 Poster: A snowHead
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Yesterday I bit the bullet and booked the direct night train to Bourg for a day trip to Les Arc. This is my Birthday present to my Dad who is 65 this year and really wants to ski again. My Mum has lost her confidence and won't go on another weeks holiday. I thought this would be a good way to get him on the slopes again and also have some father/son time. This is going to be a very tiring trip but what an experience as a one off.
I am already gathering plans for the trip to make it as smooth and stress free as possible for my Dad. So this is where you lovely lot come in.
Any of you that have done this and you give me any advice on the following:
Luggage - What did you take, did you take your own gear?
Backpack - Did you keep a backpack with you on the slopes or did you put it in storage for the day
Hire shops - What is the easiest shop to hire from in Bourg? Can you pre book and do they look after your luggage for the day?
Funi - Can this be pre booked or is it a case of rock up, buy a ticket
Any other useful tips
Thanks
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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 a look for Holidayloverxx thread on her trip.
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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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Someone else did it earlier this year as well...sparklies? Might not have been her but a search of the topic should bring it up. For mine search Eurostar and me as the author
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@chrisrawles, the Polaire Star ski hire shop is next door to the funicular station in Bourg St Maurice, and is a relatively short walk by covered walkway from the Eurostar terminal. They will hire you ski kit if you don't want to bother taking your own for just a day and will also look after your hand luggage for a modest fee so you don't need to carry it around with you. One of the owners is British, so no language issues. Plenty of other rental places in Les Arcs, but Polaire Star works really well for day-trippers. Their website seems to be down at the moment, but you can find them at http://www.polairestar.com
No need to pre-book the Funicular. There's a Liftpass office at the Funi station at so just buy your day pass there and the Funi is included. If you already have a lift pass you can pre-book your day pass online, so you should then be able to just walk through the turnstile on to the Funi.
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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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@cad99uk, I have had a good read of that post and was very useful. I know this was a few years ago so was just looking to see if much has changed in way of how you do things.
@holidayloverxx, Read your post many times and was one of the reasons I chose to do this for my Dad.
@rob@rar, Great info, The Polaire Ski Hire shop has come up a few times so I will most likely use these to sort my Dad out his Ski's for the day. And as for the Funi being included with the day pass. Even better.
Thanks for the replies all.,
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Didn't Ray Zorro do this a few years back too although I think he flew?
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@chrisrawles, Seems an awful lot of travelling for one part days skiing, why not go for 2 days and build in an overnight stay and get more ski time?
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@Markymark29, an overnight stay gets more complicated as you can't get a direct return train service from London, you have to book a French train service and travel via Paris or Lille. Day trip can be done exclusively on Eurostar overnight services, so not need for any accommodation and a straightforwards travel plan.
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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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@rob@rar, Ah, I get it - not really an option from the north because it's a PITA to get to London on East Coast victorian train service to start the journey via Eurostar but makes sense from what you've said, must admit though it must be an expensive way to do it, I think I'd prefer to fly to GVA and take Alpybus to Cham and do 2-3 days but each to their own I guess.
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@Markymark29, As Rob mentioned above the day trip is the simplest and hopefully stress free option i have to get my Dad on to the slopes just one last time. I live on the main line to Kings X so its really easy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Markymark29, £149 for the travel (plus whatever cost to get to Eurostar terminal), day pass for Les Arcs (€45?) plus a bit of cash for food, and no need for any accommodation costs. As a daily rate it's a little bit expensive, but you get a full day on snow, no need of time off work and a hassle free journey if you can get to St Pancras easily. Return to London is breakfast time on Sunday, so you still have the opportunity to get to Tesco and do the laundry before being back in the office on Monday morning plotting your next escape to the hills...
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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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@chrisrawles, I did it earlier this year after reading @holidayloverxxs thread. It is hard going but if you can sleep anywhere then it will be fine.
I only took ski clothing and my boots and hired the rest. Its not so much the getting it on the Eurostar but getting to St Pancras for Friday evening rush hour might be a pain. I used a hire shop at the top of the funi and they were great.
I also contacted a local hotel and they did us a day rate of 10 Euros each to store our gear and allow us to get a place to shower and change after the day on the slopes.
As mentioned above, the lift pass includes the Funi. I bought mine online and it was delivered to my home in plenty of time for the trip. There was a website link on here somewhere that gives discounted liftpass for skiing on Saturdays. It was a French link that translated to ski on Saturdays or similar.
I'm considering doing this again next year as although its tiring if you don't manage to sleep, its great fun and a brilliant mini adventure. (just hope you don't get put in the carriage with the group of trainee financial types who think everyone around them wants to join in their drinking games for the whole journey)
Enjoy 
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@Pezza26, I done the ski train 2 last season although it was for a weeks trip. With a little bit of luck we can get some sleep on the way so the day is as much fun as poss. If anything its just the experience I can give me Dad which will be worth it.
From talking to others and reading I think I will order the pass online, pre book board and Ski hire and get a backpack for travelling cloths.
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You know it makes sense.
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@chrisrawles, there are loads of ski lockers at the top of the funi, you can easily dump anything you dont want to carry for the day.
Enjoy it! I think I might go and book mine 
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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@chrisrawles, this is the site where you can get discounted lift passes for Les Arcs or La Plagne. You can't get a full paradiski pass this way.
http://www.samedijeskie.com/
You sign up, and there is an offer each week - the less 'peak' a Saturday the cheaper the price. Then you buy online, print off the voucher, and exchange the voucher for a lift pass at the lift pass office at the bottom of the funicular.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
to get my Dad on to the slopes just one last time.
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This is the worrying bit about this post. Why will it be his last time?
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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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@johnE, I'm pretty sure that he will find it really hard going on the legs and my Mum has said she has no intention of going on a winter holiday again.
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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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I did a day trip to Chamonix from the UK about 15 years ago.
Flight from Gatwick to Geneva at aprox 6.30am. On the slopes by about 11am (rented ski's in Chamonix). Off the slopes at 4.30pm, straight onto a bus back to Geneva and flight back to Gatwick.
I was back home by 10.30pm.
Cost about £150 all in.
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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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What has tended to put me off about this is the prospect of 2 successive nights in a chair and hence with little sleep.
Why do people not use the Euro* to Paris and the sleeper from there?
The cost is comparable. OK, U need to leave a couple of hours earlier but the payoff is dinner in Paris and sleep!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@chrisrawles, hopefully he'll manage it again sometime - my grandfather first put on skis at 70 and managed to fit in a fair amount of skiing over the following 10 years despite his wife not doing it with him!
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We had a snowHead at the S11BB who was 83!
She scoffed at me for going up one floor in the lift and skipped off up the stairs 
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@admin, The other advantages of the sleeper is that you can fly to Paris and not have to take Most of Friday off work to get the train from London
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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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| johnE wrote: |
| @admin, The other advantages of the sleeper is that you can fly to Paris and not have to take Most of Friday off work to get the train from London |
The other advantage of flying to Paris is that you can just as easily fly to Geneva and have a nice sleep in a hotel room before you ski (after all the hassle of negotiating airports is what you're primarily trying to avoid or you're a Goldsmithian eco-warrior)
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@Dave of the Marmottes, although johnE does not state his location, some of us may have better access to flights to Paris than they do to Geneva. I've booked plane to Paris then sleeper to Briancon for my kids in the past as there was then no transfer involved or a long drive to GVA to pick them up.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, The concept of flying to paris and getting the train is that you do not need a hotel bed, you simply sleep on the train. The bed and the transfer are covered in the same sweep.
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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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It's quite easy to get two full days of skiing in without taking any time off work with Friday/Sunday evening flights to Geneva and two nights in a hotel. More expensive, but i'd say more worth it than getting Eurostar just for the day. Flights can be very cheap if you have avios. I can't sleep unless i'm in a bed though so a sitting up train isn't a realistic option for me.
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@chrisrawles, My lovely Dad stopped at age 76, when he had a two new knees, your Paps is a mere spring chicken. My Dad says he'll 'give it a go" this season. Good luck and think big!
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You know it makes sense.
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@Swissie, I'm sure he will be fine. My sister joked and said she will buy him a spa day to recover 
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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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@chrisrawles, surely your sister has the days in the wrong order - he will need a day of activity, interest and fun to recover from the spa day.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just booked equipment hire from the shop next to the Funi in Arc 1600 for £24. Bargain
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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@chrisrawles, be interesting to know what the final cost is (and the breakdown) when you get to that stage. I've never really thought about doing a day trip but this thread has whetted my appetite a little.
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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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@Handy Turnip, I can pretty much tell you now what its going to cost:
Eurostar - £149PP Rtn
Equipment hire - £12 PP (early booking discount with Alpine Resorts)
Day lift pass - £30-40 PP
Funicular - Included with lift pass
Train to Kings X - £10 PP if I use my railcard
Then it depends what you spend on food and drinks while you are there.
Not the cheapest but i'm looking forward to seeing my Dad's face when I give him his birthday present.
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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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| chrisrawles wrote: |
| Not the cheapest but i'm looking forward to seeing my Dad's face when I give him his birthday present. |
Such a nice thing to do. Hope you both have great day.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@rob@rar, Thanks Rob, I will report on the experience for sure.
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Cheers @chrisrawles, that's really interesting. Definitely worthwhile for a special occasion like yours - and has given me food for thought. Look forward to hearing the report!
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@chrisrawles, I'm another who is intrigued by this as a cheeky little 'add on' to the usual plans. The price of £149 pp return for Eurostar- is that a fairly standard and easily obtained price or have I missed the boat (or train) on that one for this time- early plans needed for 2017! Just had a quick look and for the 30th Jan it was £175 pp return. Maybe if I dig deeper other dates may vary in price?
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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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Just answered my own question- found a £149 far on 11th /12th march for example.
@admin, Like your suggestion of sleeper from Paris as well but am I right in thinking you can only book the Eurostar to Paris now and then have to wait until much later for the Paris/Bourg leg? Thought I saw somewhere that the French leg is a 3 month window? Can that second part still be booked through the Eurostar website when it is available?
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Don't forget winter sports insurance @chrisrawles, your dad may not have it now. I have an annual policy with plenty if wreks cover so always covered
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