 Poster: A snowHead
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Am planning next years trip (2025) to 3V. This year we flew to Chambery and shelled out for a private transfer. The traffic was awful on 9th March - I would have said horrendous but the driver told us about an 8 hour transfer a few weeks earlier (presumably French school holidays). Combined with the state of Chambery airport, I am toying with going via Geneva next time but am wondering if the reliability of the transfer time is any better. The airport is certainly better big time.
Appreciate views on this including:
1. Is the traffic on roads from Geneva any better than from Chambery - I know its further.
2. Are transfers any cheaper from Geneva?
3. We only went for a private transfer through fear of flight delays - anyone got experience of shared transfers and what happens in practice with delayed flights?
BTW I have discounted doing transfers by rail as its just too much hassle for the family - it is meant to be a holiday afterall.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Will be Mottaret.
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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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8 hours, a mere bagatelle, Chambery->Turin was 12 hours on Wednesday.
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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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@wallport, try for a Sunday transfer. Went to Montchavin / La Plagne, which only has a short ascent, on the 10th of March. I drove from Geneva airport the long way around, passed Chambery city, as I didn't fancy going the Lake Annecy way on a nice Sunday afternoon and it only took me 2 hours, sat on the motorway with cruise control on at the speed limit most of the way.
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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 transfers suffer from all 4 airports on Saturdays cos a lot of the delays are post Albertville.
Shared transfers by bus generally have some flexibility providing there are seats left on a later bus. Most bus transfers are from Grenoble or Geneva.
Private transfers from Chambery can be a little more as there is far more chance of an empty leg. Lots of the traffic into Chambery serves package holidays.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Transfer on a Sunday
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Unfortunately accommodation is Sat to Sat so Sunday not an option.
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@wallport, pretty sure there was an accident on 9 March, so you were unlucky. Normally that weekend going up the valley would be quieter than the previous four which were all French half-term.
Any delays usually occur after Albertville, so impact on all airports.
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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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@wallport, sounds as though you have already booked accommodation. What dates?
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Same week as this year - 8th March
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Perhaps the best bet is to time your journey so you DON'T arrive in resort between 12 noon - 6pm. For optimum control over the whole process, drive, though I realise that's not for everybody. Either stay very close the Friday night and drive up to resort early on Saturday, when everyone is driving down (and that is a VERY busy driving down day, end of French school holidays) or aim to arrive early evening, being sure to find out how to access your accommodation. And when you leave, do the converse. Either get out before 7 am, or ski another quiet transfer day and leave after skiing, getting 3 or 4 hours north before stopping for the night. Those timings still possible if you fly, though takes some thinking about.
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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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@wallport, 9th March was a bad day (we flew to Geneva on the Friday and were aware how many people had a long drive on the following day). I confess we try and avoid travelling on Saturdays. In theory if the 8th is the last day of the school hols, you will be going in the opposite direction to the bulk if the traffic.
Chambery-it's closer, but there are fewer flights and transfer options. The other problem is that it closes if the visibility is poor-the surrounding mountains means they can't land if they can't see. So you can be diverted or delayed.
Geneva-there are plenty more flights and so you could try and get a really early one to be ahead of the traffic. For example-should you live in the south east, the first flight out of Gatwick to GVA on a Saturday is around 6.15am, and the next one is around 8.10am. (We live near LGW so use it a lot). Most transfer companies drive via Lake Annecy, which saves them a few euros on motorway tolls and is (usually) only marginally longer than the long way round on the motorway. There are plenty more transfer companies to chose from, but I can't help on the difference on price between Chambery and Geneva.
Transfer companies vary in terms of service and what they offer re shared transfers. My own favourite is Coolrunnings-who tend to be a bit more expensive, but this season just gone were offering a shared transfer for €80 per person one way to the Belleville valley (VT, Menuires and St martin). (Alpybus was €55, but it's all a bit chaotic). I'm not sure what they charge for a completely private transfer. For a family it would probably ends up cheaper to hire a car. Or, as others suggest-drive from the UK.
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FAQ
