Skiing the Alps
Your Guide to European Skiing Holidays
Ski Resorts
Ski Hotels
Snow Reports
Price Comparisons
Cheap Ferry Tickets
Clothing
Equipment
Travel Guide
News
Go
En-route & Stop Offs
En-route & Stop Offs
August 2007
Most skiers driving to the Alps can complete their journey from Calais or Dunkirk in 8/9 hours depending on the route and how fast they drive! For example, by using the French peage system from Calais you can reach the nearest French resorts in the Tarentaise in approximately eight hours if you travel at the legal speed of 130km/ph (81 mph).
Even the Swiss border at Basel is only seven hours driving time and then approximately one to two hours further to the nearest Swiss resorts If you are heading to Bavaria (southern Germany) ski resorts are 10 hours distance on (free) motorways via Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany whilst Austrian resorts are around 11 hours distance.
Much depends on where in the UK you are setting out from. For example, London and the south east is approximately one hour from the Port of Dover; the Midlands around three hours and Manchester and the north of England about six hours.
If you are heading to Austria or Italy and coming from the north, you might wish to take a longer overnight crossing over the North Sea. If you live in Wales or the west of England, you may prefer a P&O ferry out of Portsmouth.
If your journey to Dover and ferry to Calais or Dunkirk takes half a day or longer, you will probably consider a stop-over en route in France or Belgium, depending upon your final destination. There are numerous hotel chains throughout France such as Climate or Mercure or Formula 1 which are available on the internet. There are Premier Travel Lodge venues in and around Dover (see box advertisement) and these can be contacted prior to departure.
Some motorists prefer to see how far they have driven before deciding on an overnight and quite often you could not do better than to pull off the main highway into a small village and find a small guesthouse/pension. These are usually near to the local restaurant giving you the opportunity to sample some excellent local cuisine before continuing to your ski resort.
The choice is considerable and much depends on personal preference. If you are a family with young children, then Formula 1 or Climate hotels are ideal as they charge by the room with breakfast extra. If you are a group of adults you might prefer to find an idyllic country stop-over where you can also enjoy a meal and a glass of wine.
Travel Guide
Families
Latest News from the Alps
Driving to the Alps
Flying to the Alps
Catch the Coach
Taking a train to the Alps
Tour Operators
Information
Jump to a Ski Resort
Select a Resort
Achensee
Alpbach
Alpe d'Huez
Alps Vaudoises
Altenmarkt-Zauchensee
Andermatt
Arosa
Avoriaz (Portes du Soleil)
Axamer / Lizum
Bad Kleinkirchheim
Berchtesgaden
Brand
Brides-les-Bains
Cairngorm (Aviemore)
Canazei - Val di Fassa
Cervinia
Chamonix
Champoluc
Cortina
Courchevel
Courmayeur
Crans-Montana
Davos
Dolomites/Val Gardena
Drouzin le Mont (Vallee d'Aulps)
Ellmau (Wilder Kaiser)
Engelberg
Fiesch (Aletsch)
Filzmoos
Flachau
Flaine
Flims-Laax
Galtur
Gargellen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Gastein Valley
Glencoe
Glenshee
Going (Wilder Kaiser)
Grand Massif
Gressoney-La-Trinite-Monterosa
Grindelwald
Grosser Arber
Gstaad
Haute Nendaz
Interlaken - Jungfrau Region
Ischgl
Kappl - Paznaun
Kaprun - Zell am See
Kirchberg
Kitzbuhel
Kuhtai
La Clusaz
La Plagne
La Rosiere
La Thuile
Lech-Zurs
Lenggries
Lenk
Lenzerheide
Les 2 Alpes
Les Arcs
Les Contamines-Montjoie
Les Diablerets
Les Gets (Portes du Soleil)
Les Menuires
Les Saisies
Leysin
Livigno
Mayrhofen
Megeve
Meribel (les 3 vallees)
Mittenwald
Montafon (Schruns)
Montriond (Portes du Soleil)
Murren (Jungfrau Region)
Nevis Range
Niederau/Wildschonau
Obergurgl
Oberstdorf
Obertauern
Pila-Aosta
Pitztal
Pragelato
Reit im Winkl
Risoul - Vars
Saalbach-Hinterglemm
Saas Fee
Saint Gervais (Mont Blanc)
Sainte Foy
Salzburgerland
Scheffau (Wilder Kaiser)
Schladming
Serfaus
Serre Chevalier
Skiarena Nassfeld
Solden - Otztal
Soll (Wilder Kaiser)
St. Anton
St. Jean d'Arves
St. Jean d'Aulps
St. Johann in Tirol
St. Moritz
The Lecht
Tignes
Tirol
Tirol Premier Collection
Trois Vallees
Val Cenis
Val d'Isere
Val Thorens
Valmorel
Verbier
Villars
Vorarlberg
Wengen-Jungfrau
Westendorf (Ski Welt)
Wilder Kaiser
Zell am See
Zermatt
Sign-up to our Newsletter
Get the latest news from the Alps and Snow Reports delivered directly to your inbox.
First Name:
Last Name:
Email: