 Poster: A snowHead
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Use the website http://www.ratp.fr , in its journey planner plug in Gare du Nord and Gare d'Austerlitz and when it tells you to use RER Line B and RER Line C changing at Saint-Michel Notre Dame rather than the dirct route Metro Line 5 BELIEVE IT!!!
We decided to use the direct route rather that faff around with our luggage & skis changing at Saint-Michel Notre Dame and all was well on Line 5 until it arrived at Republique (third of the way there) when everyone got off. A helpful local told us 'the line is closed from here on'. Helpful Metro employee said 'take Line 8 to Bastille then bus 91 to Gare d'Austerlitz'. Struggled around to Line 8, got to Bastille, struggled up to the surface then 'sod finding the bus stop, there's an estate car taxi (for the skis)' so we got a taxi the rest of the way (€8.40). We still arrived with plenty of time to spare.
Contrary to popular belief, the Parisians were very helpful, when they saw us struggling up the Metro steps overloaded with luggage & skis we got plenty of help. Others, equally lost, tried following us. Two chaps saw us carrying skis and assumed we'd be on our way to Gare d'Austerlitz & decided to follow us (did we really look like we knew what we were doing??!). All went well for them until Bastille when we 'suddenly disappeared'. That would've been when we abandoned public transport & got a taxi. They caught up with us on the train - turned out they were sharing our couchette.
Bourg St Maurice to Tignes is easy. The bus (Autocars Martin) was due to leave at 08:00 about 10 mins after our train arrived. We hadn't prebooked in case our train was late & we would miss it. Autocars Martin has a couple of ticket booths inside the station so getting the bus ticket then was no problem (& the same price as in advance). The bus leaves from just outside and left a few minutes late to ensure everyone from the train had bought their tickets & found the bus.
Our accommodation in Tignes Val Claret wasn't available until the evening so we got off at Le Lac and used the Tourist Office to change into our skiing gear and they have a baggage depot there to store our luggage (€1 a bag) while we went skiing. We were ready for the slopes at 09:30. We skiied until mid afternoon, dropped our skis of at our apartment then went on the buses to collect the rest of our luggage.
The skiing is warm & sunny (a marked contrast with St. Anton a week & a bit ago) and piste conditions are good. Unfortunately I picked up a sore throat & cough just before coming out here and yesterday's skiing, even though it was gentle, has knocked me out. Hence I've had to Saturday off, and take it easy today. Gives me time to talk to snowHeads though  . When I'm properly back on my skis I'll try to send a few ski reports through.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Pete, hope you're soon feeling better. We've never bothered with the Metro, a cab directly from Gare de Nord to Gare D'Austerlitz is usually only about 10 Euros.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 8-02-05 19:28; edited 1 time in total
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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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Thanks, I'm getting better, just suffering side effects of the antibiotics.
We looked for a taxi at Gare du Nord but couldn't see one that could take our skis (we may have gone out of the wrong exit to find the taxi rank), all we got was a taxi tout who insisted it would be €30 with our skis - no thank you.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Pete Horn,
I always get the taxi but it is one reason I hire skis, I can travel light or at least lighter. I haven't got the packing down to the finest of arts yet but I carry two bags and can cope.
10eu seems a bargain to me but then I have learnt before that a cab is the best way round Paris, full stop!
Incidently, I use a shop for rail travel and am always amzed at the prices. The last quote I got was £115 return to BSM from Ashford via Eurostar to Paris. I have posted their URL before and can do so gain if anyone is interested
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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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JT, that URL would be most appreciated ...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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is it possible to do long term parking at Ashford? usually end up driving to gatwick anyway so wondering if its maybe worth travelling further on to Kent and getting a train one year?
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mountain mad,
Long term parking is available in a covered car park and I think the charge works out aboout the same at typical Gatwick prices. It was £5.00 a day when I last used it. The advantage is that the car park is a mere walk through of about 100 mtrs and it is, er covered..!!
doogo,
The girl on the phone is Jackie and she knows what she is talking about, in my experience.
She even has beaten my company rates...!!!
... Try Rail Canterbury (29-30 Palace Street, Canterbury, call 01227 450088 fax 01227
470072 e-mail rail@rail-canterbury.co.uk website www.rail-canterbury.co.uk ...
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Pete Horn, always used the metro, always gone the direct route, never had any problem.
But then, I haven't done this trip since April 2004, so maybe things have changed recently.
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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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I hope it was just temporary engineering works, I'll expect to use line 5 on the way back but will check http://www.ratp.fr first
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Pete Horn, I suspect temp engineering works - never had problems on the Metro myself (c.f. the Tube). Good reminder to everyone that, when you're going to be lugging heavy ski luggage which is likely to become a pain, do check before departing that the public transport you want to use is actually functioning normally!! (found myself in a similar situation this this weekend during a journey on Southwest trains!)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Pete Horn, did you sort out your equipment storage issue? Can't remember what it was that you needed to do, but my offer's still there (whatever it was  )
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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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PG, I'll be in touch. Too busy skiing to spend much time on the internet at the moment
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doogo,
Let me know if you thought they were any good...??
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You know it makes sense.
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Before I get accused of Bumping or something similar I am new to this chat show so please treat me gently and I apologise profusely if a similar question exists elsewhere but all the search facility got me was Eddie Stobarts brother arguing about car costs per mile or something similar!
We have always driven to the French Alps with the family for the last 20+ years (avoid Geneva on a Saturday) company paying for car etc.
Now no co. car so am thinking of 10.00am start at Ashford and arrive B st M walk across platform ARC1950 by 6.00pm. If accurate it sounds tempting BUT on asking friends relative the advice is NO. from a 24 yr old niece "dont do it its so boring and full so no room to move and what do you think you and 2 kids are going to do on a train for 9 hours" Fair Point? From 40 something friends who went as a couple Dont doit hell on wheels packed like sardines dreadfull facilities........etc etc
So over to you good people are the above ponits well made accurate descriptions OR a travesty of the truth.
PS We are thinking of going w/c April 2nd
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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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boredsurfin, never traveled on the day train but used the night sleeper service a few times. I think it even better to arrive in BSM at 06.30 having left Paris at 10.20 pm and slept through the journey. No problems with crowded trains at all.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
Eddie Stobarts brother
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Just as a side issue, but Eddie has actually sold out to a company owned by his brother  . Sorryboredsurfin, this will have been as much use as a Crystal Rep in answering your query
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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boredsurfin,
I've done both, overnight and daytime and I can't think of a better way to travel.
In fact the Eurostar was the worst part in my opinion.
Depart Ashford Sat morning for Gard du Nord, taxi to Lyon or Austerlitz and TGV to Alpes.
No problem with an overnighter but I can doze sleep on either train.
The train in France is a different league to what we are used to.
Travel during the day go TGV, travel at night and you can go SNCF and get a couchette, sleeper cabin.
Now I haven't down this with kids so boredom could be a huge factor but it can't be as cramped or boring as a car, surely.
I travel car and train and I much prefer the comfort of the train. And it teaches you to travel light so if you are carrying
the kitchen sink it can be a pain, I imagine.
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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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Not Norbert Dentesanngle?? The kids spot them all the way frome to the Alps. I won this year but then the rules were changed!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The above was in response to Frossty .....Sorry new user!!
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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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JT Car not cramped! Took laptop this year for the kids and they watched DVD's. They use to sleep too old for that now!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| boredsurfin wrote: |
| Not Norbert Dentesanngle?? The kids spot them all the way frome to the Alps. I won this year but then the rules were changed! |
Norbie's left behind his haulage company acquisition days - too much competition from the E. Europeans with drivers on a third of the wage. He's had to fall back on logistics, poor chap.
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boredsurfin, greetings, and welcome to snowHeads. For direct eurostar day train to work you need a table to put the DVD player on (and a large battery to last 10+ hours). The only way to make sure of a table is to go 1st class. Probably worth it.
Night train also worth a thought. Eurostar to Paris, cross Paris by taxi or metro, 1st class couchette down to BG. Kids will love it. Real adventure.
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| PG wrote: |
| boredsurfin wrote: |
| Not Norbert Dentesanngle?? The kids spot them all the way frome to the Alps. I won this year but then the rules were changed! |
Norbie's left behind his haulage company acquisition days - too much competition from the E. Europeans with drivers on a third of the wage. He's had to fall back on logistics, poor chap. |
We get a lot of the Norberts up here in south Lincs, sometimes there's more foreign lorries on the roads than locals, evan a couple of the local firms are now registering their wagons abroad to keep the costs down.
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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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Yes, he's not on the breadline yet First met him when they had about 20 trailers running golden delicious into Covent Garden thirty years back. Multiply that figure by 200, not far short of 4,000 trailers now. Given it's a business with some of the tightest margins around, he's one of the most astute businessmen I've ever come across.
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| David@traxvax wrote: |
| Pete, hope you're soon feeling better. We've never bothered with the Metro, a cab directly from Gare de Nord to Gare D'Austerlitz is usually only about 10 Euros. |
I have heard that it is harder to do in the other direction as there are virtually no cabs at Austerlitz. Is this correct?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Pete Horn wrote: |
| Use the website http://www.ratp.fr , in its journey planner plug in Gare du Nord and Gare d'Austerlitz and when it tells you to use RER Line B and RER Line C changing at Saint-Michel Notre Dame rather than the dirct route Metro Line 5 BELIEVE IT!!! |
Have just tried that, as i will be using this route tomorrow night. The route planner still says to use the RER rather than Metro Line 5. If we cannot see an estate car in the Gare du Nord taxi rank, I guess we'll follow the advice of the route planner - unless anyone knows otherwise?
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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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actually, just checked here: http://www.ratp.info/orienter/travaux_ratp.php
with my basic French, this appears to list engineering works or other interruptions to service. This appears to say that Metro Line 5 will not run between Jaures and Place D'Italie (ie the section that includes both Gare du Nord and Gare d'Austerlitz) from Monday to Friday after 8.30pm.
If that is correct, Metro 5 is not an option on weekday nights until middle of April, but should be OK for our return journey next Tuesday morning.
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boredsurfin,
| Quote: |
| 24 yr old niece "dont do it its so boring and full so no room to move and what do you think you and 2 kids are going to do on a train for 9 hours" |
Er, what the hell does she know???? 
Getting to the French Alps involves at least 9 hours of travel no matter how you do it. On trains kids can get up and walk around (c.f buses/car). IMHO the plane option is pretty damn awful in comparison to the train - hours stuck either on a coach transfer, at the airport, or on the plane, all of which is disruptive and doesn't lend itself to entertaining opportunities for children.
Daytime on the train the kids can watch the scenery change, run up & down the carriage, make themselves comfy and play games etc. Nighttime they'll be asleep most of it anyway.
Ignore anyone who says trains are bad for travel with kids. Or for anyone, for that matter.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Manda wrote: |
| Daytime on the train the kids can ... run up & down the carriage |
Not in my carriage they can't !!
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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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Tony Lane, Useful info about Metro 5 being closed after 20.30 until mid April.
For the record, our return trip early on Monday morning 7th March Metro Line 5 worked fine - I did check on http://www.ratp.fr first.
Regarding kids on trains, I'm not a great fan but they do seem to cope better than on aeroplanes -babies in particular, who are guaranteed to scream (with justification) about the pressure changes on take-off & landing.
That said, the most annoying kid on the 0807 to Waterloo was a bilingual 6 year old who started asking 'are we there yet' as we pulled out of Gare du Nord. With his language skills he could annoy everyone in the carriage. 'Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream...' times 10.
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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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Now back from my train adventure.
The T2 sleeper compartments are great - a little cramped when moving around and settling in but everything is positioned in the right place and it is a marvel of thoughtful design. We got 2 good nights sleep.
The change in Paris was fine. The taxi queue at 9pm on a Friday night in Gare du Nord was massive so we went on the RER route as mentioned above and did it in about 20 minutes.
On the return, the bruises of too much freestyle messing about meant that the taxis were calling. Thankfully there was no queue (ok, it was 6.30am) and plenty of cabs that would accept a snowboard bag. €12.50 later and we were at Gare du Nord. Perfect.
The 08:07 Eurostar was only 1/3 full and so had a nice relaxing return to work (and no running or singing children!)
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FAQ
