 Poster: A snowHead
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After a few years skiing at Christmas/New Year time, we decided to postpone our ski trip to the end of Jan. It gives us an opportunity to try Port de Soleil: area that we always wanted to ski but tried to stay away from early in the season : around Christmas time. Since it is going to be a short just skiing trip, I would prefer to avoid renting a car. But I am having problems to find skibus transfer from GVA to places like Chatel. The only options I could find were private transfers, but at that price I would rather rent a car. Is there really no skibuses going to Chatel from GVA? I can see options for Morzine and Avoriaz, but not Chatel. Am I missing something?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yes - you take the train to Thonon Les Bains (Leman express) then bus to Chatel (Y91 or Ligne 12).
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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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@alex_sauvage, it takes quite some time to get from GVA to Châtel by train and bus. Probably best to rent a car if it’s a short trip as to not cut into ski time. Another option is to get a train to Aigle in CH. From Aigle you can take a 40 min taxi or smaller train to Trois Torrents followed by a shorter taxi. Rubin Taxi from Châtel will collect from CH.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Ozboy, The bus service as far a Morgins has improved massively in the last couple of years, now pretty much hourly right through the day until 2240, so if you're doing it that way it's much easier and cheaper to just get the taxi for the 5km from Morgins over the pass to Châtel.
From Aigle the AOMC train to Troistorrents and the TPC #61 bus from there.
Cost-wise it's about chf20 (each way) per person, so definitely cheaper than renting a car if there's not many of you. Not sure about the taxi cost from Morgins but probably around EU20-30. Compared with ~EU50 using Chatel Transfers on a shared minibus (or EU270 for a private one if there's enough people to make it worthwhile).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thank you guys! Sounds like there is no straight forward way to get to Chatel from GVA, except car rental. I checked Chatel Transfer, but only found private option. I am not set on Chatel, Morzine or Avoriaz would work fine (and seems to have direct ski bus from GVA). Just wanted to make sure that I am not missing something obvious.
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If you are still thinking Portes de Soleill Morzine/les Gets/Avoriaz has a lot of choice for shared transfers…. Skiidy Gonzalez or Getawayvans/Ski lifts for shared, where they will wait at airport for you …. Alpy bus for more of ‘bus service’ fixed times… but it is cheaper.
Avoriaz has easy links to Chatel ….
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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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If yours is not a standard Sat/Sat trip transfers become more problematical. But if it's a shorter trip then, of course, car rental becomes proportionately cheaper. And might waste less time - important on a short trip.
Be sure you can book the accommodation you want before booking flights though.
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Transfers have long been an irritation for me when looking for trips.
I don’t like to hire cars unless absolutely necessary and the thought of driving up a hill in a rental car in poor weather on the wrong side of the road gives me the heebie jeebies.
As a result I usually book a TO package. Some of the prices I’ve researched before have been significantly more than the flight to get to the alps. 
I’m a big advocate of public transport so like to use buses and trains where possible on holiday. I’ve used a bus service to chamonix from GVA which if I recall was good value.
Have you considered using the train and visiting the Swiss side of the PDS? Champery has been suggested to me (probably my next short trip skiing) GVA is well connected via rail.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| alex_sauvage wrote: |
| Thank you guys! Sounds like there is no straight forward way to get to Chatel from GVA, except car rental. I checked Chatel Transfer, but only found private option. |
Check again. They do shared transfers from around eu45, last time I checked. They don't have a standard price 'cos it depends on time of day, numbers of arrivals and various other factors, but just put in your dates and they'll come back with a quote.
I know the guys that run it, and some of the drivers, who have been quite helpful in the past, like bringing people over to Morgins even though they're not supposed to...
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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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Thank you guys for your help: it was very informative. I will double check Chatel Transfer: I was putting in later arrivals, like 5 or 6 pm. Maybe it was a problem. I also probably misspoke, forgetting that it's predominantly UK site: for me coming from NA short trip is a week. Normally we come to Europe for 2-2.5 weeks: week of skiing and 7-10 days of sight seeing. In which case car rental is a must. Since we only going skiing this time direct transfer is preferred.
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| alex_sauvage wrote: |
| Thank you guys for your help: it was very informative. I will double check Chatel Transfer: I was putting in later arrivals, like 5 or 6 pm. Maybe it was a problem. I also probably misspoke, forgetting that it's predominantly UK site: for me coming from NA short trip is a week. Normally we come to Europe for 2-2.5 weeks: week of skiing and 7-10 days of sight seeing. In which case car rental is a must. Since we only going skiing this time direct transfer is preferred. |
Hope you manage to sort something - It's a great area wherever you are starting from
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You know it makes sense.
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| alex_sauvage wrote: |
| Thank you guys for your help: it was very informative. I will double check Chatel Transfer: I was putting in later arrivals, like 5 or 6 pm. |
Just to modify/update what I said earlier I went back to check the last time I had someone using them two seasons ago, it was for a Friday 1940 arrival, return departure the next week at 1310, cost was €160 total. (So more than I thought).
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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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Just to close the loop on this discussion: we eventually decide to go to Morzine due to variety of transportation options and had a great trip. Took Alpy bus to Morzine and Swiss Tours back to GVA. Both trips went just fine (maybe a bit waiting in GVA for Alpy bus) for total cost of about 100 USD for two. This was our first trip to Alps without renting a car and I will definitely try it again at some point. Skiing was good considering lack of serious snowfall recently and we really enjoyed our time in Portes du Soliel. Found lift tickets being less expensive than in other big areas, but ski rentals noticeably more. And harder to find more performance oriented skis: we looked into 8 to 10 different places. As always Snowheads community was very helpfull: Thank you very much guys!
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Poster: A snowHead
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On Chatel Transfers prices, we had two sets of guest use them in January, Two mates paid €290 for two shared returns (late evening Monday pick up, lunchtime Monday drop off). A single GVA-Chatel shared transfer on a Thursday lunchtime was €60.
They are a locally owned firm and always been reliable in my experience.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@DJL, Yeah, decent guys - I did my BASI L1 Telemark with Ali who used to own it, know Jordi (and his dad) pretty well too, they've taken over the Cret restaurant at the bottom of the Conche chair in Chatel this year ate there last week, quite a different menu from the previous ownership and pretty good too, although the plat du jour my mate had was far too big, must have been nearly 300g of pork in it. I had the pulled pork burger.
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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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@Chaletbeauroc, I've been meaning to try Le Cret, skied (and walked and cycled) past many times. Super Chatel usually the wrong spot for lunch for me. Will give it a go another time.
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