 Poster: A snowHead
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I was looking over the weekend at the trains to the Alps. I was planning getting Eurostar to Paris and then another train down to Aime or Moutiers. The plan was to get the train from St Pancras to Paris around 10am Sat or Sun arriving early evening in resort. However, when I went to the SNCF (SCNF?) website it seems that you cant book trains for March yet. Evidently they can only be booked 3/4 months in advance. WHY? This is so frustrating.
We really wish to try the train, for interest and green reasons, but until we have our travel sorted we don't want to book accomodation. By the time the train is available to book all the good accomodation will be gone!
This is even more frustrating because we can get bargain flights from our local airport available to book now!
Can anyone please explain why and the best solution to booking the train?
Many 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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Why I don't know, but if you book the day the tickets become available you can get the small number they offer half price. The main problem with that is that the return journey is the relevant date and during French holidays that extra week may be enough to have the cheap tickets on your going out day all to have been snapped up - as happened to me 2 years ago.
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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 could book the Eurostar straight from London to Moutiers like I have done, and not bother changing in Paris. I think they do a Saturday day time service but we have booked the train that leaves Friday evening and arrives in france saturday morning. worth a look...
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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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I did price up the direct Eurostar, but it was coming out at £300 + each. This seems very expensive when I can get a return flight for £70 incl taxes etc. Why is it more than 4 times the price? Is this the normal amount to expect to pay leaving 20 March (off peak)? The reason for the change at Paris was to try and reduce the price!
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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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Oh right, we are going in Jan and paying about £170 each return (4 of us travelling), I have no idea why its so expensive for you to go in March, not sure when easter is next year but that could be the reason for the price hike?
When pricing up our trip, flights were only about £20 each cheaper (when adding snowboard carriage etc) so we decided to try the train as none of us have done it before plus it means no lengthy and costly transfers.
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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 point of the change in Paris is to spend the night in couchettes rather than on a seat (the cost is not much different), and if you pay a bit more for first class it is 4 bunks per compartment instead of 6.
I remember the old Wagon Lits (Sp?) when I went skiing with my parents when I was small, with 2 proper made up beds per compartment and your own basin with hot and cold water. Not sure if that still exists (?)
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If Mr Branson could somehow manage to borrow one of his Glasgow sleepers and run it down to Bourg at the weekend then I would surely pay a hefty premium for the convenience of simply getting on at Warrington and off again at Moutiers.
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kyoto49, I was thinking of doing something similar to get to Grenoble. I think it is about 22nd of October the trains become bookable for that period - probably wrong...
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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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We were planning on going down during the day, so the couchettes is not the reason for the change. We are trying to get the price down from £300+ each!.
stoatsbrother, Thanks for the info, i'll check back on the website in October.
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kyoto49, going out overnight gives you 2 extra days skiing for the same number of nights in hotels, so it is cheaper per days skied.
However, as I explained above - if you book rail tickets when tickets first become available you will halve the cost. Unfortunately Eurostar and French railways make tickets available a different number of days before, so you have to remember twice.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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So how do you know when the tickets are first released? I was doing the same as kyoto49, trying to price up a trip by train, and hit the same problem (though I was looking at journeys in January).
Is there some info somewhere as to when SNCF or whoever it is release the tickets? 
Currently very confused...
Amy.
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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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snowball, Thanks I appreciate that info. I think the appeal of the day train was to have a little look at the french countryside, chat with the family etc. But I will inform them of the overnight option now I understand about the extra time skiing. Sorry for appearing a bit dim!
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Monium, if you go to the SNCF website all the details are there. I thought that it was only the discounted tickets, called PREM that were released 90 days before travel. PREM tickets are well worth booking, I've travelled from Lille to Bourg St Maurice for 19Euros. You can get tickets for daytime travel on the TGV they're just a bit more complex to work out, I've caught the Eurostar to Lille, TGV from Lille to Lyons, then regular service to Chambery and change there for BSM. It's only the sleeper service and the ski-train that go all the way trough to BSM.
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You know it makes sense.
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Yes, 90 days for the French ones, but 120 days for Eurostar.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Fri 25-09-09 15:37; edited 2 times in total
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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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OK Thanks, I've found out some helpful stuff. But, my question was why is it so clunky with the train. Even if I book straight through from London to resort it's either not available yet to book or ridiculously priced. I can book a very cheap flight, sometimes up to 11 months before, but definitely 6 months before, for a great price (£70 return incl), and they could probably tell me what dinner I would get and my seat number!
As it currently stands, if I wanted to book today the plane would be my only option? Why is the train not available to book earlier?
Frustrated of Stafford!
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Poster: A snowHead
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kyoto49, because the SNCF computer system is probably older than you are!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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kyoto49, train operators have to worry about the infrastructure between the stations, aircraft don't need infrastructure between airports - that is one of the reasons why in general you can't book rail journey's so far in advance (according to a bloke who works for ScotRail). The other is no doubt, if airlines weren't selling flights 11 months+ hence, they'd go bust !
snowball, the ScotRail Caledonian Sleepers are two beds per cabin (bunk) or one bed first class with wash basin and hot/cold water, similar idea to what you mention?
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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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| kyoto49 wrote: |
| Why is the train not available to book earlier? |
Why should we know? Ask Richard Brown, and come to that Anne Marie Idrac (who besides being a French government nebbie, is or was boss of SNCF).
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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 Winter timetable for the French trains is released on 14th October according to Rail Europe although this only solves the problem for those booking up until mid January. It is very annoying that the trains only release 3 months in advance, even more annoying because the Eurostar releases 5 months before, so you either book your Eurostar in the hope that the TGV will work, or leave the Eurostar and risk a higher price! Bain of my life, I already have two ski trips booked that I will be taking the train to, and I know I'm going to have kittens before all the trains are tickets are purchased.
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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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kyoto49, Like David L says, it's just the way SNCF do things. The PREM tickets are very limited, and normally made available at midnight on the relevant day 3 months before travelling, so you'll need to get in quickly.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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My last post (above) said 90 days for French railways and 120 for EUROSTAR, but the word Eurostar does not seem to print even though I put it in 3 times.
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The system has done it again. As soon as I put in the word starting with e for the train that goes from London to Paris it doesn't print and nothing else after does either.
And why is my signature suddenly larger letters and the second half doesn't show?
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OK, now my sig is back to normal for some reason. I'll try writing the problem word again: Eurostar. Will it print?
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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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No, that word and everything after has again disappeared from my post, and the sig has gone funny again.
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snowball, the whole forum seems screwy at the moment - but this thread in particular
[edit - I've pm'd admin since he seems online at the moment]
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Eurostar
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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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Ha - works for me - and the auto-linky thing has disappeared.
Lets try another
eosb
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Mr Surfing will be pleased 
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You know it makes sense.
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It seems like the thing which triggers all the oddness on this thread is use of the E name which cannot be named.
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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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Everything suddenly back to normal - including retrospectively! I'll tempt fate by writing that word again: Euostar
Edit: YES!!!!! 
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Fri 25-09-09 16:12; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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FAQ
