v8voodoo

Hi all,

Managed to find cheap accommodation on the 'net near Chamonix for a skiing holiday this February.

What I need to know is what to do with my Scoob MY03 WRX in readiness?

Do I need to get snow chains? If so, front, rear or both?
I can't really afford a set of M&S tyres, so we can discount that option...!!

Does anyone have experience of ski resort roads? Are they kept clear by "Le council gritters" or something? Are they easily passable?

I'm just a touch worried, as even though it's AWD, I recently felt the ABS cut in on a wet slippery road (manhole cover) and also got a bit of tail out action exiting a roundabout in slippy wet conditions (admittedly driving "enthusiastically"). I'm not Ari Vatanen, so don't want to drive around Chamonix like that..lol!

Cheers,
Nige.
SE Kent

patGT

Hi,

If there is snow on the road which is very likely in Chamonix, then you're lost with summer rubber. No matter if AWD or not.
The most common situation in places like ski resorts are partly snow-covered roads. With chains only, this is absolutely not ideal and you're likely to cause a public nuisance since you can only drive at very low speeds. Furhtermore, they will be destroyed very soon on (even partly) tarmac.

Forget about the chains, I can only strongly recommend that you put some M+S tyres on your car. They do not even have to be brand-new (although in good condition). Maybe you could have a look for used ones.

Greetings from Switzerland (lots of ski resorts..)
Patrick

Fat Boy

M&S are fine if you live in a ski resort all winter round, but are totally unnecessary if you live in the UK ( barring Scotland etc) and are only going for a week's skiing or so.

So, get snow "chains" - you can hire them from some places. Some are more like plastic blades and so won't damage the roads - and use on the front wheels only. If you are going above 2000m , you have to have them in the car by law in France in the winter and the gendarmes will stop you on a snowy day and make you put them on or turn you back if you're trying to go up to a ski resort. Chamonix, however, is pretty low so it's very unlikely that you will need chains at all.

Apart from that, all the usuals, drive slowly, with slow gentle inputs on all controls and don't expect the ABS to be much help....You'll get moving easily, it's the stopping that's the issue.

FB
(spent months in Ski resorts over the last 20 years and only used snow chains for about 3 weeks of that in total, and that was on a rear drive turbo nutter etc)

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

There are more to M+S tyres than using them in the snow, they are a softer compound and work best at below 7degrees, your summer tyres may be good but once below 7 degrees they start to harden up and are not as effective, winter tyres will give you better performance in the wet, dry or snow during the winter. you will be have as much control of the car in colder temp with winters as you will with summers at warmer temps. Also you may only be going on holiday for 1 week but the winter lasts 3 or 4 months in the UK and then you can take the tyres off and store them till next year, also if France is like Germany and you have an accident whilst using summer tyres in the snow then you are 50% responsible for any accident regardless of whether it is your fault or not.

Also winter tyres have a much deaper tread pattern on them. I have Nokian WR winter tyres on my MY00 Turbo.

swaussie

I am with PatGT and Wurzel. I also live in Switzerland and have to agree that M+S tyres are not just for mountain ski resorts. They provide a tremendous amount of safety on wet, cold and icy roads as well as giving you grip in Snow. If you are taking anyone with you then it might be good to err on the side of caution. You can use them all winter in the UK, pull them off in Summer and put them back on next year when the temps drop again. Chains are really a last resort device and not intended to be used unless in deep snow.

You will find that driving to the resort will get you into sub-zero temps where black ice could be a problem and you wont be able to use chains. If you do use chains on a normal road you will destroy them and cause a traffic jams.

webby v7 slipperwagon

iTrader: (2)

Where did you get the accommodation from? everywhere i have tried is v-expensive, would like to take the wife for some fun in the snow

ozzy

After spending the past 5 days driving around the south of the Czech Republic, I wouldn't even consider using summer tyres. There was no snow whilst I was there, but it was very cold (-8 in the hills) and summer tyres just aren't designed for use in those temperatures.

If you fit high-profile, deep treaded, skinny winter tyres then that should see you through the majority of extreme winter conditions. I'd carry snow chains for emergency use only where there's plenty of snow on the road.

AWD is no magic wand. It gives you traction, not grip.

Stefan

v8voodoo

Webby V7,

The place I found was through holiday-rentals and is property 9636 in St. Gervais. It was £300 for a week in the half term week (the most expensive week!!) and has all mod cons and facilities that we wanted. I've seen the actual place in other brochures and it looks good to me.

All,

Ok, seems that I definitely need winter tyres. I guess they'll be a sort of investment in case I go skiing again, plus I can use them in the winter in the UK. Now then.....

I've got 17" wheels on the MY03, and need now to find some winter tyres (and ideally a cheap set of alloys) that keep my speedo correct. Off the top of my head (only owned car a few weeks) I think the summer tyres are 215/45/17. What size winter tyres should I be looking for and anyone got any pointers for reasoanbly priced ones?

cheers all,
Nige.

v8voodoo

PS: I can get on the ferry and do a day trip to France cheap cheap to pick up these tyres if it'll work out cheaper. Anyone know if there's a price difference in France / Calais region..?

Cheers,
Nige.

danieldenham

I'm driving to Chamonix the last week in Jan so, I'll report back. I've been told the road to Chamonix as clear 99% of the time as it is not the usual resort wiggle but a main road. I will be borrowing a set of chains in case of emergency though as they are easy to sling in the back.

DMK

some tyre dealers offer winter tyre rental.
For example
http://www.felthamtyre.co.uk/wthire.htm

Fat Boy

There is a lot of hype about this (I've lived in Swissie too) in my experience people who live in Geneva or Zurich like to talk it up, but, the reality of it is, if you are not going out for the season or to live there ,then M&S are simply unnecessary.

He's going to Chamonix- so snow on the road is very UNlikely actually,given that IIRC it's 1020 or something metres high. That's all. St Gervais is even lower - 800m??

It's not Val Thorens (2300m) or Tignes (2100m), or Verbier,Morzine,etc, etc. I've been there in December, January, February, March, April & May - several times - in the snow (very, very occasionally) but mainly on clear roads.I've never needed to use snow chains or winter tyres there.The Autoroute runs virtually into the town.

V8 voodoo - You'll find Chamonix is quite a big town - it's not very "ski resorty" at all- so it's cleared virtually instantly in the event that it does settle. Drive there on your normal tyres, park your car and forget about it for a week.

As for the shandy drinking SE of the UK, today it's near the end of December and it was a chilly 11C.Brrrr, I don't know how I made it home on my summer tyres....

Of course, please ignore my ramblings if you are not going to just drive there and park like most of us do on a weeks holiday, but would rather push the edge of the performance envelope of your car if it does happen to snow in the town

FB

Brit_in_Japan

v8voodoo, tell me punk, do you feel lucky ?

Seriously, it all comes down to what the weather in when you go. I've driven to Chamonix for New Year skiing in a 3 series beemer with no winter tyres, not even snow chains and not had a problem. Then again, we had no fresh snow !

Check where exactly you are staying. Is it Chamonix or is it Argentiere? Argentiere is much higher, some villages higher again. Also Chamonix's ski areas are not linked together like other resorts. A couple are, but in general they's all seperate ski areas. To get to the other ski areas you can either get the ski bus, or you can drive. If you need to drive then there's more chance you'll need "chains" or winter tyres.

I now live in Japan and have proper studless winter tyres, and the three or four times I needed them last winter they were invaluable and sooooo convenient. I'd have either been stuck with summer tyres or I would have had to try and fit chains in the cold. The best "chains" to get are actually not metal, rather they're made from the same material as winter tyres.

A quick thought. For the cost of driving the WRX (petrol, tolls, ferry/Eurotunnel) you might be able to get flights to Geneva and a hire car for the week (which will have winter tyres). You'll save time and won't have to buy any new kit. Easyjet fly to Geneva but all the cheap seats will have gone by now. I've often found British Airways cheaper than Easyjet in the past.

HTH
BIJ

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

v8voodoo the choice is yours M8, I drove my scoob around on summer tyres for the last 4 winters with no real problem, but driving in the snow is ok but when it starts to freeze then you get problems also stopping is a major problem if some **** pulls out in front of you which they are prone to doing in Europe as they have no sense of self preservation. The bottom line is if you want to be a bit safer than normal and you don't want to be held responsible for any accident even if it isn't your fault then get a set of winter tyres, but if your happy to wing it and hope for the best then thats up to you.

Personally I also think there is a lot of hype about winter tyres but I have finally bowed to peer pressure and got a set and am trying them out, so far they seem to be better than my summer tyres, we had lots of snow over the weekend and the car does actually stop now when you put the brakes on rather than slide around as it did with my summers on. The germans imho put far to much faith in them and hoon around like they were on dry tarmac but as there are few crashes here they must work. Anyway as I said the choice is your.