stick the galaxy into garage. Fluids filters . Good check over - pay attention to tire damage and cooling system. But realy if you trust it to take your wife and kids o the shop it should go to france!
We drove the van down this year our only issue was i warped the disks coming off alpe dhuez because the clown infront wanted to drag his brake all the way down and my 1st gear wouldnt keep ot slow enough to be behind him.
Sounds like your car's much more suitable anyway OP.
Unles your mate's company car is a van.
It's not that long a drive
It f'in well is!
Expecting one person to do all the driving is taking the total piss, how long are you going for? A week? He'll be knackered for the first two days and wont be able to drink/stay up with everyone on the last night. Plus he will have to do any of the driving to other places (Tignes is nice, but 40 mins). It takes 20 mins to get into Bourg from 1800 etc.
You could ask your insurance company if they will cover you fully comp to drive the car.
Worth bearing in mind, if you take your own car, that your fully comp insurance might become third party in Europe. And get everbody to chip in for the kind of breakdown policy that gets you home if the worst happens.
Driving in France (apart from negotiating your way round Paris) is a pleasure but distance is distance...
We're going 12-19 July.
The Galaxy would be a great option in many ways - take some of the back seats out and it's virtually a van. I've done 30,000 in it and it's not broken down yet, so no reason to suspect it should give up the ghost on this particular journey!
The attraction of the company car is only having to pay for fuel (also very efficient compared to mine), should be reliable (Golf) and no wear and tear costs (Galaxy tyres are £100+ a corner!).
I did wonder about buying some extra insurance - will look into that. And I'll also check out the VE103 form.
how many in the golf ? more than 2 up and itll be a horror fest. been there done that.
FWIW we drove down from aberdeen (newcastle amsterdam ferry) and we took 3 days to get to gap driving leisurely - i did all the driving.
It's not that long a drive that you'd have to share the driving. I drove all the way there when I went 18 months ago.
Much better to share it if you can though, especially if going overnight. I saw more than one car weaving all over the autoroute on my way to Alpe d'Huez last summer.
if you crash and your mate gets out the passenger side, they will assume hes the driver, no?
only if he's not dead 🙄
if he is dead, he wont have to worry about not being insured...
Driving in France (apart from negotiating your way round Paris) is a pleasure but distance is distance...
It's easy Paris is not on the way to the alps.
The dull 3hrs in the middle is enough to push most over the edge
A few of us
(Golf)
How many is a few of us and where are you planning to put the bikes/kit?
It'll almost certainly be a much more pleasant experience in the Galaxy as you'll have a bit of room and be able to keep all the kit in the vehicle rather than have it on a rack and be scared all the way down.
As for wear and tear, it's only 2500 miles or so and at bangernomics rates that's no more than £600 worth of fuel and wear.
I've done 4 up to Bourg in an A3 and with kit but bikes in a van it was still not comfortable.
We did it four up in a Mondeo Estate with a roof box and bikes hanging off the back.
We did go to Chablis on the way down and stayed in Reims on the way back, but we were in the car for about 7 hours on the way to Reims and it sucked big time.
I wouldn't do it in a smaller vehicle with four people, no way.
I can't even see how you would get that many people plus bikes in/on an A3/Golf.
It's easy Paris is not on the way to the alps.
That very much depends on where your ferry goes to.
We did it in a golf estate in 2012, no problem. 4 people + bikes + kit for a weeks riding. Everything went in the boot & bikes on the roof, plenty of room - what are you lot taking with you? 😉
We're going 12-19 July.
Same week as me then 🙂 Also driving.
woody - its not about what im taking with me at that point - 4 up in a golf all adults of average size - height and build.
id rather take the london tube all the way.
We will be going with only one driver (me) setting off from West Yorkshire.
Decided to finish work Friday an hour or two early, drive to near Dover, night in a Travelodge, early ferry Saturday over to Calais then 8-9 hours drive to destination at a steady pace.
Should ensure I'm not too tired for first day and ensures we do not waste 2 holiday days getting there.
We've done Hertfordshire to Bourg a couple of times.
Did it all in one go on the return leg once - it's doable but it's a slog and as said above, the driver will be knackered and need recovery time.
I'm sure your mate will be aware, but don't forget the VE103 - it proves you have the vehicle owner's (lease company) permission to take the car overseas. If you're stopped without it, the French police can impound the car (never heard of this happening, but it could in theory). It's nothing to do with insurance though.
@Nick Chablis and Reims make good stopovers. I've driven myself to/from the Alps for a 4 day ski trip. I live 2hrs from tunnel and 6-8 other side depending on where I'm going. 4 of us did Marseilles (9-12 hours from tunnel as we got bad traffic on way down, was easier back in 2007 as vitally no speed cameras on Peage whereas now there are dozens), 2 hrs driving each, easy. All of this is A6 diesel estate, fabulous car for eating motorway miles. My view of driving distances changed when I lived in the US, I used to drive 6-7 hrs for a 3 day weekend's skiing in Vermont. 3hrs each way for a days skiing in upstate NY.
@dangerous, that's a good plan. Just make sure it's your "navigators" job to answer your every whim and keep you interested and motivated with their "witty repartee". To be honest I suspect the drive down the UK will be the hardest part.
jambalaya - I also suspect the worst part will be the M1/M25 for 5 hours or more.
3 people in a Golf / A3 if you have accommodation. 2 if you're camping. Bike on roof both time.
I wouldn't want to be a sole driver though. What happens if you have an accident and can't drive back?
If there is 4 of you have you investigated hiring a large people carrier / crew cab van?
What happens if you have an accident and can't drive back?
It's covered in my Green Flag breakdown cover.
Novotel Reims is a good call for stopover - they don;t bat an eyelid when you walk through reception with a bike on your shoulder!
we did Manchester to les arc (via Chunnel) in the summer last year. It took about 15 hours in total, and we split the driving between two of us.
I definitely would not want to drive the whole distance myself. It took about 15 hours door to door.
Once in france the autoroutes were almost totally traffic free, a total contrast to driving in the UK.
Can you get European breakdown cover for the galaxy? In the past anything over 15 yers is a problem unless it is a classic
My mate was able to insure his 30+ year old car with the RAC for Europe. They give you a cooling off period, so it was cancelled when we got back.
I've only driven to T'Alps once. Way there seemed to take forever, really tiring and had to pull over for a good kip. Way back was really easy straight through the night got on an earlier ferry, last car on.
So I think the easiness of long distance driving depends on things other than how far it is and what car you are in...
So I think the easiness of long distance driving depends on things other than how far it is and what car you are in...
True.
On our way back to Reims, which was on a Saturday, the motorway was heaving, no jams like UK roads but the bastards will not ever ever never let you out into the outside lane to overtake something going slowly, must be a French thing but it really started to piss me off after 7 hours.
If there is 4 of you have you investigated hiring a large people carrier
he owns a large people carrier, he just wants his mate to drive
😉
he owns a large people carrier, he just wants his mate to drive
Busted! 😮
Same week as me then Also driving.
Look forward to seeing you out there!
We'll be driving down from York, so planning to leave Friday morning. Plan is an easy trip to Kent, channel crossing, a bit of driving and then a stop over somewhere. Up early to get there in good time.
Did find some short term car insurance, but car owner happy to drive if we stay in hotels both ways.
Looking at 3 of us and 2 bikes in the golf. Friends are going in a van, so may be able to carry bikes for us.
As for getting back if the driver breaks something? Hoping the travel insurance/car breakdown will cover that!
Same week as me then Also driving.
Look forward to seeing you out there!
We'll be driving down from York, so planning to leave Friday morning. Plan is an easy trip to Kent, channel crossing, a bit of driving and then a stop over somewhere. Up early to get there in good time.
Did find some short term car insurance, but car owner happy to drive if we stay in hotels both ways.
Looking at 3 of us and 2 bikes in the golf. Friends are going in a van, so may be able to carry bikes for us.
As for getting back if the driver breaks something? Hoping the travel insurance/car breakdown will cover that!