What You’ll Need For A Self Drive Skiing Holiday
| by Web Team | October 09, 2008
So, you’re heading for the mountains to find lots of snow and do some skiing this Winter, but you’re not going to fly there this time. You’ve decided to go by car and ferry. It’s probably a bit lighter on the old carbon footprint and you can make the journeys there and back part of the holiday. Cutting out airports with all their delays and frustrations could be a bonus too!
Having your car there with you will be very useful if you want to travel about the area a bit in between skiing and you can carry so much more with you so easily. If you’ve done this sort of thing before you’ll be well aware of the things you need to equip yourself with. If you haven’t there are a few things you need that you might not on your Summer trips.
First, in some countries and, in the Alps, even to travel on certain roads, it is compulsory to carry snow chains in your car, ready for use if needed. Now snow chains are not an everyday item of motoring equipment in the UK so most people are not accustomed to using them.
The best thing is to buy your snow chains in good time before you’re due to leave on your holiday. Then try fitting them and removing them at home. Give yourself plenty of time to do this several times until you’ve really got the hang of it. The last thing you want is to find yourself trying to fit snow chains for the first time in sub zero temperatures on a frozen Alpine road, probably after dark! Be sure to get the practice in at home!
Will you be taking your own skis? Of course you can hire them when you get there but there’s nothing like having your own equipment, whatever the activity, is there? So, if you are taking your own gear how are you planning to carry them. Skis are not he easiest item of luggage to fit in the average car. By far the most satisfactory solution is to get yourself a roof box fitted. Ski roof boxes are made to take skis so they fit in there nicely with all their bits and pieces and you’d never know you had them with you until you want to use them. Because, like all car roof boxes, they are lockable and themselves locked to the car, they keep your expensive skis and equipment secure against theft as well as out of the way.
Car roof boxes being so useful you may want to use one to take lots of other stuff so there isn’t room in there for skis. In that case, if you choose a brand like Thule for example, you’ll find that their roof bars can be fitted with special ski carrier attachments. You’ll need to have the roof bars anyway to attach the roof box to and although the ski carrier doesn’t keep your skis out of sight it is lockable to keep them secure.
Going on a skiing holiday will involve taking quite a lot of other gear apart from the skis and poles themselves. Obviously ski resorts tend to be situated in very cold places so you will be taking quite a bit of extra clothing. The modern ski wear may be relatively lightweight compared with that used in years past but it is still quite bulky and in any case you will need other garments as well for when you’re not actually skiing. So you’ll be carrying quite a bit of kit with you in the car. Using a roof box keeps the interior of the car relatively clear for people and personal items.
So, car roof boxes and ski carrier fittings will look after carrying all your kit and caboodle and your snow chains will keep you going when you need them and keep you legal even when you don’t. What else will you need for your self drive skiing holiday? Just the usual requirements for continental driving really assuming your going to the European ski centres. You’ll need your red triangle in the boot but accessible in an emergency and a reflective waistcoat to wear in case of accident or breakdown.
In most European countries you are required by law to carry a fire extinguisher and a spare set of bulbs for all your car’s lights. You also must display a “GB” sticker unless your car is fitted with Euro number plates.
Of course if your skiing holiday is in the Cairngorms or elsewhere in the UK you won’t need any of these things to comply with the law. It’s still a very sensible idea to carry them even though it’s not a legal requirement. You could be very glad you did!
Having your car there with you will be very useful if you want to travel about the area a bit in between skiing and you can carry so much more with you so easily. If you’ve done this sort of thing before you’ll be well aware of the things you need to equip yourself with. If you haven’t there are a few things you need that you might not on your Summer trips.
First, in some countries and, in the Alps, even to travel on certain roads, it is compulsory to carry snow chains in your car, ready for use if needed. Now snow chains are not an everyday item of motoring equipment in the UK so most people are not accustomed to using them.
The best thing is to buy your snow chains in good time before you’re due to leave on your holiday. Then try fitting them and removing them at home. Give yourself plenty of time to do this several times until you’ve really got the hang of it. The last thing you want is to find yourself trying to fit snow chains for the first time in sub zero temperatures on a frozen Alpine road, probably after dark! Be sure to get the practice in at home!
Will you be taking your own skis? Of course you can hire them when you get there but there’s nothing like having your own equipment, whatever the activity, is there? So, if you are taking your own gear how are you planning to carry them. Skis are not he easiest item of luggage to fit in the average car. By far the most satisfactory solution is to get yourself a roof box fitted. Ski roof boxes are made to take skis so they fit in there nicely with all their bits and pieces and you’d never know you had them with you until you want to use them. Because, like all car roof boxes, they are lockable and themselves locked to the car, they keep your expensive skis and equipment secure against theft as well as out of the way.
Car roof boxes being so useful you may want to use one to take lots of other stuff so there isn’t room in there for skis. In that case, if you choose a brand like Thule for example, you’ll find that their roof bars can be fitted with special ski carrier attachments. You’ll need to have the roof bars anyway to attach the roof box to and although the ski carrier doesn’t keep your skis out of sight it is lockable to keep them secure.
Going on a skiing holiday will involve taking quite a lot of other gear apart from the skis and poles themselves. Obviously ski resorts tend to be situated in very cold places so you will be taking quite a bit of extra clothing. The modern ski wear may be relatively lightweight compared with that used in years past but it is still quite bulky and in any case you will need other garments as well for when you’re not actually skiing. So you’ll be carrying quite a bit of kit with you in the car. Using a roof box keeps the interior of the car relatively clear for people and personal items.
So, car roof boxes and ski carrier fittings will look after carrying all your kit and caboodle and your snow chains will keep you going when you need them and keep you legal even when you don’t. What else will you need for your self drive skiing holiday? Just the usual requirements for continental driving really assuming your going to the European ski centres. You’ll need your red triangle in the boot but accessible in an emergency and a reflective waistcoat to wear in case of accident or breakdown.
In most European countries you are required by law to carry a fire extinguisher and a spare set of bulbs for all your car’s lights. You also must display a “GB” sticker unless your car is fitted with Euro number plates.
Of course if your skiing holiday is in the Cairngorms or elsewhere in the UK you won’t need any of these things to comply with the law. It’s still a very sensible idea to carry them even though it’s not a legal requirement. You could be very glad you did!
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