 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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Thank you, sheffskibod, but as pointed out in other thread, how you going to find accommodation that runs from Saturday to Sunday . . . ?
Bourg station is not exactly a pleasant place to spend the night.
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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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Apologies , couldn’t see another thread on this.
Didn’t the old London to bourg ski train run to a similarly odd schedule though?
People used to love it as they could get an extra days skiing in ?
Surely Bourg has places you can stay for a night like normal hotels….go up the mountain early the next day , dump bags , go skiing.
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@sheffskibod, here
Only running for a limited period, and and has been pointed out, an awkward duration.
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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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Shame it’s not running all season long, but at least you can buy train tickets only rather than the full travel/accommodation/lift pass package that has been the only choice for the last couple of years. I’ll probably book tickets when they are released in a couple of days.
8 nights accommodation isn’t ideal, but some places might offer that flexibility especially in low season (I probably will for my place in Les Arcs).
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The old ski train arrived early in the morning on Saturday and left in the evening the next Saturday, so you got two extra days skiing. No night in Bourg involved but two nights in the train (couchettes).
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@snowball, I think you're referring to the _really_ old ski train, aka the "Vomit Comet", complete with disco/bar carriage. In theory it had couchettes, tho' in practice I know nobody who ever actually slept on that train...
Pre-COVID there were Eurostar ski trains leaving Friday night (overnight in a Eurostar seat) and Saturday morning, and IIRC, a saturday daytime service home, and a saturday overnight. If you took the Friday night outbound, you could ski on the Saturday. Similarly, if you took the overnight Saturday home, you could ski on that day as well, getting an 8 night trip. Same effect as the vomit comet, but instead of not sleeping in a couchette, you could not sleep in an upright seat.
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Standard Eurostar in jan via Paris is £83 return at the mo. Just waiting for French trains
It maybe a tad more than the £99 on offer but it’s way more flexible
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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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snowdave and snowball, it was confusing back in the old days.
There was the Eurostar Ski Train that went direct from St Pancras through to Bourg just as snowdave describes, where you sat in standard eurostar seats for the journey.
And there was the Snow Train, a charter train that ran overnight from Gare Austerlitz: it did have a "disco car", but also had couchettes for 6 (2nd class) or 4 (1st class) with proper beds. We used it a lot (as did many snowheads on the EoSB), and always had a good night's sleep - just keep away from the disco car.
The Snow Train did have a number of nicknames, but I understood the "Vomit Comet" was something rather different: https://www.gozerog.com/article/nasa-vomit-comet/
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I used the original snowtrain (train Waterloo to Dover, walk on ferry crossing, on to train (with couchetttes) other end - did it twice. Also did the Paris to Bourg overnight one too (again with couchettes). And yes they were overnight arriving early Sat morn, departing Sat evening. And from what I know/recall most used their couchettes. Disco car was nothing to write home about and easily avoided but was quite amusing (for a bit) at the same time.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Layne wrote: |
| I used the original snowtrain (train Waterloo to Dover, walk on ferry crossing, on to train (with couchetttes) other end - did it twice. |
That's the one I was thinking of - not sure when it last ran, but I remember various student friends using it (20+ yrs ago) as there were sometimes some really good deals. The Vomit Comet nickname (applied to a lot of transport IME) was a result of the vast amount of alcohol consumed in the bar.
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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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Ah, Layne, the original Ferry-Train service. I never did that one, but have heard many talk of the service in most affectionate terms.
As for the Disco Car: my attitude is same as yours. Seemed a rather sad place whenever I visited.
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@snowdave, 1991 and 1993 was when I did it.
The disco carriage was, as I recall, a bloke with a ghetto blaster and a stack of beer can slabs.
1995 was also by snowtrain but by then it was via Paris - the first winter after the tunnel opened - so I am guessing 94 was the last year of the ferry train thing.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Layne, I thought it ran a bit later than that. I think the last time we used was 1998. We used many timesover the years. Drive to Dover, get the ferry then overnight to bourg st Maurice. In general we got 8 days skiing in on each trip. I liked it.
As most of the party hadn’t met each other since the previous year the trip down was boisterous the trip back subdued. I think the last time we used it thieves got on board and robbed a number of cabins then pulled the communications cord and jumped off. We were a little late in that morning.
One man we met had a job as a travel rep with one of the tour ops. He got the train down every Friday night skied all day Saturday in les arcs and came back that night. It struck me as the ideal part time job - if you lived in Dover.
The first time we did the snow train there were two parked at calais: one went to BsM and one to st Anton. After that both went to Bourg st Maurice
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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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@johnE, could be, I just assumed the opening of the tunnel meant the faff with the ferry and boarding at Calais was unnecessary.
Although arguably the changeover in Paris isn't great either. Incidentally I don't remember having to cross Paris to get from station to station, I just thought we changed platforms/trains at the same station. Am I making it up?
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Layne, The ferry based snow train did run for sometime after the tunnel was opened. I think the train was routed through Paris but we didn't change trains. It also seemed to stop at various stations on the way though I cannot recall why. It changed direction in Albertville station IIRC
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Disco car was great for me, I met my wife in it in 1999, still married now with 3 amazing kids who are all great skiers now.
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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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@snowdave, As jonpim and others: My own many times repeated use was the Eurostar to Paris and overnight French train with couchettes to Bourg. That was not so long ago and I always slept. I wasn't clear why this useful option ended. If it wasn't profitable (why, it seemed fairly full?) they could have charged a bit more.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Wed 30-08-23 14:53; edited 1 time in total
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@Lucywuk, the SNCF Carte Advantage is on sale for a few days for 24.50 euros
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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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| andy1234 wrote: |
| @Lucywuk, the SNCF Carte Advantage is on sale for a few days for 24.50 euros |
Amazing. Thanks.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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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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@snowball, The main reason for the mass cull of overnight sleeper trans was that the Wagon Lits rolling stock was getting very long in the tooth (as evidenced by the Guardian article). It all need replacing. I suspect that high speed trains sort of cut the demand as well.
My last experiences on sleeper trains were: Nairobi or Mombassa going down to the coast on a Friday night back Sunday night and from Sofia to Varna, ditto. The Kenyan one was a very memerable experience, waking up with tea delivered to your compartment and giraffes striding beside the train. The giraffes were faster.
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I wonder if it will be a pain finding luggage space for skis on the train from Lille
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| beano wrote: |
| Disco car was great for me, I met my wife in it in 1999, still married now with 3 amazing kids who are all great skiers now. |
Great story @beano! 
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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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Yikes! I've had better experiences in Thailand and South America! That sounds downright awful.
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I've just booked for March...
Park at Stratford International (£61 for 8 days)
7 mins on train from stratford to st pancras on Friday night.
Stay at Premier Inn (£120 per room)
Eurostar to Paris 6.30am (£49pp)
Will now wait for SNCF train tickets to be released in December for the Paris to Bourg leg.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Macker13 wrote: |
I've just booked for March...
Park at Stratford International (£61 for 8 days)
7 mins on train from stratford to st pancras on Friday night.
Stay at Premier Inn (£120 per room)
Eurostar to Paris 6.30am (£49pp)
Will now wait for SNCF train tickets to be released in December for the Paris to Bourg leg. |
Like you, I've already booked two x Eurostar for this winter. In my experience, if you are ready when the SNCF tix go on sale you can get excellent fares for the second leg.
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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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| Macker13 wrote: |
I've just booked for March...
Park at Stratford International (£61 for 8 days)
7 mins on train from stratford to st pancras on Friday night.
Stay at Premier Inn (£120 per room)
Eurostar to Paris 6.30am (£49pp)
Will now wait for SNCF train tickets to be released in December for the Paris to Bourg leg. |
Useful about the parking. We have the train/premier inn booked already too.
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Poster: A snowHead
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What is the usual pattern for trains to Bourg from Paris? Are they direct or do they involve a change at Lyon or Chambery? Looking at the summer/autumn schedule (which I know is not what runs during the winter, but that isn't visible yet), there are no direct trains to Bourg. Are there any other direct trains to Bourg from Lille, or just the one being advertised by Eurostar? I'm tempted to go by train this winter but want a simple 1 change in either Paris or Lille.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@MontyP, Me too - and Lille better because then no metro to contend with. BUT I just don't think that's realistic, the only direct trains are likely to be these odd looking ones offered as the new ski train - which gives very limited options. I've ended up booking trains to Paris which match with the current autumn schedules for trains to BsM via Chambery
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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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@MontyP, there should be direct trains during the ski season Paris-Bourg SM. You could check what happened earlier this year by using the Deutsche Baum journey planner (which is available in English)
Not sure about weekdays but certainly at weekends there have been 2 or 3 a day direct TGV Paris Gare du Lyon to the Tarantaise stations (Moutiers, Bourg etc). Have used them (with skis), they’re great.
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Although missing the Lyon change means losing excuse to go for nice meal between trains…
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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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Anyone have any info as to whether or not this is meant to run later in the season as well? I can understand they'd likely bump prices up during half term, but I'd be looking at the last week of Feb and am trying to avoid flying if possible.
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Interesting - and not badly priced: They say: This is a rail journey starting from the UK. The Journey involves Eurostar from London - Lille Europe, and onward journey on Regional trains from Lille Europe to Lyon Part Dieu, and Lyon Part Dieu to Bourg St Maurice. Tickets are included for all parts of the journey. **Timings and Station Changes are provisional and will be finalised latest one month prior to departure** **THIS IS NOT THE OFFICIAL EUROSTAR SNOWTRAIN 8 NIGHT PACKAGE. PLEASE CALL US ON 01483 319 646 IF YOU WISH TO BOOK THE OFFICIAL SNOWTRAIN PACKAGE*
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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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@Ruswit, if you mean the Travelski package then I think it unlikely. Later in the season there is no way accommodation providers are going to offer 8-night packages, as it would mean losing the following week's booking.
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@ecureuil, I just mean the "ski trains" running from St. Pancras to Bourg/Moutiers via Lille. The last available return is on Sun 4th Feb, which means effectively they are only running it for hols in December and Jan.
I guess they'd have to adjust to Sat. departures but that doesn't seem that crazy a notion.
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