 Poster: A snowHead
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Just watched a very interesting "holiday" programme. Basically, you get the train from London Waterloo to Paris, have 2½ hours in Paris (time for a nice meal) then board the "snowtrain" (complete with disco carriage) to Bourg St Maurice amongst other stops. The guy presenting the programme was going to Les Arcs 1600 and transferred from the station via a 10 minute cable car ride - very impressive. Would mean that I would have to travel to London first - what an experience it looks!!
Anybody done it?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Think you'll find thousands do it every year.
Great if you live down south but not so good if you live up north. ( still requires you to use an extra day )
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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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jb1970, just wait for admin to spot this thread. He sometimes gives the impression that he's auditioning for a salesman's job for the snowtrain 
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jb1970, you could fly to Paris and take the train from there. it would save you the trek down to London.
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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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I was on that train - and the BBC TV crew had commandeered about 6 or 7 compartments that had been booked by other people! We ended up being moved to the other end of the train...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
you get the train from London Waterloo to Paris, have 2½ hours in Paris (time for a nice meal) then board the "snowtrain" (complete with disco carriage) to Bourg St Maurice amongst other stops.
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Some advantages living in England then 
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He was well ard. Didnt wear gloves
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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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Super Eagle, Got any average prices for Southern folk? I'd look elsewhere but it's cold outside 
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Done it a couple of times. When I did it I had to drive to Dover on the Friday night, park in the snowtrain car park, get on a coach which drove onto the ferry, which crossed to Calais. The coach then rolled off and we got on the snowtrain and were taken to Moutier, arriving at about 7:30am. It was cheaper than flying and you got 8 days skiing instead of 6!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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jb1970, Did it once in the 80's good fun and still Friends with some people we met in the same compartment. Most alarming thing was being woken to change trains due to a brake problem and the free for all that ensued to move skis and luggage from the luggage cars.
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We did it a couple of years ago....only problem with doing it from the north is you need to get yourself to Dover. So you have to take the Friday off or drive overnight.
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You know it makes sense.
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I have done it for about 20 years. Frankly, except for those who can't get away from work early enough for a teatime train from Waterloo on the friday I don't know why everyone doesn't do it. Two extra days of skiing for the same price! (well, not much different - Some package brochures years ago used to offer it a bit cheaper than flying).
You don't have to go on the British snow train (hired by the package companies) - if you book independently you may be on a French one which is only slightly different in its timing and doesn't keep you awake with drunken activity from Brit Yoof.
I don't just use it for the Plagne / Bourg St Maurice served resorts but also for the / Deux Alpes / Alpe d'Huez / La Grave group. Just get off the train (VERY) early in the morning at Chambery and get one of the very frequent trains to Grenoble (1 hour - nice clean, empty trains). The bus station is outside the station. Change at your Hotel/chalet - in an empty room or the loos - after grabbing some breakfast.
(La Grave bus link timings going out are sometimes a problem, but not insoluble. In the past I've got the Deux Alpes bus and got out at the dam, then got my hotel to send a car down the valley, or skied at DA for the day, but transport is hard to find on the Saturday evening - I've even considered packing my clothes in a backpack and sking over the link!).
If you are REALLY keen there are also similar things you can do to, for example, Verbier and Zermatt.
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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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snowball, How does it compare on costs?
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Poster: A snowHead
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My wife took it to Soll many years ago.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| My wife took it to Soll many years ago. |
Did she bring it back ?
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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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As posted on another thread, you can do it to Serre Chevalier too, train leaves for Briancon from Paris Austerlitz around 10pm. And the station buffet is Ok for steak frites. It is a daily service too, there's talk the TGV will be going there in the not too distant future.
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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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St Anton is right on the railway line, and many of the Tirol resorts can be reached fairly easily from a station/bus. I seem to recall these are available from a sleeper from Paris.
And Switzerland, via Zurich or Chur (both on the sleeper routes from Paris) where you can get a train straight to loads of resorts.
Other French/Italian options - Modane for the Maurienne valley resorts and Oux (sp) for Saux.
Mind you, all of the above require independent, as opposed to package company, booking.
As for costs, returns from London start at around £100 + couchette costs (approx £15 each way iirc) for the French resorts. I suspect the others will be dearer as you don't get such cheap fares once you start crossing international borders.
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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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I've done it 3 times now, twice on the calais one - one on the paris. Love the calais, hated the paris (the faff at the changeover and having to queue for eurostar checkin UPSTAIRS, with only one v small lift up). It is expensive for independant (but doesn't go up over time so can be cheaper for late bookings) and definately worth while if travelling on a package deal - buy 6 get two ski days free!
Best if you can make yourselves into a group of 6 though - as then you get a couchette to yourselves...there isn't any noise from the disco if you get a few carriages away - I've always got a full nights sleep no problem. 5'11" appears to be the comfort limit though - those 6ft and over don't QUITE fit in the beds 
aj xx
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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recently bought tickets for Feb half term for £139 pp-arrive in Moutiers in time for brekkie in Couchevel on Saturday morning, leave Saturday night after dinner. I was too late for cheap flights, but by the time you add in the costs of transfers from Geneva or Chambery, they aren't cheap
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The Paris-briancon sleeper is about 100 euros return i think.
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A snowTrain spotter? Moi?
Although I have only flown to ski twice in the last 16 trips.
The train service to the Haute Savoie resorts in France (3v's, espace killy etc.) is so convenient and efficient that I would pay (and have paid) 25-30% extra to a similar package that flew to GVA.
There's no charge for Ski Carriage, there's no delay at baggage reclaim. Who wouldn't rather spend a couple of hours choosing and enjoying a restaurant in Paris than a couple of hours hanging around LGW departure lounge? The transfer is 30-60 mins rather than 3+ hrs. U can walk around the train like u can't a plane. Because of the time u sleep, the journey seems shorter. Show me a snowHead that wouldn't prefer 6 days on the snow rather than 8 and I'll show u one that's logged into the wrong forum.
Much talk previously about snowTrains on snowHeads, much of it by me I summarised the various snow train options here.
Or have a look here for lots of info about snowtrains
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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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What about snow trains to Austria or Italy?
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admin, own up, you're the Fat Controller really!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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admin, 8 days no good for me. Body completley goosed after 6.
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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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admin, wouldn't that be 8 days rather than 6?
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