 Poster: A snowHead
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My first post in years....
I am planning on joining some friends in Bourg in February. They are driving but logistics means I'll have to fly. Geneva to Bourg by train is awkward and I am struggling to find the best route - currently Trainline routes me through Paris - so I ditched that idea.
Then I found BA fly direct Edinburgh to Chambrey and the price is good. I have a 72 hour hold on a flight.
The Chambrey - Bourg train timetable for Feb is not available but, given Chambrey serves winter resorts, I assume the timetable will be similar to the current one.
Am I right to make this assumption?
Is getting to the trains at Chambrey easy?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 19-09-23 12:38; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The airport is a way out of town - when I was looking at it before I decided the easiest way to get to the station was a 10 minute cab - public transport seemed non-existent. There will definitely be trains to Bourg from there (barring a strike or works) but there's a chance the timetable may change before Feb so I wouldn't bank on catching a particular train just yet
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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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Cheers Miche.
Google maps is suggesting two routes.
Bus in both instances. Either to Chambery station or Aix-les-Bains
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Train Timetables are released 3 months in a d’avance so February ones will not be available yet. There may be some minor adjustments but I doubt much.
Getting to the train station is not easy. I don’t think there is a bus service, which is really odd for France which seems to have a fairly integrated public transport system. You will need a taxi. Pre book one for your return as they may not be readily available at chambery station.
A bit weird that trainline routes you through Paris from Geneva to bourg st Maurice. It normally goes through chambery. I suspect this is because you are flying to Chambrey, a village near Nancy,
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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 Geneva - Paris - Bourg route was based upon flying to Geneva so I am not sure what trainline was trying to do.
However the Chambrey flights are more convenient in terms of price, times and shorter train journey. I guess the there is a bigger risk of weather issues at Chambrey.....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Navrig, May I suggest you double check your flights, trains etc. Chambrey is not Chambery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambrey.
I just looked at thetrainline for tomorrow and got 5 trains from Geneva centre to Bourg st Maurice costing £33.63, and changing in either Aix le Bains or Chambéry.
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Yeah, I did realise that and checked with the CMF airport identifier.
Similarly I have checked trains on both Google maps and on trainline and on SNCF.
I've just looked again at trainline and the results are totally different from last night! Not sure what happened. Maybe I put in Feb dates and Trainline could only route me via Paris.
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| Quote: |
Maybe I put in Feb dates and Trainline could only route me via Paris.
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Pretty sure that is what happened. I learnt the hard way to be careful with French town names when I booked a hotel room in Les Arcs only to discover there was another one elsewhere. Another example is just typing in Bourg and finding yourself at the big chicken.
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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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Yup that was the issue. If I enter Feb travel dates Trainline routes me through Gare de Lyon!
My mistypes of Chambery and Chambrey are just lack of familiarity with the town name.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@davidof, At least it is better than the UK. My son recently flew from Manchester airport and had to spend the nights before and after in an aiport hotel because there is no public transport later in the day.
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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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| johnE wrote: |
| @davidof, At least it is better than the UK. My son recently flew from Manchester airport and had to spend the nights before and after in an aiport hotel because there is no public transport later in the day. |
yes, sounds like France
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| Navrig wrote: |
My first post in years....
I am planning on joining some friends in Bourg in February. They are driving but logistics means I'll have to fly. Geneva to Bourg by train is awkward and I am struggling to find the best route - currently Trainline routes me through Paris - so I ditched that idea.
Then I found BA fly direct Edinburgh to Chambrey and the price is good. I have a 72 hour hold on a flight.
The Chambrey - Bourg train timetable for Feb is not available but, given Chambrey serves winter resorts, I assume the timetable will be similar to the current one.
Am I right to make this assumption?
Is getting to the trains at Chambrey easy? |
Can you not hire a car + drive? GVA to Bourg is completely straightforward particularly if you're not driving on a Friday / Saturday.
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You know it makes sense.
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Car hire for one will be too expensive and it would be Friday/Saturday.
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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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@Navrig, What is wrong with flying to Geneva then getting the Altibus to BSM?
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Navrig, I went Bourg to Chambery via train earlier this year after Les Arcs for a week. Then took the bus to Lyon the next day for a flight. Was lots of trains so suggest you just wait for the timetable there will be no probs. No idea about getting from Chambrey airport to the station. R
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Used the omio app
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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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| rjs wrote: |
| @Navrig, What is wrong with flying to Geneva then getting the Altibus to BSM? |
After some consideration that's what I have done. EasJet to GVA (flight time is bit earlier than BA to Chambery) and then the Altibus. It's a little more expensive but less hassle. Headphones on and sleep.....
Thanks for your help everyone.
First time on snow since 2018!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Good decision, @Navrig, flying into Gva more reliable than Chambery, which has some weather problems at times.
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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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I have experienced that at Chambery Pam.
The lack of proper integration between arriving at Chambery and trying to get to a nearby train station was the deciding factor.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I flew to Chambery in January 2023 because the flight was cheaper than the flights to Geneva/Grenoble and then took the train to Moutiers on my way to Val Thorens.
I wasn't sure if there would be taxis there but there were two taxis waiting there (although it wasn't really obvious if the drivers were waiting to pick up passengers or not). The vast majority of people flying in there were on package holidays getting a coach transfer. Taxi to the train station was about 20 euros, then getting the train to Moutiers were fairly easy. The train was quite a nice way to get up the mountain vs sitting in traffic on the coach. However none of the trains lined up nicely with any of the coach transfers so I had to wait around for about 2 hours at Moutiers bus station which is a pretty grim place to be.
Personally it was all a bit of a faff and unecessary stress and probably took about as long as just flying to Geneva. I had to give myself so much time as leeway for my connections and ran the risk of getting stuck in Moutiers if I missed the last coach up the mountain. I think you made the right call flying to Geneva as the least bad option.
For my trip in March 2023 to Tignes I just flew to Geneva and got the coach. The coach journey was pretty horrendous both ways (Geneva airport arrivals carnage, crawling traffic for hours, bad weather, coach gearbox breaking on the final stretch up to Tignes, a crash blocking the mountain road on the way back down) but at least once you are on the coach you don't have to worry about getting to your final destination (at least eventually).
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