Driving to France for Feb Half Term

[ForestDad]

Hi, we're driving to France for Feb half term. Think I'm good on most things (snow tyres, insurance etc).
Any top tips of places to stay on the way down and back? Probably 2 nights on way down and 1 on way home with 2 children aged 7&5.
Cheers.

Can't really advise on where to stay but wanted to recommend to pack a different bag that won't be touched during the skiing week with the clothes for the nights on the road. After a week of skiing, it is very hard to find socks or tees-shirts that haven't been used or aren't still a bit wet, because no matter what you end up using a lot more clothes as you change after ski and sometimes one more time because you stained yourself during dinner or your teeshirt got wet at the spa.
Even with big room, there is always a chaos of stuff, so keep that bag closed and put in it books and snacks if you have space.
Half the content of the suitcases will be a bit wet or a bit dirty and you don't want to arrive at the hotel on the way home look through everything to find the pyjamas.

Another point, we used to Iive in Spain and go very often skiing at Font Romeu. Sometimes, snow tyres are not enough. Once we were in a blizzard and the police wouldn't allow us to continue even with snow tyres unless we put chains on. We lost time at the shop because we didn't know the tyres size and numbers so check these before you leave, so if you have to buy them, you won't have to get frozen while trying to find a code in the dark on the side of the road in a monster snow storm.

For the missing bits and pieces you need to buy for the snow , Decathlon is very cheap and we never got wet or cold. Buy some extra (fake) silk gloves and silk socks to put under ski socks and ski gloves.

We usually stay in Dijon or Beaune. We don’t hang around for long so stay in chain hotels on industrial parks within easy reach of the motorway - Novotel are good as they have family rooms and a lovely breakfast but you can find all the usual suspects. But if you’re making a couple of nights of it then city centre would obvs be better!

You don't say which port you're arriving at or where your destination is but, assuming you arrive at Calais, then maybe Reims on the way down for the first night - it's a 3 hour drive from Calais - and then somewhere closer to the mountain for the second night - Annecy, Chambery or Grenoble for example. Driving back, maybe Dijon - it's about a 5 hour drive from Calais - or Troyes. Have a look at chain hotels like Novotel, Ibis, Campanile and B&B hotels - usually close to motorways or commercial areas, with supermarkets and restaurants close by. You'll get more choice in a larger town like Annecy or Grenoble.

You mention snow tyres but you will need snow chains as well if it's snowing as you drive up to the resort. Gendarmes patrol the roads and they will pull everyone over to stop and fit them before continuing the journey. It's not worth risking the journey without them, and you should practice fitting them before you go. Make sure you have suitable breakdown cover and are equipped with warning triangle, first aid kit, spare bulbs, high-vis jackets for all of you etc which are compulsory to carry on motorways in France.

I'd also recommend getting a toll tag as the roads will be very busy and it means less queuing at the peages - some of them are real bottlenecks close to the mountains. You can get them here or alternatively, if you're using the Eurotunnel, there's a link from the website which saves you the 10 Euro application fee.

Thanks for taking the time to reply guys, some top tips there! Especially like the rtn bag one, although might need a bit more discipline than we have!
Yes Calais, was thinking Reims/Dijon so along the right lines then.

Depends what time you arrive in France. For us, we stay over night in Dover (travel from the west country) and catch an early ferry to Calais. (6.40) Then drive through to Lyon, or just past. Stayed in a fab apartment last year in Genas booked through booking.com, very reasonably priced. Otherwise Kyriad or Premier Classe. We leave early to get to the mountains before the traffic builds up, and have an afternoon of skiing -often before we can check in to the accomodation. Has worked out nicely in the past but our kids are a bit older and don’t mind the early starts (whereas I do 😒). Overnight bags are a must, we also have a separate bag with all our ski wear, ready to hit the slopes on arrival. Travelling back, we stop at the Kyriad again (bourgoin Jalleau-sp?) There’s a fab chinese restaurant/ buffet/ all you can eat nearby!
Always looking for other great suggestions though. Snow chains a must. We have snow socks this year, supposedly accepted now in france. Haven’t had to use them yet.

Definitely put snow chains on to practise. Doing it in a snowstorm, pitch black, freezing hands, trying to read the instructions can ruin your first couple of days.... things can get said
Pack some rubber gloves too as you will get filthy!

Driving from where to where? Or are you just driving fro place to place with no final destinations?
Reims is lovely in summer. But winter I would head into the mountains for snow.

France is enormous. Are you able to be a little more specific?

It’s the skiing topic, admittedly France has a few skiing areas but the Alps are probably a reasonable assumption??

Can really rate the Ibis budget hotels.

Apologies - hadn't registered that it was the skiing topic, even though the snow tyres should have been a clue - I'll hide the topic as I never have and never will go skiing.

I do live in France though

As an aside, isn't skiing a funny word when you type it several times?

Lol - yes it is!

The main routes into the mountains and the mountain roads will get really busy. I’d suggest a very early start.

Stayed in Macon, alberville & chambery over the years.