 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all... first post in the forum, I've been reading more and more snowheads posts over the past few days and this site is invaluable!
I'm planning a solo stop in the Alps as part of a big trip (USA-Israel), and UCPA seems like the best deal by far - great reviews across the board. My sister currently lives in Grenoble, so I found a UCPA deal at Les Deux Alpes. I'm concerned about ground transportation, though: it seems that it'll cost me $200 just for buses between the airport, Grenoble, and Deux Alpes. Is this a sensible trip plan?
People often mention the variety of buses and trains between the southern Alps and Grenoble, Lille, or Lyon, but none of this helps me with my international flights; I'm pretty much limited to Geneva and Zurich. (Forget about landing in Grenoble, and even landing in Lyon is $350 more than Geneva and $450 more than Zurich.)
So maybe I don't need to haul myself to Grenoble (apparently the city itself is nothing to write home about...), and there are other UCPA's that are as good as or better than Deux Alpes - and closer to those airports? Plus, my French is marginal so the more English-speakers the better (Flaine?). I'm an intermediate skier.
I'm not super cash-strapped, but I'd rather not throw away hundreds of dollars that could be used for, let's say, new boots 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Have never been on a UCPA trip but Flaine is the most convenient from Geneva - less than an hour and a half I think? I remember reading on here that it used to be a club med hotel or similar so it's a little bit more upmarket than some of the other centres.
A quick Google suggests about €90 return for a shared transfer from Geneva? I'm sure someone who knows what they're talking about will be along shortly 
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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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binba, You don't need to pay anything like that amount to get from Grenoble to Les Deux Alpes. Try www.bensbus.com
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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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Flaine is certainly convenient to Geneva, if the UCPA there has what you want, when you want. My daughter and BF stayed there - and were impressed with the facility. They went in peak time as they are both teachers and found the resort runs frighteningly crowded (and they are both experienced skiers) so best to avoid New year or from mid Feb - mid March (French school holidays). Their trip was at a time of very poor snow cover throughout the area, hence people from the lower areas were crowded up into the Flaine bowl - with good coverage people can spread out more.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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binba, ah misunderstood, it's a fair way from GVA
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I'm going to Chamonix UCPA at the end of January. There's plenty of transfer options from Geneva airport to Chamonix that don't seem too pricey. If you went the same week as me you'd also have a fellow English speaker, intermediate skier and Snowhead to hang out with 
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binba, Chamonix would be a more interesting place to be than Flaine. And it's very easy to get to.
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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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Yup, Cham or Argentiere are probably the cheapest to get to from GVA at about £50.
Shame to not see your sister tho if you're coming all this way!
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binba, Have you looked at the cost of trains from Geneva to Grenoble ?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Argentiere UCPA has just been completely renovated for the season, and peering through the windows a few weeks back, looked very impressive. €30 each way from Geneva on one of the many door-door minibus services.
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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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Had a brilliant time at Flaine Les Lindars UCPA a couple of yrs back. Booked through Action Outdoors, simple transfer from and to Geneva only 90mins each way door to door. I checked out Les Deux Alpes before but the hassle of getting there and back from Geneva wasn't worth it imo. I was the only Brit that week in UCPA but half the guests are Swedish (UCPA mega popular with them) and their English is better than mine, other half French but all mixed very well. Lessons are in English and a French. food great, best value holiday I've done.
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