Driving to Morzine? Would you recommend it?

[chicaguapa]

DD(8) and DS(5) are good at travelling in the car so I'm really tempted to just load the car up with a DVD player and 2 DSs and drive there instead of messing around at airports etc. Is is really the easiest option though? Would you recommend it?

[CaurnieBred]

We drove to La Tania this year. Had no problems with DD (aged 4). We overnighted at the HOolidy Inn Express at Folkestone on the night before, so we could get an early (well, early for DH!) 0820 hrs crossing. Took us 9 hours to drive, with an hour stop for lunch, and a couple of other wee/petrol stops. Was great being able to load the car up with everything we needed - plus we could take our own food supplies with us and a step so that DD could reach the taps.

Only problem now is the rate of exchange. Petrol here is 99p/l: there it was ?1.22/l. Which hasn't been a problem in the past but this year . . .

Would def do it again though. On the way back took us 12 hours door to door (north London).

[mumof2222222222222222boys]

We drive to France regularly - although it is a slog for a week. Overnighting on the Portsmouth ferry makes life easier but is not cheap. After a hideous transfer from Geneva to Val d'Isere some years ago (6 hours in bus plus all the hanging about), we abandoned flights. Usually we stop overnight one way - but you don't need to and Morzine is in the northern Alps so nearer.

However, we went for a week's skiing (southern Alps Puy St Vincent/ Serre Che/Montgenevre) in March and decided to Easyjet it to Marseille. Excellent move...but only if you can limit your baggage!

It is a toss up with costs and convenience. Our flights for 4 came to £250 plus hire car £170 plus a bit of petrol and parking at Gatwick (£40) - probably cheaper than the ferry tolls and petrol.

[jack99]

We drove to Bernex (close to Morzine) at half term. Was really easy, better than flying and much cheaper.

Took Eurotunnel then drove straight through with no overnight. Took 9 hours door to door.

Loved convenience of chucking everything in the car plus avoiding need for car hire.

Will definitely drive next year.

[LunarSea]

We drive down regularly - last couple of years have been to Samoens which is about the same as Morzine in driving distance. We usually book one fo the cheap French hotels for an overnight on the way (gets a bit more tricky if you want rooms for 4 as you might end up needing 2 room - at the moment we get away with a room for 3 with our pair, 7 and 2). Look at the specialist ski-drive operators who often have good self catering deals - we use Peak Retreats, Eurotunnel also have their own ski booking organisation. Both of those also include a flexiplus upgrade which gets you loung access (and free food/drink) at the channel tunnel terminal.

[stringbean]

We've driven several times, and it's definitely my choice - the holiday begins as soon as we get on the ferry! You do have to take into account tolls, and fuel is probably more expensive at the moment due to exchange rates, but motorway services are much better than those in the UK; I usually pack a picnic and snacks but we always stop for breakfast. Would probably take 8-10 hours, depending on how often/long you stopped.

We usually stop overnight on the way down, and make sure we do our shopping before we go up the mountain. We drove to Flaine a few years ago, and could have made it there in a day, but chose to stop overnight (didn't really like the idea of driving up the mountain in the dark when it was snowing!). Novotels do family rooms for four (double bed and fold-out beds for kids) and breakfast is free for under-12s; Ibis hotels usually have interconnecting rooms, so suitable for families, and free breakfast for kids too. We live near Portsmouth, so it's a bit of a no-brainer for us, but I like the idea of trying the Eurotunnel one year to compare the two.

[GoodbyeClement]

we drove to les gets, next to morzine, at half term. left after school, got chunnel, stayed in a 4 bed hotel room overnight in reims then drove the rest of the way arriving mid afternoon. we drove straight back in one day. fine for a week. Have done it twice. same age kids as you. if you would like hotel details i can recommend it.

[GoodbyeClement]

oohh if you do go that way, you MUST avoid the main road at the last bit up the mountain. the old road through the smaller villages takes 30 mins whereas you could be stuck in traffic for 3 hours easily going the other way. i sound like my dad....

[jack99]

I've stayed in Novotels for stopovers many times and have always been good quality. Bigger than average rooms and good breakfasts, clean and reliable.

[Lilymaid]

Good hotel for stop overs - has rooms for 4 (and some for 5) plus excellent meals. The hotel is a little south of Troyes and within a couple of minutes of the motorway.

[serin]

We broke the return journey with a stop at Eurodisney and we weren't the only family there with a sledge in the boot of the car!

[chicaguapa]

Hello. Thanks for all the replies. I think we are going to drive. I would like to know the hotel details thanks GoodbyeClement. What was that about the road through the villages? If you could give me some more info about that I'll copy and save it for when we go. Cheers.

[mumof2222222222222222boys]

Fab b&B near Avallon is where we stay. Less than 100Euro for 2 rooms, dinner, breakfast for 4. Aupredupoirier.com I think.

[Directskiandsun]

We have driven to the Alps a couple of times, both in the summer. Les Gets is very close to Morzine and one of the easiest resorts to reach from the Channel Ports, mostly motorway.

My son (9) is able to throw up before we get to the end of the road, but we found JoyRides to be very good (need to buy them at a pharmacy), with a change of clothes plus lots of sick bags, just in case, very handy. It's only the last 30 minutes or so which is windy mountain road. We have a portable DVD which is a life saver, but get them to wear headphones or you'll be mouthing the script of Finding Nemo in your sleep...

Pack drinks and snacks and stop - even if just for 10 minutes - every few hours. There are loads of 'Aire' just off the motorways in France, which offer picnic areas and toilets, as well as some which are proper service stations.

Go for it! As long as you plan your route and pack the car with everything you'll need on the journey, at the top (sounds obvious....) it's fun!

[claregam]

This will be the first time we have taken with the kids to the mountains and we have decided to drive to Morzine. The chalet we are staying in we need a car for so after hiring a car (which would have to be a people carrier) added to the cost of flights, transfer etc it is far cheaper for us to drive . We have planned to do the trip out over night as then kids should sleep most of it, being in Cornwall we will break the journey staying with family in London. Coming back we are just hoping there are so exhausted from skiing they will sleep all the way back.... Has anyone put there children in ski school there or creche. We are thinking L'Outa for the 2 year old but can not decide for the 6 year old and 4 year old. We want them to ski together but can only really afford group lessons. Has anyone used ESF and the piou piou club at all? If so what do they think. Has anyone used L'Outa, what do they think?