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Traveling to the Alps by Eurostar. Worth a read.

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
“Important for Eurostar travellers :

Increased security checks for passengers coming into Moûtiers and Bourg-Saint-Maurice railway stations from outside the schengen area.

Attacks on France and several other European countries in recent months, and the persistent terrorist threat, has lead to a need for greater security at border controls in the Schengen area.
The Schengen Borders Code was therefore modified last April: from now on, all travellers, whether they are nationals from ‘third countries’ or from European Union countries, are subject to a systematic security check when coming in and out of the Schengen area, be it through air, sea or land
These new, more comprehensive security checks are likely to lead to a significant increase in the time it takes to go through controls, and is expected to cause delays for Eurostar trains from Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Moutiers

To limit the effects of these measures, and in agreement with the Eurostar company, a new procedure will be put in place this winter:
- During the London-Moûtiers/Bourg-Saint-Maurice journey the company will distribute a form to be filled-in for each passenger (including minors) and will include identity details, date of birth, date of return by Eurostar, as well as the train number for the return journey.
- This document will be given to commercial agents on the train during the outward journey and then passed on to the French authorities on arrival at their final destination.
The purpose of this procedure is to enable Customs to anticipate the number of security checks and speed up controls on the day of departure.

In order to ensure that security controls and migratory controls can take place in the best possible conditions without delaying the departure of the trains we would recommend that all transfers to these stations are booked to ensure that passengers arrive 2 hours before their departure time.
I would be very grateful if you could adhere to these arrival times and ask that you confirm that you are willing to cooperate with this procedure to me and the Mayors of Moûtiers and Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
The Customs services have made every effort to limit the consequences of these increased security checks but need your full cooperation so that departures are done in respect to the new regulations, whilst limiting possible inconveniences to your guests.”
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Just back from travelling Eurostar direct for 1st time, we went via Ashford but can't say we noticed any new rules. At Ashford we were given a form to fill out but compared to airports getting on a Eurostar is a doddle.

We have flown, driven, taken couchette vai Paris etc but 1st time on Eurostar. Quite enjoyable actually.
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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?
These pre travel checks already required for Eurotunnel. Do it in advance no issue at all.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@thefatcontroller,I take it, looking at your name that you have something to do with working on the Iron Road? I am looking into this as a serious contender for next years visit to the Alps, I am in the (Un)fortunate position that I now work for one of the TOC's and as a result now qualify for FiP discounts. We have a young son who is coming on a trip for the first time this year and therefore we are driving and using Eurotunnel for convenience as we are heading to Chatel, but I would love to head back to the 3 Valleys at sometime again.

1. What would you recommend, karting your gear up to London, across the Tube and onto St Pancreas, or drive to Ashford and leave the car there (if parking is available)?

2. Once at Bourge / Moutiers, how do you get up to resort - are there ski transfers available as there are for airports?

3. I have heard horror stories of the night trains turning into a bit of a Party, is this so? If it is I'm not sure that it will be an option as a young child will need his sleep through the night - although upgrading to standard premier/business premier may be an option with the 75% discount I can get!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@OuchMyKnee, Have a look at this website https://www.snowcarbon.co.uk gives an insight to whats available by train
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
@boredsurfin, thanks, now just reading this! - https://www.snowcarbon.co.uk/insider-tips/snowcarbon-guides/guide-family-train-travel-alps
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@OuchMyKnee, 1. I think it depends on where you are travelling from / ease of access to home station etc, as well as what driving from home to Ashford might be like - potentially during Friday evening rush hour for the night service. St Pancras is a lot more crowded for check-in/security, but has a greater choice of eating places and a slight advantage of a better choice of luggage space (from Ashford you have to take what's left).

2. From both Moutiers and Bourg St Maurice you can try https://www.altibus.com - but the buses don't necessarily tie up too well with Eurostar arrivals, particularly for the daytime service. Otherwise taxi / private transfer. If using a TO they will arrange transfers.

3. For the past couple of years there has been an alcohol ban on the overnight service, so they are a lot quieter than they used to be. You can still get groups who want to be noisy late into the night, although the train staff take action if necessary! Eurostar standard seats are not the most comfortable for sleeping, but premier may be better.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Seats are much comfier on French trains, we tend to get Eurostar as far as Paris then switch, but overnight trains may be hard to get now. Always had a peaceful journey. Take an eyemask and some headphones and you'll be well away.
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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.
@Ricoshay, This is looking ahead to 2018/19 season.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
OuchMyKnee wrote:
@thefatcontroller,I take it, looking at your name that you have something to do with working on the Iron Road? I am looking into this as a serious contender for next years visit to the Alps, I am in the (Un)fortunate position that I now work for one of the TOC's and as a result now qualify for FiP discounts. We have a young son who is coming on a trip for the first time this year and therefore we are driving and using Eurotunnel for convenience as we are heading to Chatel, but I would love to head back to the 3 Valleys at sometime again.

1. What would you recommend, karting your gear up to London, across the Tube and onto St Pancreas, or drive to Ashford and leave the car there (if parking is available)?

2. Once at Bourge / Moutiers, how do you get up to resort - are there ski transfers available as there are for airports?

3. I have heard horror stories of the night trains turning into a bit of a Party, is this so? If it is I'm not sure that it will be an option as a young child will need his sleep through the night - although upgrading to standard premier/business premier may be an option with the 75% discount I can get!


Don't work on trains but my dad did they are in the blood... Toofy Grin Let me answer

1. Don't know answer, we live in Wales. Like you I have suddenly got a discount on Eurostar so this year 1st time using. We went Ashford in Jan and will go London in March. Don't think I would go Ashford again as we have to contend the M25 and its a long journey. With Uber sometimes in London cheaper taking a taking than messing around on the tube, especially with a kid. If parking in Ashford, use car park 'D' here https://ashfordintl.keyivr.co.uk/Home.aspx . its open air but secure and across the road form the station and 1/2 the price of the multi storey they try direct you to for parking. All that said with a 1year old driving to Ashford might be easier.

2. Our 1st time using but we just booked a taxi to meet us. We could have gone the funnicular and free bus up to Arc 2000 but lifes too short. Taxi was 160 euro return. Considering what we saved on the train it was worth it.

3. The night trains are very strictly controlled now and no alcohol. Personally I would not take the night train as I am a bad sleeper and it just wouldn't work. If desperate for an extra days skiing then fine but remember that the train gets in 6am and you might find it all a little quiet, you and mrs very grumpy and an even grumpier 2 year old by then. The only reason for overnight is extra skiing. We went Standar din jan but we are cattle in march as we booked late. We liked standard, will be interesting to see what 7 hours in cattle is like.

Hope that helps.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
We travelled on the Eurostar service from St. Pancras to Bourg for the first time on Friday evening (arriving at 06.20 on Saturday morning). We paid the extra for Standard Premier, 50/50 call whether it was worth it or not, the light evening meal and breakfast was fine, and the carriage was abit more spacious, although the seats only retract very slightly. Our carriage was very quiet, but maybe we were lucky as it was far from full and there were no children in it, although the retired couple opposite us snored very loudly most of the night...

As thefatcontroller says, arriving at Bourg at 6am isn't great, we had prebooked a taxi (75 euro one way) which I'd definitely do again - the first funicular isn't until 07.30 so you'd have to spend an hour sat at Bourg, and then depending on where you're staying you might have to to drag all your stuff off the funicular and onto a bus, and then off again at your destination. Life is definitely too short for that at 7am after being on a train for over 9 hours.

But going back to the Eurostar, it all depends on the person, I am not a great sleeper other than in bed and I probably only got about 2 hours proper sleep. I also often don't do well with early morning starts, and the taxi ride up to Arcs 1950 made me feel very sick with motion sickness (never happens when I drive to ski resorts) and although we were in the resort just after 7am (and even managed to check-in to our apartment) and could have skied it was the last thing I felt like doing and instead spend the rest of the day gradually recovering. Which is annoying now as we've hardly been able to ski yesterday or today due to the high winds...

I don't think I'd do an overnight Eurostar again to the Alps simply because the main reason for doing so was to gain an extra day of skiing and I failed to achieve that objective because of the 'state' the overnight journey left me in.

As for getting on the train in the UK, we dragged our stuff (including a double ski bag) from West London to St. Pancras via the tube, which was bearable (fortunately for once the rush-hour was light) but never again will I pack so much stuff in the ski bag (given absence of a weight limit) if I do that again. My concern with getting on at Ashford would be that you might struggle to find luggage space nearby if you have a big ski bag or such like (i.e. if it doesn't fit above the seats).
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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.
A question for someone who has done Eurostar when busy. Our trip last week was day time both ways in premier and it was quiet so plenty of places for luggage. They allowed seats to be filled. We travel standard class in March and I know the train is nearly full. How bad does it get with luggage at busy times or where do they put it as space is limited at the end of carriages.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@thefatcontroller, Travelled on overnight Eurostar many times when it has been effectively full - no more than 1 or 2 empty seats per carriage. Never been a serious luggage issue. Sometimes a pair of seats at the end of the carriage are reserved for luggage - I guess they know how many people are booked on, so whether this is likely to be needed. Overhead racks can accommodate skis and/or holdall size bags - but I think slightly less so on the newer trains. Occasionally I have known bags moved to the next carriage.

On the outbound trip there is rarely a problem, as most people get on in London and there is enough time for luggage to be organised efficiently. Sometimes more of an issue on the return journey, with passengers getting on an empty train at Bourg thinking there is plenty of space not realising the other half of the train will be getting on at Moutiers. rolling eyes
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@ecureuil, Thanks, yes did watch people at Bourg take an awful lot of space on way back. Good info Cool
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@OuchMyKnee,
Quote:

1. What would you recommend, karting your gear up to London, across the Tube and onto St Pancreas, or drive to Ashford and leave the car there (if parking is available)?


When we've used the train before, we drove to Ashford and used the car park there, no problems for us as we're south of London, much like you down in Portsmouth. Onsite prices quite reasonable for parking and only a couple of minutes walk from the station entrance, although go up and drop off your kit/family etc before parking the car as it wouldn't be fun lugging a lot of gear with you up the hill to the station.

Having said that, we're taking the night train for the first time this Easter and going from London rather than driving (something to do with a cheaper ticket or night train rules, or so I'm told by m'lady, dunno wasn't really paying attention...)
ski holidays
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Richard_Sideways, They must limit the number who can get on at Ashford. We booked early for Jan and no issue getting an Ashford ticket. However we delayed booking March and could only get a St Pancreas ticket even though the train stops at Ashford.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@thefatcontroller, hmm, curious.
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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?
@Richard_Sideways, Yes very. I am convinced as the day we travelled in Jan I checked a few days before and tickets were still available from London but not Ashford
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Came back from Bourg via Eurostar last night. Pre-boarding was an absolute shambles, I presume the staff can't make announcements over the main station tannoy system, 20 minutes after check-in was supposed to start afew sheepish staff came out and advised that a power cut had caused problems with the train and they'd come back with more info when they could. Eventually we are allowed to check-in, two rows, but the security conveyor belt was only working on one row, so it became a complete free for all with you putting one back through security, then 3/4 people putting their bags, then your next bag, and then at the other end you're all trying to collect your luggage from the end of the one operational belt in a space that's about 3 metres long by 3 metres wide with about 10 people fighting to get their luggage together, Eurostar staff looking on non-plussed and French security guys trying to do their jobs. Very stressful and completely unnecessary, just call the Standard Premier first (I stress we were in Standard last night), then individual coach numbers. Or built a proper, purpose built extension to the terminal.

Passport checking then took ages, and to cap it all off even though the station had machines to clear the snow from the platforms the Eurostar platform hadn't been cleared at all, so there everyone was having to drag large suitcases and ski bags through the snow, and then you get on the nice newer Eurostar train only to find there's no dedicated ski bag storage area for large bags which won't fit above the seats, so our ski bag spent the night taking up a big space in the Cafe Metropole carriage.

It's a shame that the pre-boarding experience at Bourg is so bad, because the actual journey back (in Standard) was fine, and I certainly wouldn't had paid the extra to upgrade to Standard Premier and had to experience the same pre-boarding nightmare as we did.
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