 Poster: A snowHead
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We're travelling on the Eurostar ski train next week (standard premier, in case it makes a difference). I know that there are limits on the amount of alcohol you can bring on and the Eurostar website it says beer or wine - no spirits allowed. Does anyone know if you can take on cans of pre-mixed spirits (I'm partial to a G&T)?
Also, we should be served wine/beer with our meal, but can you also buy drinks from the buffet car outside of lunchtime? Anyone know what is actually for sale? Cheers!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome, @squidski,
Cans of G&T should be absolutely fine on the daytime train. The spirit (no pun intended) of the rule is to limit people having rowdy parties and overdoing it, rather than some philosophical objection to the drink itself.
The staff are very hospitable in standard premier. We'd brought a bottle of fizzy wine and were about to start pouring it into plastic cups when someone came running over to us. We thought, oh, are we not supposed to have wine? Turns out they were anxious to give us some proper champagne glasses to use instead!
The buffet car will be accessible throughout, yes. Usual sort of train buffet drinks and snacks. Beers, wines, spirits, etc.
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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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Thanks (for the reply and the welcome!).
I thought premixed cans would be within the spirit of the rules  but wondered if anyone had actually taken them onboard (as I can imagine some security staff might stand by the exact wording).
I love that they were concerned that you weren’t using the proper glassware.
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Just be warned, I understand they were getting quite strict last season & did start confiscating even allowed drinks for a while & was happening at check in. No idea why & we were OK in Jan last year - seems to have happened after this. If on the day train in SP you get a small continental breakfast, lunch with the choice of beer, wine or a soft drink & tea and a cake mid afternoon. The buffet car is conveniently located for SP so worst case you only need to go through a SP carriage or two to get there. They sell all the usual stuff so good to use for an extra cuppa etc.
Also just bear in mind to allow much longer on your return for check in as they have increased checks coming back. You'll need to allow a couple of hours by all accounts.
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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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Thanks for the extra info. I think we’ll pick up any booze to take with us at St Pancras, that way we can double check with them what they are actually allowing on the day.
Good point about extra checks in France - we’ll make sure we allow plenty of time. How busy is Bourg as a station? I’m assuming it’s much smaller than St Pancras!!
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Bourg is certainly very busy on a Saturday morning! It has a small cafe & tiny shop & that's about it. The faff of going through the 2 scanners in a tiny office is a pain but the staff are usually relatively good humoured. We've always tried to get there early anyway & end up queueing out on the platform but it was worth it.
On the booze front, we usually pick up some fizz from M&S and take our own glasses (plastic). We've never been given glass ones except when buying our fizz on the train (which is very nice but was about €45 a bottle last year - they do half bottles if you fancy it).
It's worth getting your own nibbles or extra food if you get hungry as the buffet car can get busy with people from standard carriages as they have much less space to move around. I recommend taking indoor shoes (rather than walking boots) for the journey (I put my slippers on) but do bear in mind it can get a bit 'sticky' on the floor in the loos after an 8 HR journey.
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Is the Snowtrain really worth it? Can you save some decent cash by going via train?
Cheers
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| Chard4126 wrote: |
Is the Snowtrain really worth it? Can you save some decent cash by going via train?
Cheers |
Can you save cash? No.
Can you save time, hassle, stress, effort, panic? Yes.
Can you save the planet? Possibly.
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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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You can also save the expense of an expensive transfer to and from the airport! 
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Chard4126, its really a matter of personal preference.
For me the train is always better then the plane.
Takes about the same time door-to-door for Tarentaise resorts.
Once you add in extra charges for baggage, airport parking, transfers, etc. the price is not much different.
But as Arctic Roll says, the main advantage is so much less hassle. No baggage allowance, no waiting around for ages in crowded airport spaces, lots of room during journey with internet access (by phone) and power for computer, comfortable seats, 30 minute transfer to resort.
And even better is Eurostar to Paris then TGV to Bourg with pleasant break in Paris.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks so much for the replies guys
I see! so what about getting to Courchevel? is it doable via train?
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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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Yes. Taxi from Moutiers.
There's probably bus as well.
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Been looking at a spot there in La Praz, called The Drop Inn
they run Sunday-Sunday so been trying to look at flights and trains.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Chard4126, on a slightly less terse note(!): on a Sunday, you'll need to check the Eurostar / TGV connections to the south, there may not be as many as a Saturday. They don;t run a direct train. But what you could do is go over Saturday mid-afternoon - have an evening in Paris, and catch an early TGV down on the Sunday. We do this on a Friday/Saturday combo, and find it a really nice way to start the holiday.
But don't forget the other route alternatives to try e.g: the St Pancras - Lyon service and change onto a local train.
But overall, as per @Jonpim, if you do go for the quickest connection between Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon, timings will be about the same (OK, maybe a bit longer, but we've found far more predictable and flexible); costs, door to door when you take into account the getting to and from each airport, are not dissimilar; and the quality of experience far more pleasant.
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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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| Chard4126 wrote: |
| Is the Snowtrain really worth it? ... |
Depends very much on where you are in the UK and where you want to go.
UK: Need to be within a sensible commute of St Pancras / Ashford.
Abroad: The direct Eurostar Snowtrain service only really works for Saturday changeovers and resorts served by Moutiers / Aime / Bourg St Maurice (Trois Vallees, La Plagne/Les Arcs, Espace Killy, La Rosiere, St Foy).
Going via Paris / Brussels potentially opens up any resort close to a train service . But probably still most effective for France, as it takes longer to get to Italy / Switzerland / Austria resorts. There are still a few "Intercities de Nuit" overnight couchette services from Paris, including to Briancon and Latour de Carol.
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Poster: A snowHead
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We'll I live in W-s-M so my nearest airport is Bristol, I've looked at options like Exeter and Cardif and none seem to fly out on a Sunday. that's what I was thinking about the train instead. I've got family that live in London so can always travel the night before and crash at theirs on the Sat night. and catch the train early Sunday morning. I believe in July they release the prices and packages for the Ski-Train. So will be keeping an eye out for those.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Any alcohol is forbidden on the overnight train, I saw a family have bottles of beer or wine that were wrapped as presents confiscated. Possibly different rules for the day train.
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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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@Chard4126, Check Southampton flights as well, (flybe and Easyjet) we've had some bargains this season 
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Any idea of price for a return trip St Pancras-Paris-Bourg St Maurice via Eurostar & TGV, midweek travel? How early do you need to leave London to get to Bourg by, say, 6pm?
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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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@rob@rar, as with airlines it depends very much on when you book. If you want to go tomorrow and return next week, probably something like £200 each way. Buying now for mid-April, closer to £100-£150 each way. I think the expensive leg is usually London-Paris, and I read somewhere that they always offer a limited number of cheap tickets for every train, so finding out exactly when Eurostar release tickets for a particular journey could make a big difference. But no airport parking; no baggage charge (although check the allowance); cheap transfers at the other end.
Not sure if the TGV service runs through to Bourg midweek, so the last leg might have to be TER.
E.g. for 05 April: St Pancras 07:55 - Gare du Nord 11:17 ; TGV Gare du Lyon 12:27 - Chambery 15:42 ; TER Chambery 16:41 - BSM 18:24.
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@ecureuil, many thanks.
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I should have been on the 0831 to Paris this morning and then the tgv to Moutiers. Outgoing train was an hour late which meant I would have missed my connection.
Fair play to Eurostar though, they managed to get 10 of us in the same situation onto the direct Eurostar service to Bourg so I’ll only be about an hour late. Shopping at Carrefour will have to wait!
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