driving in france in winter

Hello!

My parents are going to France in January 2008 and were planning to spend 2 weeks driving outside of Paris. They were a little concerned about driving on roads covered in snow.

Is this a valid concern or do they treat the roads?

Should they take the train?

Any suggestions?

Thank you

r

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Unless they are unlucky with the weather, it is unlikely that there will be sufficient snow to affect roads of that it wouldn%26#39;t thaw within a day or two if it did. The exception to this is in the Alpine regions. They do try to keep the roads open in winter.

You%26#39;ve had snow in Melbourne this winter, so they should be well practiced : - )

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You are not that likely to encounter snow in the Paris area, (although you might!) You need to go to the mountains for that. France has a good road network and I have not ever had any problems driving there in the winter, snow or otherwise.

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Here in the mountains the roads are kept very clear even after a heavy snowfall and generally the roads are well maintained anyway. It is almost unthinkable to say they will drive on %26quot;snow covered%26quot; roads - at worst there may be some snow on the road while it is snowing but the salt put down mostly melts this and then the ploughs come along to clear the surface.

If they are touring around the Paris region and coastal areas of the North West or Atlantic coast then they are less likely to see snow (still possible of course). There is more snow in the East and of course the Alps if they go that far.

There are a couple of things that may help.

Ask the car hire company to make sure that the car has %26quot;winter%26quot; tyres - I didn%26#39;t know about these until I left the UK but they have a deeper tread and are better at displacing water so safer during winter months.

Try to park the car under cover in case it snows then you don%26#39;t have to clear it off the top of the car.

The salt used to treat the roads can well up in the wheel arches so kick it loose if it builds up, but this is extremely unlikely in 2 weeks.

Generally if they drive conservatively but positively they will be OK and no real reason to worry. Hope they have a good trip.

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Thank you both for your quick replies. I think the concern is due to our lack of snow - we only drive in snow in our alpine areas and only ever with chains on the wheels. I should have emphasised this in my initial post.

I must have missed the snow in Melbourne this year! if it snows here, it doesn%26#39;t settle on the ground!

I think they should drive, but i am not sure they are convinced.

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wow! just missed you by a minute Jon8840. I think my parents will be reassured with that info. Thank you too!

r

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