Skiing trip with motorhome

[posty]

Hi

Anyone taken their motorhome on a ski trip?

we usually fly to Austria or Italy for skiing and only once been to France (Chamonix)

Zell am see ,Austria is a beautiful resort and there is a campsite at one end of the lake with ski lockers and ski bus service, but its a long drive to get there - wondered if anyones been to France for this?

Need somewhere with easy access to slopes, ski lockers for wet ski gear, not too tortous roads to get there and nice campsite with hookup

 

PS found online this amazing place for camping ski trip in Austria but again a long drive and not cheap - https://www.camping-arlberg.at/en/camping/arlberg-comfort-pitch.html

[mtravel]

Once I skied and spent at least one weekend out of two on the Alps.

Not to mention a couple of weeks from Christmas to Epiphany.

 

Being Italian, I had no problem with choosing where to go.

From Sestriere to Cervinia, from Bormio to the Dolomites.

 

But that's not the case for you since you're talking about distances.

Have you ever thought of Switzerland, full of fantastic locations and accessible by free motorways at least from Calais to Metz.

From Metz, a short itinerary on national roads takes you to Strasbourg and from there again free to Basel ?

The Swiss motorways require the purchase of the "vignette" valid until January 31st of the year following the purchase (about € 40) if you are under 3.5 tons, a daily tax of about € 3 if above (subscription for max 12 day in the country).

 

Max

[posty]

Hi

Thanks for the reply - yes weve been to Cervinia great resort loved that except tends to close when high winds arrive(happened to us on both times we went there), and also loved Sauze d,oulx but again its a long drive

Everything in Switzerland is expensive - was looking to try a resort in Frnace not too far to drive from Calais maybe Vosges and looking for a recommendation from someone who has been with a motorhome - usually go for resorts with big ski area but ski lift prices are getting pricey - wouldnt mind a smallish(not too small) place with more reasonable lift prices

[Brian Kirby]

posty - 2021-05-06 9:29 AM

Hi

Anyone taken their motorhome on a ski trip?

we usually fly to Austria or Italy for skiing and only once been to France (Chamonix)

Zell am see ,Austria is a beautiful resort and there is a campsite at one end of the lake with ski lockers and ski bus service, but its a long drive to get there - wondered if anyones been to France for this?

Need somewhere with easy access to slopes, ski lockers for wet ski gear, not too tortous roads to get there and nice campsite with hookup...................................................

Skiing by motorhome is popular, but you need a suitable, and suitably equipped, motorhome. In mountainous areas in Europe you will almost certainly have to have (legally) winter tyres fitted to the van, and will also be likely to have to carry chains and know how to fit them. Penalties vary from country to country, and in many cases from road to road, but if you coincide with a build-up of snow and have to stop to fit chains, and then find you can't fit them resulting in a traffic hold-up you will, in many cases, be liable to an on the spot fine.

 

Few UK made vans are suitably winterised. You will need insulated cab screens and, ideally, have both waste and fresh water tanks inboard (ideally within a heated double floor void), but as a minimum an inboard fresh water tank. All water pipes, and ideally waste pipes, should run inboard (anything under the floor will freeze).

 

Most winter sports campsites will have metred electrical supplies.

 

Gas is likely to be your biggest problem. You will need copious amounts of gas for heating even if your van has electric heating, as the heater outputs on electricity alone won't keep up with the rate of heat losses from the van.

 

If you are on refillables, you need two, on a auto-changeover, ideally with internal indication. As soon as the service cylinder dies, refill, as you may find getting to a gas station impractical due to weather conditions, or to your ability to get off, and back onto, the campsite.

 

If you are on exchange cylinders, you will need to have two cylinders available (again ideally on auto-changeover with internal indication), one being the back-up). Propane essential (butane will fail to gas at low temperatures). You cannot change UK cylinders outside the UK, so will need to get at least a cylinder in whatever country you will be skiing, because you can't exchange cylinders across borders, so if skiing in France you ideally want two French cylinders for replacement. Many (most?) of the winter sites will have exchange cylinders available on site, and it would be wise when selecting a site to verify this, and also what brand of gas is available, to be able to arrive with that brand already on board. If the right brand of gas is available on site you might get away with one (full) UK cylinder (to be used only as back up) so would need only one (if skiing in France) French cylinder. If your gas locker cannot take two 13kg cylinders, I would say the van presents too high a risk for winter sports camping for more than a (very) few days.

 

Your next challenge is water. Many supplies will be turned off to prevent freezing, so availability will be something of a lottery. Unless the waste tank is inboard, and ideally heated, the simple (only?) remedy to prevent it freezing is to leave the drain valve permanently open, put a bucket beneath it, and keep the bucket empty. Remember an underslung waste tank will be exposed to a 60MPH blast of sub zero air for hours while you are travelling. A tank heater, if fitted, will prevent a complete freeze up, but will not prevent much of the contents freezing, so travelling with the tank empty is the best approach.

 

Don't let your fuel get too low. You can get stuck for hours in bad conditions even in the best equipped and organised countries, and being able to keep the engine running to provide heat can be a life saver.

 

All this is from memory, from having subscribed for a number of years to the French magazine Le Monde du Camping Car, in which the subject of Alpine and Pyreneean camping in winter featured regularly and was the subject of many winter sports fans' letters.

 

Personally, I have never indulged, so no direct experience, but the above is, from what I can recall, the broad scope of the experiences of, and advice from, those who did, to others considering going.

[posty]

Hi thanks for all those tips - we were half prepared to do a trip this year, but Covid put paid to that - our van is fully winterised (Wildax Aurora 2018) with insulated fresh and waste onboard tanks, with LPG gas onboard tank for cooking and heating, and fresh water tank has a heater for extreme weather - read about waste freezing so have a bucket for that and we have a spare set of wheels with winter tyres - just need to buy some chains

We also have a good insulated screen cover so wanted to give it a go

[mtravel]

Bryan's answer is perfect and practically all-encompassing.

I just add that among the Truma accessories you should find all the necessary adapters to the various national standards for interchangeable cylinders.

 

Refillable gas tanks at the pump:

Not a problem in Germany.

In Italy you may have some problems due to the rather strict rules.

In France I know that some brands, for example Total, have banned the supply of gas other than for engines.

 

Chains:

Check the local rules, for example in Austria I think they can only be mounted in case of heavy snowfall and when they do not touch the asphalt.

Don't forget that motorhomes are heavy.

Choose chains with links no less than 16mm.

Excellent and easy to assemble are those of the Koenig brand, I do not know if they are sold in the United Kingdom.

 

Tyres:

As far as I know France and Switzerland do not require compulsory winter tyres but an accident without safety equipment can have serious consequences (read £££).

In Germany, those marked M +S are enough but from 2024 those with 3PMSF or with snowflake symbol will be mandatory.

In Austria they already are.

In Italy, those marked M+S from November 1st to April 15th are enough but some mountain regions can change the dates extemporaneously.

 

Before I was talking about Switzerland, I forgot to add Germany as well, for example Garmish Panterkirken is a paradise for skiers.

 

Max

[peterjl]

Hi

 

We have been several times including Feb last year.

 

We prefer to use campsites with access to electricity ( so I can leave heating on 24/7); water and dump facilities easy; plus heated shower block is great when it’s really really cold ( one site we had never became warmer than minus 5c!).

 

Favourites sites are in Lauterbrunnen Switzerland, and La Clusaz in france.

 

Keep the waste water tap open with a bucket or bowl under. That way when it freezes you just dump a huge ice cube.

 

We have both internal and external windscreen covers to keep the warmth in.

 

Practice putting chains on and off before you go cos you know it’s going to be snowing and dark when you need them. Also have a mat to kneel on and gardening gloves are also useful.

 

A soft broom to sweep snow off the top otherwise when you brake it all falls down over the windscreen. Also a spade to dig yourself out.

 

A soft brush just inside the hab door to get the snow off as you go in.

 

Enjoy yourselves. We are hoping to go again jan 2023.

 

Peter

 

[posty]

thanks Peter good tips! its still a long way though 860km from Calais - weve been looking at La Bresse in E france Vosges mountains yes smaller resort but camping nearby at Belle Hutte and only 600km

long time till next season we will consider all options - lets hope Covid doesnt prevent it again

 

Was there a name of campsite at La Clusaz?

Think CH is too expensive for everything

[steve hill]

Like Peterjl we have actually been sking/snowboarding in our van (3 times), he has many good points. I have one very good place to recommend if you can get in there. It is Restaurant Le Maratagon Meribel (see the web). we have stayed twice. It is a small campsite/restaurant just below Meribel and is excellent with washing machine drying rooms showers etc(check with them your needs). The lift is right next door as is a skibus stop and there is a path to walk down on from Meribel if you want, 10-15 mins. If you are not aware Meribel is the centre of the 3 Vallees and connected by good lifts to 4 resorts, its huge, you will never see it all. You could park in Meribel but then that means leaving the gas heater on…aim for electric heating/water if possible and leave it all on all the time.

Another place is Les Deux Alps but it is smaller.

Tips, take an extra fan heater we once had -14c for 10 days and 3 foot of snow outside the van and on the roof another time, and a hurricane that blew 1 million trees over on the French west coast, none of this was a problem don’t worry about stuff. You may never need chains they are much better at road clearing than us but do take them.

The MotorHome and Caravan club do talk about ski resorts and Vicarious Books did do a book at one time.

Good news we always did it for two thirds the normal ski holiday cost.

 

 

[Minstrel]

We drove to Bourg St Maurice for quite a few years, the camp site is Huttopia Bourg St Maurice.  Shops 400 yards away, the campsite have a minibus which you can book to get to the bottom of the funicular, which takes you to Les Arcs 1600 from where you can get to anywhere in the Les Arcs complex. Alternatively there is a bus to go to the funicular or La Rosiere in the other direction.

Motorhomes are on concrete, not all pitches are level but you could book a grass pitch with more space but you might well find it soggy.

[Brian Kirby]

peterjl - 2021-05-06 8:27 PM............................A soft broom to sweep snow off the top otherwise when you brake it all falls down over the windscreen. Also a spade to dig yourself out......................................

Peter

An excellent point, which I forgot. It is important because in some countries, I think at least Germany and Switzerland, it is an offence to drive around with a snow hat! I had ignored to do that in Fussen one Easter, when we were caught by a late snow dump. Drove off having cleared the screen etc. but when I braked at a set of traffic lights that changed a bit late, I was shocked at the amount of snow that went skiing off the roof! Got some very disapproving looks as well! The real danger, of course, is is frozen chunks being lifted from the roof in the slipstream and hitting following vehicles.

 

posty - 2021-05-07 9:13 AM

thanks Peter good tips! its still a long way though 860km from Calais - weve been looking at La Bresse in E france Vosges mountains yes smaller resort but camping nearby at Belle Hutte and only 600km.........................

But, due to lower altitudes in the Vosges, I believe the snow is less reliable, and the season shorter. Something to check?

[laimeduck]

We went skiing for over 20 years to La chaîne des Aravis, using our caravan We stayed on a Caravaneige in Le Grand Bornand close to La Clusaz and not far from Chamonix.

The Caravaneige is totally geared to snow. Heated ski-gear drying rooms, heated shower blocks etc.

for power you buy what amperage EHU you need. We had 16amps I believe. The van was totally unwinterised but we heated the van with a simple cheap fan heater, which coped easily with a -16C night! It warmed the van within 10-15 mins, enough to sit around in a T shirt in the mornings and evenings.

2 Duvets, one under, one over were ample for the nights when the van was not heated.

Ski Pass Aravis gives skiing over the Grand Bornand, La Clusaz and Manigod Pistes - a huge area well supplied with surprisingly cheap restaurants on the slopes. A free shuttle takes you from the Caravaneige to the lifts (or a 15-20 minute walk and it was a 10 minute walk into the village of La Grand Bornand - with many shops and restaurants and supermarkets.

The drive down of 500 miles can be done in one hit, we we chose to stop in a cheap hotel halfway.

We went a couple of times in company with a friend in a motorhome and the only problem he had was frozen water in his scuttle.

You must have chains in the area, but we only had to use them a couple of times

 

It's a great adventure - just do it!

 

Jeremy

 

[posty]

Thanks very much everyone for your helpful replies - we fully intend to give it a go Covid permitting next season, having taken on board your tips - van is fully winterised like I said - even has a heater in the fresh water tank so as long as we have hookup all should be well

Its great to have recommendations from someone who has done this themselves

.

I shall look through the posts here and check out the resorts etc - we are just average skiers so prefer a mix of blues and reds if not too steep/icy - I think big things for us are a heated room to store wet skis/boots, hook up, easy access to ski lifts, a resort with blues and reds, and not many drag lifts which we hate, and not a monster drive from Calais - an on-site restaurant/bar would be great but if not, walking distance away - I suppose we can eat on the slopes but its nice to unwind in the evening over dinner and a drink - dont want to cook much in the van as its so cold, condensation would probably be an issue

 

Your tips are much appreciated for a motorhome skiing newbie - we have skied for many years but always flown before

Thanks again - let us know if you have any more ideas please

[peterjl]

posty - 2021-05-07 9:13

 

Was there a name of campsite at La Clusaz?

Think CH is too expensive for everything

 

Camping Capfun Plan du Fernuy

https://www.capfun.com/camping-france-rhone_alpes-plan_fernuy-FR.html

 

The usual free ski bus up or down the valley.

You can walk to the town, off road, in about 20/30 minutes.

 

Peter

[flicka]

In addition to the campsites (which tend to be further away from the resort centres/ lifts,) many French ski resorts have Aires located in the lift car parks as an alternative option.

Although many can be crowded especially during bank holiday & school holiday periods.

The biggest problem with pre-booking campsites is if there are poor conditions in the resort, your Skiing will be restricted or much further away.

With using Aires, you can follow the snow &/or try more areas.

 

[posty]

Thanks Peter all useful stuff - will check it out -

[kevina]

Have a search for previous threads. Here's one to get you started: https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Grindelwald-trip-advice/53414/

 

Personally I prefer smaller ski areas where we can park fairly high and close to a drag or chairlift; not very keen on valley bottom campsites and having to take a bus to the cable car or gondola station.