Doing the train first time

A snowHead

Just booked the overnight train on 17th jan to BSM £283 return from Darlington, anyone else on it?, first time for me, what should I expect?.
By the time I added up the cost of fuel to Leeds, parking for 2 weeks, flight, baggage charge, transfer, the cost was £10 cheaper than flying and I get 2 more days skiing. Travelling from a regional station, changing at Kings Cross / St Pancras added very little to the cost of the ticket from St Pancras.
Planning to get the Navette? Altibus? from BSM to Val D'Isere, any better options?.

A snowHead

Sleeping sitting up is difficult. Did you pay the extra (not much) for first class?
We found that we arrived pretty knackered and only skied till 2-3pm on the first day. If at all possible, sit towards the middle of the carriage rather than by the doors between carriages - they are noisy when you are trying to sleep.
iPod.
Pillow.

You can get from the station to Val d'Isere using the funicular up to 1600 and then ski buses to your particular bit. It is a bit of a hike with ski gear depending on which end of the train you are Sad

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Freddie Paellahead, Sadle

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Im doing it 2 weeks later for the first time. Don't know about val dsire but I do know when you arive at bsm your just a 10 minute cable car/ funicular from les les arcs. So thats the easiest resort to get to.

I had a tread running that that people have given losds of useful information about bsm.

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=105276

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johnE, I never realised that I was blond Embarassed

That'll teach me to post here before I am fully awake Embarassed

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Thought this was going to be a thread about the recently departed Ronnie Biggs Embarassed

After all it is free

Ray Zorro

I would advise alcohol and sleeping tablets.

If you're lucky you'll manage to get more than just your allocated seat, I always have done and have managed to spread out a little.

Freddie Paellahead is right, try and get in the middle of the carriage and take something to keep noise out and head comfortable.

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Suggest booking you seat on the bus up from the gare routiere in Bourg up to Val D'Isere should be able to book tickets on www.autocars-martin.com

think the first bus is about 0800hrs bazoom opposite the station should be open for coffee breakfast before then

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Hey up Tango

my wife has been pestering me to do this for years and I have always poo-poo the idea.

(mainly because I will always be scared the the train down to london, might be delayed and I won't be able to make the onward part of it)

But anyway, can I ask whee you booked your train tickets from please

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When I took the trip, the taxi from BSM to Tignes was €50 (i think!), which we split between 3.

I recommend that to wake you up after a long journey, as the taxi driver seemed to enjoy chucking his turbocharged VW T5 around the bends, in a blizzard Happy

A bit late, but I can thoroughly recommend Eurostar to Paris and then a Wagon Lit to BSM. Very luxurious.

You know it makes sense.

We've done the daytime version of the train for the past 5 or 6 years. Tips would include taking a proper picnic including wine/beer as the buffet car is not 100% reliable (they run out and I personally wouldn't want to depend on them for proper food). Also, pack an extra fleece layer near the top of your main luggage so you can dig it out as required. Also, ipod / ipad etc for amusement and have the chargers handy as you can always find a socket somewhere on the train if needed. I'd second the pillow advice above.

We got a minbus taxi for 6 people for about €100 each way IIRC.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Did it once. Never again. I'd rather go Ryanair. Eurostar to Paris, then sleeper train from Gare D'Austerlitz, or, better IMO, travel by day on TGV, are another matter. Both involve transfer across Paris, though, which, however you dress it up, is a pain if you are carrying ski and luggage bags. I've given up, and fly.

Most pleasant way I know to get to the Alps is to drive with a group of friends in a suitable car.

A snowHead

achilles, Greetings!
Transfer across Paris is not a pain, but part of the fun.
i agree that the overnight Eurostar is not for those who like their night-time comfort.

A snowHead

Over the years I've taken both the overnight eurostar and the day time one with groups of friends. In fact I'm off on Friday night on the train to BSM. The overnight train is also known as the party train and can be pretty lively, especially if you are travelling when any universities have their reading weeks! Don't bank on getting much sleep and as I believe someone has already mentioned, the train does tend to get very cold as you head up into the mountains so pack a travel blanket or an extra layer. Having said all of that I think it is by far the best option to travel as you will get those extra 2 days of fun on the slopes. As for transfers there are transfer comapnies based in BSM which are run by Brits who live out there year round, I'm not sure how their prices compare to simply getting a taxi but a couple of examples are cool bus and 360 transfers.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Just be careful getting on and of the train, the only time Ive been by train someone fell off it when it stopped and broke their leg, unfortunately for them it was on the way out rather than the return.

Personally I cant think of much worse than being stuck on a train for that length of time

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I did the direct overnight train to avoid the paris transfer, given the choice (if I had freinds that ski) I would drive it, even though the basic flight is only£85 return, the other costs bring this to £320. I calculated that I could get my transit van to the Alps for £600 so any more than 2 travelling and its cheaper to take the car. Though in some of the late booking deals where flight and transfer are included, the travel costs are much lower.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

"Personally I cant think of much worse than being stuck on a train for that length of time"

That's what I thought the first time we did it but compared to the alternatives it's great. A flight can be 2 hour in the airport before, 2 hours flight, 1 hr on arrival and then 2 hrs coach transport. 7 hours on a relatively comfortable Eurostar, with plenty of space to get up and walk round, plus a well stocked picnic with a couple of bottles of red was all very much acceptable.

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Been by train 3 times.
First incurred a change that meant getting off one train, and on to another waiting on the adjacent platform.
Second was a train that I got on... and when I got off, I was in a ski resort.
Third incurred a lengthy step on to an escaltor, walk 2 platforms to the left, then walk in to a lift. Actually that incurred a wlak of about 4 carriages' worth of platform too, cos 1st class on German trains is at the ends, but Swiss ones are in the middle.
Saved driving 6 hours.

Planning to do s11BB / PreBBWUW3 by train next year.

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tangowaggon, It is tiring. I can hardly sleep on any form of transport.
However we did it and those 2 extra days on the slopes were worth all the hassle.
I would do it again for sure.

You can book your seats online, try middle of the carriage as the doors can be very annoying. (same as people walking through all the time). Saying this you can try to re-booked them just before the trip and see if there are any empty seats nearby. We actually had 2 seats per person which is much easier to sleep.

After all it is free

For those that do require a high level of feathers and cannot get by with only a few hours sleep to increase a standard holiday from 6 days to 2 days on the slope. I do not recommend the train at all. It does take a person who is able to ignore the minor annoyances to reap the benefit.

I do question why anyone would prefer driving to the train providing cost is not something affecting their decision. It's not quicker, it's not as relaxed and it involves someone or a number of people having to drive.

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Agree, it does depend on your agenda.

I don't have the time to stop off and go shopping, however that sounds fantastic, pick up some nice french food and wine, that's one of the reasons I'm looking forward to retirement.

I don't find sitting in a car as relaxing on that length of journey. I love to drive however I'm not capable of the lengthy drive on my own and do not find the french toll roads all that fun tbh. I don't own a Range Rover so the seat is not as big. It's a hell of a lot smaller and as for controlling the temperature yourself, that obviously depends on your travelling buddies.

How big is your car achilles if you can take as much luggage as you want?

Not everyone in the car can sleep at the same time so the benefit that the snowtrain has on that point is pretty simple. However if you can't sleep on a train it may be the plane/car is a better option.

I've also never had drunks wandering around, but I do usually depending on availability get the 1st class or equivalent seats as the cost is not that great.

Each to their own (I'm definitely right though)

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Legend., No you're not Laughing

Of course you are for your situation - same as I am for mine

I am also transporting 3-kids and their stuff, so is less stressful for me to have the car. Possibly less so now they are bigger, but when they were all under 2 car meant frequent feed, nappy, sleep (repeat) stops were easily managed. I'm sure all other train/air passengers thank us for not having bawling twins on the train/plane

Will be doing the same journey but during the day.

London via Paris (Gare du Nord > Gare de Lyon), I was in Paris at the weekend and scoped out the transfer, it's extremely easy.

Arrive at BSM at 17:41 on the Saturday 4th Jan for onward travel to the UCPA at Val D'Isere, probably by bus or taxi.

Looking forward to it as it's a different way to travel.

Will hopefully pick up wine for the week somewhere en-route.

Any tips for the above greatly appreciated.

You know it makes sense.

It always surprises me that people who wouldn't dream of going on an overnight coach will pay twice as much to sit up on a train all night. I've done sleeper train from Paris (which was fine) and coach (which wasn't great, but was cheap and dropped us at the door of the chalet which, with kids, is a big consideration). These days I drive - yesterday I did home to the Alps in one hit. It was very easy but I CBA to do it for a week, frankly. I recorded some BBC podcasts and ended up a lot better informed on the siege of Vienna and the Arab Conquest. I shall do Edmund Burke and the Siege of Constantinople on the way back. wink

I also listened to some very tedious speeches to mark the 50th anniversary of Radio France - good for my French but they went on sooooooooooooo long. On all the Radio Stations - like a party political broadcast.

In principle I have no problem travelling with people I don't know provided they are not drunk or otherwise objectionable, which generally they aren't. I'm not a sociopath. wink

Driving alone you get to choose the music. Few people would put up with my selection.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Bradlex, We got off the train at Bourg this Sat lunchtime and our lift up to Les Arcs had barely left Calais rolling eyes

Plan B went into operation and a nice chap called Joel from Tax il vie

http://www.taxi-bourg-st-maurice.net/en/prices?utm_source=skinets.com&utm_medium=links&utm_campaign=contract

collected us from the station, took us to the Super U for 6 euros

http://www.magasins-u.com/superu-bourgsaintmaurice

and collected us a while later to take us and shopping up to Les Arcs, 72 euros

The Super U is right next door to an Intermarche so you can take your pick and given the lack of choice of foodstuffs in the two small supermarkets at Arc 2000 I am jolly glad I stopped off in Bourg. I bought some very reasonable wine and beers along with the food stuffs.

The second part of our party arrived with the car in the early hours of Sunday morning, they too had stopped off enroute, at the Auchan just off the auto route at St Quentin, but had only stocked up on wine and beer! (guess what, they were all males! )
rolling eyes

A snowHead

A snowHead

foxtrotzulu, my father was like that; couldn't abide public transport. As a boy he'd always walked or cycled, and as a poor young married man he had an autocycle. But he was sociopathic with the other occupants of the car too. I drove down to Spain with them once - over the Pyrenees. I told him I needed to stop for a pee. And I kept telling him and he kept telling me there was nowhere suitable. In the end I said I was going to pee on his bloody upholstery if he didn't stop. We had covered 100 miles since I'd first asked (and this was about 1968, not on motorways!). Another time, when I was 12, we were driving to the New Forest from Cardiff and I asked if we could stop and see Stonehenge, having looked at the map and seen it was on the way. No, that wasn't the route he was going to take. As we drove past Stonehenge I whooped with joy. No, he said, that's not Stonehenge, Stonehenge is not on our route; this part of the country is littered with such things. But as we massed the "Ministry of Housing and Ancient Monuments" sign clearly saying it was Stonehenge even my father couldn't argue any more and consented to stop. He once drove back from the Black Forest in a very bad mood because of the foul weather we'd had camping in Austria and Germany and he was determined to get home. My mother thought we should stop for the night. As we approached the channel he made some major driving errors - went through a red light on one occasion. The atmosphere was palpable. When we got to Dover my mother insisted that we got out - she told my father that he could drive to Cardiff if he wanted, but she and her children were not doing another mile with him, and we would go to a B & B. He absolutely refused but wasn't daft enough to drive off. He slept in the car. So yes, he was "master of all he surveyed" in his wretched car but he had to have it all his own way. Evil or Very Mad

At least these days the kids squished in the back of the car are less likely to have cigarette smoke puffed over them.

And do the chaps who are in charge ever sit in the back?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

pam w, your last sentence made me laugh! As soon as our sons were old enough to drive they made Dad sit in the back seat to see what it was like Laughing

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pam w, Nope Cool

Mrs B has learnt that me travelling in the back is the best way to bring on my travel sickness problem Laughing

To be fair, it is pretty nice and spacious in the back of the Disco so don't feel sorry for the kids

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johnE, there's an inexhaustible supply from the melvyn Bragg programmes. I intersperse podcasts with music of different kinds, listening to French radio and 'Arry Potter in Italian. johnE, It's fine sitting in the back on your own - my kids used to come up with all sorts of elaborate ways of working out who was going to be in the middle. My brother, much smaller than his two sisters, often had to sit in the middle and he got his own back by farting. When my two boys were teenagers they voted with alacrity for a coach, rather than sitting three in the back of an ordinary family car.

After all it is free

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achilles, indeed, as I said above, having the entire back to yourself is quite different. wink

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Doing the train first time

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