| Have you ever tried doing this? Hiring a car and | | | | choice again between more motorway and the |
| driving to your favourite ski resort? From someone | | | | normal main road. Again, the motorway is slower |
| who's done it, let me tell you it's not as easy as it | | | | except in bad weather. (If driving conditions are really |
| sounds, especially if you are short sighted and have | | | | diabolical, or there is heavy traffic, it is probably |
| no sense of direction. | | | | faster and safer to take this autoroute, the A41, |
| Abundant cheap flights from the UK to Geneva have | | | | past Annecy to Chambéry, then take the A43 |
| made it easier than ever to do your own thing, hire a | | | | to Albertville, in spite of the extra 30 miles this adds. |
| car and head for the slopes. | | | | Luckily you do not need a vignette for French |
| Determined types shun the maps offered by their | | | | motorways.) |
| car-hire company and follow signs, ending up | | | | However, normally, the quickest route is through the |
| circumnavigating the picturesque but confusing centre | | | | centre of Annecy, following ALBERTVILLE. |
| of Geneva, usually several times, sharing traffic jams | | | | Unfortunately, the Annecy Town Council would |
| with Swiss commuters. | | | | rather send you, literally, round the houses, so the |
| So the first piece of advice is to hire a car on the | | | | signs to follow are "LAC" at first, and then "CENTRE |
| Swiss side of the airport rather than the French side | | | | VILLE" and then "ALBERTVILLE". After that, it's plain |
| - for a very simple reason that the Swiss car parks | | | | sailing. |
| are closer to the terminal building, but also for the | | | | Once through Albertville, go left towards MOUTIERS. |
| motorway vignette or ticket, of which more below. | | | | This road takes you straight on to Bourg St. Maurice |
| On leaving the airport follow TOUTES DIRECTIONS, | | | | and then Val d'Isère, about an hour and a half |
| then the green FRANCE signs. These will take you | | | | from Albertville. The whole journey should take from |
| along a long, straight road, at the end of which the | | | | three to three and a half hours. |
| FRANCE signs take you left. Stay in the right-hand | | | | For the return journey, leave the expressway at |
| lane, because immediately after the left turn you | | | | Albertville, following ANNECY. Go through the centre |
| follow FRANCE to the right, down the motorway slip | | | | of Annecy, following GENEVE, except in bad |
| road. | | | | weather, when it's easier to follow the TOUTES |
| This autoroute, with a strictly enforced 100kph speed | | | | DIRECTIONS or autoroute signs just before Annecy. |
| limit, takes you to the border. In Switzerland, in | | | | Unless you have or don't mind buying the Swiss |
| theory, you need an annual vignette, or licence, to | | | | autoroute vignette, you must avoid joining the |
| use their motorways, but we have only ever heard | | | | motorway back to the airport at the border, so half |
| of one car being stopped on the way out of | | | | an hour after Annecy, when you see signs to the |
| Switzerland and made to pay the £20 or so. (If | | | | motorway and Geneva to your right, stay on the |
| you don't want to run that slight risk, don't take the | | | | main road. You go towards St. Julien, and then pick |
| slip road but carry straight on, looking out for ST. | | | | up GENEVE. There's an easy-to-miss left turn at the |
| JULIEN or ANNECY - in blue, because in Switzerland | | | | second traffic light. At this frontier post, at Perly, go |
| green is for the autoroute.). However, Swiss hire cars | | | | through the red channel: the green one is for locals. |
| should have the vignette already - you should | | | | However, you can save lots of time now by taking |
| definitely check with your hire company before | | | | the left turn onto the motorway about a mile into |
| setting out. | | | | Switzerland. It is at a traffic light, and marked |
| You cross the border after a few miles of | | | | LAUSANNE. Once again, you theoretically need the |
| motorway. A quarter of a mile later, filter right, | | | | vignette, and should have one with your Swiss hire |
| following the green ANNECY sign, not the blue, unless | | | | car but may not be spotted if you're in your own car |
| there is heavy snow. In France, green is for ordinary | | | | without one. The airport exit is clearly marked, as is |
| roads and blue is for autoroutes, and the motorway | | | | the exit for the French sector if that is where you |
| route to Annecy is twice as long as the direct route. | | | | have to return your car. |
| Following ANNECY, you will bear right again and go | | | | We wish you a bon voyage, and happy skiing. |
| round a roundabout. In a few miles, you have a | | | | |