For ski chat, join the Mumsnet Ski forum. Check out our guide to the best resorts in Europe and our family ski holiday packing list. Winter tyres and snow chains are to be sorted. We're driving straight through, no sleep, to avoid the half term traffic rush. We do this loads - leave home at am, Eurotunnel by ish, at our place in Swiss Alps by supper time.
We eat at service stations, stop times for quick loo stops. Pre-pay the tolls? Fill up with fuel at the bottom of the mountain. Apparently the petrol stations near the mountains have a different formula with antifreeze in it, so it won't freeze If you are parking outside, leave the windscreen wipers up. Book a flexiplus ticket on the eurotunnel, or you will have long delays.
We have an APRR badge for the tolls, but there is a limit of 2m, so I don't know how that effects you in your van. The motorway services become packed at lunchtime - we take a packed lunch, but if you were buying lunch, you might want to do so by about , to avoid the rush. My main piece of advice is make sure that you have decent European recovery in place. We were unfortunate enough to crash our car on an icy Swiss mountain road, and discovered the hard way that travel insurance is useless in these circumstances.
The only reason we made it home without bankrupting ourselves was with the help of the recovery company, who arranged car hire there were hardly any family cars available for hire within striking distance of the Alps as it was half term Other things to check are the latest requirements for what you need to carry in your vehicle - I think it's a breathalyser, spare bulbs, warning triangle and reflective vest Some great advice here, thank you!
Keep them coming. Good European cover is a must - been caught out before when we drove to France 2 years ago and our camBelt went. Huge hassle made worse with poor cover.
