 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all. I am seeing more and more transfer queries on these threads and, having struggled on my most recent trip, I thought starting a thread on the topic might somehow lead to better shared knowledge, at least an understanding of why they're so expensive, and possibly even some advice which might help punters.
Obviously some resorts have better non-private shuttle options than others e.g. Bus to central hubs and then connect from there, or train to certain resorts, but let's face it-no matter what other options are available, a significant portion of travellers will still want their own private transfer.
So why are they suddenly so much more expensive? Is there a better way? Is there even an opportunity for a budding entrepreneur to launch a cheaper service? I suspect not but would be interested to understand the whole thing a little better.
I'll start by sharing my most recent experience: Geneva to La Plagne (return) last February. Cost (after considerable searching!) EUR510. It's frustrating that the cost of transfers has become such a sizeable chunk of the holiday budget-not dissimilar to that for lift passes.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Is the Euro 510 door to door for one person?
Geneva to La Plagnes is what 200km, 2.5 hr drive, one way.
What's a taxi in the UK for that distance/drive?
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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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I imagine there was little/no demand for shared transfers last season because of Covid.
A private transfer is essentially a taxi. EUR 510 return for a return to La Plagne sounds good value, when you think about it. This season the price of fuel increase will push that up, plus there may be fewer drivers due to Brexit?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Ryunis, there are at least 2 or 3 things going on:
- covid - businesses are having to rebuild
- Geneva taxi drivers - have properly enforced licencing, etc. - making it a more expensive notion to be a driver
- driver shortages in general and much more limited availability of seasonal uk drivers (brexshit)
- I am sure there are more.
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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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Our experience, plus other reports on the forum, suggests prices in 2022 were approximately 50% higher for a shared transfer than they had been in 2020. I haven't looked at private transfers, but in my experience they work out similar to shared if the minibus occupancy is high.
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rather than starting a new thread can I add a couple of questions here which I'm sure will be useful to others later.
- are shared transfers much cheaper than private ?
- when is best to book transfers ? do they get full around school holidays if you leave it too late ?
I'm currently looking for Chambray to Les Arc 1800 for February half term and I can't find any shared busses yet so I suspect too early, and quote a lot of the other companies seem to say no availability but I don't know whether it's too early or they are full. Thanks
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We did car rental last season. ..worked out far cheaper than transfer..and we got to resort quicker than the bus carrying TO people
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| janed9388 wrote: |
| - are shared transfers much cheaper than private ? |
By default they will be - but less convenient.
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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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@janed9388,
Shared transfers v private. Depends on such things as number of passengers & times of flights.
When to book - probably as soon as the winter timetables come out, so keep checking.
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we have time, our inbound flight is very early and our outbound actually on the Sunday so will probably stay near the airport or in chambray town on Saturday night so happy to share if it'll take a little more time but save a few hundred but if it's only going to be £50 cheaper will get private. Currently I can see around £600 return for 4 or us but can't see any shared options available (probably too early) but our current plan is private to Les arcs and to get the train back.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Agree there were new circumstances last year but as we always tend to see, once those circumstances recede, the price increases seem to remain!
I see a couple of people saying it's good value when compared to a UK taxi, but that does not mean it is good value overall. The taxi must be making 80-100EUR per hour. I honestly think the prices are bonkers.
With regards to private vs shared, the problem is there are so many flights every day, what are the odds of finding a shared transfer at the time you need it and with the right number of spaces? Does anyone know of a transfer to traveller matching service?
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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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Have you already looked at such transfer providers as Ben's Bus? I know they have a number of buses from Geneva. Often possible to join other people from/to airports.
But for Les Arcs why don't you go by train to Bourg St Maurice? No transfer needed.
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| janed9388 wrote: |
rather than starting a new thread can I add a couple of questions here which I'm sure will be useful to others later.
- are shared transfers much cheaper than private ?
- when is best to book transfers ? do they get full around school holidays if you leave it too late ?
I'm currently looking for Chambray to Les Arc 1800 for February half term and I can't find any shared busses yet so I suspect too early, and quote a lot of the other companies seem to say no availability but I don't know whether it's too early or they are full. Thanks |
For this journey you've also got the train option to Bourg Saint Maurice, Funicular to Arc 1600 then resort bus over to 1800.
Might involve a taxi between the airport and train station, but I'd imagine a much cheaper journey overall.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Ryunis, transfer to traveller matching won't work from Geneva as the taxi companies insist on pre-booked transfers ...
No idea what transfer infrastructure is available from Chambery (sp, I don't think you mean chambray)  taxis?
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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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A recent poster (on the transfer to Les Arcs thread) reckoned that if he hired a car, the additional cost of fuel, tolls and car parking would be £200. I think that was probably an overestimate, and the mileage and toll costs can be reduced, with a very small time penalty, by doing Annecy - Albertville on N roads. But the costs to the taxi company of the journey are not insignificant and will be increasing. A 6 hour drive - potentially with further delays and snow problems - warrants a fair pay for the driver, plus all other costs, before any profit is being made.
The arguments for people driving their own cars to the Alps are becoming stronger, I reckon. Air fares are going up too.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Unless your resort is well served by public transport - then all this is doing is perhaps pushing people back to some form of package - even if the sunweb rather than Crystal/Inghams version - where the package companies buying and consolidating power can get apparently far better prices
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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As someone who has done a good many unpaid "airport transfers", and with an easier journey than many, I can well understand why transfers are expensive. And I used to tell my friends and family that if they chose to arrive or leave on a Saturday, they could sort out their own transfer!!
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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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The table of transfers linked on the Resort Reviews section of the forum is unfortunately out of date following Covid, I think some providers have gone out of business or at least changed. Or reduced frequency / days of operation / availability outside French holidays.
Maybe when things settle down @denfinella will do an update to the table.
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thank all for the suggestions, and yes, I meant Chambery not Chambray  . We might still do the train both ways but the current thinking is that we can suck up the cost to get there quickly and get skis etc sorted and then take our time coming back. I've looked at car hire, and re-looked at a package in case the DIY booking was starting to add up but I think that even with an expensive transfer we'll still be on to a winner price-wise but only because we had Avios flights.
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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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| Ryunis wrote: |
| The taxi must be making 80-100EUR per hour. |
if a French driver (or any other business for that matter) gets 100 euros in their hand the govt will take, perhaps, 50 to 60 euros of that depending how they are established. So 50 euros to pay insurance, vehicle costs, petrol doesn't leave a great deal especially as the transfer work is concentrated on Saturdays and there may not be sufficient business in the week.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| snowball wrote: |
But for Les Arcs why don't you go by train to Bourg St Maurice? No transfer needed. |
They seem to be flying to Geneva. Getting to BSM would be a mare by train, better to find a bus transfer.
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@janed9388, looking at the SNCF website, seems as though the trains to BSM is either 1hr 45min or 1hr 52mins (based on trains on this saturday coming) so barely any significant difference to driving. Especially when you consider the journey up the hill is quicker via funicular than car.
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| swskier wrote: |
| @janed9388, looking at the SNCF website, seems as though the trains to BSM is either 1hr 45min or 1hr 52mins (based on trains on this saturday coming) so barely any significant difference to driving. Especially when you consider the journey up the hill is quicker via funicular than car. |
and crazily cheap too compared to UK fares  definitely something I'll be keeping an eye on before plumping for either option.
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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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| davidof wrote: |
| Ryunis wrote: |
| The taxi must be making 80-100EUR per hour. |
if a French driver (or any other business for that matter) gets 100 euros in their hand the govt will take, perhaps, 50 to 60 euros of that depending how they are established. So 50 euros to pay insurance, vehicle costs, petrol doesn't leave a great deal especially as the transfer work is concentrated on Saturdays and there may not be sufficient business in the week. |
Do they really take 50-60% of revenue? Or is it based on profit? i.e. after all of those other costs and therefore a much smaller cut?
I'm not being argumentative by the way, just wanting to understand it better. To be honest, I guess the overheads are not insignificant; many of these vehicles are leased so the payments won't be small, nor fuel or staff costs. Plus, like you say, business is seasonal-both throughout the year and throughout the week.
Nonetheless, it still feels disproportionally expensive and I think we have already made good headway towards finding some sort of solution. Apparently there used to be a timetable posted on here for shared transfers. If that is reinstated and people start to use it, then we will end up saving £100s each. For me that could be the difference between skiing and not skiing this season.
Thanks all.
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| Ryunis wrote: |
I'll start by sharing my most recent experience: Geneva to La Plagne (return) last February. Cost (after considerable searching!) EUR510. It's frustrating that the cost of transfers has become such a sizeable chunk of the holiday budget-not dissimilar to that for lift passes. |
Sounds reasonable - split 4 ways that's not much more than a scheduled minibus if one was running. If your complaint is that it is uneconomic for solo travellers/couples than the answer is pick a resort better served by public transport ( and La Plagne is not bad in that regard given Aime and BSM).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pam w wrote: |
A recent poster (on the transfer to Les Arcs thread) reckoned that if he hired a car, the additional cost of fuel, tolls and car parking would be £200. I think that was probably an overestimate, and the mileage and toll costs can be reduced, with a very small time penalty, by doing Annecy - Albertville on N roads. But the costs to the taxi company of the journey are not insignificant and will be increasing. A 6 hour drive - potentially with further delays and snow problems - warrants a fair pay for the driver, plus all other costs, before any profit is being made.
The arguments for people driving their own cars to the Alps are becoming stronger, I reckon. Air fares are going up too. |
I think you're right. If I was in a group and everyone was happy to take the time to drive, I would do it. I've driven to Montpellier before, Courchevel and Bergerac (from the North too!) and the drive is part of the adventure. However, in reality it does take a couple of days and to many, annual leave is just as much a constraint as budget, so driving becomes a non-option.
Btw, my friend is in Crete this week and wanted to get 80EUR. The cost you ask...? 87GBP!!! This is becoming more and more of a factor to. But let's leave that to another thread..
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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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I did a private taxi Innsbruck to Ischgl return €380 for three people, not a massive increase on previous years. seems in line with previous costs so no issue.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| Ryunis wrote: |
I'll start by sharing my most recent experience: Geneva to La Plagne (return) last February. Cost (after considerable searching!) EUR510. It's frustrating that the cost of transfers has become such a sizeable chunk of the holiday budget-not dissimilar to that for lift passes. |
Sounds reasonable - split 4 ways that's not much more than a scheduled minibus if one was running. If your complaint is that it is uneconomic for solo travellers/couples than the answer is pick a resort better served by public transport ( and La Plagne is not bad in that regard given Aime and BSM). |
There also appears to be some form of shared timetable available. If people use this then that's another solution.
You say public transport may not be that bad, but 90% of the people I have travelled with wouldn't consider it for a second-and I think they're pretty representative of the average Brit skier. They want a door to door service. You might suggest they need to cough up for that, but the costs seem to have spun out of control now.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Ryunis wrote: |
| davidof wrote: |
| Ryunis wrote: |
| The taxi must be making 80-100EUR per hour. |
if a French driver (or any other business for that matter) gets 100 euros in their hand the govt will take, perhaps, 50 to 60 euros of that depending how they are established. So 50 euros to pay insurance, vehicle costs, petrol doesn't leave a great deal especially as the transfer work is concentrated on Saturdays and there may not be sufficient business in the week. |
Do they really take 50-60% of revenue? Or is it based on profit? i.e. after all of those other costs and therefore a much smaller cut? |
VAT at 20% but on profits after, as you said.
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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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| Ryunis wrote: |
You say public transport may not be that bad, but 90% of the people I have travelled with wouldn't consider it for a second-and I think they're pretty representative of the average Brit skier. They want a door to door service. You might suggest they need to cough up for that, but the costs seem to have spun out of control now. |
Costs of many things have gone out of control. Like car hire which was the traditional alternative to transfers. So consumers need to suck it up or start considering other things. E.g. you can get to many resorts quickly and easily from INN etc.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@pam w, Absolutely! Particularly when your children get the 7:00am flight back on a Monday so they can be at their desks by 9:00......
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Ryunis, Switzerland by train from Airport eminently and easily doable.
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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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@Dave of the Marmottes, though you have to get to INN first though!
"Shared timetable"? Not aware of such a thing (<> GVA).
We've used scheduled bus services to and from GVA from Chamonix many times in recent years. Also the train, although the routing is painfully slow. Doesn't work for everywhere though.
At least on the CHamonix routes shared transfers now back to +/- pre crise prices, if not frequencies/volumes.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@under a new name, Sure. But I suspect from GVA places like Cham and Morzine continue to be pretty well served. But GVA isn't really a local airport for the Tarentaise so I'd expect that if you want the convenience of frequent scheduled flights you struggle a bit more on the volume of trade point for individual resorts.
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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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The train from Geneva to bourg st Maurice is ok and apart from weekends more frequent and convenient than the bus. Even more so from chambery, but if using chambery station just note that you may need a taxi to get to the airport. Prebook one from the station to the airport. They maybe in short supply.
I’ve never used a taxi from the airport to the resort and personally know no one who has so can make no comment on the price.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pam w wrote: |
| The arguments for people driving their own cars to the Alps are becoming stronger, I reckon. Air fares are going up too. |
Agree but... fuel costs have gone up ~50%, and Eurotunnel have put their prices up a lot as well.
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There is simply no inexpensive way of going on a ski holiday.........
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| Ryunis wrote: |
Hi all. I am seeing more and more transfer queries on these threads and, having struggled on my most recent trip, I thought starting a thread on the topic might somehow lead to better shared knowledge, at least an understanding of why they're so expensive, and possibly even some advice which might help punters.
Obviously some resorts have better non-private shuttle options than others e.g. Bus to central hubs and then connect from there, or train to certain resorts, but let's face it-no matter what other options are available, a significant portion of travellers will still want their own private transfer.
So why are they suddenly so much more expensive? Is there a better way? Is there even an opportunity for a budding entrepreneur to launch a cheaper service? I suspect not but would be interested to understand the whole thing a little better.
I'll start by sharing my most recent experience: Geneva to La Plagne (return) last February. Cost (after considerable searching!) EUR510. It's frustrating that the cost of transfers has become such a sizeable chunk of the holiday budget-not dissimilar to that for lift passes. |
Good point. It's also frustrating to nab those £30 flights knowing that you're going to have to pay 5-10 times as much as that to go the last 10% distance wise.
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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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Munich is a well served airport and you can get to a huge amount of Austrian resorts for €50-60rtn on the train directly from the airport .
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Another option is to travel by train. It can be done from the UK for under £200 a head (and that includes taking skis).
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FAQ
