Tag: driving

My drive to the ski slopes by EV

As our old diesel car limped us back from the ski slopes in early 2024 (with SIX stops for oil top-ups), its chances of getting through another MOT were slim. But when we decided to swerve the hybrid option and go full hog for an eco EV car, we had one niggling worry: could we drive to the ski slopes by EV – and back – without running out of charge?

Here is what we learnt from our first ski trip by EV:

Pre-departure

  • Our insurance company covered us to drive in Europe – phew.
  • We absolutely made sure we had a breakdown cover that INCLUDED charging our EV.
  • We certainly didn’t do enough homework (more on this below).
  • Our battery offered a maximum of 240 miles, so we knew we would have to stop around six times during our drive to the ski slopes at Wengen: little and often, as all EV car drivers will tell you (ie do not drop to below 20% charge and do not charge above 80%).
  • We decided to Airbnb it on our way to Switzerland to break up our drive, but go full hog on the way back.
  • We were warned that the cold would drain our battery, as would winding up a mountain road by EV. Neither occurred.

our Journey to the ski slopes

First charge stop en route to the ski slopes: Folkestone. A disaster. The chargers were not taking debit or credit cards, the QR code the charger asked us to scan did not exist and when I called the European operators (on the line for 23 minutes and counting. Argh) they could not assist.

Thank goodness for helpful and experienced EV driver Toby, who lent us an RFDI charging card. So nice. This lifted our spirits until we realised the car wasn’t getting out of initialising to charging. (LeShuttle Flexi Plus travellers can use a dedicated charger; we looked on in envy.)

Another group of EV drivers turned up and experienced similar problems. One person had around 10 different charging cards, one of which worked.

Driving south through France, as electric vehicle range anxiety kicked in, we had to revisit our stops. The car’s system weirdly directed us away from the motorway, on a drive of between five and 10 minutes, usually to a Lidl or Aldi. Do this six times and it adds an hour and a half onto your journey.

Overall, the drive through France was a good experience, helped immensely by our 19-year-old son who was a whizz at getting the car charging (I lost count of the amount of apps we had to download).

For our overnight stay on our way to the ski slopes, we chose somewhere with a charger. However, the host was strange about us using it, so we plugged our EV into the mains to give us enough charge to get us to a super charger next morning. That supercharger was in a McDonald’s, where the breakfast was really rather good, AND it wasn’t in throw-away packaging. Well done, Swiss McDonald’s.

Survive the drive: tips on driving to the ski slopes

At the ski resort

We were staying in Wengen, Switzerland, a ‘no-car’ resort, so we parked our EV in Lauterbrunnen and took a relaxing, quick cogwheel-rail journey up the mountain. Lauterbrunnen has an easy-access, multi-storey car park with around 10 excellent EV chargers. We popped down the night before our departure and charged our car overnight – simples.

The drive home

We drove away from Wengen around 8am with a LeShuttle crossing booked for a later than usual 10.30pm (we would normally plan to be at the Channel for 8.30pm). We didn’t quite make it. Five minutes late and the check-in machine told us the next available crossing was 01.15am. Thankfully, I tracked down a member of staff who said ‘just get on the next crossing in 30 minutes’, saving us a two-hour wait. You might not be so lucky in the school holidays.

Cruising in EV ECO mode, not using the heated seats, saved us around 10-20km / charge; keep the heating on, but maybe bring a jumper or blankets.

Our drive back from skiing was pretty seamless, except for a long charger queue at a motorway service station somewhere near Strasbourg, where other drivers were parking in the EV charging points. We had a lucky break and managed to slip into a space just as a vehicle was leaving.

My tips for a drive to the ski slopes by EV:

  • Get an RFID card before you leave.
  • Download the Charge Global app in advance, it was a life saver and had really good up to date info on so many chargers en route (weirdly, it doesn’t seem to have the same accuracy in the UK).
  • Use motorway service stations to charge where possible (but do remember during the day these can be busy). They may be slightly more expensive, but it saves that extra drive.
  • Remember to budget for the coffees and snacks you will be buying your whole family at every EV charging stop.
  • Travelling by EV is not cheaper than using diesel. Charging prices varied between about 60 and 80 pence / kwh.
  • Allow for C6 charges and remember the 20:80 rule (little and often).
  • Take a teenager to get the charging under way while the driver/s you sip a frothy cappuccino.
  • We are glad we factored in an overnight stop on the outward journey, especially as you lose an hour crossing the Channel.
  • If the LeShuttle machine tells you there isn’t an available train for a couple of hours – check with a human being.
  • Travelling by EV does get easier and, yes, range anxiety does pass.

Ace your next ski trip

Racing to the slopes for a ski trip? WhoSki.com is your best piste pal for snow tips for all the family, every step of the way.

Survive the drive:

From TAG to aire, 15 years-worth of tips to ease your experience of the autoroute to the Alps. Read more: Ski-drive tips

Offspring going on a Uni ski trip?

There’s a lot that goes on during student ski trip that it’s probably best for parents NOT to know. Ever. We persuaded some students to spill the beans and share their tips. Read more: Secrets of the student ski trip

Sell your ski stuff now:

Have you ever tried finding ski clothing in shops after February half-term? Our top tip – don’t bother! The shelves are full of summer sports gear already, making this the perfect time to list your good as new ski clothing at WhoSki.com for a quick sale. Read more: Five simple steps to selling your ski clothes

Dealing with reluctant skiers:

What can you do if your child – or grandchild – doesn’t like ski school? My daughter hated her ski lessons, for YEARS. Here’s what I tried, with varying levels of success… Read more: Help! My child doesn’t like ski school

Must-haves for a school ski trip:

Still looking for kit for a school ski trip child? The WhoSki.com shop is the best place to buy good quality ski clothes at great prices. Check our school ski trip essentials checklist to make sure you’ve got everything you need. Read more: School ski trip packing list

Cross country ski essentials:

If you’re hitting the trails rather than the downhills, we can help. It’s hard work – but super-fun. Here’s exactly what you should be wearing to stay warm, look good and avoid overheating when cross country skiing. Read more: Dress right for XC skiing

Shop sustainably. Buy and sell at WhoSki.com: we donate 10% of our commission to teen mental health charity stem4 on EVERY sale.

Image by derich on Freepik

Survive the Drive: tips on driving to the ski slopes

With 15 years’ experience of driving to the Alps, WhoSki founders Sally and Nicola share their top tips to ease your next car journey to the ski slopes.

Motoring Essentials:

Paperwork: Take copies of your insurance and vehicle registration documents and an up-to-date driving licence.

In the car: In France, you’ll need reflective jackets for everyone / warning triangle in case of breakdown / replacement headlamp bulb.

For the mountains: Snow chains, plus a tough pair of gloves for fitting them. Check WhoSki.com for secondhand snow chains before you buy new, then sell them on after your trip. Or try renting them out via KitUp.

On the car: Headlamp beam converters if your vehicle doesn’t auto-adjust / UK sticker displayed on your vehicle / a Crit’Air vignette if you will be entering a clean-air city or area.

Speed things up: A windscreen TAG to fast-track your way through auto-route toll gates.

Family Essentials:

Set off with full water bottles and plenty of snacks.

Pre-pack name-coded bags of goodies for each passenger. If your kids are old enough to manage their own food intake, this will save considerable hassle for whoever is in the front passenger seat – as well as time and money at service stations en route.

Tuck a sick bag into seat-back pockets: zig-zag mountain roads can cause havoc with little tummies.

A blanket and a pillow never go amiss on a long car journey.

Keep snowboots accessible – you will need them if you have to stop and fit snowchains, plus you may need them when you arrive in resort.

The Overnight Stop:

Pack an overnight grab bag to avoid unloading the car. Make sure you’ve eaten before you check in – or take food to eat in your accommodation. Looking for somewhere to eat late at night when you’ve got a car full of tired travellers is predictably awful.

If driving at February half-term, set off on the second leg of your journey as early as you can bear. Hitting the road at 5am rather than 6.30am can make the difference between arriving in your ski resort in time for lunch – or just about making it for a bad-tempered supper after a long, slow slog up the mountain in a traffic jam.

Let the kids travel in their pyjamas and pack everyone their own ‘breakfast grab bag’ to stave off hunger until your driver needs a coffee and a croissant stop.

Tips for an Easier Journey:

Print out / download all your arrival details in advance so you know where you’re staying / how to get there / where to park. WiFi can be annoyingly sporadic in the mountains so don’t rely on Google Maps to help you out.

Toilet stop required? Aim for one of the simpler ‘aire de repos’ picnic areas rather than a service station to avoid queues for the toilet.

Get the kids to download a heap of TV shows / movies to their devices in advance. A long car journey is not the time to get fussy about screen-time limits. Invest in dual chargers to avoid anyone running out of juice.

Last-Minute Planning:

FOOD on arrival: If you’re self catering, ordering a meal for the day you arrive is a no-brainer. The convenience of not having to shoot off to the supermarket the minute you ‘land’ cannot be underestimated, and leaves you more time to pick up your ski equipment from the hire shop.

Huski delivers throughout the French Alps, with plenty of tasty choices for all needs (veggie, vegan, gluten-free etc). Let them know where you’re staying and they will deliver in advance right into the freezer of your ski apartment. Sally can confirm: the food is great.
Use our Huski discount code WhoSki5 for money off your order.

THE auto-route TAG: If you haven’t already got one (mentioned above), you can order a speedy delivery windscreen TAG to fast-track your way through auto-route toll gates. It is seriously worth it.

Driving Home:

The journey home is much easier to do in one go if you can share the driving. Always take breaks and do not drive if tired. Overnight accommodation on the way home can make for a more relaxing experience, though the time difference is in your favour for getting it over with in one go.

Is the snowsports industry ready for a sustainable future?

As Sally hurtled off to the Mountain Trade Network‘s autumn LISTEX conference at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead last week, delegates were revving up for a debate on how the snowsports industry is waking up to sustainable options for the future.

The panel covered a range of topics including ski and snowboard clothing, climate change, aiming for net zero, and what seems to always be the most contentious item for the wintersports industry: the transport you use to get to your ski resort.

Sally’s top learnings from the debate:

1 Switzerland has a transparent approach to sustainability

Ski giant Switzerland has opted for an umbrella approach to sustainability, providing resorts, hotels and other key snow sports businesses with clear directives on how to develop their green credentials.

For visitors it’s easy to understand, as businesses will be awarded three level ‘badges’: Level 3 – Leading; Level 2 – Engaged; and Level 1 – Committed. It is a simple way to judge how far down the sustainability route a Swiss business, service provider or destination has travelled.

2 You can’t do everything immediately, so aim for manageable targets en route to net zero

It can be all-consuming trying to do everything at once, so a business aiming for net zero should break down its actions into manageable, achievable goals. Charlie Cotton from ecollective calls this the ‘7% rule’, whereby you make regular 7% improvements on the road to net zero.

Extra good news: HotelPlan, which owns ski holiday brands including Inghams and Esprit, has signed up to reach net zero: a big shout out to them.

3 Climate change is affecting resorts already

According to University of Surrey sustainability PhD student Harry Rice, there is growing concern over the impact of increasing temperatures on lower snowsports resorts, the pressure climate change will put on higher resorts and the impact of increased temperatures on the slopes.

Ski resorts are starting to look at how they adapt to this change, weighing up social and economic progress and how the adaptations could impact more heavily on the mountain environment.

4 More of us are driving to the slopes (and it’s easy by EV…)

James Gambrill from the Ski Club of Great Britain presented figures showing that post-pandemic more of us have driven to the mountains.

Reasons for this are unclear, however. Is it because of an increase in airline flight cancellations, passenger worries about catching Covid, price hikes or are we starting to think ‘greener’ in our travel choices?

On a positive note, the ease of driving an EV to the ski slopes is aided by improved EV charging facilities through France.

5 Young people positively embrace BUYING secondhand ski CLOTHES

It is estimated that 64% of young people prefer to buy secondhand clothes. Not just because they are more affordable, but also for the bragging rights: pre-loved fashion is very much on trend and growing across the market.

It’s time to feed that demand. Clear out your ski clothes from your wardrobe. List them for sale (at WhoSki.com, obviously). Lend them, mend them, re-use or re-sell them. Just make sure you don’t allow your ski jackets, ski pants and salopettes to end up in landfill.

Fact: ski textiles are likely to be around long after many of us have stopped skiing. 

Expert panel

The eclectic panel of international speakers at LISTEX included Charlie Cotton from travel consultancy ecollective, Myriam Ziesack of the Swiss tourist board which runs Swisstainable, Harry Rice, climate change and sustainability PhD student, our own Sally Warren, co-founder of WhoSki.com, and Iain Martin of SkiFlightFree.

LISTEX, the London International Ski Trade Exchange, is a B2B event that brings together many of the movers and shakers in the snowsports world, from industry leaders to independent specialists.

Thank you to The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead, for hosting and Babsi Lapwood of the Mountain Trade Network for organising.