 Poster: A snowHead
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All
Have booked flights to Geneva for a long weekend in January. Was originally planning on hiring a car, but am beginning to think that a train or bus would be a better/safer bet.
I change my mind every hour or so about which resort i would prefer to go to. At the moment, I'm looking at Villars, Les Contamines and Les Gets.
Some questions, if anyone would be so kind...
1. Hiring a car is quicker (and often cheaper) than getting to a resort by bus or train. However, how easy is it to actually drive to a ski resort? Will the car come with snow tyres? Will the roads to main resorts be clear enough for me to drive easily on them?
2. How easy is it to park a car in a ski resort?
I had more questions when i started typing this, but in true goldfish style, i have now forgotten.
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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magic_hat, it does depend a bit on where you are going, but for a long weekend you don't have much time to dilly dally. Hire a car on the SWISS side of Geneva airport and it should have snow tyres. You must also have chains, ask when you book, they generally will have both though you need to check. Driving to either Les Contamines or Les Gets will give you no problem at all. I don't know about Villars, but someone will. It isn't always easy to park, but in January (except the first few days) it won't be busy, and you'll have no problem. You'll probably have to pay, but in Les Gets, for example, there's central covered parking - of which you'll be grateful if the weather is bad; digging cars out of snowdrifts is not a lot of fun.
You really will not have any problems - so much easier to chuck it all in the car at the airport, and go. Buses are not too frequent, and quite expensive, to the French resorts. Trains are hopeless. Switzerland is a different kettle of chocolate fish altogether, with good train services, including to Villars, I believe - someone will be along soon to tell you about them.
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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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magic_hat, driving to les contamines is easy all motorway(tolls cost about 5 euros each way can use cash or credit card) good ordinary road the last eight miles which is kept snow free, except immediately after a heavy snowstorm.It takes about an hour and a half, parking is free and depending on where you are staying the car could be usefull. Good tip to remember on your way back fill the car up at bonneville services although they are some way out of geneva they are the last convenient services and the fuel gauge will still read full when you return the car! If you want detailed directions pm me.
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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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magic_hat, from Geneva, if going to a swiss resort (like Villars) go by train - if a French resort (Les Gets or Les Contanimines) go by car.
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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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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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Once again, snowheads have done themselves proud.
Thanks to everyone who responded and offered advice and comments.
Much appreciated.
At the moment I'm leaning towards Les Contamines with a car hire.
If the snow is poor, or finding accomodation is a mare, I'm planning on a switch to Villars by train.
Never done a ski weekend before and have been quite worried about all the things that could go wrong (delayed flights, poor weather) and also that they work out as expensive as a weeks skiing! But i'm starting to feel better about it all!
The only thing that can possibly go wrong now (i think) is BMI Baby failing to take my new skis on the flight!
NOTE TO ALL SNOWHEADS - DON'T BOOK WITH BMI BABY!!!!!
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magic_hat, why shouldnt we book with bmi baby?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Roger C, There was a thread of mine in "the piste" about it.
Basically, BMI Baby have the following t&c's in their small print...
1. SKi carriage is £40 extra, payable at the airport.
2. Your skis may or may not be loaded onto the plane depending on the weight of other luggage. If your skis are NOT loaded on to the plane, you will be notified when you land at the other end.
3. If your skis are not flown out with you, you do not get a refund. Your skis are flown out on the "next available flight" that has luggage space free. This could be the next day, 2 days later or a week later, you have no say in this.
4. If your skis are flown out AFTER your return from your skiing trip, BMI BABY will not repatriate your skis - i.e. you will have to book a flight to fly back out to collect them and check them back in to fly them home.
In short, taking skis out with BMI Baby is virtually a no go. There's a good chance that they won't get flown out with you. Then they might arrive at the airport in the next few days meaning that you have to arrange to get back to the airport to collect them (not always easy). Or they arrive after you've already come home and sit in the airport until you can get back out to collect them.
Utterly ridiculous.
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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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magic_hat, the charge is steep, but aren't those similar bits of small print to other carriers - I don't carry skis on planes these days, but I remember warnings about "maybe your skis won't be there when you arrive" from the days when I did. I don't think there's a "good chance" that they won't get flown out with you. The possibility is probably pretty remote, but they cover themselves against it.
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magic_hat, I hope here's another reason why you were up at 4am, other than worrying about whether your skis will arrive when you do? 
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, The t&cs of the other carriers are not quite as bad. They budget carriers all seem to cover themselves with the "skis might or might not be there" bit, but all of them apart from BMI Baby will fly your skis back to the UK at the end of it all. BMI Baby just leave them in Geneva until you fly back out to get them!
I was up at 3:30 for the Ricky Hatton fight - it was meant to start at 4am but was 30 mins late, so i popped on the internet for 20 mins to pass some time!
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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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magic_hat, ah yes, the fight, I should have thought of that. Shame he lost.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Shame he lost, but lost to a champ at least. Saw interview on "sky" with fans that watched fight from pub. At about 5am they were "tired and emotional" trying not to slur words was a classic.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Mayweather was brilliant. Took his time, weathered everything hatton could thrown at him and then destroyed Hatton in a flurry of shots. Hatton did well to push Mayweather as far as he did.
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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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dont ever ever ever hire a car at the french side if you flight lands late in the day at teh swiss side - we arrived late due to flight delays to find customs was closed and we couldnt get through to collect our car. we had my parents (non skiers ) and my 3yr old with me and it was after 11pm. it was a bloody nightmare. luckily we had a formule1 booked in france and intended picking the car up from french side and driving 10 miles to the hotel in france. we nearly got arrested as i was shouting so much at the car hire desk in switz(nothing to do with us you hired the car in france !!!!) aaaaaaaargh. we had to get a taxi to the hotel and then i had to get a taxi back in the morning to collect the car - not ideal with young kids and grandparents !!!
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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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Which is why I think you shouldn't hire from French side at all. It is simply so convenient to go to the Swiss desks, they are easy to find, and the car pick up is a short walk and lift ride away.
Just sorted my hire for our March trip. Booked through Opodo this time as they were the cheapest. 7 days hire of small estate for £127. Pick up from Hertz.
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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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magic_hat, i think you've got the message - BOOK CAR ON SWISS SIDE!!!
Easy to Chamonix from Geneva - 1.5 hours-ish - normally parking provided at all chalets etc.
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brian
brian
Guest
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Well, just to buck the trend, I think it's always worth checking the prices from both. A couple of times I've saved over £100, although admittedly that was on long rentals of 10 days and 2 weeks. It's a bit more difficult the first time but it's hardly rocket science !
I do generally use the Swiss side, especially in winter where the vignette plus snow chains tends to erode the price difference anyway. Actually I think the Swiss side has relatively been getting cheaper over the last couple of years as well.
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I flew to Geneva for the first time in the summer. We usually go via Grenoble. Being logical, as I was going to our apartment in Bourg St Maurice, I hired on the French side - wrong! The directions Avis gave me took me straight into Geneva and despite the Avis desk's map I got totally lost (for over an hour). Surprisingly Geneva isn't covered in signs telling you how to go straight through it into France, they prefer you to stay even if you are lost.
When we got home a clever friend suggested I would have been better going from the Swiss side as he had previously made the same mistake (i'm sure it was him who told me to go French though)
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In my experience you CAN get through to the French side even if you arrive in GVA international late - you have to ring a bell and wait though, and it's not too clearly signposted. However when I've done that it's been to pick up my own car, parked on the French side because the Swiss side was full - the car hire desks on the French side don't keep such long hours as the international side and it's vital to check this when booking. It is tricky to navigate in and out of the French side by road, even with a good map, because it's so illogical and not signposted AT ALL - you need either to know how (read Snowheads!) or ask locally, which I did the first time, when I was already in Geneva city centre by mistake, only to have two locals arguing which way to send me. I could understand one of them more easily than the other, so I went his way! But I agree that the price differentials seem to be eroding, and that the Swiss side is infinitely preferable from the convenience point of view. The French car hire desks are getting the message - last time one of my visitors hired from there they were given quite sensible map and directions.
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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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Done this many times......
Two tips.
1. Swiss side ALWAYS
2. Don't hire from your carrier's preferred hire company as everyone else on the flight will be in the queue whilst the hire desk next door is empty.
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Cheers for all the advice people.
Have got myself car hire sorted - from the SWISS SIDE!
£65 for 4 days, so i think that's an OK price, seriously cheaper than the trains or buses, so i'm happy with that.
Thanks to everyone who responded, and thanks for the advice re: the swiss side v french side. Didn't know this in advance and may have been in danger of making a bad mistake!
Faffing around is ok if you got time to spare, but if you're only there for a long weekend, you want as little faff as possible in order to maximise your slope time!
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FAQ
