 Poster: A snowHead
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One big advantage of trains over planes is the scope for tastier catering 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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This site gives lots of useful information about traveling to ski resorts by rail, including how to get from the station to the ski resort itself:
https://www.snowcarbon.co.uk/
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sun 24-04-22 22:08; edited 1 time in total
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'll add my support to train travel. The only downside for us was of our own making, a huge heavy duffel bag each plus a big ski bag with two pairs of skis in it made for very laborious transfers between stations. A book and/or headphones make the less scenic parts of the journey painless.
Thanks to @Inboard for the tip of wrapping a bungee round the ski bag, very useful for lashing it to the side of luggage racks.
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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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@j bFrom York, it's about as quick and easy as from Abingdon, but I don't know where in Yorkshire you're starting from. The most recent we did by train was:
Outbound:
Afternoon train from York to KGX
One of the later Eurostar (19:30?) from St. Pancras to Paris
Stay overnight in a hotel near Gare de Lyon (i.e. travel from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon before sleeping)
Morning train to Geneva. For this trip we hired a car in Geneva and were on the slopes at La Clusaz for the afternoon
Return:
Ski during the day, and drop car off late afternoon
Train from Geneva to Paris
Stay overnight in a hotel near Gare du Nord (i.e. the reverse of outbound and travel from Gare de Lyon to Gare du Nord before sleeping)
Morning Eurostar to London, then train to York to get home mid afternoon
The only embuggerance was that this during a French general strike. Getting between Parisian stations with skis was the main pain (outbound via the few metro lines, return via a long taxi queue and drivers reluctant to take skis), but as we were staying by the departure station station in Paris, it just meant a delayed bedtime, rather than worrying about missing trains
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks @viv.
I was actually thinking about the feasibility of doing the whole trip in a day, as @sugarmoma666 did on return. But the idea of an evening in Paris each way is pretty attractive if the price of hotels is economic.
We are in Beverley which means something like 3 hours to London assuming we start from home. Since our ski gear lives in our place in France, we would just have a couple of suitcases which we can wheel to the local station.
Actually the biggest obstacle to a single-day trip is probably at the French end. St Gervais station is at the bottom of the valley, and while it is possible to walk up to the village it is along an unlit rough gravel track which isn't great with suitcases (fine with rucksacs) and wouldn't be practical at night or bad weather. In the ski season the free navette makes the connection easy during the day, but in the evening there is just one bus at 7.30. (The buses are great but take a bit of planning since the timetable changes 4 times a year, for winter and summer high seasons and the two intermediate low seasons).
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j b The hotels were a pretty good price. I'm pretty sure we paid under 100EUR between us for a double room including breakfast at a decent hotel (3 or 4 star, and well recommended by online reviews).
I like the overnight as it gives contingency for possible delays. AFAIK it's not possible to buy tickets for the whole route in one transaction, which makes it a bit more complicated if a delay causes you to miss a subsequent train
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@viv, thanks, might sometime get back for advice on hotels. As you say, an overnight stop is convenient if a booking is for two separate trips (UK home to Paris, Paris to destination).
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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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| viv wrote: |
j b The hotels were a pretty good price. I'm pretty sure we paid under 100EUR between us for a double room including breakfast at a decent hotel (3 or 4 star, and well recommended by online reviews).
I like the overnight as it gives contingency for possible delays. AFAIK it's not possible to buy tickets for the whole route in one transaction, which makes it a bit more complicated if a delay causes you to miss a subsequent train |
You can buy tickets straight through, but it's more expensive and reduces the options.
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As a bit of an update, I did 3 ski trips by train last season:
- La Tania = train to Moutiers Salin and then a taxi up to La Tania and back (as we were a big group it worked out pretty cheap - bus would have worked, though)
- Tignes = train to Bourg St Maurice and then Altibus up the mountain and back
- Val Thorens (EoSB) = train to Moutiers Salin and then Altibus up the mountain and back
I chose to stay over in Paris on the outbound trip each time. The first two I booked Eurostar and TGV tickets in the same way as I did for the 2022 EoSB. For the EoSB I travelled with @Tazz2bme and we used Interrail passes - more on that in another post.
All 3 trips were really straightforward and more relaxing that flying. Once you take into account the transfers from an airport to resort, the prices look very comparable. (For our trip in January 2024, I'm pretty sure it's working out cheaper once I take account luggage inc. skis and transfers).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm encouraged that trains are working out: the only thing that caught my eye was the potential restrictions for carrying skis. Eurostar seem to charge masses for them on anything other than a ski train, and similar restrictions on TGV. Eurostar says "... On our trains to and from London, each piece of luggage can be up to 85cm long" which is small for even my skis!
I am looking at options for Gressoney in March '24, and with a bit of luck for EoSB in April. (I saw something that says that the route from Paris to Turin is blocked, but there may be alternatives to that.)
It seems that people have been taking skis, so any idea what the reality is?
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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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@inkyspider, there's no issue at all with taking skis:
https://www.snowcarbon.co.uk/guides/onboard-experience/eurostar
The Eurostar website is a bit confusing, though. I took mine on all 3 trips last year without any trouble. You really need to pack them so they go in the overhead rack, especially for the TGV leg.
The EoSB is great to travel to by train (especially as the Lardy Bus isn't included in the price, so you save on that.)
I've started another thread here to keep all the info about travelling by train together.
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You know it makes sense.
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oo - that's fab. thanks. Now I just need to check on the onward options - the interrail could be a good option - perhaps buy 2 months validity and cover both ski trips!
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