directions
Address
Chalet Cristal
122, Rue Michel Collin
Verchaix 74440.
The postcode is useful to get you as far as Morillon / the roundabout close to the chalet (see detailed directions below), but don't use it for the very last part of the journey as it will take you to Verchaix village which is several hundred metres up the hill.
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From the A40 motorway via Cluses, junction 18
Leave the A 40 at Junction 18 for Cluses and take the second exit onto the D304 for Cluses and go straight over the next two roundabouts.
At the next (large) roundabout, turn left signposted 'Stations de Ski'.
Stay on this road which loops under the railway and back on itself before you come to a roundabout (Lidl opposite you) where you turn left onto the D902 and follow the road up the hill to Chatillon.
Straight over the roundabout in Chatillon and then the road gradually descends.
At the sharp left hand bend, take the D4 on the right to Samoëns and Morillon.
On entering Morillon take the left hand turn signposted Verchaix. Follow this road round over a couple of speed bumps passing the Best Western on your right.
At the end of the road turn left and shortly after you will pass a parking area on your right (Lac Bleu) and then go over the River Giffre.
Go straight ahead at the mini roundabout (right turn leads to Samoëns) and then take the first left into Rue Michel Collin.
The chalet is the third house on the right and is on the corner, just as the road starts to bend round to the right.
There is a large hedge around the chalet, large white gate posts (no gates) and a house name on the front.
The postcode is 74440 but don’t follow this postcode when you are close as it will take you up to Verchaix village, several hundred metres further up the hill.
If you use the 'what three words' app then the location is emptiness.bottom.obstructing
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From Calais
The drive from Calais is easy as it's motorway the whole way apart from the last 30 minutes.
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A very brief summary is as follow:
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Leave Eurotunnel / ferry onto A16
A26 /E15 for St-Omer / Arras / Reims / Paris
Approaching Reims take A4/E17/E46/E50 for Lyon/Metz-Nancy/Reims-Sud (Reims ring road)
A26 / E17 for Saint-Gibrien/Châlons-en-Champagne/Troyes/Lyon
A5 / E17 for Mulhouse / Lyon / Chaumont / Dijon
A39 for Grenoble and Genève
A40 for Chamonix and Turin
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Reims is about 2.25 - 2.5 hours driving. If you've travelled over on an evening train / ferry then Reims makes a good overnight stop - there are several hotels close to the motorway at Tinquex / Thillois (Novotel, Ibis, Ibis Budget etc). There's also a large Carrefour with petrol station.
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If you're not stopping at Reims but need petrol / a leg stretch then there's a Leclerc supermarket at junction 23 of the A4, just south of Reims.
Dijon is about 2.5 hours after Reims. When you reach the A39 & A36 intersection near Dôle you have about 2.5 hours driving time left at 130 kmph.
At the “la Bresse” service station (known as the 'giant chicken') there is another 1.5 hours to go, keep following Genève and Lyon. You go through a series of tunnels at Nantua then over the Rhone on a high viaduct; the speed limit changes frequently on this section.
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Note that in winter the speed limit is reduced on the A40 to 110 kph.
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From the airport
Leave the car rental car park and follow the green signposts for the A1 motorway direction FRANCE for a couple of kilometres.
Take a left hand turn from the main road under a bridge, still heading for France.
At the traffic lights at the top, turn quick right before you go over a bridge,.
Stay on the A1, after about 10 minutes you'll reach the French border at Bardonex
Immediately after passing through customs follow signposts for the A40 in the direction Chamonix and Turin
Leave the A40 at junction 18 and follow the directions above.
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Supermarkets en route
Coming off at Junction 18:
At the large roundabout signposted 'Stations de Ski', turn right instead of left. You'll soon come to another rounadbout with a large Carrefour. Retrace your steps to the large roundabout and go straight ahead.
After you've skirted around Cluses on the D304, there is a large Lidl on the roundabout junction with the D902, where you turn left for Chatillon.
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Coming off at Junction 15:
This is a more scenic route to the chalet and doesn't take any longer than staying on the motorway to junction 18
There's a large Super-U on your left just as you enter Taninges.
The Carrefour in Samoëns can get very busy in peak weeks so we often use this supermarket instead.
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