 Poster: A snowHead
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Just wondered whats the closest resort to Geneva Airport, noticed many of the airlines have great deals to Geneva.
Also how easy is it to get to the resorts from the airport?
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Will you have a hire car, or are you looking to use public transport? The closest might not be the easiest to get to if you are relying on bus, train, etc.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Wasn't really planning a hire car as I'm trying to make this a cheap weekend.
Thanks
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Greig wrote: |
Just wondered whats the closest resort to Geneva Airport, noticed many of the airlines have great deals to Geneva.
Also how easy is it to get to the resorts from the airport?
Thanks |
assuming you want a literal answer it is Crozet which you can almost walk to. It is not too bad either as it links in with Lelex over the border.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The J2SKI website has a useful list of ski resorts near to airports. Cannot vouch for the completeness or accuracy, but it is at least a good starting point from which to do further research.
List here: www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Airports/Geneva.html
I notice that Crozet (mentioned by davidof above isn't listed), so I suspect that it also isn't complete, but at least a start if you want to have a play witha list of options.
Edit ... ooops, stuffed up URL submission .. corrected.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I would have thought that if you don't get a car, you'll find it easiest to get to one of the bigger ones. You can get a bus to Chamonix from Geneva Airport (about 60 euros return), though check that the times suit your flight. Or a shared transfer for not much more. I don't know of any public transport to Morzine, though there might be? Again, plenty of transfer services though.
For a short break, it's often not much more expensive to hire a car - holidayautos often have very good deals. Or easycar but BEWARE - the easycar return at Geneva is a nightmare to locate. Make sure you get a map for it.
The extra expense of hiring a car might also be offset by a greater choice of places..
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| firebug wrote: |
| For a short break, it's often not much more expensive to hire a car - holidayautos often have very good deals. Or easycar but BEWARE - the easycar return at Geneva is a nightmare to locate. Make sure you get a map for it. |
Don't easycar only act as a broker at Geneva now? I've booked a trip with easycar for this season and the rental agent is Hertz.
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There are a number of transfer companies that can take you to Les Gets or Morzine which is about an hour away.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Greig - drawing a one and a half hour transfer around Geneva, on the French side you have:
- Megeve / St Gervais; Chamonix
- Grand Massif (Flaine, Morrilon, Samoens, Les Carroz)
- Portes du Soleil (Morzine, Avoriaz, Les Gets, Chatel)
- La Clusaz (I think)
And any number of smaller, "local" resorts such as Praz de Lays...
I'm not good at what's on the Swiss side - but there must be a similar number on that side...
I'd certainly agree that, if you book early, then a car will be as cheap as transfers - if not cheaper.
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rob@rar, really? Interesting - I might give them another go if this is the case.
The memory of driving round and round looking for that titchy back lot, which we eventually located by a sign about the size of a cig packet, with one of us having a connecting flight to San Francisco to catch, still brings me out in a cold sweat. 
St Gervais is nice, cheap, and I think you can get there by train?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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firebug, easycar's old location in the exhibition centre garage next door to the airport closed a couple of years ago. At Geneva they act just like any other broker such as HolidayAutos, ebooker, etc. Sometimes cheaper, sometimes not.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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rob@rar, that's good to know, thanks! 
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What a shame, when I used Easycar they were spectacularly cheap. Not any more.
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You know it makes sense.
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| snowball wrote: |
| What a shame, when I used Easycar they were spectacularly cheap. Not any more. |
www.sixti.ch have sort of moved into the space left by EasyCar - certainly in spring, summer and autumn. I'm not convinced that they're particularly good value in winter now that they've stopped offering compact estates.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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firebug, If you are hiring a car try ebookers - they are a scraper site that does the leg (search) work for you and generally save a small fortune, I booked via Hertz at geneva last year but ebookers found me the same car through hertz for £200 less!!
La Clusez and Grand Bornand (Aravis) are about 45 minutes from the car hire car park at the airport - but you do need to remember where you came out of the car park as the airport car hire car park is a bug to find when returning the car.
Oh - and get them to show you how to put the snow chains on - it takes about 5 minutes otherwise you will spen an hour struggling in the snow when you need them!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
trying to make this a cheap weekend
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transfers, however organised, do push up the cost of a weekend - costs as much as for a week or more. A group of 4 hiring a car is probably the best bet. The buses are fairly expensive and a car will generally be quicker, too, if you know where you are going. For a big ski area and masses of cheap accommodation, easy drive from Geneva, Flaine is probably as good as anywhere. For a weekend, if you want to get there, dump the car and ski out the door, Flaine is certainly much more convenient than Chamonix. But remember that accommodation can be difficult to find, just for a weekend. You might find that some of the firms offering "all in" weekends, from the UK, are cheaper than DIY.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Bus to Morzine is approx 30 euro each way but last one is about 6pm
Transfer is 185 euro minimum return for two then it works out about 60 euro per person depending who you book with, for a small group www.powdercabs.com is usually the cheapest and they will drop you off at any of the nearby resorts. Think they have onboard playstation if that's your sort of thing.
For a weekend I have hired a car on the French side with Europcar through easyjet (you get a discount if you have an easyjet flight) for around £85 for 3 days ( a tiny car with no roof rack or chains)
I think Les Carroz and Flaine are the closest to Geneva.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| oldsnowie wrote: |
| ...but you do need to remember where you came out of the car park as the airport car hire car park is a bug to find when returning the car... |
Are you sure oldsnowie? The car hire exit and entrance are separate on the Geneva Swiss side.
If you're coming from France, the secret to finding the Swiss side car hire return at Geneva airport is to pull of the motorway at and then stay in lane and do absolutely nothing.
This will take you throught the various lanes that come and go, over the bridge and puts you in the left hand lane at the (probably most badly positioned) traffic lights (in the world).
First left after the lights and keep right as you head down the ramp.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 22-10-06 19:51; edited 1 time in total
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| davidof wrote: |
assuming you want a literal answer it is Crozet which you can almost walk to. It is not too bad either as it links in with Lelex over the border. |
If the snow is low then Crozet/Lelex or Col de la Faucille/Mijoux used to make a very nice days skiing, plenty of stuff in the trees.
You can see the telecabine line going up from Crozet from the terminals at GVA if you look straight out at the Jura across the runway. Probably a 15/20 minute drive to either.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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PhillipStanton, I've tried it twice and missed the entrance - ending up going round in circles!
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Crozet/Lelex or Col de la Faucille/Mijoux are very small resorts tho' and you will get bored quite quickly. A day is more than enough in either of them. Very good for beginners, kids especially and people wanting to find their ski legs again.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| oopalley wrote: |
| ...I think Les Carroz and Flaine are the closest to Geneva. |
I've just seen this start to come up in Google again - so replying.
I used : http://www.goski.co.uk/airports/switzerland/geneva/index.htm as it's got a handy filter so you can work out country and time or a combination.
I found a couple are 10 - 15 mins out from experience, but seems reasonable compred to other's I have tried.
I agree with other poster - Switzerland and it's transport system second to none for certain resorts! Also very reasonable price for a family.
LLP
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Wow!! Mega-bump 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Red Leon, I know - I did a search on G this morning as looking to plan flights and accommodation for early 2014 - this was result 3 in the UK google results! Didn't actually take a proper look at the previous date - 06 hahaha!
LLP
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LaLaPo, this is a cool link. Thanks. (The sudden jump seems strange  )
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You know it makes sense.
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Here are the distances from Geneva Airport verifiable by Google map
Le Grand Bonard 38 miles
Le Carroz (first part of Grand Massif of Fliane) 45 miles
Les Gets/Morzine 44 miles (via country road, using motorway will be longer to Le Carroz)
Megeve 53 miles
Chamonix 60 miles.
Don't find much difference between them even I have not skied Grand Bonard but been there twice. Snow wise I think the Les Gets/Morzine/Avoriaz of Porte du Doleil has the edge and is a much bigger Domain spreading into Switzerland too.
Should try them all.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Fri 14-06-13 0:49; edited 1 time in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I've been to Grand Bonard a couple of times.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Mr Pieholeo, 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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saikee, distance in miles doesn't equate to time to slopes...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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under a new name,
Still for my money Les Carroz has to be the closest from Geneva. Just turn off from the tolled A40 motorway at Cluses Junction, drive 7.5 miles up the mountain to the Le Carroz and the entire 265km piste Grand Massif fully linked domain of Les Carroz, Sameon, Morilon and Flaine will be yours.
If one knows the ways around one can access these resorts quite quickly. Grand Massif can be accessed also from Morilom, Sameon or Fliane too but Les Carroz is the quickest from the trunk route dual carriageway of the tolled A40..
The Cluses Junction is also the fastest way to get to Porte Du Soleil via Les Gets.
One junction before Cluses is Bonneville from there 13 miles will lead to Le Grand Bonard.
One junction down is for Domaine Evasion of Megeve/St Gervais/Combloux/Rochbrune where the Princesse cable car should be the quickest access point from the tolled A40 mortorway.
I didn't find them much different in term of snow condition because I explored them when I didn't find good snow in Chamonix. Porte Du Soleil has an edge for being furthermost away from civilisation and manage to keep the snow better than others like Domaine Evasion which literally next to a busy main road.
For security of good snow one should go as further away as possible from Geneva, like Tarentaise Valley (3V, Paradiski, Espace Killy) or the 4 Vallees of Verbier in Switzerland.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
For security of good snow one should go as further away as possible from Geneva
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Hmm....not quite the same as saying that some of the highest snowsure resorts are a bit further away....
Also, ease and cost of transfer is not directly linked to mileage. It's very easy to get transfers to, say, Tignes and very difficult to get them to some of the smaller resorts closer to Geneva.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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saikee, The Cluses junction might sometimes be the fastest way - but not in our experience, we avoid going to Cluses if we can possibly help it.
We come off the motorway at J15 just after the toll.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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As others have demonstrated by the various reples.
Define closest
Define resort
I think we can all take the definition of Geneva as the arrivals gate at Geneva airport.
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saikee, hmm, fair enough, although we are now liking junction (i think) 18 to get to GM or PDS - new road seems to work better than the poorly named vallee verte route from junction 15.
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Wonder of modern technology as all can be seen in Google Street view
Junction 15, which is marked for Vallee Verte, Thonon-Evian, Boege St Jeoire
Junction 16 for Bonneville, La Crusaz & Le Grand Bonard.
Junction 17 for Thyez, Marigner & Bonneville Zone Industrial
Junction 18 has been marked for Cluses, Samoen, Les Gets, Morzine and Avoriaz
Junction 19 for Cluses and Fliane
Pamski,
If one comes off Junction 15, which is marked for Vallee Verte, Thonon-Evian, Boege St Jeoire it is 23.9 miles to the nearest resort Les Gets (next to Morzine, then Avoriaz). Google Map reported 43 minutes journey and it is all country roads.
If one comes off at Junction 19 and goes up Le Carroz the total distance is 24.6 miles but only the last 7.5 miles is country twisty road. Google reported a shorter journey time of 32 minutes from the same junction 15 starting point.
Thus my point the closest resort from Geneva should be Le Carroz.
It is true that going to Les Gets coming off Junction 15 is speedier. I often went to Les Gets, Morize and Avoriaz from Chamonix end and Cluses has been rarely a busy place in my experience. However if I force myself to start from Junction 15 and leave at Junction 18 to go to Les gets Google reports the 29.7 miles journey will take 45 minutes which is 2 minutes longer than your proposed route. So we could agree for Les Gets/Morzine/Avoriaz leave the tolled A40 at Junction 15.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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BORNAND
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Ah, no it's junction 17 we like through Marignier. New "bypass" makes a world of difference.
saikee, I guarantee you that I get to Chamonix/brevent faster than I get to Les Carroz, especially on snowy days or Saturdays.
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FAQ
