Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Train Geneva to Bourg

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I usually get on the Altibus, but looked into rail. Looks like a 3.5-4hr journey with 1 change for about £30 single.
GVA train station is a couple of miles from the airport.

Anyone used this? Does it work well?
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@MorningGory, why rail instead of the Altibus service? With stupidly expensive car rental prices currently being quoted from GVA I’m looking at alternatives for getting to Bourg / Les Arcs, and so far the Altibus service looks like the best option, although it’s a bit more expensive than the rail transfer.
snow report
 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?
@rob@rar,

Just pondering really! Altibus usually involves a long wait at GVA (my next trip will probably be solo so no company either) as there aren't many per day and only 1 or 2 flights from BRS. I'm guessing trains are more often.

Being a big bloke I don't fit in coaches very well either, so the extra leg space on a train is welcome Toofy Grin

Not really worried about the cost, although cheaper is good!
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@MorningGory, OK, I’ll follow this thread with interest. If there was a rail link to Bourg which was closer to three hours rather than four hours, especially if it had reasonably frequent departure times, I’d be very interested. But I’m less keen on faffing around with changes, and I’d need to get to BSM in time for the funicular. The advantage of the Altibus service seems to be that it takes you direct to the funicular station in about three hours from GVA, for around €90 return fare.
latest report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@MorningGory, Yes, I have used the train to get from Geneva Airport to Bourg st Maurice. It is straightforward and much cheeper than the bus, especially if you are over 60, though as you say slow. You get the free train shuttle into Geneva Contrain from the airport and change trains at Chambery. If, as I suspect, there is a fair wait at Chambery leave the station and walk over the road to one of the cafes for either a drink or a meal which is much nicr than the station cafe.

@rob@rar, we used the train for two reasons - i/ it is much cheeper than the bus and was part of my target of having a ski holiday for under £150 ii/ Since the journey each way was mid week I could't actually find a bus that did that route at times that linked to my flights and didn't want to spend a night in Geneva.

There was one snag when we went - the French train drivers were striking and we had to get the supplied replacement coach to Chambery. However I quite enjoyed that tour around the back streets of small French towns to their railway stations peering over the hedgerows and gardens.
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
@johnE, Free shuttle - cheers, I wouldn't have thought of that!
snow report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@johnE, thanks for that John. What were the times for the trains you caught (or what would they have been without the strike)?

The best route by train seems to involve a 13 minute interchange at Chambery, with a two hour wait if you miss the connection. Do the trains reliably run to timetable, or would leaving more of a margin to make the connection be prudent?
snow report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@MorningGory, i'm also looking in to it as our journey in January doesn't quite tie up with bus times. My main issue, is the train we'd be getting will be the last of the day, so if our flight is delayed we're a bit scuppered.

Book your train ticket from Geneva Cornavin, which is the station in the city, as you'll save a small amount and you can get a free ticket from the Airport to Cornavin in the baggage hall. There's machines there just before you go through the doors in to the arrivals hall.

Getting from the Airport to Cornavin is easy, and there's plenty of services as I believe every train that leaves the airport goes to whichever destination via Cornavin.

Unfortunately for us, the times don't tie up with the bus at Moutiers and will involve a taxi so overall it's cheaper than Alpybus but only by about €50. Altibus was about another €10 more expensive than Alpybus, so might be worth checking Alpybus also.
snow conditions
 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.
Since I need to get to Crolle in a couple of weeks I was researching blablabus and FlixBus routes from Geneva airport and see that they are frequent and flexible to Chambery (the bus stop is just outside the railway station) and cost £7 each way. So yet another alternative is bus from Geneva to Chambery, train to Bourg. This promises to be even cheeper with more frequent connections (£12 to Bourg). So far at £20 each way this is the least expensive way I've found to get from Genva to Bourg. Add in £23 mid week flights with Easyjet to Geneva and I think I can get to Les Arcs for under £50 if I ignore the cost of getting to the airport and parking in the UK. Cheeper than getting the train to London !

I'll be seriously looking at this.
ski holidays
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@rob@rar, We got an early afternoon train from Geneva and got to Bourg after the funicular shut so had to get a taxi. There wasn't the alternative of a coach transfer at that time. For the return trip we got an early funicular than planned, possibly one of the first, to get the replacement bus service.

The trains ran exactly on time. Since the train to Bourg uses exactly the same platform as that from Geneva at Chambery you do not need to woory about a 13 minute transfer time. You step off one train and wait for the next to arrive.

The real advantage of the train comes with midweek transfers.
snow report
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Blablabus gives 'No rides yet. Drivers usually publish their ride 2-3 days before departure.' - so much much good for planning!

Flixbus only shows pickup at Geneva, not the airport.
snow conditions
 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.
@MorningGory, I got this.https://www.busbud.com/en/bus-schedules-results/u0hqgf/u0h5pp?outbound_date=2021-11-18&adults=1 perhaps because I was only planning a few weeks time.
ski holidays
 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
There is now a direct train from Lyon airport to Bourg St Maurice starting from 10 euros each way. However there is only currently one return trip per day, leaving Lyon around 11:50, arriving in Bourg at 15:07. The return leaves Bourg at 15:50 arriving at Lyon airport at 19:23.
Maybe some use if you can get an early flight into Lyon or would consider an overnight stay near the airpot.
More details here - https://www.ouigo.com/content/le-ski-avec-ouigo
latest report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy