 Poster: A snowHead
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What would the best route be? The Grenoble airport site suggests Ryanair will start flying presumably from Prestwick in December but no mention on the Ryanair site. I am hoping to organise an anniversary surprise in December hopefully including some lessons with easiski but this is dependent on a number of things. Thanks for any advice.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ianmacd, ooh! I think you should PM either/both Brian and JB1970 who have both made trips, the former from the East and JB from Glasgow. Last year someone flew from Glasgow to Grenoble, but TBH I'm not sure who. ps: I'm flattered. 
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brian
brian
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ianmacd, the Prestwick - Grenoble route only does 2 or 3 flights a week and from memory it's not on days conducive to a long weekend.
easyjet fly daily to Geneva from Edinburgh, it's about a 3 hour drive from there but no sensible public transport options. There's also weekend flights to Chambéry, about an hour closer, with Jet2. Also flyglobespan but I don't think they start until the xmas week.
That's the direct options, there are loads of 2 hop ways of getting to Grenoble, Lyon or Turin, all within 2 hours drive.
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Thanks to both of you. I am clearly going to have to work on this. Paris has been mentioned but I don't think the snow record is good in December. 
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brian
brian
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ianmacd, you could combine them. A TGV will get you from Paris to Grenoble in about 3 hours.
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brian, I always think that's an excellent option for the airportly challenged!
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Sounds great but is starting to sound more expensive in money and brownie points terms from my mother/parents who will have to supervise the weans.
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ianmacd, If you can get a cheap flight to Stansted or Luton you should be fine. Loads of flights from Stansted particularly to Grenoble. How about a mid-week? Can you work at the weekend? don't know if your work is flexi hours or not.
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brian
brian
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easiski, doing 2 hop flights on low cost carriers is a bit risky because they don't guarantee a connection. If they're late on the first leg and you miss the 2nd, it's at your risk. You can end up stuck with no transport.
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easiski, have sent you an email.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ianmacd, If you are hiring a car at the other end you could consider Chambery airport. FlyGlobespan(.com) and Jet2(.com) will both be flying from Edinburgh to Chambery over the winter.
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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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ianmacd, replied.
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I did the Globespan Edinburgh to Chambery flight last year, then hired a car to La Grave (next to LDA)
Cost about £100 return, plus £30 return for ski carriage. Minor hassle is the flight does a stopover in Geneva.
On the plus side the Geneva to Chambery hop is done at 8000ft so the views are pretty spectacular. Chambery airport is so small we'd got our bags and out of the airport within 30 mins of landing (there's only one small luggage belt). Most likely the folks dropped off in Geneva were still waiting for their bags by the time we'd hit the road 
Globespan may work out cheaper than the Ryanair flights (our Ryanair flights this summer cost £19.98 for 4, plus £480 taxes, fees and surcharges - ouch)
Driving is pretty straightforward - motorway to Grenoble, then up the valley to LDA (a bit less than 2 hours)
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brian
brian
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markymark, it was originally planned to be EDI-CMF direct, they merged it with the GVA flight last year due to lack of demand I think. This winter coming it's going to be direct without the stopover but only operate at weekends.
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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 all. easiski, will hopefully finalise things tomorrow. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Will it be fairly easy to organise transfer to L2A from Grenoble on a Friday evening? Flight scheduled to arrive at 5.40 I think. Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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This is becoming more complicated. brian, how is the drive from Geneva? I wasn't planning on renting a car but it looks as though it might be best. Most of the car rental places seem to be closed when the flight reaches Grenoble
How is the drive to L2A and is there parking once there?
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On-street parking is plentiful in 2Alpes until peak season, at which point it becomes non-existant.
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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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ianmacd,
The drive from Genva is reasonably easy it is mainly autoroute untill Grenoble and route finding is not too bad but it's a bit over 3 hours to do or was in July. 
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What are the road conditions likely to be like in December?
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brian
brian
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ianmacd, yep, a little over 3 hours is about right. You're unlikely to meet any dodgy road conditions until the last few miles unless it's a severe cold spell. The last bit up from the dam is about a dozen proper alpine hairpins. Carrying snow chains a must. Having said that, chances are it'll be fine, French mountain road clearing is pretty efficient.
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ianmacd, brian, In 15 years I've only had to drive the road twice when it was didgy due to snow. chains are a good idea though.
ianmacd, If thinking of GVA you will have to hire a car - no other real alternative, believe it or not it's further away than Turin. Car hire at all airports if you book in advance. However only GRN is really practical for onward public transport. I may be able to pick up from either GRN or CHM but it would cost you. (not as much as a taxi, but ..)
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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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easiski, thanks for the kind offer. I have just this minute booked to fly to Geneva direct from Edinburgh. We will hire a car and that will be part of the adventure. We are waiting for confirmation from the hotel. Do you know if there is parking there?
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ianmacd, good idea, but do hire from the Swiss side at Geneva. It's easier, and you usually have chains included in the package, as well as the Swiss motorway vignette.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Flights to Geneva, and B&B at Souleil d'Or booked. Thanks to all for advice. Just hope that there will be some snow now.
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ianmacd, You probably don't need to hear this right now but guests have informed us Flyglobespan have changed the Chambery destination to Grenoble. This would have been ideal for you. At least you have it for future reference.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks but fortunately/unfortunately Flyglobespan didn't fit with our dates, which were pretty inflexible.
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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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ianmacd, you could do what we used to do when we used to ski there over the summer.. sleeper/cheap flight to London then Euro Star followed by TGV to Grenoble then a bus.. sounds like a faff but was actually wicked fun... the looks you used to get walking round the Parisian underground with your ski gear in the summer were priceless 
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Poster: A snowHead
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why not get the ferry from Rosyth; flights from Scotland are far more expensive than England,much cheaper to drive this year with increased airfares and inflated ski carriage costs,i have booked 2 weeks 4 star self catering accomadation with eurotunnel for easter for £497 in la Norma ,i coundnt even book flights for that price out of scotland !!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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flights from Scotland are far more expensive than England
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Well, it is a lot further! Awful long way to drive for a week, though OK for 2 weeks.
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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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Sorry especially to easiski, for being so late in posting this. Things have been hectic since we returned.
We had a superb time in Deux Alpes the week before Christmas. We flew from edinbugh to Geneva on Easyjet and then hired a car. The drive was pretty straightforward to Grenoble but by this time it was getting dark. As many will know the road to L2A from the dam is quite winding and we took it in pretty dense fog which led to Laura spending the next couple of days worrying about what it was going to be like on the way back. I assured her that it would be fine because it was during the day.
We stayed in the Souleil d'Or which was perfect and the food was great the night that we ate there.
We had lessons with Charlotte almost every day and I think that we both improved a great deal. I'll find out when I try skiing in Verbier on Sunday. I can only repeat what so many others have said about Charlottes lessons, she is patient and understanding and everything is pitched just right.
There was thread previously about what you had taken from snowHeads and for me now it's a lot, boots from the first boot clinic (2.5 sizes smaller than previous boots naturally), going to Warren Smith courses, a ski test and now lessons with Charlotte. It is a fantastic resource and thanks to everyone for their helpful advice. It was good to meet paulmck and other s in L2A and I hope to go back sometime. Sometime I'll make it to a bash I hope.
For anyone that has made it this far the journey back down was apparently worse because you could see over the side/where we were going and if "we go back we won't be driving".
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ianmacd, Next time, take the short cut that the Sat Nav tries to send you down  .
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brian
brian
Guest
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ianmacd, if that's what she thought of the L2A road, don't ever take her to the Val d'Anniviers !! 
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brian, funnily enough it is on my (admittedly long) list of places I'd like to visit. Guess we'll be taking public transport or something. 
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