Europe 24/25
- Thread starter Sbooker
- Start date
By the way did you rent a car in India or Uzbekistan?
Where and when are you going?
India would probably be the country I would least want ever to rent a car. We did not have car in Uzbekistan either.
ChrisC
Well-known member
I thought we covered this a bit.
Generally, Japan and some Caribbean countries truly require US citizens to have an IDP.
I would follow Rick Steves advice:
You may hear contradictory information on exactly where you need an IDP. People who sell them say you should have them almost everywhere. People who rent cars say you need them almost nowhere. People who drive rental cars say the IDP is overrated, but can come in handy as a complement to your passport and driver's license. It's a good idea to get one if you'll be driving in Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, or Spain — countries where you're technically required to carry a permit. If all goes well, you'll likely never be asked to show it — but the permit is a must if you end up dealing with the police.
Rental-Car Red Tape in Europe
www.ricksteves.com
Another source: Countries that Require Americans to Obtain an IDP to Drive Overseas. International Driving Permits are Required* in the following countries for US Licensed Drivers: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, and Thailand.
Again, I only rent from 10 Large Chains or so - unless you cannot - and never shown an IDP in Europe.
I have bought a toll transponder for Austrian driving.
I specialize in European camera speeding tickets for infractions of 5-10km/hr over the limit. (3-6 mph). Especially in Italy or Switzerland. They are exceptionally good at tracking you down in the USA.
I will always get something AWD given the narrow curvy nature of the roads. USA mountain driving is a joke comparatively: interstates everywhere, flat valleys, shoulders, passing lanes, etc. Heck, even Little Cottonwood is easy compared to some: Dolomites, Monterosa, most major passes, Val Thorens access, Zermatt/Saas Fee, etc. I don’t mind manual transmission.
I also get easily confused at night about how to get on auto trains in Switzerland through mountain passes. I cannot read any signs/directions, so I just wait to follow someone else. Never sure where to pay tolls for these trains - but they are fun as hell! I have done 3 different ones now.
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ChrisC
Well-known member
James likely knows the ins-n-outs better. He will rent from smaller places, outside of airports and is fluent.
I subsist on Google Translate, some info gleaned from web, AI Hallucinations and trying things until I hear ‘no’.
I've rented at offsite joints but obviously prefer onsite. I told my story up-thread about a local rental company near Milan airport (unbeknownst to me serving as the vehicle purveyor for Fox) requiring an IDP, which was buried in the fine print. That was my takeaway -- bring an IDP for Italy unless you're 100% sure that it's a major rental company.
A little less than two weeks. Some snow would be nice.
We did. I was wondering about the most recent trip.
ChrisC
Well-known member
It looks like a dry week ahead, but there was snow this week in this year's more favored locations: France, NW Italy, and far Western Switzerland (30-50 cm). There is some melting at 1500m and below.
Avoid Austria, Eastern Switzerland, and Eastern Italy (anything east of Cervinia) unless you want to ski groomers. Very questionable off-piste. FYI, my guide from the Dolomites has taken up residency in Engelberg.
I believe the dividing line this winter for Europe: anything below average east of Central Switzerland (Engelberg-Andermatt), Valais split (Verbier-Zinal-Grimentz are good, Saas Fee-Zermatt are not), and anything south or east of Aosta town (Courmayeur-Cervinia good, Monterosa - bad).
Next weekend, the high pressure breaks to let storms back in.
"In The Snow" has good condition summaries: LINK
Meteo Morris always has an in-depth outlook on Euro storms. LINK
Val d'Isere and others might get a backdoor storm via Retou d'Est for the weekend.
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Fraser will be posting his forecast for the upcoming week on Monday so I'll have a good idea of what to expect for my Thursday arrival in Zurich. Worst-case scenario: I turn this into a spring-conditions visit, for example my excellent Kleinwalsertal visit two years ago.
ChrisC
Well-known member
Another source (I think they paywalled this too)
opensnow.com
Retour d'est Winding Down Followed By a Quiet Week
Favorited
Summary
The Retour d'est is winding down across the southwestern Alps, with some showers lingering in the Alps and Pyrenees through Sunday. The following seven days will be dry as a ridge takes hold over the region. The edge will start to break down toward the end of next week allowing storms to move in from the west.
Short Term Forecast
Some additional light snow is expected in the southwestern Alps and Pyrenees through Sunday, with generally 5 - 15 cm possible with isolated totals of 10 - 20 cm in north to southeast facing terrain in the Italian Alps. We will start to dry out on Sunday and stay dry for the next week a strong ridge develops over Europe. You can see an upper-level trough moving in from the west a few frames into the GIF, and that is what our next stormy period will look like.
The models generally bring snow back to the Alps and Pyrenees around the 8th. This pattern would favor the Pyrenees and southwestern Alps once again. It's too early for details but this storm could bring significant snow next weekend. This pattern should linger into the middle of the following week.
My next post will be on Sunday.
Thanks for reading the Europe Daily Snow!
Luke Stone
Forecaster, OpenSnow
Retour d'est Winding Down Followed By a Quiet Week | Europe Daily Snow Forecast | OpenSnow
The Retour d'est is winding down across the southwestern Alps, with some showers lingering in the Alps and Pyrenees through...
Retour d'est Winding Down Followed By a Quiet Week
Favorited
Summary
The Retour d'est is winding down across the southwestern Alps, with some showers lingering in the Alps and Pyrenees through Sunday. The following seven days will be dry as a ridge takes hold over the region. The edge will start to break down toward the end of next week allowing storms to move in from the west.
Short Term Forecast
Some additional light snow is expected in the southwestern Alps and Pyrenees through Sunday, with generally 5 - 15 cm possible with isolated totals of 10 - 20 cm in north to southeast facing terrain in the Italian Alps. We will start to dry out on Sunday and stay dry for the next week a strong ridge develops over Europe. You can see an upper-level trough moving in from the west a few frames into the GIF, and that is what our next stormy period will look like.
The models generally bring snow back to the Alps and Pyrenees around the 8th. This pattern would favor the Pyrenees and southwestern Alps once again. It's too early for details but this storm could bring significant snow next weekend. This pattern should linger into the middle of the following week.
My next post will be on Sunday.
Thanks for reading the Europe Daily Snow!
Luke Stone
Forecaster, OpenSnow
ChrisC
Well-known member
I always thought that visiting the Austrian Glacier Ski Areas could be a fun trip for dry weather:
Stubai, Hintertuz, Kaprun-Kitzsteinhorn, Pitztal...and I guess you could add Solden, but it's a mega resort.
EMSC
Well-known member
Both crossing fingers and praying that it's more than 4" for 3 Valleys of course (an extra foot more would be nice!).
Sounds like a lot of Euro skiing for FTO coming up. James landing on the 6th, I land on the 10th, Sbooker soon after that...
This just in from Fraser for my target regions, eastern Switzerland and western Austria. He'll cover all of the Alps early next week.
99% certain no snow until your Thursday arrival, mostly sunny with some good freeze/thaw action. Charts are hinting at things slowly turning more unsettled during your stay but from the south.
Most likely Föhn in the central/northern Alps next weekend as things stand; however, this could easily change, which would mean still dry in the areas you are likely to be, very mild, some high cloud/wind at times. In short, I see no reason to bring fat skis.
99% certain no snow until your Thursday arrival, mostly sunny with some good freeze/thaw action. Charts are hinting at things slowly turning more unsettled during your stay but from the south.
Most likely Föhn in the central/northern Alps next weekend as things stand; however, this could easily change, which would mean still dry in the areas you are likely to be, very mild, some high cloud/wind at times. In short, I see no reason to bring fat skis.
I’m committed to a backcountry course with Snoworks in Tignes. Apparently there will be enough snow to do work on technical stuff/steeps/chutes at higher altitude if there is no fresh snow to ski. I’m along for the ride I guess.
Hopefully James has not committed to hotels. From Zurich I think Engelberg and Andermatt would be logical choices. No marathon driving needed.
Absolutely not.
Engelberg and Andermatt are where I'd go if I'm after winter snow -- not sure if that's what I'll ultimately want to ski. Will look at Alpinforum reports for recent photos and descriptions.
ChrisC
Well-known member
It just indicates that the pattern is changing. Most storms usually impact the NW Alps - France/Switzerland.
It will be fine. There are all kinds of great posts from 8-16 inches this week from the NW Alps. The Snowbrains guys are still in Courmayeur showing good stuff.
The Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis area (Not Andermatt-Gemsstock) faces mostly south - with some east and west faces. It should be good spring skiing, and Andermatt can catch storms from any direction since it has valleys running north, west, and south.
Also, Disentis's upper lifts are all surface lifts - not much high-speed over-capacity going on there.
And trains? Free pass (lift pass) to ride either direction to/from Andermatt-Oberalp-Sedrun-Disentis. Excellent end-of-the-day transport and avoids repeating runs back and forth!
Unfortunately, there was an auto-train from Andermatt to Sedun (closed), but you can still access the complex from either side (Andermatt vs. Sedrun/Disentis. If you are in Eastern Switzerland, it's not too far from Chur.