 Poster: A snowHead
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| hd wrote: |
| Gored wrote: |
| The only advantage of a train at present is the silly bit of needing to be at the airport about 2hours before air departure. |
Plus the small matter of a gazillion time lower climate impact 
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You think the majority care about that over getting from A to B quicker?
If you are that concerned, maybe you should walk instead? Reducing is still creating!
hypocrite
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Haha
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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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| hd wrote: |
| @Nadenoodlee full throttle sleeper services yes |
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/apr/11/the-dream-ticket-a-sleeper-train-to-europes-cities-may-soon-be-on-track
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Major bumps in the track remain today. The trains would need to be bespoke rather than sourced from existing rolling stock, driveable from each end, with a minimum length of 375 metres. They would require systems that can halt the spread of fire for the length of time a train is in the tunnel although experts say the existence of an evacuation tunnel running parallel with the two rail tunnels makes the route extremely safe.
Last summer the UK rail industry’s High Speed Rail Group published a report blaming the overly stringent tunnel regulations for holding back plans for sleepers. They called for the government to modernise the regulations in time for the Channel tunnel’s 30th anniversary in 2024 to take into account the fact passengers are now banned from smoking.
But whether those changes come or not, the costs would be significant for any such service – and Ryanair and easyJet are not going away. |
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@hd, @Nadenoodlee, the challenge for sleepers between London-Europe through the channel tunnel includes tunnel safety issues, and the timings of when travellers want to leave and arrive, and more. It’s quite a set of complex problems - good explanation by Jon Worth https://mobile.twitter.com/jonworth/status/1381632251763507203
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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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@boarder2020, agreed, this isn't a great advertisement for train travel, but as @munich_irish says, there was lots of steps that could go wrong.
In the end last night I got in to Stuttgart Hbf at 00:15 and in to my hotel room at 00:30. Leisurely morning this morning as the train didn't leave until 10:54. First class seats today as far as Munich, and the carriage is almost empty. On time so far, so hoping today is a bit smoother.
@munich_irish, took your advice re stopping at Jenbach, checked my train and that's what i'll be doing. It actually means I end up on the same train up to Mayrhofen as if I'd gone to Innsbruck, but saves me about €4 euros each way, and I can just sit at Jenbach, and suspect there'll be less faff moving around platforms than at Innsbruck.
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| Inboard wrote: |
| @hd, @Nadenoodlee, the challenge for sleepers between London-Europe through the channel tunnel includes tunnel safety issues, and the timings of when travellers want to leave and arrive, and more. It’s quite a set of complex problems - good explanation by Jon Worth https://mobile.twitter.com/jonworth/status/1381632251763507203 |
Still need to get to London to start the journey. For a lot of people that will be 2-3hours travelling to get to London & maybe another hour to get to wherever the start of the sleeper. station is (assuming St Pancras).
Be almost anywhere in Western Europe by then if you fly.
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Had you flown out you'd be skiing now
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| davidof wrote: |
| Double check your train is running tomorrow, quite a few are cancelled due to a strike. |
Is there an easy way to find advance information on French rail strikes?
The train is quite a civilised way to get between Geneva airport and St Gervais, but last summer we got caught out by a cancellation due to a strike. We were lucky to get a transfer at very short notice and catch our plane OK - next time we want advance notice!
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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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@Whitegoldsbrother, yes, there's no doubting that. I'm not doing thus journey for speed....
Flying out wasn't actually particularly convenient either for me. No flights from Bristol to Munich full stop, and the easyjet Innsbruck flight doesn't start running until the weekend before Christmas. So I'd have had to travel to London to fly.
I also have a ridiculous amount of luggage with me, including 2 laptops, which would have cost me an arm and a leg in excess baggage, instead it's costing me my arms and back lugging it around everywhere, and lifting my ski bag up on to the overhead storage. It is my own fault though, I didn't even try to reduce what I packed as I knew I had to weight restrictions.
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| swskier wrote: |
@Whitegoldsbrother So I'd have had to travel to London to fly.
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and you got the train to mainland europe from?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| j b wrote: |
| davidof wrote: |
| Double check your train is running tomorrow, quite a few are cancelled due to a strike. |
Is there an easy way to find advance information on French rail strikes?
The train is quite a civilised way to get between Geneva airport and St Gervais, but last summer we got caught out by a cancellation due to a strike. We were lucky to get a transfer at very short notice and catch our plane OK - next time we want advance notice! |
According to the Union chappie on the news last night they'd announced their strike a month ago, there is a formal procedure although wildcat strikes are also fairly common but very localized. In this case the strike was announced on the SNCF main website a couple of days back. My wife's return train was cancelled with 24 hours notice but all the remaining trains were full so it was either a case of taking a bus (10 hours trip, she's done it a few times) or take a train somewhere else and I will drive there an pick her up.
For trains with reservations the SNCF will no longer let you get on the train without a valid ticket for that train - at one time they would try and find an empty seat or let you sit in the seating area between carriage, but no more. In Paris they have barriers you have to scan your ticket in order to access the platforms.
A parliamentary report claims the SNCF is full of non-jobbers which cost the company a fortune. Maybe the non-jobbers could help finding seats on trains for people who've had their train cancelled. Just a thought.
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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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@davidof,
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Assuming full loading an air passenger emits 6x more CO2 than a rail traveller but does this also account for infrastructure?
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A very good question.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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| Timmycb5 wrote: |
| boarder2020 wrote: |
This thread is really not a good advertisement for travelling by train*. Too expensive, too much faff, too many problems with having to connect. Flying is just too cheap and much more convenient. If flying stays the norm there seems little reason to improve train links and the cycle continues. Not sure what the solution is.
*Although still sounds delightful in comparison to my 7 hours to do 70km bus journey last week!  |
This bit is the problem. Two ways to solve it. Make train travel cheaper and/or make air travel more expensive. |
We're traveling out to 3V by train in January. Door to door the cost is very similar. I think one issue is that people compare the flight cost to the train cost but neglect that the transfer costs, which are generally far higher from airports than they are from the stations.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@swskier, that cabin looks damned comfy!
Have a great time.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Doing the IASI is a good plan as I've been told the BASI L2 is no longer accepted in Italy. This had been an area for BASI guys to get work experience via Interski (excluding work permit issues).
I wonder other EU countries will follow suit?
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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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@Timmycb5, it was great, especially when the train manager came along with a tray of chocolate as well.
@davidof, that was the main reason for me choosing IASI ahead of BASI. Now just to hope something happens with visas!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@swskier, my experience is that the trains in Germany & Austria run pretty well and they are comfortable (especially first class). I know there has been a fair amount of whinging in recent times about how unreliable it all is, I always suggest the locals try travelling on the trains in the UK for a comparison!
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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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@munich_irish, the trains I used, DB and ÖBB can't even be compared to the UK trains, they were streaks ahead and that's having used 1st and 2nd classes. I was also really surprised to see trains running right through the night on the departures board when I got in to Stuttgart at 00:15 last night.
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I'm coming towards the end of my train travel back to the UK, currently on the Eurostar, then need to nip round to Paddington, and then a direct train back to Yatton.
Journey back has been better than out, no French strikes for starters, and slightly less change overs.
I've done:
Bus Hintertux to Mayrhofen
Train Mayrhofen to Jenbach
Train Jenbach to Munich
Train Munich to Karlsruhe
Train Karlsruhe to Paris
Overnight Stay
Eurostar Paris to London
Tube St Pancras to Paddington
Train Paddington to Yatton.
So a mere 7 trains and 1 bus this way round.
I was wasting some time researching it all yesterday on the trains, and came to the conclusion, if I were to do this again travelling to Austria via train, I'd get the Eurostar direct to Amsterdam, then the Nightjet sleeper train through to Jenbach/Innsbruck instead. That means I could leave first thing on a Friday morning from Yatton, and be in resort by lunchtime Saturday. It would mean far less faff with change overs, and no hotel costs.
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You were lucky to miss the strikes. On weds and Thursday there were very few trains in France and strike action looks set to continue over Christmas
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Out of interest, what was the total cost of this return journey (including hotels)?
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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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@YellowAndBlue, a bloody fortune!
The original cost was:
UK trains - £65.40
Eurostar - £184
Paris to Innsbruck - £152.07
Jenbach to Hintertux return - £25.58
Paris hotel x 2 - £172
Total - £599.05
But, due to the French strikes on my way out, I also had an additional ticket to Stuttgart (which i'm going to email trainline and try and get money back for, as they incorrectly advised me on this) and an extra hotel in Stuttgart.
Paris to Stuttgart - £116.96 less the refund on my original ticket £43.35 = £73.61
Stuttgart hotel - £66
So total spend is £738.66, but hopefully i'll get back £73.61.
Not a cheap experiment!
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@swskier, thanks. Like you say, not a cheap experiment - but the Eurostar/Nightjet suggestion is good to know about.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
which would have cost me an arm and a leg in excess baggage, instead it's costing me my arms and back lugging it around everywhere
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10 points for a nice turn of phrase 
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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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By booking well advance you can get the Eurostar for £78 return. (I'm not that good at planning ahead.)
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| swskier wrote: |
So total spend is £738.66, but hopefully i'll get back £73.61.
Not a cheap experiment! |
660 quid then
what would the car cost? If you could get a passenger or two it would make sense plus be a damn site quicker.
Like my journey over to my son's college in Lyon. If 3 of us go it is 150 euros return on the train. Or about 15 liters of fuel (plus wear on the car). Unless cars are more heavily taxed the train doesn't look very attractive.
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You know it makes sense.
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@davidof, for sure, car would be cheaper split between a few people, wasn't an option this time though.
I am driving to Tignes next Friday (23rd) with the girlfriend and dog, so will tot up that journey too for a comparison.
@YellowAndBlue, the Nightjet on a random Friday in March was around €150 one way as a gauge, in a sleeper room.
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FAQ
