 Poster: A snowHead
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A mate and I are planning on going to Cervinia for a 4 day weekend in January and are flying into and out of Geneva (flights booked and paid for). I have enquired with the hotel (booked, not paid for) about a transfer and they quoted 337 euros one way!
Neither of us fancy driving on a snowy road with chains etc, and the best thought at present is to drive to the bottom of the ascent, park and then cab up. Is this feasible?
I have looked at the various transfer companies and they are coming in at around the same price as the hotel quoted.
Worse, I have read it is a 4 hour transfer to do 230kms. Is this correct?
Is a train possible?
Any bright ideas?
Should we be looking to visit a different resort due to this transfer nightmare?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Peter Leuzzi, never been to Cervinia but have been to Geneva, I would suggest that you on completey on the wrong side of the Alps to goto Cervinia. I would imagine that most goto Cervinia from an Italian airport. There's plenty of great resorts nearer Geneva that you can get bus transfers for at a lot less than you've been quoted (find a-t-s can't remember web site soz). Hope this helps.
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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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Treat a-t-s with extreme caution, they run very little themselves and will happily provide a quote, take your money without being able to source any transfer (they do give you your money back if they fail to find anything).
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Peter Leuzzi, Should have been Turin for Cervinia!
To get to Cervinia from Geneva will take you past a good many resorts as stevew suggested.
If you want to experience a bit of Italy, then why not go to Chamonix (which would probably be halfway to Cervinia?) - and then ski Courmeyeur just the other side of the Mont Blanc tunnel for a day?
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brian
brian
Guest
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Peter Leuzzi, there are plenty of easy non-driving transfers from Geneva, sadly Cervinia isn't one of them.
For Switzerland - rail plus post bus £57 gets you a return to any resort in Switzerland.
https://www.sbb.ch/mct/wi/shop/b2c/adw.do?sprache=en&artikelnummer=6055
For France - buses to most of the major resorts, eg. Morzine is 1.5 hours and costs about €55 return.
http://www.altibus.com
For Cervinia you'd really have to drive but I wouldn't let the chains put you off, the modern ones are pretty straightforward to fit (have a practice in the airport car park) and once on, driving on snow is a dawdle.
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Peter Leuzzi, agree with agavin, if you want to ski in Italy from Genvea then base yourself in Courmayeur which is only about 2hrs from Geneva (Matt and i have done this a couple of times).
From there you can also drive to La Thuile which is only about 30mins away and is a great area with the added attraction of skiing across in La Rosiere as well.
Cheers
Roger
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Peter Leuzzi,
If you are comitted to Geneva and Cervinia you will have to take the Mont Blanc tunnel...can't remember how much that is return but the Grand St B will be about the same price I imagine. The drive down to Chantillon, I believe, isn't too bad from the tunnels - all tolls - but its the route up from the valley which will take about 45 mins with a bus. A taxi will cost at least 45eu IIRCC. It is quite a twisty affair but you do gain a lot of ground... once you get neaer to Cervinia the road levels out. I can't see the point of hiring a car and then dumping it... its only in a bad snow fall that you'd need the chains and they aren't any big deal... You'll be glad of the snow once you get there. Its not the worst ascent/descent in snow, ADH beats it, I reckon, as does LP and VT
Personally, I love driving through the rain and snow...it spells good conditions at the top
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Thanks all. Exactly what I didnt want to hear. Muggins here is going to be living 20 minutes from Stansted and could have flown to Turin, but gave in to my mate who lives 20 minutes from Luton, and the flights and destinations etc followed from there.
Really gutted as wanted to ski Cervinia as it suits us in terms of standard, long cruisers, snow sure, not French etc.
What alternates do you suggest (actually, would go to France!) As a clue, Chamonix I have boarded but as a relative new skier dont fancy it just yet. Courmayeur been to twice and fancy a change.
JT, how long does it take?
Roger C, you and Matt fancy joining Steve and I for that weekend? Steve keeps saying to me we cant do what we did last time! PM and I will give you details.
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Peter Leuzzi,
This would be guessimate as we went from Chamonix to St G B - the MB tunnel was shut.
So 1 hour from Geneva to Courmayer via the MB Tunnel. and I'd say 1 hr 15 to top out at Cervinia. All in good weather. I believe the toll road has been completed from Courmayeur to Chatillon. so 2:30 should easily be doable if the traffic up the valley isn't heavy or slow.
Other resort alternatives would be La Plagne..... or La Clusaz or Megev/St Gervias/Les Contamine or the PDS in good snow
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Peter Leuzzi,you can fly from Luton to Turin too (easyjet).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Helen Beaumont, too late! You are correct, as I just double checked. There is a reason why we didnt do that....but cant recall! Maybe it was times, prices....How flexible are easyjet with changes?
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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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Peter Leuzzi, I'd check out your booking, and see if you can change it. It might be cheaper to pay the fee than pay for the transfer. Last winter the Luton-Turin flight arrived in Turin mid afternoon. But there's no point in arriving in Geneva earlier if you can't get to your destination. I wouldn't worry about the snowchains either, but I would add that at least at Geneva you actuslly get them, at Turin we were lucky to get water in the washer bottle.
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brian
brian
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Peter Leuzzi, easy charge £15 plus any difference in price to the flight you're changing to.
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You know it makes sense.
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Peter Leuzzi,
if you can't get a change of flight La Thuile offers a pretty good range of skiing/ boarding and is reasonably snow sure. The road up is a bit windy but not bad at all. You also get tree level skiing into the bargain if the weathert is bad which you dont at Cervinia. Lacks a bit in night life though.
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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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I think I know why we are doing it now. Definitely the times of flights as the Geneva flight enables us 2.5-3 days skiing for 1 day off work, but the Turn from Luton is more like 2 days off work.
Besides La Thuile, any other suggestions?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Peter Leuzzi,
Also, I don't think the journey from Turin is any easier by bus.... very few and far between as I recall even though it about 90km.
Far better to have the car, IMV
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Peter Leuzzi, ats quote the private transfers at a similar price, and they also say 203km and 2.5hrs.
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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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Peter Leuzzi, Flaine (and the other Grand Massif resorts: Morillon, Les Carroz, Samoens) are about the closest to Geneva. I've been there twice and thoroughly enjoyed it. It also gets huge amounts of snow, although it does need that as the slopes are pretty holey limestone rock - we had no problems the first week in Jan though. Flaine itself is pig ugly 60s concrete, but if you're going for the skiing that's not a problem. Can't really remember how good it is for long cruisy runs though, as we were almost exclusively off-piste (this is where I was introduced to that wonderful experience) - you may be better heading to Morzine for that. Flaine also has only about 2 hotels so weekend-only bookings may be difficult, so Les Carroz or Samoens may be a better bet, as they are more traditional villages.
If you wanted to avoid staying in France, but still get access to the huge Portes du Soleil domain, you could try the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil (Champery, Champoussin).
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GrahamN, Flaine is good for cruisy runs too. We learnt to ski there, and went back for our second holiday. Someone on here managed to find weekend accommodation, although i think it was in a very small apartment. A quick search might come up with it.
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brian
brian
Guest
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Peter Leuzzi, Crans/Montana might be worth a look, it has the reputation for cruisers, train from airport to Sierre and connect with a funicular up to Montana.
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brian, how long does that take?
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Peter Leuzzi,
By public transport in the region of 2 and a half hours if the times match up...by car, about 90mins, I'd say. its all motorway until you start to go uphill at Sierre, but is not that far uphill. South facing mostly
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JT, whats it like in terms of skiing abilities; apres activity, and cost. I have always perceived Switzerland to run by a 5 quid pint economy!
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Peter Leuzzi, you can find places in Switzerland that will charge 5 quid for a pint but mostly you are looking at a lot less than that, genrally I find Swiss prices similar to those I pay down here on the South Coast and arround the New Forest, If you find yourself a nice 3 star hotel you ought to be able to find a room with dinner bed and breakfast for about £65 a night, dormitory accomodation from arround £12.50 per night in some places
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Peter Leuzzi,
Long long time since I was there, but I'd agree that Switzerland suffers this reputation of being expensive when the £ is pretty strong at the mo'.
Ski-wise it might be what you are looking for but it has a well-heeled bias possibly. Forget Apre-aski unless there is a party in town, but you can apply that to most Swiss resorts bar Zermatt and the like.
As you have spotted Cervinia and are thinking of hiring a car, that puts Cervina in range, so stick with that
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brian
brian
Guest
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Peter Leuzzi, Switzerland is generally cheaper than France these days. A half litre is round about 6 CHF (£2.60).
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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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Peter Leuzzi, I'd second the Flaine suggestion. Plenty of skiing for your standard, practically in Geneva (hour and a half max away, anyway almost all on m'way). If you don't fancy Flaine itself because of its appearance, the satellites are more conventionally attractive. Les Carrz (at least) gives good access to the whole GM area, and although nothing to write home about, it's pleasant enough for long weekend (at least). There are several hotles there happy to take you for a long weekend.
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Peter Leuzzi, Go to La Clusaz. It VERY handy for Geneva, and it (almost) begins with a C.
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You know it makes sense.
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I'd second the La Clusaz suggestion.
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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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Thanks to all for your comments.
I have spent a lot of time on this and it looks like it will be Morzine, La Clusaz or Flaine in no order of preference, but driven by accommodation availability.
Any suggestions?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Peter Leuzzi, which weekend is the trip?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Peter Leuzzi,
I don't know La Clusaz but both the others have excellent skiing.With Flaine going a fair bit higher I would imagine it has slightly better snow reliability. Personally I would go to one of the other resorts in the Grand Massif area rather than Flaine itself as it is ugly as sin.
Morzine has good skiing as well if you go to either you should have a pretty good time.
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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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Roger C, flying to Geneva on Thursday 11/1 arriving at 21:15, and flying out 14/11 departing at 2025.
T Bar, have heard similar before and if I get the choice will likely go for either of the other two as first options.
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We stayed with karibuni for a long weekend at La Clusaz/Le Grand Bournand. very good for a long week end for intermediates. Picked us up from geneva, had ski passes ready as we emailed photos and had ski hire on site. All rooms ensuite (if small). people very friendly and amenable to different collection drop off points (it is a bus ride to the slopes). The biggest weakness was the food. Breakfast very good but evening meal was disappointing and I like good food.
I'd like to do flaine as well for a week end (I've done a day) but haven't found anywhere to stay yet.
megeve looks interesting and I may look at stanfordskiing there.
We're heading out on the 18th Jan back on the 22md.
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brian
brian
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brian, thanks for that. Sent off an enquiry.[
b]ashton parker[/b], thanks for all that too. How far was karibui from bars etc?
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Peter, the chalet/hotel has a bar with table football and there is a proper local french bar opposite. The little village was very little though which suits me quite well as I like a long days skiing followed by a few beers, a decent meal and a relatively early night. I have no interest in night life or even going for a walk through the town. I don't know if there were any decent restaurants in the village. It is worth trying to be there at full moon as they have night skiing in La Clusaz whihc was pretty impressive apparently.
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brian, boooo. No availability.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Peter Leuzzi, when are going in Jan? we have some availability on oddd dates, maybe we could tempt you to La Rosiere.
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Peter Leuzzi,
I'm doing a long weekend with Karibuni in La Clusaz the weekend before. I've not skied there before, but have hiked and biked and I'm really looking forward to exploring it. Karibuni are based in St Jean de sixt which is in between the two resort areas of Gd Bournand and La Clusaz, the Karibuni crew will move you around by minibus depending on where you want to ski. There are a couple of bar/restaurants in St Jean, but a livelier scene in both GB and La C.
Ashton Parker may have been unlucky with the food.
http://www.karibuni.co.uk/ski_holidays/ski_holidays_index.htm. It's run by a great guy called Paul, give him a call, (01202 661 865) talk to him about what you want to do and he will give you an honest opinion on whether his setup will work for you. Tell him Ali P's mate Steve sent you.
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