Looking for any advice on my pending ski trip. This is the first time i will drive abroad so trying to tick all the boxes.

Got the High Vis, and Triangle, Breathalyzer sorted. But no winter tyres or chaines

Sorted green flag cover and insured the kids to drive,, although not sure if that was a good idea

Winter tyres would be a good idea. SVR 2018 in Santorini Black.

It's mandatory that you have chains. In the event of snowfall (highly likely at the moment, I work in the Alps) there are regular police checkpoints by the snow chain areas you will see. If you do not have chains, they will turn you back around and not let you proceed. Also, I'd suggest that you try putting them on before you go (it's not funny in a snowfall, with cold hands). Winter tyres a must!

Steve

ikeysolomon wrote:

Also, I'd suggest that you try putting them on before you go (it's not funny in a snowfall, with cold hands).

Steve

If anything, to check they fit

On top of high vis (one per passenger) and 2x triangles, you'll need beam converters unless your headlamps can be adapted to right-hand driving, a full set of spare bulbs and fuses, and speed camera warning devices (inc. GPS ones) are now illegal I believe.
France used to be great for a bit of high speed fun, but no longer, they're much less lenient than in the uk nowadays. 

"Roads ? Where we're going there are no roads." Back to the future.

ikeysolomon if you fit winter tyres, with the correct emblem (mountain/snowflake) do you still need to carry chains?

Thank you so much for the feed back,,, I just bought some normal tyres as well

Starting to think that driving just might not be worth the hassel,,,i need to look at winter tyre costs and chains now,,,eeek

Hmmm need to have a think

Would i still need winter tryes if i am equiped with 4 snow chains??

No, but would be safer

You'd only need the chains for extreme conditions

Chain can be hired I believe too, but this wod depend on wheel size and obviously fitting correctly

Maybe a member on here or disco3/FFRR have a set they could loan

You would only need one set of chains. Four winter tyres. SVR 2018 in Santorini Black.

Jakeob,

Very interested in this thread as I'm also heading to the french alps again this season.

The main Legislation is on the AA and RAC websites, list below covers most of what you need (from quite a lot of research):-
- Alcohol limits are now lower than the uk, so be aware. It improves skiing/boarding but NOT driving apparently
- Must have at least one breathalyser. Two is recommended in case you have to use one. More if you play the "who can ski after blowing the highest game"
- Winter tyers are advised, but they do not replace the need for chains in the mountains (legal requirement and you will not be able to proceed past the Gendarmes without chains if the weather is bad) - Note [quietly sneaking past in a 2t 4x4 with UK plates is never going to work
- usual need for warning triangle, GB sticker (not a magnetic one as it only works on the rear wing corner of a RRS), vests (you have to be able to reach this without getting out of the car, so no putting it under a tonne of ski gear in the tool tray with the jack etc)
- Lights, there is a simple adjustment if you have adaptives/xenon's fitted as standard, (cannot find the link but it is on here somewhere).
- Documents - V5, both parts of your license and an insurance certificate stating clearly that you have insurance to drive in Europe/France with every drivers name on it.

Suggestions:-
- Hire a big roof box (£57 for 12 days inc rails), RRSports are great cars, but ski gear will fill the boot very quickly with 4 people onboard, it also makes taking skis and boards a lot easier and more secure than the ski rack approach. Roofboxes can sometimes affect the Satnav, so make sure you know your route.
- Tag for tolls - Personal preference, not everyone agrees with me here, but travelling during holidays, weekends (when most ski travel occurs) and with 3 snoring passengers is a lot easier with a tag for the payage. I have a Sanef one which worked fine in my 911, but this is will be the first trip with it in the RRS. Charges are billed in the UK @ the standard toll rates. there is a 30Euro setup charge (20 is refundable if you return it). You also get to play the "will it or won't it" game with the 30kmh auto lane, which is nearly as much witchcraft as using adaptive cruise control in a RRS for the first time.
- Big bag of euros for the speeding fines and for any damage you do when you inevitably take the RRS up and down a blue run on the last morning .....well it would be rude not to and it's not like you will have a ski pass activated on the last morning anyway

It sounds expensive to sort this lot out, especially if you don't have winter tyers and chains already, but it does not have to be as most of the gear is vey cheap online (breathalysers/vests etc) and think about the fun you can have with a very capable 4x4 in all that lovely snow

Hope the above helps....and if you see a black RRS with a guy wearing a high vis vest blowing into several breathalysers doing 30.5KMH at the 30KMH payage barrier (it might just work)....wave because that will be me...fingers crossed

PM me if you would like any more info

Thanks for the info,

The first thing i am trying to sort out is the Snow chains,,,, I keep reading there so easy and cheap to buy on route in France,, but just hope there available for 22" wheels..

I know its deffintlay not ideal but i am going to try and just use Normal tyres as i have just bought 4 new Toyos...I have got vans some with Snow tyres and some with normal and they both seem to manage in the snow. Just one slightly better than the other..

I,m not normaly that stingy, but only just bought the rrs in mind of doing this trip,, so its been an expensive project

G2 i will keep an eye out for you,,, Were around Les Deux Ales at the end of the month... If you see a RRS slidding down a mountain road on its roof, thats probably us

Only used snow chains once in 15 years of travelling to the alps almost yearly if not twice yearly, but you still have to take them.

Snow tyres, tried them once, but I've never bothered since, roads are usually cleared and when I get there, I ski, don't drive. Majority of people don't and seem to manage perfectly well.

Snowchains.com will let you rent chains for £60 for a 4x4 from what I can see on their site. 

"Roads ? Where we're going there are no roads." Back to the future.

Buying chains in france is indeed cheaper. Check the clearance on the wheels before you set off though. 22" are pretty big wheels so you want to check that the chains have clearance. Someone on here may have fitted them on 22" before....Most of the snow chains websites have instructions on how to check clearance etc

As mrfrog says, snowchains.com rent them, they also have some in the polar range for £69 in 22"...they will be able to advise you on clearance etc. Budget snow chains are not perfect, but they do the job for occasional use if fitted properly.

Hi I just came back from Val D'Isere and I did not have snow chains, and most cars over there did not have them either.
We truly enjoyed the drive, and we had the dog with us. He coped well too, slept through most of the drive. We did have to stop every two hours to let him out. The trip took us 25 hours to get there, with one stop for about 2 hours to have a nap. It also rained the first part of the trip really heavily. The trip back took us about 16 hours with a good weather. Dont be put off by the snow, the RRS will cope with any weather amazingly well, but I do STRONGLY recommend to get winter tyres. I have s+m tires and we had not a single trouble with getting through the snow. In fact we saw so many people struggling to take off once parked up, some Brits too lol.
About the kids... Why would they drive? I guess you are going to ski? We woke up every morning, had breakfast and off to the mountains till 4pm. After that we would have no strength left to go anywhere except dinner. The RRS spent all 8 nights in th garage. Since you are going abroad for the first time, I suppose you, LET ALONE YOUR KIDS, don't have the skills to drive through snow. Although the RRS will cope with it all, I would strongly recommend you to keep the keys with you at all times and do not let your kids drive at all. Vadim A.

Brilliant thread! I have lived in the alps past for the last 12 years, I now live in devon.
If you talk to any French person they haven't even heard about the breath testing laws, no one carries them! As for triangle and hi viz it's a good idea, don,t worry about snow tyres or chains unless you,ve got stupidly big wheels which are in snow, they only pull over cars when going up the mountain if it snows to check if they have chains or snow tyres, never ever have I been pulled over. Don't worry about headlight deflectors. My first few years out there I had a 7 year old golf with no snow tyres, no hi viz, no triangle, no spare bulbs etc, and I got stopped once for driving to fast down the mountain and they told me to off and don't do it again. Snow tyres are great if you drive in snow a lot but to be honest you're only going up and down the mountain when you get there and when you go home so don,t worry, it doesn't snow all the time out there,
And normally the roads are cleared to within an inch of there lives anyway.