 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks for the heads-up stanton. About time too! If they do try to compete with the airlines it might finally tempt me to use the train more than the plane for trips to the Alps.
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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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If it works and is cheaper then great, Upto now prices on the train have been too expensive but now flights are going up plus the hassle you get at the airport....
I doubt if the cost will go down just that there will no longer be such a difference. All we need now is for the ferries to kick in and we can say adios to flying. That might promote a price war....!!
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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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The train to the Alps will become a possibility once the new Eurostar terminal is opened, as it will reduce the journey time. Plan it right and I could overnight to Briancon too.
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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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Up to now, airlines have had one big advantage over railway companies when they operate on international routes.
They sell you a ticket all the way to your destination - even if you have to change planes. |
Big time hassle at the moment. I gave up booking Ashford to Salzburg myself, and gave the job to a travel agent. Not only are the tickets expensive, you have to wait for tickets in the post, rather than have a reference number as with modern plane booking. About time the railways got their their act together.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Last year I booked the train to get to Ruhpolding in Germany - (from Munich airport) and I printed the ticket myself. Better still when I lost the ticket I printed a replacement in Ruhpolding. Why can't you do that with british train companies?
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Its new & Im sure they will go head to head with the airlines on schedules & prices.
Just think of all the hassle it will take out of flying especially like hauling your bags around & many stations in the Alps are very nearby resorts in France,Switzerland & Austria.
I have taken the train many times from Amsterdam to St Anton & its so much more relaxing than hauling ass & checking in at Schiphol flying down to Switzerland then catching the train etc. Delays are less likely by train .
Bring it on !
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Thanks for posting this - sounds like an excellent scheme and I hope they start to fully compete with airline prices too.
When tranfers to and from airports, hassle, delays and all the security hassles (and worries) are taken into account it's often not so fast or easy a way to travel and add to this the greener credentials of rail travel and they could be on to a winner.
Seems to me that governments and the EU might recognise the latter and give tax breaks/incentives for railways too, then we'd really be talking about a very, very tempting alternative.
Bring it on 
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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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roga, but how much spare capacity do the railways have? What proportion of air passengers could they absorb?
Whatever the form of travel (other than my own car), I hate carting all the luggage around. I'm seriously considering sending luggage on ahead next year. Anyone done it?
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laundryman, I've decided the only solution to the luggage problem is to buy a place out there and keep all the skis, boots etc there.
Of course the only drawback is I don't have the money 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| laundryman wrote: |
roga, but how much spare capacity do the railways have? What proportion of air passengers could they absorb?
Whatever the form of travel (other than my own car), I hate carting all the luggage around. I'm seriously considering sending luggage on ahead next year. Anyone done it? |
Hire a few Swiss to run the railway? 
Within Switzerland, you can send your luggage ahead by simply dropping it off at the rail station the night before and pick it up at the destination station when you get there.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Tue 3-07-07 16:27; edited 1 time in total
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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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Boris, I have considered starting a ski storage service if I ever moved out to the Alps permanently. I don't have the money to start the business though.
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Helen Beaumont, I wonder how much that would cost - a decent size warehouse in Chambery or ALbertville should do the trick?
Hmm thinks...... how much would I be prepared to pay for this, starts writing business plan for bank
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Helen Beaumont, hhhmmmmmmmm. . . . . Great minds or nutters think alike. I did an exploratory business plan for just this but it wouldn't work without a depot in each resort. the vagaries of trying to get a lot of large packages to individual addresses within a thousand resorts all at the same time (pretty much) would not be possible. But if there were a drop-off/pick-up point it would work with the advantage of servicing between trips and simple logistics.
Oddly, as  has grown, doing this as a Co-Op is becoming a viable enterprise.
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Poster: A snowHead
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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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boredsurfin,
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some snowHeads invite you to ski at Milton Keynes and then you realise ALL your ski gear is in France
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We knew that. That's why we organised it. 
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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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boredsurfin, If I could afford a house in France - I could afford multiple sets of ski gear!
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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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boredsurfin, that is why I brought my old ski boots home, so i could use them at Castleford. Masque, you could have pick-up/drop-off points near aiports, or in the valley towns, such as Bourg St Maurice, Moutiers, Turin, etc. Smaller tour ops may also be interested, but the larger ones who own airlines would lose out financially of course. First season would only be drop-offs, but there would need to be a system of transfer between drop-offs for guests the following year.
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Helen Beaumont, doh! I think I have got some old boots in the loft, I must check 
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| laundryman wrote: |
| roga, but how much spare capacity do the railways have? What proportion of air passengers could they absorb? |
I dunno, the same question could be asked of airports - they expand so I guess it's not exactly rocket science for the railways to do the same if capacity is a problem - at least in Europe where they haven't the ridiculous mess of privatisation to cope with.
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| Whatever the form of travel (other than my own car), I hate carting all the luggage around. I'm seriously considering sending luggage on ahead next year. Anyone done it? |
Car and rail don't involve all the security checks etc though.
From my POV if there's a reasonably priced alternative I'll take it and if it's greener all the better.
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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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The Ski Club have a link to a firm that will transfer your luggage. I think they pick it up from your home and deliver it to the hotel the day before you and then return it to your home a couple of days after you. I priced it up for my next trip to Zermatt in January. 1 pair skis, 1 pair boots and 1 case, return. It came to a staggering £600 which is about the same as my weeks B&B plus skipass. I think I'll struggle with carrying my own thank you very much.
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Colin B, that's dissapointing! Zermatt is where I was thinking too.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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laundryman, I'm going to have to make a choice - the luggage or me I think  There must be cheaper options I'm sure.
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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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Colin B, I recall a mate telling me he sends his gear by courier and the price is about the same as the airline charge for ski equipment
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rayscoops, I think this servce with First Luggage is a Rolls Royce service. I really only priced it up out of interest. I shall struggle along with my stuff anyway.
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You know it makes sense.
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Colin B, I've priced up using a couple of other sites today and got very similar results. I feel sure that someone here recommended a couple of places to me a few months ago that were a bit cheaper - but I've not been able to turn it up via the search function.
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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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| Colin B wrote: |
| The Ski Club have a link to a firm that will transfer your luggage. I think they pick it up from your home and deliver it to the hotel the day before you and then return it to your home a couple of days after you. I priced it up for my next trip to Zermatt in January. 1 pair skis, 1 pair boots and 1 case, return. It came to a staggering £600 which is about the same as my weeks B&B plus skipass. I think I'll struggle with carrying my own thank you very much. |
Whats the point . You may as well just go out there with no luggage & buy what you need there, jeans, t shirt etc and then dump it in the trash before you come home
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FAQ
