 Poster: A snowHead
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One option for next years trip (planning early) is to fly to Paris then take the TVG to Bourg St Maurice - I figure this is a) cheaper ; and b) easier ; than travelling from the North of the UK for the Eurostar from Waterloo.
So the question is:
How easy is it to get to "Gare de Lyon" from CDG or Orly airports and how would you recommend such a journey given ski luggage and children in tow? Taxi / train ? How long would this take and what cost ?
thank you.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Why don't you fly to Roissy and take the TGV directly from the airport either to Bourg St Maurice or to Lyon and avoid Paris altogether?
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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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never heard of Roissy ?? thats' why  will take a look.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Is Roissy another name for CDG airport ... ?
If so, then it;s due to the timetables, there are many more trains from Gare de Lyon to BSM than there are from CDG.
But then again, having never been to Paris, am willing to take advice !
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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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Or maybe I'll just blow this whole idea and just fly direct to GVA, Chambery, Lyon etc - but was rather trying to get to BSM by avoiding inflated airline prices to ski airports during Easter hols.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Well this looks like one option:
"Another express shuttle runs from Roissy/CDG to the Gare de Lyon (20 bis, boulevard Diderot, Paris 12e) and the Gare Montparnasse (rue du Commandant R. Mouchotte, Paris 14e). Hours of operation are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with departures every 30 minutes, and travel time is about 50 minutes. A one-way ticket costs €12 for adults, €6 for children (ages 2-11); round-trip tickets are €18. Groups enjoy a 15% discount. You can catch the bus at the following airport locations:
Aérogare/Terminal 1: exit door #34 on the arrivals level
Aérogare/Terminal 2F: exit doors #B2, C2, 0.07 on the arrivals level"
Also, accoring to viamichelin, CDG is 31km to Gare de Lyon, Orly is 18km.
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The shuttle bus is quite good, normally very reliable. If you can get a good train from Gare de Lyon this is probably better than flying closer and trying to pick up one of the airport buses at Lyon or somewhere. Sounds like a good plan.
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thanks, davidof, reassuring
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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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Sounds like an excellent plan, in fact. Might try it myself some time! Do you still have to reserve a seat on the TGV?
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clara_jo, From what I've seen so far, yes, you do need to reserve a seat (at least on the TGV leg of the journey). Journey time from Paris to BSM is about 5.5 hours, return fare for the first week of easter this year are currently available from about £87, but possibly can get cheaper if booked further in advance.
www.sncf.co.uk has timetables / prices
We may be going to Les Arcs, we can get a free transfer from BSM but if we fly to any of the airports we need to factor in at least £40 pp transfer cost.
Having just been to Zermatt on the train from Geneva I'd recommend this over a minibus transfer any day.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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masmith,
At least that bus service saves you the job of getting down to the river for Gard de Lyon. I don't think Montparnasse serves the alpes, its more a South West service.
Once on board the train the ride to BSM is an easy 4 hrs. I like the train for this sort of trip...as long as you can doze off easily enough.
However, if chambery is any sort of option, price-wise, its a tiny no fuss airport and the transfer will be easy.
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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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masmith, it's sounding better and better I'm likely to be travelling on my own for the next few years, you see, so it's nice to find out how to get to places without too much hassle. GVA is a doddle from Liverpool, and I like using Swiss public transport.
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opps, must be more than 4 hrs.... I've been 1st class and its worth it if it isn't too many Eu's
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You know it makes sense.
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JT, 1st class isn't that much more and is something we'd certainly consider, at least for the outward journey.
Agree re Chambery, but in recenet experience flights to Chamb or Lyon have been over £200 return during Easter weeks.
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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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clara_jo, if going from Liverpool don't rule out Basel. Some friends booked last minute flights from Liverpool for our recent Zermatt trip. The return fare to GVA was about £140 (expensive flight back) so they flew into GVA and back from Basel (where they got a much cheaper fare - about a tenner).
They then bought a Swiss Transfer ticket for £55 which gives a return journey by train/bus to any destination - arrival and departure airports needn't be the same.
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Poster: A snowHead
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masmith, my two boys did exactly this last winter. There were two options for the afternoon Newcastle flight to CDG, one was a direct TGV to Grenoble, and picked up by us there. The other was a sleeper from Gare d'Austerlitz. We chose the latter option as there was a chance they may miss (last one of the day), if the flight was late. and we couldn't guarantee there wouldn't be a snowstorm at our end. Apparently crossing Paris was easy (RER Line B I think then a couple of stops on the Metro to the station). Strolled off the train the following morning, into a taxi to the apartment (our car was conked out with frozen diesel), and sat down to cooked breakfast by 8.45 . In between, they'd managed to find beer and dinner in Paris. Nightmare scenarios dreamed up by other sH's included getting lost in Paris for two weeks with a loose woman, and having everything pinched on the Metro.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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masmith, good thinking! The times are shocking outbound, so I'd have to fly into GVA, but I don't mind a 4 1/2 journey on a Swiss train to get the Basel flight back. Did you order your Swiss Transfer ticket online? Or did you buy it at the airport when you arrived?
Really interested in this now, as there's just a chance I may get away again before the end of the season
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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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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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clara_jo,
Its a long way from Zermatt to Basel... I've recently driven to Brig from Gotthard and its a long way...make sure the train is direct and straight forward
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clara_jo, I agree, given that it's almost 4 hours to Geneva from Zermatt then the extra 1/2 hour isn't a great burden, the time passes fairly quickly. It's certainly worth it when you take into account the different flight times to/from GVA/Basel and the potential cost savings.
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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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masmith,
Ok, final point is that Basel Airport is about 20 mins taxi from the banhof. The taxi is about 40chf and the bus about 4 chf....!!
At least thats what the taxi charged us...quite a shock..!!!
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JT, final final point  if you get the swiss transfer ticket then the entire journey including the bus is included in the cost.
Having said that I've never done that journey myself, just passing on 2nd hand information ...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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JT, I've done the airport bus to/from the station before now. Quite an easy journey (once you work out where the pick-up point is!)
masmith, where did you/your friends buy their Swiss Transfer ticket?
Secretly, I'm rather hoping my sister will choose to take her week's holiday somewhere where I can easily join her family for a 3 or 4 day break, rather than having to travel on my own, but I like to have options 
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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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clara_jo, you can get the transfer tickets from varios websites, but I'd recommend www.otp.co.uk - they did me an especially good deal when I bought 12 tickets.
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masmith, thanks! Not that I need 12 tickets
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FAQ
It's far more mentally draining if you're driving that distance.
