UKC

im wondering whether to book some flights or whether to drive to cham,it will obviously cost much more but i thought i would get some experience/info of peeps on ukc about costs/ferries/ driving routes etc,im going in a month and need to make my mind up so i can book stuff,i will be on my own most likely unless someone needs a lift the same time im going,i would like to take 2 axes ropes,assorted gear,tent/mat/stove as i will be camping so would prob need two bags for a flight,or if im in the car i can take bigger tent/chairs etc..
any info would be appreciated..
cheers cliff...

In reply to cliff shasby:

Driving is cheaper us 2 or more of you. You could always look to give someone a lift and halve your costs.

In reply to cliff shasby:

If you decide to drive, we found ferries were cheaper from Dover to Dunkirk than they were on the other routes. Also, be prepared to sail at anti-social times

In reply to girlymonkey:


.....which means as a solo driver your body clock goes all over the place and you can end up driving long legs on unfamiliar routes whilst feeling totally shattered.....take care, take it easy.

In reply to sbc_10:


Plus 1.
Although fast, the French motorways are monotonous. You will struggle to keep awake. It's bad enough alternating with 2 of you. Consider breaking the journey half way at somewhere like a Formula 1 which will pobably add another £25 or so to your costs each way.

In reply to cliff shasby:

We've also got a Sanef Tag for the French Mway tolls - going though the barrier at 30 km/h missing all the Qs never get old

Will be useful if driving alone as tickets/machines on the other sdie

In reply to cliff shasby:
If you're going out for two weeks or more, driving has great advantages. You can take whatever you want, which you already know, and if the weather gets bad in the area you're heading for you can easily get to lower level crags where conditions may well be fine, or other mountain areas: sometimes it's still good in the Ecrins or Dolomites when it's bad in Chamonix. Gear left in a locked car will always be safer than in a tent, too.

Calais to Chamonix is not that hard a drive. Eight hours if you're pushing it, ten if you take it easy and stop for leisurely meals. About the same to the Oberland; a little more to Randa or Saas.

In reply to David Rose:

The worst bit is getting to Dover! (if you live Northwards)

And don't forget you have to pay for the Dartford Thames Crossing on-line now or at a PayZone

https://www.gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge

In reply to cliff shasby:

You also asked about routes. The easiest way is to avoid Paris: take the road via Reims and Chalon to Dijon, then south to Macon and turn left on to the autoroute blanche for Chamonix, or Geneva if you're heading for the Valais. For the Oberland, cross into Germany further north and cross the Swiss border at Basel. For Italy - the Italian side of the Pennine Alps or the Gran Paradiso - go through the Mont Blanc tunnel and down the Aosta valley from Courmayeur. For the Ecrins or Vanois, as for Chamonix but turn off the Autoroute du Soleil further south, at Lyon, and head for Grenoble.

In reply to cliff shasby:

I flew to chamonix a few weeks back, it was about £200 for two return flights and 2 hold bags. Then with 90 Euros for a return transfer. We were camping in the valley and mixed climbing but managed to get all gear and kit under 40KG bags with all essentials.

flight is about 1 hour 40 to from liverpool to geneva and then about the same via transfer to cham.

And you can have a few beers in the airport!

In reply to cliff shasby:

Also, if you are going for a month, then having a car gives so many options to escape if (when!) the weather is crap.

In reply to cliff shasby:

We keep costs down by leaving late and driving through the night - if you get tired just pull in to one of the motorway Aires and have a sleep. This also has the advantage of missing (most of) the traffic jams. Either way, definitely by car with the amount of kit and time your planning.... Bon vacances.......

In reply to Ndawson:

Alpy bus do a transfer for 47E, who did you use?

Same for flight and two hold bags (going heavy this year) flying Edinburgh-Geneva.

In reply to cliff shasby:

I see you come from oop North.

leave Lancs at 15h, book your ferry for about 11pm or 12 - you might get an earlier one depending on traffic round the M25. Drive for maximum 2 hours into France, you'll be tired by then, pull up in an Aire, sleep until first light. Get to Alps by evening next day with a couple of long breaks during the day. Easy.

Bog

In reply to cliff shasby:

Drive to portsmouth, then get the overnight portsmouth to le havre ferry. Wake up around 6am, have mcdonalds in le havre then drive to cham, should arrive there around 5/6pm. On the way back choose calais to dover then if you get stuck in traffic or arrive early you can change your ferry. I normally book a 6/7pm ferry and arrive like 3/4ish.

The drive is boring and straight forward. I did it once only stopping once for fuel - by the time I was at the ferry I was wrecked, stop every two to three hours now.

In reply to Roberttaylor:

We got alpy bus for 90E for two people return. About 22.50 for one person one way. Same with flights all for two adults and a hold bag each. We booked it in about 3 week advance. It may be slightly more expensive but your there in half a day with no fuss.

In reply to cliff shasby:

Hi There,
I driven down to Alps for past 20 years+ either with friends or alone. I'm here at the moment in fact. Also flown out mainly in winter,or as a quick return to the Uk for a week or so then back to work out here.

The drive from Calias, Dunkirk is cheaper option,I normaly use auto routes,with tolls so from Calias to Cham this year 2015 was around 8o euros in tolls Sanef tag very usefull,as stated, as the payment tolls are on passenger side and some now are un maned so you will have to get out of the car to pay,iether cash or card,I fill up the car in Dover and get here with fuel to spare,diesel,ford focus estate. I have been to known to do it in a one'er but it doe's trash you,and not to be recomended. Early ferries are cheaper,think mine was at 17.50pm with P+O and I was on the other side with a good few hours of driving in daylight, had a good snooze in the car and was in my appartmet in Aregentiere by 10 am.
Good points made with car are that you can move around, get out of the valley if the weather is crap or you just want a change of scenary,believe or not there are other areas in the Alps other than Cham that are well woth a vissit.

For me the car is a necessity,transporting clients and gear.

If alone,just take loads of breaks,snooze time, the auto routes as mentioned are boring as hell.

Have a safe journey what ever method you use and enjoy the Alps.

In reply to cliff shasby:

I've driven 10s of thousands of kms in France, Italy, Slovenia, Austria and Switzerland, on motorways and alpine roads. The roads are usually so much better than over here. When I get back to the UK you realise how bad the standard of driving in the UK can be!

Best advice is to take your time, enjoy the trip (hundreds of beautiful small French villages along the way). You can sleep in any of the aires along the motorways (some are nicer than others), but be aware of theft overnight. If in doubt, drive on to the next one.

Use the motorway and pay the tolls, it'll save a lot of time and is worth it IMO.

In reply to cliff shasby:

If your going for a month and in no hurry , I would suggest stopping at font for a few days on the way , breaks the journey up great , I've stopped there the last 5 years on the way to zermatt , chamonix, verdon , you name it I just head to font , chill for a day or two , then anywhere after that is not too far or increasingly less boaring as you get closer

In reply to cliff shasby:

Just returned from the alps (Dolomites then Cham), driving down and on my own. Contrary to what lots of people have said I found the solo driving actually wasn't too bad. Give yourself enough rests and the odd energy drink, you'll be surprised by how long you can keep going for. I slept in a layby on a quiet road about half way down once I got tired.
Avoiding tolls reduces the cost quite significantly, but does add a couple hours onto the drive. Roads are somewhat less monotonous too.

I found having a car really valuable - great for being able to take lots of kit (and all your food, plenty of clothes, etc.). Also means you can be really flexible on where you climb which you can decide when you're there based on weather and partners. Leaving kit in the car and sleeping in it were another reason.

In reply to JonLongshanks:

Hardest bit is getting to Dover.

Boring roads, Easy driving, can be awful in heavy rain.

Two driving it's a piss of pissoir.
8hrs to Chamonix.

Tolls cheaper now with the euro rate.

In reply to cliff shasby:

If you'd seen the convoy of old decrepid bangers (and their cars?) overloaded and limping towards Chamonix before the advent of fast autoroutes and modern cars... you wouldn't even be asking the questions! A mate of mine took two days to get his mini van from Sallanches to Chamonix in 50m sprints, steam blowing from just about everywhere!

In reply to cliff shasby:

hi mate , when r u going , i have driven there 3 times in my van in winter to do low down stuff , o

In reply to cliff shasby:

it's not worth the fatigue for 2 weeks. And it takes too long.

You can avoid peage tolls by turning left from Dunkirk and going via Luxembourg. very good of your going any where East if champion as you can go into Swiss via bern.

I'd strongly recommend air con and decent music. sat navigation pretty handy if your on your tod. frankly I'm surprised I've never had a bump while map reading.

In reply to alasdair19:



What?

In reply to cliff shasby:

East of Chamonix???

In reply to deepstar:


There is nothing east of Chamonix. Well OK, there's Switzerland...

In reply to cliff shasby:

thanks very much for all the replies,i ended up booking flights as cost was going to be around £500 at least just for me to go in the car,now i have to worry about it being gas mark 7 in cham..