 Poster: A snowHead
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NickyJ
Can work out very inexpensive, especially if you are travelling with children. If you catch the earliest booking window (I think 180 days, but you would need to check), then the return adult fare, including the Eurostar bit, is €120 return. If you book through the Deutsche Bahn website, then children 15 and under go free for the non-Eurostar part (other websites seem to use the French system, where the kids pay 50% if I recall correctly - the best prices always seem to be on www.bahn.de, although it is not always the easiest site to use, as DrLawn has found out above - persevere and deals can be found).
It is a long journey, but much more pleasant - none of the awful airport tedium and hassle, and usually more reliable. I quite enjoy the feeling of travelling across Europe and watching the landscapes change. So far, in my experience, the European trains have run like clockwork - but I am sure delays do happen sometimes.
If you miss the initial booking window, then the price does go up, but even quite late on there can be deals to be had - DrLawn is paying €200 for the return in just two weeks time (actually, I think he upgraded to first - €200 is the standard fare), so for later bookings when the flights can be quite pricey, especially at peak weeks, the train can be quite a bit cheaper. Last year, we had friends who decided to join us at half term at the last minute (adult and two children) and they saved over a thousand pounds against the flights that were available at that point.
Unlike the flights, there is little of the up and down volatility - prices will go up steadily until the deal tickets run out and then the max you will pay is the full standard fare (which is quite high). Late bookings it can be worth looking at booking Eurostar and European trains separately - can work out cheaper sometimes, once the Deutsche Bahn Eurostar ticket allocation has been used up. Especially if you have any Eurostar loyalty points to use.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Very Good @rg1,
It has not been cheap and I'm looking at it as a sort of adventure, going a bit "off piste".
St Pancras to Salzburg
Total cost for 2nd class for 2 adults outbound €339 return journey €140
Total cost for 1st class for 2 adults outbound €379 return journey €260
Booked yesterday for Friday week.
Its going to cost £74 return to Kings Cross (with senior railcard) .... it does make the UK look expensive.
I wonder what the situation is about taking skis etc, must check 
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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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My experience with skis on trains is that if you can carry them on and off you can take them with you. I've never been challenged. I take a bungee with me so I can stack the bag vertically and attach it to the luggage racks. They will also often fit on to the overhead racks above the seats if you are strong enough (or can ask someone else nicely to help).
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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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| DrLawn wrote: |
.. I'm looking at it as a sort of adventure, going a bit "off piste".
St Pancras to Salzburg... |
It would certainly make for an interesting trip report. 
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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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@DrLawn,
I have travelled to St Anton from Ashford, just two changes in total. It looks even quicker now. It was a very easy and a pleasant journey - except for the avalanche that blocked the line near St Anton!! I booked it all well in advance and it was not expensive. I phoned the people at Swiss Rail before the trains could be booked and they said they would phone me at home when the tickets could be bought for the train from Zurich. We agreed a time and on the minute 6 months later they phoned as promised - amazing. The return trip was great with no drama. It is easy to do just use www.bahn.de. for all rail timetables in Europe. St Anton only has a couple of changes. I hope this helps for the future.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@rg1, thank you!
Also thank you @JayDub, and @DrLawn
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Hi Skids,
Just to report I arrived safely and on time in Salzburg at 21:03.
the journey was slightly stressy as we missed the Stuttgart connection at Frankfurt airport ( we only had 6 mins ) despite the ICE train reaching 298 kp/h.
But we picked up a train to Munich within minutes and we arrived across the platform in Munchen as the train we would have caught pulled in.
Stopped the night in Salzburg dining out on Steigel beer and Kee-Bab, I know how to impress my misses.
Took local trains to Zell am See, wifey was impressed by the scenery much better than a transfer coach.
It was only a 10 minute walk dragging our kit up the road to the Hotel Heitzman.
The skiing is good enough and the sun was shining.
The ski school have pisted the main street for some sort of festivity tomorrow night, there must be several hundred tons of snow put down there today, I'm impressed.
As far as the travels are concerned we'll have to be down the station for the 6:02 train back to Salzburg on Saturday.
Not really looking forward to it .. but the good times cant last forever 
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PS, taking the train around to Leogang on Thursday if the weather is good so we can do Saalbach.
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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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@DrLawn, its a street slalom race. Fun to watch
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Last day today 
So now we'll have to get up a bit early and down the street to catch the 6:03 to Salzburg, with bit of luck we'll be home by 10:30pm tomorrow night.
@holidayloverxx,
We watched them get ready for the street slalom, but we got fed up waiting for them to start. We had the best position to watch it as well, but you can only stand around for so many hours.
It probably kicked off at 8pm, we were standing there from 6pm.
Its an amazing feat though, so many tons of snow positioned for a day and then all cleared away in a couple of hours next morning.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I travelled London to Paris by Eurostar, then five minute walk to Austerliz (?), train to Zurich, then change and train to St Anton. Basically took me all day, but wonderful way to travel!
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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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Hi @iainm I'm belting across the Belgian Countryside as the sun sets and I type at WOO mph... I meant 200 but it was a Freudian slip.
It is a great way to travel, I was impressed by the Deutch Bahn ICE, but nothing hot in the restaurant car this afternoon. Bruxelles in 15 minutes then a 2 hour wait for Brexit Star.
Wewont be home till 10pm at least ... but its been good.
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don't think its mentioned above, but a website called the man in seat 61 is brill for planning these sort of trips, we had a wonderful itinerary for our journey including an overnight in Zurich and a beautiful ride past fairytale castles the mountains the we did it
enjoy!
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You know it makes sense.
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Hi Ric, @Ricoshay,
I found the Seat61 very useful but better still a couple of link posted by rg1 on this tread.
That trip of yours sounds brill with an overnight in Zurich...
My daughter lives 2 tram stops away from Zurich Hbf.
PS I'm writing this in the channel tunnel.
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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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My links came from seat61. Definitely the go to site for all things train.
Glad the trip has worked out. Whilst long, it is a great way to travel.
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FAQ
