 Poster: A snowHead
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I can definitely recommend Ben's Bus for transfers from Grenoble Airport to Alpe D'Huez and Les Deux Alpes. This year they are operating Sundays as well as Saturdays. Very reasonably priced at £35 return. I used them last Easter when I arrived on a late flight and the local bus service (which is very cheap but can be slow and the timetable is not very flexible) had finished. Very happy with them.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Colin B, pity they are not running for psb,mondial
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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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Colin B, I was disappointed to find Ben wasn't a skibum based in either resort with a minibus - that would have been even more useful. If you're arriving at the weekend I think it works quite well. Price is reasonable too. 
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easiski, He uses a local bus company but he is locally based I think, at least he gave me a french mobile number. All the guys organising the buses at the airport were a variety of English speaking (English, Irish and Antipodean from what I remember) skibums. Good luck to them it's a good service at a resonable price. Most places it would be a complete steal but there the local buses are just sooo cheap (but not always that convenient).
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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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Colin B, the local buses are a little inconvenient, but good, cheap, reliable, and almost certainly with appropriately qualified drivers. Your talk of skibums makes me wonder if the same can be said for Ben.
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achilles, I've no complaints about the local buses 150 miles return for £15 is an absolute bargain. There are times though when you can arrive too late for the last one or perhaps want to get there quicker than the sometimes quirky connections allow. Bens Bus uses a Bourg D'Oisans bus company to supply the buses and drivers so no problems there. The guys checking passengers off etc are the skibum types. I used both last year with no problems and I'm sure will do so again although next year I'm driving so will use neither.
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Colin B, OK, thanks.
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last time I tried to use Bens Bus it seemed to only be internet booking in advance. Has this changed?? Personally I try to get an early arrival flight so that I have options to get to the resorts
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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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rayscoops, As I understand it the guy saw an opening and organised something! Good on him. I don't think he lives permanently in the area though. You do have to book in advance 'cos he has to book the bus - he's just the middleman, but it works!
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i wish i could organise this properly and sit down with easyjet and ryan air and neilson crystal etc
grenobles could easily service all french alps, yes it is not as convenient as geneva for resorts such as chamonix or avoriaz but still it is only 190 km to avoriaz in a cach that cannot be longer than 4 hours
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| plectrum wrote: |
i wish i could organise this properly and sit down with easyjet and ryan air and neilson crystal etc
grenobles could easily service all french alps, yes it is not as convenient as geneva for resorts such as chamonix or avoriaz but still it is only 190 km to avoriaz in a coach that cannot be longer than 4 hours |
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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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plectrum, I struggle to understand why a daily service to atleast ADH and LDA is not available at some time during the day.
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rayscoops, Well - it is - it's called the VFD!  It just doesn't go directly. As yet, not enough people are flying in the week at the same time to make it worthwhile. I actually think that on the whole the local buses do a good job. Little Tiger was told at the bus station, that if you speak to the driver of the airport bus he can ring into the bus station and they will hold the bus up the valley for you if it's not much time difference. Hers was 10 mins too late for the connection.
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You know it makes sense.
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easiski, I meant direct service from the airport, the current local bus does a good job, yes, but I amazed that a more regular service (private or public) that heads straight to the mountains has not been set up, it always seems such a shame (depending on flight times) to get in to Grenoble to have to sit around for an hour or two waiting for a connecting bus to the mountains, especially as the Osians region is so specific to Grenoble airport. Just an observation not a criticism
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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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rayscoops,
There is a good business opportunity btu it needs alot of coordination with Easy Jet / Ryan Air and the various package holiday companies. It doesn't really matter if the coach journey is 4-5 hours as no one ski's first day anyway so as long as you cna get people into the resort by tea time then everyone is happy
I think you need 4/5 bus routes that spread out and hit all the french major resorts. I think you need about 2 or 3 buses for each route
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Poster: A snowHead
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I have a booking for my apartment wanting transfers to Serre Chevalier from Grenoble, a bus from the airport would be a great idea.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| plectrum wrote: |
| rayscoops....... It doesn't really matter if the coach journey is 4-5 hours .... |
I loathe long transfers. I go to Grenoble because it reduces them when I go to LDA.
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| .....as no one ski's first day anyway....... |
I have done so, and will do again whenever I sensibly can. It's one of the reasons I bought my own skis.
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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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I loathe them too, one of the reasons we hire a car.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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achilles,
When I say no-one I mean in the majority. I also now try to ski first day and last day also. I again understand your erk visa Transfer times but in all seriousness many resorts when combining with cheap flight prices end up taking plenty of time in transfers.
Last year we Zurich'd to St Anton, which was easy but still around 3 hours + flight. The year before Zurich to Klosters again which was certainly a few hours on the train. Saying all this Swiss trains are cool, fast and quiet.
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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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doesn't Lyon have direct buses to resorts?
Flying to Grenoble saves you about 20-30mins driving (assuming clear roads) so maybe there isn't that much benefit if you're relying on public transport
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Arno, never flown to Lyon but if they have i would prefer that, when you say resorts does that include Osian resorts??
forgot to mention the 'local' service to LDA is 10.50 Euros one way, cheap as chips
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Arno, not bad Euro 43 return Lyon - L2A,
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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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Lyon have transfers to Serre Chevalier too, good to know for future guests.
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Helen Beaumont, seriousl sounds as if Lyon may be the preferential airport for Osians and heading to Serre Cevalier too
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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rayscoops, apart from Turin being closest for Serre Che, and I don't think there is a direct coach transfer from there either. Need to update the website i think. Not so many flights to Lyon though.
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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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Helen Beaumont, have you ever tried marseille for serre che? you can do a day trip to briancon by train from st charles station - was just wondering whether it made sense for further up the valley
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Arno, no, as we don't have any flights to Marseille. As it is only 20 minutes further to Monetier, it would be OK. there's a shuttle bus from Marseille airport on Saturdays in winter.
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You know it makes sense.
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Helen Beaumont, I think it is not so much the closeness of the airport but the overall ease of flight and transfer combined, and the direct transfer makes all the difference for me and in my mind flying to Lyon now brings Serre Chev a little closer/easier to get to
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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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from experience as i do transfers.
do not fly to grenoble or lyon to go to serre che unless you are prepared to have a 13 hour transfer if the cols are closed.
I know i've done one.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Arno, Satobus only runs in season. It's only a local bus at the end of the day - it's not direct as we know it - Fine - works OK, but Ben's is more convenient from Grn I think.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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snowangel., Turin is by far the better option, but we don't all have the luxury of choice.
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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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easiski, if only the flights to GNB fitted with my schedule 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hello, I am the eponymous Ben's Bus, as mentioned above. We now run transfers from Grenoble Airport to LDA and ADH every day of the week, so easy peasy now. £39.90 for Saturdays but surcharges apply on days other than Saturdays. Early bookers get early bookers discounts! GNB deifnately best airport for LDA and ADH but Turin is better for Serre Che because the pass between Grenoble And Briancon is often closed in winter. If you're in a big group and need our service, send me an email ben@bensbus.co.uk and I'll sort out a special snowheads discount. 
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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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A shame you can't do a bus from Turin then. As we drive to Serre Che I cross the Lauteret about 6 times each winter, in 3 winters we have perhaps been lucky, but have only used the Frejus tunnel twice.
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Welcome to SH Ben! Any suggestions for linking up if travelling by train? I am getting fed up with airports but haven't yet investigated the practicalities of rail
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Butterfly,
TGV to Grenoble is fast and direct from Paris...under 4 hrs IME...
The local post bus was 15.90 eu from LG last year but stops around 1730 from GareD Grenoble.
I think I still have 08's timetable.
So unless you can get out of Paris by 1300..which is pushing it, IMV, if you are travelling from the UK, you'll struggle to make the last orders post bus..
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JT, thanks. Will be investigating all avenues, inc car hire, but interested in what bus options exist. Probably getting down to the south of the UK will be the hardest & dearest bit 
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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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Butterfly, if car hire is an option, Lyon and Valence may be worth a look. they add a bit (but not a huge bit) to the transfer but there are more and faster TGVs
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FAQ
