 Poster: A snowHead
|
Thought this might be useful for those of you who have wondered about the Paris sleeper but never done it.
A mate of mine and I sneak off for a long weekend every season. We generally fly and get a hire car to somewhere within 90mins of an airport. Done this in France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. Since I took the plunge and bought at flat we're now focused on Les Contamines and thought we might try something different with the train (both work central London).
Plan was
Friday - leave work a bit early and catch Eurostar 4:30PM St Pancras arriving Paris 7:47
RER 2 stops to Gare de Lyon and have dinner at Le Train Bleu http://www.le-train-bleu.com/uk/index.php - eating well is definitely an important part of these trips!
Cab to Gare d'Austerlitz (20 min walk but my friend had skis)
Sleeper depart 10:30 ish arrives St Gervais 08:45 ish
Sat - Cab to Les Contamines (about 15mins - there is a bus that intersects well and which takes 30 mins but we were feeling lazy)
Skiing by 10
Monday - ski to lifts close, cab to Gare St Gervais les Bains about 630, dinner near station, sleeper depart 840 arrive Paris 0615
Tue - cab to Gare de Nord, Eurostar to London arrive St P 9am and so to work.
All worked very smoothly. Crossing Paris was painless. Slept reasonably well in 4 berth cabins (a little broken but a nice long night). Le Train Bleu is stunning and the food is good (excellent pate de fois gras, very good steak tartare) but expensive. Works very well if you are based in central London (although we met a guy from Cornwall who had done it many times!). Viable for a 2 day weekend - leave work 530 Friday and get in 930 Monday.
Lesson learned: Could have got a train as late as 6PM from London if we had skipped dinner in Paris - might be worth travelling business and eating on board Eurostar. We could have just about caught a train 30 mins earlier from Gare de Nord on way home. Bit tight though - probably doable if no one is lugging skis! Rolling stock on the sleeper is a bit ancient and our cabin was rather cold on the way back (very thin sleeping bags provided). Because all my stuff is in the flat, I was a bit light on clothes. I'd bring something cosy next time. We used Uber for cabs in Paris which worked very well and I booked cabs at St Gervais from someone I know.
The sleeper train also stops at Cluses, Sallanches, Annecy, Chambery so there are similar options for Megeve, GM etc.
Oh and the skiing! There was plenty of snow, excellent cover on the pistes but pretty hard and crusty offpiste when we arrived. Sunday day and night was rain to 1800m and rising. Quite a lot of snow fell but then it rained on top. Heavily. In 27 years of skiing this was about the third day that I didn't ski when I could.  Don't regret it though. Monday was strange - it was mild and the rain had left the off-piste with strange water runnels all over the place - very heavy and sticky. But as the sun got out and the temperature got stupidly warm for the time if year it largely transformed into spring snow and we had fun. Since then there has been more and colder snow so I suspect thing are brilliant. The base everywhere is superb and looks set for the season.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Very interesting account, thanks. The sleeper to Sallanches might be worth thinking about for some of my visitors - I could easily pick them up there. Sorry about the rain.....
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| Quote: |
Sorry about the rain.....
|
(shh - don't mention it to the family at home but a lazy day with absolute nothing to do but eat, drink, doze and work out how to circumvent the country restrictions on Amazon Prime video was entirely tolerable  )
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Very interesting travel option. This is one of the reasons we chose to buy in St Gervais, my wife doesn't drive so we need a place where she could go with kids without a car.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Thanks for the report. I took the sleeper train to Ax in the Pyresnees a few seasons ago, and had a great trip.
How much were your train tickets though?
Presumably, very little change from £200?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Eurostar is £70 return and 4 berth sleepers can be had for £100 return (about £20 less if you for for 6 berth).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sowler wrote: |
| Eurostar is £70 return and 4 berth sleepers can be had for £100 return (about £20 less if you for for 6 berth). |
Thanks - cheaper than I expected.
Presumably that £70 Eurostar is the absolute cheapest if booked a long way in advance?
Think I've paid over £200 for a single on the Eurostar to Paris before!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oh yes, all those prices are booking in advance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@jedster, an excellent adventure. I was there the Wednesday before you arrived and it was like springtime. Still, a great ski area.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
Eurostar is £70 return and 4 berth sleepers can be had for £100 return (about £20 less if you for for 6 berth).
|
yep - that's about what we paid, booked it in mid October I think
Point to consider when you compare to flying is that you avoid an airport transfer (or car hire). And perhaps save money on accommodation too!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
