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