Driving to Geneva for motor show?

[mhh]

I live in Australia but have a 918 in the UK. I'm planning a trip to the Geneva Show in March. Would it be dangerous to drive there (early March) from London? I know it's a dull schlep across France on the autoroutes but I'd hope to get down to Monaco and St Tropez afterwards if it was feasible before finding a circuitous route back to Calais. I know it's not the best time of year for touring due to weather but I'm busting to get back in the car.

Edited by mhh on Saturday 28th November 07:59

[spareparts]

Have done this a few times in a GT3. It's an easy drive.

[Wilmslowboy]

In March you could (will) face snow and ice on the route

Last 100k on the A40 could be slow and snowy ??

[IREvans]

mhh said:

I live in Australia but have a 918 in the UK. I'm planning a trip to the Geneva Show in March. Would it be dangerous to drive there (early March) from London? I know it's a dull schlep across France on the autoroutes but I'd hope to get down to Monaco and St Tropez afterwards if it was feasible before finding a circuitous route back to Calais. I know it's not the best time of year for touring due to weather but I'm busting to get back in the car.

Edited by mhh on Saturday 28th November 07:59

You'll be fine - I've driven that journey from UK to Geneva, including beyond to Route Napoleon many times in January and February, often in cars with less than ideal tyres, like a 991 GT3 on Michelin Cup 2s.

I'm not sure if there is a winter tyre available for the 918, but if there is, you may as well get them fitted.

[Geneve]

You should be fine in early March.

Just for Palexpo, I'd fly to Geneva in the morning and back at the end of the day. But, for an onward trip to the cote d'azur, you should enjoy some nice weather and quiet roads.

There's a thread somewhere on here from a New Zealand guy who picked up a GT3 from the factory, a couple of years ago, and did a similar trip down to Saint Tropez in mid-winter.

[mybrainhurts]

Remember the French require you to carry approved breathalysers.

And be careful with speed. They can confiscate your car if you're x kph over the limit now.

[iguana]

mybrainhurts said:

Remember the French require you to carry approved breathalysers.

That idea was scrapped about a year ago.

[mybrainhurts]

iguana said:

mybrainhurts said:

Remember the French require you to carry approved breathalysers.

That idea was scrapped about a year ago.

Bloody frogs didn't ask me...

I thought it had been delayed, no?

[Mondrian]

Weather is a bit hit & miss, I have had T-shirt & blue sky in Geneva/late March & closed roads late May due to snow in Switzerland (mountains). IIRC the whole route to Geneva is mostly motorways anyway so you should be ok.

[mhh]

Thanks everyone. The original plan was to head to Germany to meet friends in Baden-Baden first and convoy to Geneva from there but that might be pushing our luck.

[mybrainhurts]

mhh said:

Baden-Baden

Nasty stutter you've got there, bad luck...

[Cheib]

I'm sorry but the "you'll be fine" advice is just plain bks. Snow tyres are a legal requirement in Germany and in Switzerland whilst they aren't if it does snow and you don't have tyres fitted you're liable to a fine and if you get stranded and block the road they'll throw the book at you (as a foreigner its an on the spot fine and they carry card machines for the purpose!). I think you have to carry snow chains in Switzerland though .

I've done the journey to and from Switzerland from the UK many times in winter and have probably hired a car from Geneva 50 plus times in winter. It can be blue skies and 10 degrees in Geneva at that time of year or it can be a blizzard and inches of snow on the ground.

[mhh]

Oops, I'd forgotten to report back. We made it OK. Some overnight snow near Paris and steady rain down to Geneva where things fined up. It was great fun.

[smithyithy]

Good effort, being used properly