KevinC wrote:Never bought snow chains but I'm sure I've seen E.40 mentioned - do not pay 102!
Your pay around £40 for an average pair :)
newbie questions !!
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Your pay around £40 for an average pair :)
It's a risk a lot of people take and get away with. I'd not rely on winter tires being fitted unless you're renting from the Swiss side in Geneva. If it's just France then it won't be the norm. How dangerous depends on the day, if it's a problem the police will stop you.
Sadly, chains are for up and down the hill though :lol: In fact, I'm fairly sure I've not used chains to get up a hill all the time we've lived in the alps. We've got winter tyres, 4WD and carry chains; hypothetically, if I could only have one it would have to be chains, it's the only thing that'll get you moving sometimes.
Some enterprising person should open a chain rental place in Moutiers or Chambery, it ought to be easy enough to undercut the car hire companies and still make money )
Thanks Ise - I deliberately chose Swiss side of Geneva over Chambery, despite the extra distance, for the tyres and so that I am driving in daylight rather than nighttime. Plus I hate the way Jet2 charges stack up and would rather pay someone else. Guess I'll just have to monitor the conditions and see what happens!
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Started by Fallonmyarsealot in France 30-Dec-2008 - 14 Replies
Ian Wickham
reply to 'newbie questions !!' posted Jan-2009
Your pay around £40 for an average pair :)
KevinC
reply to 'newbie questions !!' posted Jan-2009
I'm going on Saturday :D and a) due to the euro making this trip rather expensive and b)due to clear weather being forecast for La Plagne on Saturday I don't intend paying for snow chains myself (I'm expecting the car to have winter tyres but that's a whole different matter!).
I realise the risk is that the roads might be snow covered for the return (assuming nothing changes as well bewteen now and Saturday but i will check) .....my questions is - how stupid a risk would that be to take.
I.e. is it just mildly dangerous or absolutely certain to end in death to try to descend without chains should it snow?
I'm hoping someone (Ise seems to know everything snow related) will tell me chains are more for powering up the hill rather than steering or braking... :shock: but I'm sure some of you will have experience.
Thanks
KC
I realise the risk is that the roads might be snow covered for the return (assuming nothing changes as well bewteen now and Saturday but i will check) .....my questions is - how stupid a risk would that be to take.
I.e. is it just mildly dangerous or absolutely certain to end in death to try to descend without chains should it snow?
I'm hoping someone (Ise seems to know everything snow related) will tell me chains are more for powering up the hill rather than steering or braking... :shock: but I'm sure some of you will have experience.
Thanks
KC
Bon. Allez!
Ise
reply to 'newbie questions !!' posted Jan-2009
KevinC wrote:I'm going on Saturday :D and a) due to the euro making this trip rather expensive and b)due to clear weather being forecast for La Plagne on Saturday I don't intend paying for snow chains myself (I'm expecting the car to have winter tyres but that's a whole different matter!).
I realise the risk is that the roads might be snow covered for the return (assuming nothing changes as well bewteen now and Saturday but i will check) .....my questions is - how stupid a risk would that be to take.
I.e. is it just mildly dangerous or absolutely certain to end in death to try to descend without chains should it snow?
I'm hoping someone (Ise seems to know everything snow related) will tell me chains are more for powering up the hill rather than steering or braking... :shock: but I'm sure some of you will have experience.
Thanks
KC
It's a risk a lot of people take and get away with. I'd not rely on winter tires being fitted unless you're renting from the Swiss side in Geneva. If it's just France then it won't be the norm. How dangerous depends on the day, if it's a problem the police will stop you.
Sadly, chains are for up and down the hill though :lol: In fact, I'm fairly sure I've not used chains to get up a hill all the time we've lived in the alps. We've got winter tyres, 4WD and carry chains; hypothetically, if I could only have one it would have to be chains, it's the only thing that'll get you moving sometimes.
Some enterprising person should open a chain rental place in Moutiers or Chambery, it ought to be easy enough to undercut the car hire companies and still make money )
Edited 1 time. Last update at 05-Jan-2009
Wanderer
reply to 'newbie questions !!' posted Jan-2009
Ise wrote
A great and simple idea. Maybe they could locate at the airport and also hire other "rip-off" items like baby seats - it really irritates me that car hire firms will try to charge as much as €100 to hire a booster seat when I can buy one for less than €20. I used to carry them on the plane but now baggage charges are ruling that out.
Some enterprising person should open a chain rental place in Moutiers or Chambery, it ought to be easy enough to undercut the car hire companies and still make money
A great and simple idea. Maybe they could locate at the airport and also hire other "rip-off" items like baby seats - it really irritates me that car hire firms will try to charge as much as €100 to hire a booster seat when I can buy one for less than €20. I used to carry them on the plane but now baggage charges are ruling that out.
Paul McD
reply to 'newbie questions !!' posted Jan-2009
Hi,
Stop off at Alberville on the way to La Plagne for food, take J27 (if I remember)of the N90, can't miss the Geant hypermarket. You don't need snow chains 99% of the time but if you do you're stuffed without them, you can't get out of the resorts and you can't go downhill let alone uphill without chains if it's snowing hard. I had to buy some in the resort of Arc 1800 last January in order to leave...
Stop off at Alberville on the way to La Plagne for food, take J27 (if I remember)of the N90, can't miss the Geant hypermarket. You don't need snow chains 99% of the time but if you do you're stuffed without them, you can't get out of the resorts and you can't go downhill let alone uphill without chains if it's snowing hard. I had to buy some in the resort of Arc 1800 last January in order to leave...
www
Bon ski!
Paul McDermott
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/
france/fr1457.htm
KevinC
reply to 'newbie questions !!' posted Jan-2009
ise wrote:KevinC wrote:I don't intend paying for snow chains myself (I'm expecting the car to have winter tyres but that's a whole different matter!).
It's a risk a lot of people take and get away with. I'd not rely on winter tires being fitted unless you're renting from the Swiss side in Geneva. If it's just France then it won't be the norm. How dangerous depends on the day, if it's a problem the police will stop you.
Sadly, chains are for up and down the hill though :lol: In fact, I'm fairly sure I've not used chains to get up a hill all the time we've lived in the alps. We've got winter tyres, 4WD and carry chains; hypothetically, if I could only have one it would have to be chains, it's the only thing that'll get you moving sometimes.
Some enterprising person should open a chain rental place in Moutiers or Chambery, it ought to be easy enough to undercut the car hire companies and still make money )
Thanks Ise - I deliberately chose Swiss side of Geneva over Chambery, despite the extra distance, for the tyres and so that I am driving in daylight rather than nighttime. Plus I hate the way Jet2 charges stack up and would rather pay someone else. Guess I'll just have to monitor the conditions and see what happens!
Bon. Allez!
Mark Allison
reply to 'newbie questions !!' posted Jan-2009
You've got to be really unlucky to need chains to get up to a place like La Plagne. I'd be tempted to watch the J2Ski weather forecasts and do without unless there is a nailed-on certain snow storm forecast - even then, the roads get cleared so quickly that you would be really unlucky to be caught out.
I've been driving to the Alps for donkey's years and put the chains on for the first time last March. However, if I'd waited a couple of hours, it would have been an easy drive up.
All the service stations on the way up to the resorts sell them, so check the forecast and buy if necessary. 102euros is outrageous! Take the other bit of advice and try putting them on before you hit the snow!
I've been driving to the Alps for donkey's years and put the chains on for the first time last March. However, if I'd waited a couple of hours, it would have been an easy drive up.
All the service stations on the way up to the resorts sell them, so check the forecast and buy if necessary. 102euros is outrageous! Take the other bit of advice and try putting them on before you hit the snow!
Topic last updated on 06-January-2009 at 17:53