 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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Tickets up to 90 days in advance 
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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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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| Tickets up to 90 days in advance |
It's hopeless isn't it. When are the rail companies going to get their act together...?
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| Quote: |
| ...I don't seriously think they will be able to compete with our flight times from elsewhere in the country... |
Isn't that just called stating the obvious?
I'd need to leave at least 2 hours to have any hope of getting to the Eurostar terminal in good time of I was trusting a train to get me there, I can get to at least 5 different airports in the same sort of time.
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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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But FenlandSkier, that ignores all that wasted time with air travel.
Check in hours before the flight. Queue after queue after queue.
More queues when you land, and the blooming airport is miles out of town.
Gare du Nord is in the centre of Paris.
Bourg St Maurice is 8 minutes from Les Arcs. From Geneva its 3.5 hours.
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And there's the extra 2 days skiing that Training it gives you.
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Jonpim, door to door travel time using an airport is always going to win for me.
Leave home
2 hours arrive EMA
4 hours take off
5h30 land at GVA
9 hours arrive in LDA
I could have shortened that journey (next week for the PSB) as well by flying Stansted - Grenoble but they were less favourable flight times, there's also a slight delay at GVA built in to wait for someone else on a later flight.
I don't know how it would compare by train but I'm 2 hours from Kings Cross.
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It's starting to look a bit more like a viable option now,
Air: 2 hour drive to airport,1/2 hour to park,2 hour check in, Fuel+Parking costs, Ski baggage costs, Transfer (~4 hours)
Train: 2 mins walk, 3.5 hours to London, then Eurostar onwards, No Fuel costs, No Parking costs, No excess baggage costs,
Might have to give it more consideration in the future.
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brian
brian
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Jonpim, remember those of us in the non-elite get to use smaller airports.
My typical door to door time using taxi->EDI->GVA->hire car is a little under 7 hours. Be lucky to beat 24 by train from here I think !
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brian,
7 hours is very very good....!!! The best airports around here are Manston which used to do good places but is useless now and Southampton which is such a short checkin and car-park thing that if you can get a good deal to Chambery, you are laughing.
For me, the number one option is the train on both my trips so far. If I can get there for around £130 I'll use them.
But, if I have to go to London to do that, I am less interested. I'd get the local train fom here to Paris and then TGV south
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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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boredsurfin, I used Eurostar a couple of summers ago when travelling to L2A. Would highly recommend it for people living in the south. Not very practical for us heathens in the north though when you add on the extra sleeper or a flight down to Scumdon 
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I'm using the Train to get to LDA for the PSB.
Counting the recommended 1/2 hour check-in (which I usually allow 20mins for  ) my journey time to Grenoble should be pretty well exactly 8hrs. Including the bus ride up to LDA that makes it about 9hrs.
OK, so that doesn't include the time to get to the departure station (20 mins for me  ) but I've also allowed myself 1h45 for the 15minute transfer in Paris because the cost saving in picking those particular trains will pay for lunch (and dinner too probably).
FenlandSkier, with your estimated 2hrs to Kings X and shaving an hr off the transfer in Paris, you're only looking at 1hr longer overall journey time. Actually, with the time saving when HS1 into St Pancras opens, that's another 20mins leeway.
I think that's worth it, for the substantially more pleasant journey.
I find, when I fly, that almost all the journey is spent in limbo, waiting somewhere I'd truly prefer not to be. The worst of the airport departure lounges have the ambience of an oversized dentist's waiting room while the best equipped of them are just badly thought-out shopping malls, with no heed paid to their attractiveness to the user and indeed why should they concern themselves with such frivolities, when they have a 'trapped consumer' - and that's how I feel when I'm there. This is accentuated, having suffered the ignomy of going through that ridiculous dance with security: the staff mostly remind me of the kids who had 'problems get on with people' in school (so that's where they ended up); removing shoes, putting toiletries into plastic bags or having them confiscated like schoolyard contraband and don't crack a joke now or you'll be strip searched. And everyone knows stories such as having the colgate 'siezed' while they let the penknife through  A pointless ritual humiliation of the client.
The planes themselves are packed as if transferring heffers to slaughter: yes we all get our 18" square space, although no-one over 4' 10 can fit into it comfortabley.
Oh I could go on...
While I would not exactly choose to spend my day riding trains, I find that the overall experience is that much less tense, that it is quite a pleasure relative to flying.
Rather 10 hours sleeping, chilling, chatting, watching DVD's or working than 8hrs being treated like livestock.
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You know it makes sense.
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abc, please don't wind up the peasants. Many of us are dreading our Eurostar journey after November 14.
When the station was Waterloo it was us Londoners and civilised gents from the stockbroker belt of Surrey, Sussex and Kent: Southerners.
Soon it will be St Pancras with lines up to Luton and beyond. There will be an invasion of ghastly chip butty people with ferrets and flat caps.
I just hope I'm safe in First Class. 
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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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Forget the move from Waterloo to St Pancreas.
My favourite fiasco is the opening of the Brand NEW Stratford International station that is completely unused and currently unconnected to stratford train station. It will sit forlorn in a field unused for several years. What politician or bureacrat took that decision.... 
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Poster: A snowHead
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skimottaret, it does seem daft:
| Wikipedia wrote: |
The intended purpose of this station was to act as a London stop for regional Eurostar trains. However this plan is "under review"[2] and it is unlikely that Eurostar trains will call at the station initially.
There was also an issue with planning permission as the station requires easy access from the regional Stratford station, before the station can become operational. It was later decided that the link would be made via a planned extension of the Docklands Light Railway, which is expected to be operational by 2010. A previously proposed travelator link was scrapped. As a consequence, Eurostar trains are not now expected to call at the station until 2010. |
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Jonpim, You don't want to be putting those ideas about.... we need a low cost there or a cartel will charge higher prices... And just because it is a different mode of transport don't think they don't all use each prices to set their own.
I'll be not flying as much as poss this year... for the sheer joy or travelling...pushing it,I know, I'd travel via train anyday. 2 hours on a plane and I am bored ***** so coupled with the waiting, delays, security, extras and seating, there is no-contest for me.
Let the plebs take the plane..
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brian
brian
Guest
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Went to London by train a couple of weeks ago, apart from the dreadful sandwich, it was a pleasant journey.
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I've just run a comparison to see what it would have cost me to do the PSB journey by train and apart from the Eurostar leg coming in at £400 at the moment (compared to currently £136 to fly) the biggest stumbling block is the total lack of a return train from London on Sunday.
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FenlandSkier, well that just goes to show, don't it.
Supply and demand, see?
Plane cheap coz no one wanna go that way.
Train expensive coz it is The Way To Go.
(If you book early enough the bit to Paris is £29.50, and the trip to the alps £26.00, making the return journey £111)
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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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Jonpim,  just goes to show that until the British railways start running at the weekends they'll be the single biggest object in the way of me using train travel.
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FenlandSkier, I make the price for Eurostar on PSB dates £144 using trains at sensible times.
Where are you getting £400 from? Are you looking at the Rileurope site by any chance?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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admin, Airline sights are simple to use. IMHO rail ones are shoite.
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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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Couldn't get any sense out of Raileurope so went to Eurostar.com instead. £144 sounds a lot better but I'd still need to add transfer costs the other end and would still be missing a return home from London.
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Of course, an integrated hi-speed network would make sense ...oh silly me...what am I thinking..!!
As it stands its catchment area is 1 hour fron London or thereabouts, I agree.
Drive to my place and it's 10 mins away...
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You know it makes sense.
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FenlandSkier, of course if the original plan for Statford had been allowed to fruition you would be more inclined to go by train.
As it is, I can see the fuss of a change in London rather ruins any of the advantages for you Northerners.
But you definitely have the price wrong.
● Rail Europe Snowtrain starts at £219 return. Weekends only. One night train.
● Eurostar Ski Train according to Rail Europe starts at £149 return, but I have never seen this fare. I have looked at most of the low season dates on the Eurostar site and the lowest price I could find was £179 for Jan 12-19. Weekends only. One night train, one day train.
● DIY Train-to-the-alps. Eurostar to Gare du Nord: cheapest 2nd class fare £29.50 (£59 return). Gare de Lyon or Gare Auserlitz to Bourg St Maurice: cheapest 2nd class fare £26 (£52 return). Making the whole journey £111 return. And you can go any day of the week, almost any time. Lots of trains.
Warning. The Rail Europe site is playing silly buggârs at the moment. You should be able to book up 3 months in advance, but the on-line facility only allows you to book up to 2 days before that. This means you will miss out on the cheapest tickets. Use the SNCF site instead.
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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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| Jonpim wrote: |
FenlandSkier, of course if the original plan for Statford had be allowed to fruition you would be more inclined to go by train.
As it is, I can see the fuss of a change in London rather ruins any of the advantages for you Northerners. |
The actual transfer itself shouldn't be a problem as I'd be arriving into Kings Cross after changing at Peterborough but the state of the British rail system being what it is I'd want to leave plenty of time for delays.
There was talk of a train via my local station to Stratford but not until the Olympics, and then no doubt it will get quietly dropped or run during summer only.
| Quote: |
But you definitely have the price wrong.
● Rail Europe Snowtrain starts at £219 return. Weekends only.
● Eurostar Ski Train according to Rail Europe starts at £149 return, but I have never seen this fare. I have looked at most of the low season dates on the Eurostar site and the lowest price I could find was £179 for Jan 12-19. Weekends only.
● DIY Train-to-the-alps. Eurostar to Gare du Nord: cheapest 2nd class fare £29.50 (£59 return). Gare de Lyon or Gare Auserlitz to Bourg St Maurice: cheapest 2nd class fare £26 (£52 return). Making the whole journey £111 return. And you can go any day of the week, almost any time.
Warning. The Rail Europe site is playing silly buggârs at the moment. You should be able to book up 3 months in advance, but the on-line facility only allows you to book up to 2 days before that. This means you will miss out on the cheapest tickets. Use the SNCF site instead. |
The price I got after trying several options, Rail Europe wouldn't give any choices, the one link from thetrainline.com was no use either and it took a bit of digging on Eurostar to get an actual number.
I'm used to just clicking onto Easyjet, stick in dates and see what prices come up - the faffing around involved in booking a (UK) train timed to link up with a (Eurostar) one when the tickets can only be booked on the 3rd Tuesday prior to a full moon in September is just mind boggling to me.
As I've said before, trains look a good idea in theory but in practice for me the overall journey has not been a realistic option.
Incidentally, using the train to get from home to EMA is a very good choice for me, except of course there's no trains running when I need to come home.
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Poster: A snowHead
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FenlandSkier, I'm afraid you got that wrong: its the 2nd Tuesday prior to the full moon, and only September in leap years.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I would recommend booking as much through the sncf website as possible; raileurope never seems to pick up the special fares available through sncf
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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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One option i have looked at is flights from provincial airports to Paris CDG and then train onwards. Problem is that the French sites seem as complex as ours. Easjet, holiday autos and Roberts yer Mothers brother.
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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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Frosty the Snowman, we've done this a few times. Fly Manchester to Paris CDG, then into centre of Paris, and overnight sleeper from Gare D'Austerlitz. It actually worked really well, but only because we were going to a resort in the southern alps almost 4 hours drive from the nearest airport (Turin), with no rail or coach transfer options, necessitating car hire.
If I'm going somewhere within a shortish transfer (say less than 1.5 hours) from an airport, then I would rather just fly straight there. The flight plus train option does feel a bit convaluted and is not always a better option. Also means you get the worst of both worlds, waiting in airports, plus trecking around Paris Metro with skis.
And train all the way is just not realistic from where I live (plus I happen to be 20 minutes from Manchester airport).
So I agree, plane plus car is my preference.
D
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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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Just found a great tip for that tricky transfer from Gare du Nord to Gare Austerlitz.
| Peter Wood wrote: |
| Upon arriving at the Gare Du Nord - don't get in the largest taxi queue in Europe! Walk across the road - have a coffee in a bar and ask them to get a taxi for you, far far quicker and refreshing too! |
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Excellent tip!
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