Hotel en route to Alps - Dijon or Albertville?

[snowballer]

We're leaving on Friday morning, going to La Rosiere (so same direction and distance as Val d'Isere/Tignes etc).

Have booked two hotels that are refundable, one on south side of Dijon and one in Albertville, with a view to seeing how we get on before deciding. My preference is Albertville to make the trip up the mountain easier on Saturday, but is getting to Albertville in one day realistic? We'll be on an early tunnel crossing (flexi) as we live in the south east. Kids are 8 and 9 so not tricky toddlers, but obv get bored in the car eventually.

Does anyone do the bulk of the trip on the first day and leave an hour or two of the journey to the second day, or do you mainly spit it in half (which is what Dijon would be, give or take)? We're self catering too so would like to factor in some valley level shopping time rather than having to stock up in tiny resort supermarkets. All opinions very welcome!

Bumpity bump - anyone?

We do this all the time and have done multiple varities - variously having stopped in Reims, Dijon, Lyon, and doing it all in a day. If you're getting an early crossing, you can get to Albertville about 11 hours after your crossing I reckon, so it is a long day. Plus the next morning, you'll end up getting to resort probably way earlier than you can get into your accommodation, so it can be a bit boring waiting around all day!

If you're travelling on a peak weekend, it's worth getting as far south as possible and then getting through to Bourg before the traffic (the road goes from three, to two, then to one lane) and on a Saturday in half term, you can get 8 hour queues! On a peak weekend, we stop at Lyon and then leave Lyon by 7.30am - so far, this has worked but we are always the last skiiers to leave the night stop!

As it's not a peak weekend, you'd probably be fine going from Dijon in the morning, but obviously will get to resort later.

You can (and should) stop in Bourg St Maurice for food - the Super-U at the far end of town is very good.

If you're travelling on a peak weekend, it's worth getting as far south as possible and then getting through to Bourg before the traffic (the road goes from three, to two, then to one lane) and on a Saturday in half term, you can get 8 hour queues

This is the main thing, I think. We would often do that with kids that age and if they are OK travellers, it's best to get as far as you can especially if you have 2 drivers. Bourg can be a nightmare. And yes to the SuperU if self catering!

Oh thanks both of you. Still torn as on the one hand I don't want to stop too early on the Friday as it just feels like we'll be twiddling our thumbs, but on the other agreed I don't want to be mooching around the resort waiting to get into the apartment! I think we'll be loose and see how we're getting on on the day.

Don't stop in Albertville, it's a complete dump! If you need to kill time, the hot baths in Aix-les-Bains are nice

We're stopping at Macon. We normally stop closer to Troyes (it still makes a whole day for us really and we have a quick swim and good meal) but going to try to get there a bit earlier this time.

This weekend last year we stopped at Troyes and there was not much traffic at all. It's not Feb and the French have largely abandoned skiing for the year, which will help!

Ah yes I know it is - but we'd literally be arriving to go to bed and then leaving the next morning, so not there for the sights! I only booked it because it had a family room and a secure car park and didn't cost a fortune - oh the glamour!!

We do this journey each time we go skiing: we stopped in Albertville a couple of weeks ago en route to the Tarentaise. The main reason we do this is to be close enough to the resort to get a extra day's skiing - we drive up early in the morning in our ski gear, stick the car in the carpark and are on the slopes by 10. Finish up about 4 to get into the accommodation. It's perfectly doable but is about 9 hours drive plus breaks from Calais. Albertville itself isn't much to write home about, but there's an Ibis Styles there - recently opened - which is perfectly fine, and a Carrefour supermarket round the corner for a food shop before you head up the mountain.

There's a big distance between Dijon and Albertville though, so you could consider somewhere between the two - Lyon outskirts or Chambery. A number of hotels at La Motte Servolex in Chambery, next to motorway and large supermarket. Or Annecy/Aix if you want somewhere more picturesque?