Suitable route Chamonix - Grenoble

[v.meldrew2]

We intend travelling between Chamonix and Grenoble on our summer trip. The shortest route looks to be via Megeve (D1212) and Albertville, but there are quite a few gradient arrows on the map. The alternative longer way round would be Annecy, Aix-les-Bains and Chambery. Has anyone any experience of the Megeve route and its suitabilty for towing? We have a 7.2m/1500kg Indiana with CRV 2.2. Generally tows no problem!

 

[BigTim]

Hi VM2

Last summer we stayed at Passy, west of Chamonix and travelled SOLO by the D212 to Annecy via Megeve and Uginel, ie, the route you are asking about. Whilst it is a reasonable road it does have as you suspected a lot of gradients and is quite "twisty" in places and rather slow too. We were travelling to Annecy to check out campsites near to Annecy for the second part of our holiday - the opposite direction to you. We were considering using that route to Annecy, if we could find a suitable pitch. We were travelling in the opposite direction to you and looking to see if that route was a good one for towing on. I particularly remember there were a lot of bends and gradients climbing out of Passy as we would have been towing in that direction.

We secured a place at Camping Lac Bleue, Doussard for a week later but decided to use the autoroute from Annecy to Passy, via Bonneville for our solo return to Passy and for our return journey, a week later with our, caravan (Bailey Senator Arizona, 7.1 metres). Although it is a toll route the tolls for that journey were not too expensive and it was much quicker, flatter and easier drive. The autoroute follows the valleys whilst the D212 goes over the mountains.

To sum up; whilst the D212 IS towable with care I would recommend the autoroute route. (I am speaking as a caravanner of 10+ years Continental towing experience)

Incidentally if you are looking for a site in the Chamonix area I would recommend Iles de Passy where we spent 2 enjoyable weeks. It is in reasonable travelling distance of Chamonix, whilst avoiding that towns crowds, and is pleasantly situated adjacent to a public lake. You can see my review here:

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/reviews.asp?revid=9120
I hope this helps. Please post again if I can be of further help.

Tim

 

[BigTim]

Hi VM2

Sorry but I just read your post again. I had misread it and thought you were asking about towing from Grenoble to Chamonix but you are actually asking about towing the way we travelled. Sorry - duh!!

In that case I would even more definitely not recommend using the D212 and advise the autoroute route. As I mentioned in my previous post it is VERY steep and twisty climbing out of Sallanches travelling towards Megeve. We ruled out that route for towing as soon as joined the D212 at Sallanches.

My comments on the autoroute route, of course, only covers the part from Passy to Annecy but, according to my atlas, the route from Annecy to Greenoble is all autoroute apart from a short stretch near Chambery.

Sorry again for my earlier confusion.

Regards

Tim

 

[v.meldrew2]

Hello again Tim

We seem to follow similar paths!

Many thanks for your comprehensive reply - exactly the first-hand info I needed! We will definitely take your advice and use the longer autoroute route.

I also read your campsite review - again it's useful to have impartial opinions. We are considering Iles des Baratts site which is near the middle of Chamonix, but we are (by chance) going to be in Chamonix in March (not caravanning) so will have a recce visit then.

Our trip this year will be Belgian/Luxembourg Ardennes, Black Forest, Jungfrau area, Thonon-les-Bains, Chamonix - then south to numerous sites in the Hautes Alpes and Provence. Return route will be via Auvergne and Loire.

Presume you will be travelling extensively this year too - enjoy!

 

[BigTim]

Hi VM2

I'm glad to have helped with the route. Regarding your choice of sites I would emphasise that Chamonix is VERY busy traffic, and people, wise in the high summer so you should bear that in mind when choosing a site as it will, I guess, be much quieter when you visit in March.

We travelled into, and through, Chamonix several times as we bought 4 day, non-consecutive passes, for the Mont Blanc Companies' tram, trains and cable cars - they own most of them in that area, and we wanted to get back the full value, c