Driving to Albiez in winter: tyres, chains, snow socks and road

Albiez-Montrond is at 1,600 m, and in Savoie winter equipment is compulsory on every road from 1 November to 31 March. Winter tyres, chains or snow socks: here is what the rule says, what to have in the boot and how the drive up from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne goes.

What the loi Montagne says in Savoie

From 1 November to 31 March, every car driving in Savoie must have, at the driver's choice:

• four winter tyres marked 3PMSF (the three-peak mountain symbol with a snowflake);
• or, in the boot, metal snow chains or snow socks for at least two driving wheels.

The obligation covers the whole département, not just the resorts. Since 1 November 2024, only 3PMSF tyres exempt you from chains: tyres marked only M+S, or "all-season" tyres without the symbol, are no longer enough. With them, you need chains or snow socks on board. Vehicles with studded tyres are exempt.

Before buying, check that the chains or snow socks match the size of your tyres and that there is enough space between the wheel and the bodywork.

The signs to know

• The zone entry sign (B58): it marks the start of a zone where winter equipment is compulsory, with a plate recalling the period (1 November - 31 March). The B59 sign marks its end. This is the equipment you must have: 3PMSF tyres fitted, or chains in the boot.
• The B26 sign (round, blue, with a chained wheel): it requires you to drive with chains on a snowy road, including outside the winter period. A car on 3PMSF tyres is considered compliant, unless a plate reads "chaînes à neige obligatoires" (snow chains compulsory): then you must fit chains whatever your tyres.

The snow does not wait for 1 November

The legal date says nothing about the weather. In Albiez, the first snow has already fallen in mid-October, on cars still on summer tyres. If you come in autumn, look at the resort's weather forecast a few days beforehand and keep a pair of snow socks in the boot: they take up little space and save you from getting stuck at the bottom.

Chains or snow socks?

Snow socks

• Easy and quick to fit, even the first time.
• Light, they fit in a corner of the boot.
• Designed for occasional use: they wear out quickly on a clear road or over long distances. Take them off as soon as the tarmac reappears.

Metal chains

• More grip in deep snow and on ice.
• More durable: the recommended choice for frequent use.
• Slower to fit, especially the first few times, and speed is limited once they are on (the limit is given in the instructions).

For a ski week with good winter tyres, snow socks are often enough as a back-up. If you drive up on summer tyres or come back to the mountains often, 3PMSF tyres remain the simplest solution.

Practise before you leave

Fit your chains or snow socks once at home, in the dry, before you leave. At the side of a snowy road, at night, with children in the car, is not the time to discover the instructions. Keep gloves, a head torch and a high-visibility vest in the boot, on top of the luggage.

Where to buy them

The safest option is to buy them before you leave, at a car centre or online, with the exact size of your tyres (it is printed on the sidewall). As a last resort, the car centres and supermarkets of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, 18 km from the apartment, are the last stop before the climb: call ahead to check they have your size in stock, especially on a holiday Saturday.

The road to the apartment

• A43 motorway, exit Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.
• Then the road to Albiez: 18 km, about 20 to 25 minutes without traffic jams. It is cleared of snow all winter.
• If the road is white, fit your chains before the climb, not in the middle of the hairpins: in a signposted chain-fitting area or on a flat, clear spot off the carriageway. A car spinning its wheels halfway up a slope blocks everyone behind it.

The car park and the last few metres

The apartment is in the Mollard, chemin du Châtel. You park in the free outdoor car park, 50 m away, then there are around fifty steps up to the residence. With heavy luggage or a pushchair, plan two trips. The chemin du Châtel and the steps are cleared of snow; in heavy snowfall, some may still remain until the clearing comes through: shoes with good grip are no luxury.

Leave early on Saturday

In season, most stays start and end on a Saturday: it is changeover day in the resorts, and winter Saturdays make journey times noticeably longer. Check-in at the apartment is from 4 pm: leave early, take a break in the valley if you are ahead of time, and you will avoid most of the traffic.

On the day you travel, check road conditions on savoie-route.fr; on the motorway, Autoroute Info broadcasts traffic news on 107.7.

See also: food shopping in Albiez (the last big food shop is often done in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne), which week to choose for skiing, Albiez out of season and the apartment's winter page.