Driving to Alpe d'Huez

miss notax
miss notax Posts: 2,572
edited July 2012 in Holidays
Hello :D

In just over 2 weeks time Notax and I are driving down to Alpe d'Huez with the bikes - we are getting the Eurostar to Calais, and with the magic of sat nav I can see that we will be facing a 9 hour or so drive the other side :?

We should arrive in Calais about 2.30pm on the Sunday, and I though it would be a plan to drive for a few hours (get the other side of Paris?) and then stop for the night before resuming the next day and getting to Alpe d'Huez mid afternoon. What I can't quite decide about is where to stop and whether to ever bother abut booking a hotel or not. I am generally a total control freak so this goes against the grain, but I am clueless as to where would be nice / suitable. Notax is the opposite and would never bother booking anything if he could get away with it :lol:

So, anyone used to doing this trip? Will I need to book for a random Sunday night stay somewhere nice? Any ideas on where to stop? The next day we will be joining everyone for the Megavalanche week, so I like the idea of one relaxing evening before all hell breaks loose!!!

Thanks :D
Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc

Comments

  • Majski
    Majski Posts: 443
    Whenever we've stopped on the way down we've just parked up in an Aire and slept in the car. Albeit we picked a big Aire that was open 24hr and parked outside the shops so it was safe.
  • DodgeT
    DodgeT Posts: 2,255
    Whats an "aire", guessing it's a kind of service station?? (might be doing the trip too....)
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    Hmmm, thanks but I am definitely after a hotel stop on the way - a 'nice' evening before the madness of Mega week :lol:
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    Well, we have blown the budget and booked a nice hotel just south of Paris in Fontainebleau :D
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    miss notax wrote:
    Well, we have blown the budget and booked a nice hotel just south of Paris in Fontainebleau :D
    dont forget the beathalisers.

    well you will have a few months grace (november) but for 6 quid.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • Majski
    Majski Posts: 443
    Aire is basically a French service station, though some of them are just rest stops with nothing more than a bog and a picnic bench
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    nicklouse wrote:
    miss notax wrote:
    Well, we have blown the budget and booked a nice hotel just south of Paris in Fontainebleau :D
    dont forget the beathalisers.

    well you will have a few months grace (november) but for 6 quid.

    Thank you - I wasn't aware of that. Off to find some breathalisers then....!
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    miss notax wrote:
    nicklouse wrote:
    miss notax wrote:
    Well, we have blown the budget and booked a nice hotel just south of Paris in Fontainebleau :D
    dont forget the beathalisers.

    well you will have a few months grace (november) but for 6 quid.

    Thank you - I wasn't aware of that. Off to find some breathalisers then....!
    not needed yet like i said. but if you are going to EuroTunnel have them available as do the ferry companies i guess.

    have a read http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18662555
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • weeve
    weeve Posts: 393
    stay at a Hotel Formule 1 ...they are everywhere near motorways and cost f'all (circa 40 quid and can sleep 2-3)

    shared bathroom and low grade but safe and fine...use them all the time

    http://www.hotelformule1.com/gb/home/in ... EC-41-GOO-[ppc-for-mar-goo-uk-en-bro-sear-bp-cen]-[for]-S-[hotel%20formule%201]&xtdt=22362834
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    I am now confused about sat nav's and the rules regarding speed camera alerts :(

    We have a Tom Tom which gives the fixed camera locations, which I understand is now illeagle in France and we can be fined for having this :shock: Any idea how we can switch this function off? Or is it ok as it's an old sat nav?

    I would like to stay within the law if we can, but need to use the sat nav to stand any chance of realistically getting there!!
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    you have to disable it.

    IIRC there is a how to on TomTom webby.

    and here we are http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answer ... era-alerts
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    Damn, i'm rubbish at technical stuff (Notax is even worse) - i'll probably end up wiping everything off the bloody sat nav :?

    Thanks for pointing me in the right direction though - I shall bravely attempt this at home tonight over a glass of wine (cause that'll help :wink: ) :D
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    link added.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    Ah - thank you :D
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc

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