 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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hedley, have you tried the Holiday Autos discount code for your car hire. £240 for a Golf sized car sounds a bit expensive.
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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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hedley, travelled to Wengen from Geneva using the Swiss rail transfer. It was about £50-£60 each for the train ticket . A pain changing trains,but we had to do it three times. Plenty of room for your ski bags at each end of the carriage. No problem to get to the station from the airport.
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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 transfer ticket this year is about £75 from the Swiss Travel Service which they sell online. Dont forget to take some 2 sfr or 2 Euro coins for the luggage trolleys which you will need to take your gear from the airport to the station and to change platforms at any train changes.
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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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hedley, The Swiss Transfer ticket will take you all the way to Val-d'Illiez. Change at Aigle and get on the cog railway to Champery. Val d'Illiez is the stop before and there is a bus which runs from Val d'Illiez to Le Croset as well as the taxi option. Bus runs right from the station.
I stayed at Val d'Illiez with my son over the New Year and did this very journey using the Swiss Rail Transer ticket but as my son is 16 it was two Transfer tickets. You can get your tickets from here :-
www.swisspasses.com
The station in Geneva is right below the airport and you need a coin for the luggage trolleys (1 euro or 2 Swiss Frans I think) but a 2 pence peice works just as well. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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the transfer ticket can be very good value although it may be a wash for a relatively short journey like yours
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rob@rar, I know it does but I challenge anyone to found a golf sized car from 27dec -03 jan for less. Car hire seems more expensive this year due to companies not renewing their fleets and a general scarcity of cars.?
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hedley, There will be no problem with getting your luggage on the train, we had masses of space for luggage storage. One important tip. There is no restaurant car on the train from Geneva to Aigle but there is a shop near the station where you can get sandwiches etc and another shop selling wines and beer etc.
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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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hedley, some people in Portugal and Spain this summer have been unable to find cars to hire at all.
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| hedley wrote: |
| rob@rar, I know it does but I challenge anyone to found a golf sized car from 27dec -03 jan for less. Car hire seems more expensive this year due to companies not renewing their fleets and a general scarcity of cars.? |
Looks like your going at exactly the same time as us last New Year. Hope you get as good snow conditions. We had a big dump last year on New Years eve and woke up to sunshine and fresh powder on New Years day. An added bonus was the lack of people on the slope, they must have all had hangovers.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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geepee, I know I love skiing on New Years Day.
Last year i did two things Ive never managed before.
1st on the lift, railroad tracks on the corduroy to get to the first lines in the 10 inches of powder that fell on New Years Eve. Sweet.
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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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hedley, Transfer ticket is €80 used it last week. Brilliant, easy and efficient. It allows you a trip between your point of entry in Switzerland to any station on the network and return within one month. Trains are well Swiss efficient clean and comfortable easy to use and on time.
Not sure about that particular journey mine was Zurich to Saas Fee. Check the time table or just email the SCF helpdesk with your flight arrival etc and they will give you the most direct route and train to your destination
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Helen Beaumont, I know ive just got back from Portugal ,but fortunately managed to get a vw polo for £187 for 12 days hire as i,d booked in advance  .Friends that didnt book in advance really struggled to find anything at all and when they did it was very expensive.
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You know it makes sense.
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Used Swiss transfer several times. Its great and so punctual it amazes me every time- if only our rail system was the same! Would always use in preference to car hire. Not used the service but I believe its possible to check your luggage in and then have it collected and transfered for you .
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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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I've booked train tickets from GVA to Sierre & it was cheaper just to buy a return ticket from www.sbb.ch.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| hedley wrote: |
| .......I normally hire a car which I reckon must be at least VW Golf sized to swallow all our gear at a push...... |
So your missus & kids are midgets then  . I'm struggling with four adults & all our kit in a Passatt Estate.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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hedley, Another vote for the train - we did Zurich to Zermatt last winter and it was a real pleasure!
Go to the thermal baths one evening in Val d'Illiez for something different as well
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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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| hedley wrote: |
| spyderjon.....maybe you ought to take some skis with less than 120 underfoot..... |
Maybe you oughta man up!
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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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hedley, have been doing an annual trip with 20 or so of us, and no luggage problem on the train, we do Geneva or Zurich to Davos or Gstaad, and do two or three changes, never a problem, trains run on time and the Swiss railway site will tell you what platforms to go to for each change. ssnowman, has the link above
If your flying with Swiss you can check your bags all they way through to your hotel, we have used it a few times and its been OK, only once did we arrive before our bags and had to kick around for a few hours and miss some skiing, haven't used it on the way back as you need to drop the luggage off quite early at the station.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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billyh, on our return from Wengen, one of the trains was indeed late. A 15 minute connection time turned into a mad dash and hurling the skis and baggae onto the train as the doors were closing. hedley, a Golf Estate was a very tight squeeze for the family Beaumont when kids were 13 and 14, never mid the hatch, we had to put one seat down, and wedge myself in the back seat, while taller son sat in the front. Astra Estate is more like it. You will need a ski rack.
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I get a 188 pound quote for a megane-or-similar through travelsupermarket.com for a week hire from Geneva sometime in february...
Transfer ticket seems to be 127 CHF for an adult.
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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 Swiss France was 2.08 v 1.77 to the fabulaous pound this time last year so even with stable Swiss prices for ultimate cost for godforsaken people with sterling to spend will have risen by 15% 
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transfer ticket went upa load last season, but still worth it, but only for longer transfers, it may be cheaper to get a return for some journeys, so worth checking on the sbb website aswell.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My other suggestions are:
Arrange a "sharing list" with other snowheads- Then lease a car for the season and park it at Geneva P1 (if used every week this would havlve the car hire cost)
Try searching car hire companies using GGV as the airport code - This is the French side of Geneva airport but desks usually close at 22:00 -an hour earlier than the CH side and you may have to wait for the border guards to open the door into France sometimes!
Drive: Ferry, tolls, fuel should work out approx £400 (38mpg)/£500(27mpg) at the moment which for 4 people looks prtetty good and no tedious transfers 
Lastly -My own solution - I keep an old, but fully serviced Rav4 in Geneva which I have occasionally "lent" to friends - this costs around £1,500 or so p.a. which is more than the car is worth now!
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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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96 CHF x 4 is more or less the cost of car hire and you have to be your own sherpa
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You know it makes sense.
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Jivebaby, Looks like your starting another which side is cheaper to hire from in Geneva, don't forget the cost of chains (snowpack), on the Swiss side the car will have winter tyres. I would take the train, have a coffee or something else on route chill out while someone else drives
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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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My son used one last week from Geneva to Saas Fee to attend a coaching course - it also includes the final stage on the bus.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| hedley, have you tried the Holiday Autos discount code for your car hire. £240 for a Golf sized car sounds a bit expensive. |
Christmas / New Year car hire seems particularly expensive this year for some reason. We paid £500 for a Focus for two weeks - which is about the most we've ever paid.
I'm the king of booking in advance and prices were high when I booked the flights, so I decided to wait. They don't seem to have come down in price and I've finally cracked and booked yesterday.
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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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hedley,
I use the transfer system, walk out the airport and straight to the train station under full cover. It`s soooo simple. Trains generally run minute perfect timing and are very comfortable. Enjoy.
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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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hedley,
Have used the train several times, last one was Zurich to St Anton with my 13 year old son. I thought it was superb and was only 90chf for me return and my son travelled free. You have to go almost to the end of the booking process to get the price but you get it before you give your card details.Be sure to compare the price of the return standard fare with the Swiss transfer ticket as the Swiss err on their side big time.
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FAQ
on this one.
Its only 1hr 20 ish weather permitting to Les Crosets from Geneva.
and bookings for December arent available yet.
My neighbours got a golf so maybe I,ll have to have a dryrun first.
