I like the idea of going by train but being a bit picky/contentious the first entry for Nendaz is three train journeys and then a taxi ride. Second one, Adelboden is four train journeys and then a taxi ride. And doing this with luggage and ski bag. And that's not taking into the account the train journey to St Pancras which for me isn't too bad but I can imagine not so easy for others. That's a tough gig even if you can do it for £200.
You’re right of course but if I’d gone all the way by train I’d probs get the bus from Sion to Nendaz….!
A number of years ago my son developed an aversion to flying. We got him on the plane in Edinburgh to Geneva but on the second day of the holiday we were on the ‘old’ 4 man in Thyon. He’s been a bit quiet. What’s wrong I say. He replies ‘I just can get on the plane to go home, I just can’t’. Cut a long story short I dropped him off at Sion train station at 6am on the Saturday. We were flying out of GVA at 5pm. We pottered about until 1, drove to the airport, dumped the car, plane got bumped 2 1/2 hours, got back to the house at 10/10.30 ish and he’d beaten us home. I therefore concur, very doable.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Since my wife has gone off flying, we taking the train a whole lot more.
I own up to being a bit of a train spotter when I was at school ..
I'm sure there are lots of Train Spotters on this forum as well.
(I used to watch while waiting for my train home on Hitchin station
I must have seen all the A4 Pacifics thunder through pulling "Flying Scotsman" or "Master Cutler"
if you've ever experienced the vibration of the platform as those steaming kettles charged through
you would become an Anorak with an Ian Allen shed book too.)
There is no doubt that flying is the cheapist and easyist way for us brits to get to the slopes.
But trains are exciting...
There is the anxiety of missing a connection or finding a sudden cancelation.
Its not easy.
You have to keep your wits about you as you realise these has been a sudden platform change or you arrive at somewhere such as Bruxelles Midi and the 25mins transfer time gets gobbled up by a surprise security check, the relief you feel as you board the Frankfurt ICE at the first door you come to as the doors bleep and she slips out of the station.
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?
Timmycb5 wrote:
If so, the only resorts you can access by plane are Courchevel, St Moritz, Verbier and Zermatt.
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hmmm a lot more than that. l'alpe d'Huez for starters - back in the day the day the folks at Sun Microsystems would take their private plane from le Versoud airport to ADH to ski for a couple of hours at lunch time. A 20 minute flight apparently.
More famously Peyresourde airport in the Pyrenees was a Soviet Arms bazar in Tomorrow Never Dies.
Val Cenis has an airport.
I won't bore everyone with other aircraft reachable resorts but in France it is probably a better option than the train.
anything that involves a 30-40 min taxi/bus ride is not a resort you can reach by train.
Does that apply to planes too? If so, the only resorts you can access by plane are Courchevel, St Moritz, Verbier and Zermatt.
What about Aspen? Or Jackson Hole? I've visited the latter and it was only a 15 minute bus ride from the (tiny) airport to the town
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I think peoeple were referring to landing strips in resort, rather than "close". Courchevel is famed for it's altiport that you ski past but I think many french resports have one, e.g. I know that theres a landing strip in Tignes at Col des Vés, the Peyragudes Altipport has been used as a mountaintp finish in the Tour de France a couple of times etc....
In recent years I have not seen many fixed wing aircraft using the altiport.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
mgrolf wrote:
Disappointing that none of the Scandi resorts are included. Åre - train directly to the centre of the resort, 5 mins walk to accommodation and lifts. Lillehammer/Kvitfjell - station at the bottom of the Olympic downhill run.
Admittedly, it's a bit of a trek by train from the UK ( Åre can be done in 2.5 days) but no other form of transport required once you're in the first train.
In March 2020, just before the lockdown, we took the sleeper train from Stockholm to Are railway station. Old fashioned but good fun and a relaxing way to arrive for breakfast and a full day's skiing.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
