 Poster: A snowHead
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| Mark1863 wrote: |
| I find it odd that they cannot put on more trains. The Eurostar website appears to be working this morning although I did not go as far as booking anything. Waiting for some pain killing injections before committing myself. Hope to be in Tignes over Christmas |
Eurostar would need to find trains, staff, get permission to run through the tunnel and for SNCF to find "pathway slots" for the trains to run.
It would be beneficial to them to run the trains, despite the tunnel operators charging them 500k + plus £45 per passenger per train to run through the tunnel each way.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Their maths can't be that good either as you can take a car with up to 9 passenger in the tunnel for £45.00 each way .
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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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Apart from the end of season the trains return either the same day in the evening or next day as scheduled services.
If for example you ran an extra train for the UK half term the weeks either side are not peak weeks for the UK. The train itself would either be laid up a week in France ready for the return when it could be earning an income elsewhere in that week. Alternatively it could return empty after taking passengers to France and be sent out empty to collect the returning half term passengers. Either option reduces Eurostar profit margins.
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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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| Quote: |
Gary_65, Depends which resort, how you are getting there and what accommodation you have booked
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We're going to Val Thorens and staying at the Mercure Hotel. Arriving on the early train, so assume taxi up the mountain ??
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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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At the EoSB the overnight sleeper from Paris arrived about 715am and there was a bus (altibus) up to Val Thorens at 745 I think which arrived about 9am. I don't know if there's an earlier bus than that to meet the Eurostar, but even if not, the bus isn't a bad option. Of course if there's a few of you a taxi might work out not significantly more expensive and more comfortable than hanging around the train station for a couple of hours. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Checked again tonight. The website is behaving itself and I can see bookable trains.
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Gary_65,
If you are on the early train look up the altibus. Been as far as Les M. It goes to Val T. You can pre book on t'interweb. It was E10 to Menuires.
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I REALLY don't get why anyone (other than people with a fear of flying) would want to spend £300 and 8+ hours traveling by train, rather than half that (£ and time) flying say LGW - GVA...
I just priced up Xmas week for me & family and train is £812; getting to Alps LGW-GVA with Sleazyjet is £450. Renting a car in GVA for say £200-250 still means I come out way below; and it gives me freedom to travel between resorts, or stock up down the valley if we go DIY.
I get it if you do overnight sleepers, because that gives an extra 2 days on snow, but apart from that is there ANY reason?? Can someone explain the train appeal?
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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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boardiac, with the train you avoid a) long check-in queue at the departure airport b) long passport control queue at the arrival airport* c) long baggage reclaim wait with a chance of it being lost c) long transfer to the resort. Either way you arrive to the resort late afternoon, but after a fight I was always exhausted and angry whereas after a train fresh and cheerful.
* probably doesn't apply to EU nationals
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| Quote: |
* probably doesn't apply to EU nationals
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should read "definitely doesn't apply to any traveller travelling within the Schengen zone" (assuming GVA here, or Lyon/Chambery etc.)
And Switzerland is now Schengen
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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boardiac, I really fancied giving it a go, but being from the Badlands of the North we'd have had to leave Friday teatime, train to Kings Cross, stay overnight (£200+ for 4, plus meals) and then get the train Saturday morning, for which they wanted the princely sum of £1800 - so probably something over £2k for 4 of us. I can do flights from Birmingham (admittedly a couple of hours drive, as Leeds flights were v expensive - still cheaper than the train, mind) at £760 including bags (this is Feb half term) and transfers for about £80 a head - so saving £1000.
I'm determined to do it one day, but with those numbers it just doesn't add up - I'm sure it's different if you can get to St Pancras easily, or you're not tied to school hols.
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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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Perhaps we should form a club: "Once through Chambery was enough to put me off flying anywhere again". What it is like in peak weeks, given the unpleastantness of a fairly quiet week in January, is beyond my imagination. Still, on the plus side, I can now remain stoic and even cheerful in the face of adversity while travelling with the mantra "At least it's not as bad as Chambery..."
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You know it makes sense.
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Got stuck in Chambery airport for eight hours once and it was 'orrible.
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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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Thanks Blinder. I logged onto https://loco2.com/ to have a cheeky peek in case my clients ever ask, it seems to be an easy to use website for European trains. It could not give me a quote until 3 months prior to the date of travel. But did give me the date to return and retry which was a nice touch!
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FAQ
And then another hour to reclaim the baggage because it was not possible get even remotely close to the belt because of the crowd... It was a "low season" second week of jan, mind you.
