Who’s going skiing and where 2019
Discussion
Simond S said:
Booked La Tania for Feb.
Driving for the first time. Advice welcomed.
Driving the Discovery, do i need winter tyres or can i use normal tyres and snow chains?
It isn't compulsory to have winter tyres in France. You will need though snow-chains, as depending upon the conditions, it can be required to fit them.Driving for the first time. Advice welcomed.
Driving the Discovery, do i need winter tyres or can i use normal tyres and snow chains?
Personally, even though it isn't a legal requirement, I would strongly advise to fit winter tyres. From your own family's safety point of view, they really do make a massive difference if the conditions become treacherous.
EddieSteadyGo said:
Simond S said:
Booked La Tania for Feb.
Driving for the first time. Advice welcomed.
Driving the Discovery, do i need winter tyres or can i use normal tyres and snow chains?
It isn't compulsory to have winter tyres in France. You will need though snow-chains, as depending upon the conditions, it can be required to fit them.Driving for the first time. Advice welcomed.
Driving the Discovery, do i need winter tyres or can i use normal tyres and snow chains?
Personally, even though it isn't a legal requirement, I would strongly advise to fit winter tyres. From your own family's safety point of view, they really do make a massive difference if the conditions become treacherous.
Simond S said:
EddieSteadyGo said:
Simond S said:
Booked La Tania for Feb.
Driving for the first time. Advice welcomed.
Driving the Discovery, do i need winter tyres or can i use normal tyres and snow chains?
It isn't compulsory to have winter tyres in France. You will need though snow-chains, as depending upon the conditions, it can be required to fit them.Driving for the first time. Advice welcomed.
Driving the Discovery, do i need winter tyres or can i use normal tyres and snow chains?
Personally, even though it isn't a legal requirement, I would strongly advise to fit winter tyres. From your own family's safety point of view, they really do make a massive difference if the conditions become treacherous.
I've never be to the resort in question but I have driven to Chamonix many times & I have never once had winter tires, sure get them for your car if you live out in the countryside in UK but if your a city dweller in UK don't waste the money, get a set of cheap snow chains.
if of course you plan to drive to alps 3 times a year or money is not tight, then get them.
if of course you plan to drive to alps 3 times a year or money is not tight, then get them.
jonny996 said:
I've never be to the resort in question but I have driven to Chamonix many times & I have never once had winter tires, sure get them for your car if you live out in the countryside in UK but if your a city dweller in UK don't waste the money, get a set of cheap snow chains.
if of course you plan to drive to alps 3 times a year or money is not tight, then get them.
And you do it in a 996 911! if of course you plan to drive to alps 3 times a year or money is not tight, then get them.
Welshbeef said:
Simond S said:
EddieSteadyGo said:
Simond S said:
Booked La Tania for Feb.
Driving for the first time. Advice welcomed.
Driving the Discovery, do i need winter tyres or can i use normal tyres and snow chains?
It isn't compulsory to have winter tyres in France. You will need though snow-chains, as depending upon the conditions, it can be required to fit them.Driving for the first time. Advice welcomed.
Driving the Discovery, do i need winter tyres or can i use normal tyres and snow chains?
Personally, even though it isn't a legal requirement, I would strongly advise to fit winter tyres. From your own family's safety point of view, they really do make a massive difference if the conditions become treacherous.
jonny996 said:
I've never be to the resort in question but I have driven to Chamonix many times & I have never once had winter tires, sure get them for your car if you live out in the countryside in UK but if your a city dweller in UK don't waste the money, get a set of cheap snow chains.
if of course you plan to drive to alps 3 times a year or money is not tight, then get them.
Chamonix is low, has a motorway running right to it, and is very well swept. I'd be amazed if you needed snow tyres or chains more than a couple of days a year.if of course you plan to drive to alps 3 times a year or money is not tight, then get them.
La Tania is on much smaller roads and although only 400m higher, is going to get significantly more days when they'll insist on you chaining up. So whilst I don't disagree that snow tyres are probably unnecessary for one trip a year, I wouldn't dismiss them out of hand based on your experience of Chamonix.
Personally I run my XC90 on Continental CrossClimates year-round, which are better than my old Yokohama Geolanders in summer and were truly excellent last winter both in the UK (you may remember we had a little snow once or twice), and coming over the Col du Lauteret at 2000m in a fairly considerable blizzard.
Cheers chaps.
I'm quite happy to pay for the tyres. Having never driven before i want this to be a bit of a road trip (accept others do it annually but a first for us).
We use winter tyres on the rwd cars and have for ten years or so, so I appreciate the benefits in the Uk as well. Obviously with the Disco grip isnt usually an issue here, but better tp be properly equipped.
Anyone have thoughts on snow socks instead of chains? or are the better on lighter vehicles.
I'm quite happy to pay for the tyres. Having never driven before i want this to be a bit of a road trip (accept others do it annually but a first for us).
We use winter tyres on the rwd cars and have for ten years or so, so I appreciate the benefits in the Uk as well. Obviously with the Disco grip isnt usually an issue here, but better tp be properly equipped.
Anyone have thoughts on snow socks instead of chains? or are the better on lighter vehicles.
Simond S said:
I'm quite happy to pay for the tyres. Having never driven before i want this to be a bit of a road trip (accept others do it annually but a first for us).
We use winter tyres on the rwd cars and have for ten years or so, so I appreciate the benefits in the Uk as well. Obviously with the Disco grip isnt usually an issue here, but better tp be properly equipped.
Anyone have thoughts on snow socks instead of chains? or are the better on lighter vehicles.
It's a bit old, but this video shows the comparative grip between a 4x4 on summer tyres and a 2 wheel drive car on winter tyres. We use winter tyres on the rwd cars and have for ten years or so, so I appreciate the benefits in the Uk as well. Obviously with the Disco grip isnt usually an issue here, but better tp be properly equipped.
Anyone have thoughts on snow socks instead of chains? or are the better on lighter vehicles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfuE00qdhLA
It isn't much of a spoiler to say the grip of a 4x4 on summer tyres is hardly any better on snow than a 2 wheel drive car.
I accept it isn't a necessity, and you probably would be fine without winter tyres. But I've been caught on an autobahn in Germany at night in the middle of a very bad snowstorm where the conditions and visibility were awful. The last thing you would want in a situation like that is being on summer tyres....
I've never used snow socks and despite driving in the alps dozens of times, I've only actually needed snowchains except on a couple of occasions. The last time, a storm came in almost from nowwhere and made the mountain pass barely passable. Lots of people were caught out.
i've had a disaster to the start of my snowy winter plans, mrs malks has said she doesnt want to go skiing this year, my mates are going for a long weekend to take in the kitzbuhel downhill weekend (but I cant get flights to work), others are only doing a week with young kids (dont want to crash a family holiday with no-one to apres with)........ but finally some other friends have come through with including me in their long weekend (which i might up to a week, with a few days solo), no idea where or when, but at least I have some chance of getting to the snow!
deckster said:
Currently looking at something a bit different from the usual half-term week in France and thinking of going to Finland in February. No real idea of what to expect but looks like there are a few small-ish resorts north of the Arctic Circle which sort of appeals. Floodlit skiing under the Northern Lights definitely sounds like an experience worth having for a start!
I imagine it's going to be pretty chilly but anybody skiied Finland before and have any tips, how to get there, do we need a car, things to do, not do...?
We had a family trip to Yllas, in February, which is some distance north of the Arctic Circle. One of the best skiing holidays ever.......but we went for the nordic skiing not the downhill. There is a downhill resort there (one of the few in Finland) but you would exhaust all pistes within a day or so if you are a good intermediate skier or better. Having said that, the place was very quiet when we ventured out for a fun day's downhill on utterly perfect and very cold 'corduroy' pisted runs. It's very cold there! We had -32 degrees C. one day...during the day not night when it can be colder. When we were there daytime air temps were somewhere between -15 to -20. In summary, Yllas is a fantastic nordic skiing location (300km of prepared nordic trails, some floodlit) with some limited downhill skiing.I imagine it's going to be pretty chilly but anybody skiied Finland before and have any tips, how to get there, do we need a car, things to do, not do...?
The scenery is enchanting in an Arctic tundra way but with additional pine forests. Measured over a metre of snow on the ground when we were there. Doesn't sound much by Alpine standards but it remains super cold all day right throughout the winter so no melt cycles resulting in ice or 'porridge'.
We flew there but did contemplate driving from the UK, which would have been possible but it's a long way and distinctly adventuresome! FYI the Finns keep the roads beautifully clear but you often drive on very cold but reasonably grippy hardpack snow (on winter tyres, of course). The locals all seem to drive 'normal' front wheel drive cars shod with winter tyres.
Edited by Depthhoar on Wednesday 5th September 16:35
I appear to have "accidentally" booked myself a trip powder skiing in Niseko for a week in January.
I blame the heliski operators in Whistler last year who raved about the place..........
The family trip will probably be to Obertauern, one of my favourite family resorts and somewhere I have skiied since the early eighties (probably 20+ weeks there). I can draw the piste map from memory
I blame the heliski operators in Whistler last year who raved about the place..........
The family trip will probably be to Obertauern, one of my favourite family resorts and somewhere I have skiied since the early eighties (probably 20+ weeks there). I can draw the piste map from memory
Edited by troc on Tuesday 11th September 10:58
S100HP said:
Anyone booked to go to Chamonix?
Naa, too many fires - https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/auvergne-r...Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff