We're in switzerland and driving a 7.4m van for the first time in our lives AND it's in snow. We are from Australia and had no idea the roads would be SO small. Today i had one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. We ended up on a mountain road we couldn't turn around on so kept going forward because Google maps routed us through it to the other side. We hit a patch of snow though (my first time ever seeing snow) and we slid a little and i thought we were goingto go backwards down the mountain side. We stopped but couldn't go forward or back. now I'm curled up in the back of a police car on the side of a snowy mountain while they attempt to tow our hire van backwards. I know we were really really silly to get stuck there in the first place. I have been in total panic thinking we are going to fall off the mountain and i am beyond terrified to drive again. We went with the van instead of trains because i am disabled and use a wheelchair. We didn't know a way to transport myself and my partner around for our holiday on trains because i can't pull my own suitcase because I'm in the chair. Please can anyone tell us how to know which roads are wide and safe? We keep getting caught out with Google maps getting in scary places on tiny roads but today i thought i was going to die and this isn't really how my holiday is meant to be. I've not travelled since becoming disabled 6 years ago. We don't know how to manage when we can't predict the roads.
Help :( we've really bitten off more than we can chew (1 Viewer)
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Puddleduck
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Scotland's pretty good at clearing main roads as well - it is more to do with being prepared for heavy snow and having the equipment to deal with it. I know during the last snow fall the A68 was shut for two or three days at Carter Bar but the drift was very deep - when I was in Colorado they also took 2 or 3 days to get the roads clear and open again, that is normal and not reported wall to wall on the news.
One thing they do in CO is that if you park on designated snow routes when there is a snow warning in place you can expect to have your vehicle ploughed (or even plowed) out of the way, not like here where parked or abandoned vehicles are rescued.
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I'm a bit confused here. The topic starter hates snow, yet is driving into a high area where snow is very likely.
Plenty of folk have said to drive south to the warmer areas.
Or has April 1st come early ?
Plenty of folk have said to drive south to the warmer areas.
Or has April 1st come early ?
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The hire company should be shot for letting this couple drive away without a full understanding of where there going and what there likely to do in a Motorhome....
I’m really feeling for this couple and what they need is plain clear simple advice and invest in a satnav.
I’m really feeling for this couple and what they need is plain clear simple advice and invest in a satnav.
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- Feb 22, 2011
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Quite correct, it is a disgrace and extremely suprising given that the hire company are in Switzerland, they should know better.
I`m amazed they were allowed to leave the depot so unprepared in terms of how to use the vehicle and the weather to expect at this time of year.
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TerryL
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Don't think they "hated" snow, just never seen it before - which to recap is how they got into difficulties.
A sensible company would, yes, but we don't know who it is (who said the hire company was in Switzerland?). In any case most people would know about snow and would prepare accordingly. All I'll say is perhaps not enough information exchanged at the handover. The OP has already admitted that they can't speak the language.
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On holiday many people want to experience new things - so if I was from somewhere that never or rarely sees snow then I'd want to see it to!
Switzerland is beautiful, enjoy the rest of your trip, as others have said stick to the main roads and take it steady and you should be fine. I see you're intending to head to Interlaken - the area around Interlaken is gorgeous but Interlaken itself is a rather tacky tourist trap. However Swiss public transport is fantastic so, especially if you have a little mobility out of your chair, do get out & about - their network of buses, boats, trains, funiculars and cable cars is excellent, and actually to many places it's the only way to get there - you'll miss out on a lot if you don't do this. The boat ride to Thun is lovely, and Thun itself is a very nice town, if a little hilly perhaps with the chair. You could get off the boat at Beatenbucht and take the funicular railway - it starts right next to where the boat docks - up to near Beatenberg, where it connects directly to the cablecar up the Niederhorn. I can't remember any reason why you couldn't do this with a chair, and the views from the top are stunning.
The Interlaken area is primarily German speaking by the way, but you'll be OK with English in most places. Alas nothing in Switzerland is cheap, it is one of the most expensive countries in Europe.
I know a gorgeous campsite just outside Interlaken - the most beautiful I have ever stayed at - but alas it is so beautiful as it is halfway up the side of a mountain, definitely not one to drive to if there's snow.
Switzerland is beautiful, enjoy the rest of your trip, as others have said stick to the main roads and take it steady and you should be fine. I see you're intending to head to Interlaken - the area around Interlaken is gorgeous but Interlaken itself is a rather tacky tourist trap. However Swiss public transport is fantastic so, especially if you have a little mobility out of your chair, do get out & about - their network of buses, boats, trains, funiculars and cable cars is excellent, and actually to many places it's the only way to get there - you'll miss out on a lot if you don't do this. The boat ride to Thun is lovely, and Thun itself is a very nice town, if a little hilly perhaps with the chair. You could get off the boat at Beatenbucht and take the funicular railway - it starts right next to where the boat docks - up to near Beatenberg, where it connects directly to the cablecar up the Niederhorn. I can't remember any reason why you couldn't do this with a chair, and the views from the top are stunning.
The Interlaken area is primarily German speaking by the way, but you'll be OK with English in most places. Alas nothing in Switzerland is cheap, it is one of the most expensive countries in Europe.
I know a gorgeous campsite just outside Interlaken - the most beautiful I have ever stayed at - but alas it is so beautiful as it is halfway up the side of a mountain, definitely not one to drive to if there's snow.
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My partner went snow boarding at grindelwald yesterday and really enjoyed himself. Today we're already on a drive to munich. I struggled with altitude sickness and had to leave matterhorn early so i just explored the town of interlaken by myself in my wheelchair for the day. It felt like every shop was either a souvenir shop or a watch shop (which is, in a way, also a souvenir shop
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Very accurate to both. I came here to experience snow- i certainly don't hate it. I've had the time of my life catching snowflakes and crawling around in knee deep snow and failing to build snowmen.
The only van hire company that would let us pick up a van in one country and then leave it in another (as was our plan) was a company from the Czech Republic. They gave us a bit of a run down on things during hand over but our flight had been delayed a bit and the person giving us the van was in a rush to catch his flight. I have said a number of times it would have been sooo useful to have a Written copy of the instructions to refer to aswell. There's a lot he didn't tell us too :/
He referred us to an app called "park 4 nite" which is meant to show crowd sourced places you can park for free. It was that which lead us up a snowy mountain we should never have been on. It LOOKED like a road on Google maps. It was apparently not.
Also, we've run into a problem. We seem to have tripped something trying to run the hairdryer off the 12volt last night and now can't get any power from the power points- though we have lights. Any ideas how to reset it?
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- Feb 22, 2011
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Is it a 12 volt hairdryer or are you using an inverter to run a 240 volt drier ?
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Camping Wang - dodgy name for a lovely campsite! Very small site, small terraced pitches by necessity next to the "road" (which gets maybe 3 cars a day along it....) and basic but perfectly functional and very clean facilities. Possibly the best view ever! Not for everyone but I loved it and WILL be back one day..... Say Hello to Reudi the farmer if you do go!
Pitches are small due to the slope, if you've got an RV then forget it, even the bigger tag axles would have a problem. Booking essential. Road down to the campsite is steep with a tight bend that needs a double shuffle to get round, but plenty of room to do so. No problems getting my 7.5m van there, anything over 8 - 8.5m might struggle with some of the pitches.
Pictures really don't do the location justice - on a clear day the view is simply stunning. We sat outside watching some Golden Eagles circling in the valley below us one day. Could be a very exposed location though if the weather is bad.
You can walk up the (very steep) access road and along to a cable car station in about 20 minutes - that either takes you up the mountain or down on a funicular to Lake Thun, where you can catch a bus or a boat.
Opinions from others here:-
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/reviews.asp?revid=8121
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Sounds like you've popped a fuse. Somewhere in the van will be a fuseboard that probably takes blade fuses, which you can get from most petrol stations. As to where the board is - post up what the van is and someone will give you a clue!
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Bailey58
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Looks very nice but I'll have that pitch on the front please.
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DBK
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If it is a 240 volt hairdryer of your own it might have overloaded the system. If this is the case the fuse blown could be a really big one near the batteries but changing it may not be easy if for no other reason than a replacement fuse isn't something you are likely to find in the average garage or spares shop. There might also one or more smaller fuses on the inverter but you will have to gain access to it.Very accurate to both. I came here to experience snow- i certainly don't hate it. I've had the time of my life catching snowflakes and crawling around in knee deep snow and failing to build snowmen.
The only van hire company that would let us pick up a van in one country and then leave it in another (as was our plan) was a company from the Czech Republic. They gave us a bit of a run down on things during hand over but our flight had been delayed a bit and the person giving us the van was in a rush to catch his flight. I have said a number of times it would have been sooo useful to have a Written copy of the instructions to refer to aswell. There's a lot he didn't tell us too :/
He referred us to an app called "park 4 nite" which is meant to show crowd sourced places you can park for free. It was that which lead us up a snowy mountain we should never have been on. It LOOKED like a road on Google maps. It was apparently not.
Also, we've run into a problem. We seem to have tripped something trying to run the hairdryer off the 12volt last night and now can't get any power from the power points- though we have lights. Any ideas how to reset it?
It may have shut down due to low battery voltage. If this is the case you need to plug in somewhere or go for a long drive.
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TerryL
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On the other hand, if you're on electric hookup, a 240v hairdryer may have overloaded the campsite supply so you won't have power at the power outlets. Need to speak to the campsite staff.
It's also possible that the RCD, the device protecting the 240 volt circuit on the van, has operated. It will be on a box that looks like a house fusebox and is usually close to where the hookup comes into the van. Just press in the reset button and flip the switch back to "on".
Your lights etc. will still work as they are run from the battery.
It's also possible that the RCD, the device protecting the 240 volt circuit on the van, has operated. It will be on a box that looks like a house fusebox and is usually close to where the hookup comes into the van. Just press in the reset button and flip the switch back to "on".
Your lights etc. will still work as they are run from the battery.
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Looks very nice but I'll have that pitch on the front please.
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That's definitely more crowded than when we were there, and that was in August! We were where the caravan is with the sunshade awning on, just to the right as you open that link. The lower pitches are accessible but more for small PVC's and the like.
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