 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everybody;
It will be the first time for me to be in France and after I see Paris,
I will go Argentiere for my first Europen Ski experience(already excited about it) but I really want to be at the hotel(Ucpa) on time, I mean 8 Am.
And here is my question; For being at 8 Am at the Argentiere when shoud I take the train from Paris and then which road should follow? What is the closest main train station to the Argentiere and is there a website or is there anybody who knows the train times of this main station also from Paris to this main station. Even it is impossible to be in Agrentiere 8 am, I will try to be hotel at the evening and maybe will ask a couch for start skiing asap 
thanks
Halim
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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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hwwwest, you'd need to change trains for that journey, of course. 8 am is an unusual time to have to arrive at a hotel - is that what they've said?
It might be a good idea to ask the hostel themselves about a good way of getting there by train.
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tI won't be a problem for me to change the trains because I will have interrail globalPass ticket. Okey but when I try to search Paris to Argentiere trains and wait for more than 1 train ofcourse, but there is not a result for it and I don't know what is the main station close to the Argentiere which one should I write on website as I guess.
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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.
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I will check it, it seems useful thanks
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I'm pretty certain that there is an overnight train from paris to St Gervais. At St Gervais you change onto the local service to get to argentiere.
Not sure if it will get you there for eight, but it won't be much later.
iirc there is a bit of a walk from argentiere railway station to the ski lifts, but I don't know where the ucpa is, so it may be a bit less to there.
good luck.
david
ps I don't suppose a couchette is included in the interail ticket, but if you plan to ski the next day I would recommend the upgrade !!
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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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First of all UCPA's aren't really hotels. (Although one or two of them used to be) Argentierre isn't though - and there is no reason to aim to be there at 8am.
Either aim for Saturday evening or Sunday morning.
Be carefull which train station you go to though cos there are two called Argentiere and I was chatting to a French couple last year who went to the wrong one! What's even more funny is that they both worked for the SNCF! Think they ended up having to stop in a hotel overnight and arrived on Sunday morning!
The train stain is a stones throw from the UCPA. Although you may need to change at Chamonix
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mexicomark, The other Argentiere would be Argentiere La Besse. The train station is called Argentiere Les Ecrins, because funnily enough its on the edge of the Ecrins National Park.
The distance between the two is a long long way. Don't make that mistake. Argentiere Haute Savoie is the one you want, thats how SNCF Voyages differenciates between the two.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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hwwwest, 08:00, are you sure? Remember they have to get rid of last week's people and then clean the room for you arriving. I would have thought noon was more likely.
I hope you're going to post pictures of your Grand European Ski Experience. 
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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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hwwwest, any of the european rail sites should get you the correct route, I like www.sbb.ch and it doesn't show me anything getting you in that early. It may be that you need to be a wee bit clever about your route and actually take longer than the automated systems suggest.
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Lizzard, I believe the arrangements for the UCPA centres is that you can arrive (if your not staying Saturday night) at 8h00 sunday morning and you pick up your gear etc and get your rooms.
You leave the centre by 14h00 on Saturday, so they have Saturday afternoon and evening to clean etc.
Effectively there isn't a single change over day like most hotels/appartments.
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You know it makes sense.
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pendodave, there are 2 nigth trains from Paris-Austerlitz to St-Gervais-les-Bains-le-Fayet , they departuring around 22:00 - 23:00 but it takes 10 hours, it means double than normal time:)
mexicomark, Christopher, thanks for warnings.
Lizzard, I know morning would be busy but it is written on the paper, people can reserve one night earlier to be on time at morning with extra cost ofcourse so it means that I can be at hotel any time and I prefer to be at 8 Am but I think I can not venture the night train and I will pay extra night and will be at hotel one evening before. At least I can arrange my skis before morning 
Christopher, I agree with 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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hwwwest, Thats my plan aswell. To travel on the saturday and stay over night in the UCPA. Therefore I can get everything sorted as quick as possible on the sunday morning and essentially get skiing.
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Poster: A snowHead
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TGV to Annecy and change for Chamonix is the other option.
Use Chamonix as your search option.
The local trains are actually badged TER and the timetables are often separate from SNCF.
http://www.ter-sncf.com/
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Christopher, I see that we are together in this game I checked almost every train but I still don't know where is the Argentiere ucpa station exactly ?
Here is the map; does anybody know which color and between which numbers is that station ?
thanks
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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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Sorry for the long reference but the UCPA is shown on googlemaps
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Argenti%C3%A8re,+74400+Chamonix,+Haute-Savoie,+Rh%C3%B4ne-Alpes,+France&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=12.657515,32.036133&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FYqpvQId-rFpAA&split=0&hq=&hnear=Argenti%C3%A8re,+Chamonix,+Haute-Savoie,+Rh%C3%B4ne-Alpes,+France&ll=45.983365,6.92688&spn=0.007261,0.015643&z=16
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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hwwwest,  Your not wrong. Looking forward to the delights of french trains and UCPA centres. I'm sure you'll love the massive ski areas.
I've only ever been to Argentiere in the Chamonix Valley once, it was in the summer and I don't where the UCPA centre is.
The train station was in a good central location. The lifts are a little walk from the centre of the town..
Its a small enough village that I'm pretty sure you would easily find it.
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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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Everything sounds great Btw, How do you contact with Ucpa Argentiere Hotel because argentiere@ucpa.asso.fr doesn't answer the mails. I also confirm this mail from center of ucpa. I think you also want to stay one night in advance.
I hope prices are not that much.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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hwwwest, I think it is about an extra €50 if you want to stay over Saturday night. That is exactly what I'm doing for all the saturday nights over my 3 weeks. If you're under the age of 25, remember you get a €50 discount for the whole week anyway. Make sure you select this discount.
I haven't actually contacted them directly so can't help you there. I'm going to make my reservations tomorow.
If you're wanting to reserve your place, you need to go here: http://holidays.ucpa.com/selection.aspx?univers=10&ug=207
You need to select whether you would like to have lessons, go on a off piste course or ski independently. I think this is what you are probably specificaly after:
http://holidays.ucpa.com/programme.aspx?univers=10&programme=SFAARGN13&tri=prix_appel&page=1
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hwwwest, just in case you're not entirely sure the UCPA is right next door to the train station with just a car park between them.
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They sent an answer mail and they wrote that there is no student discount for short breaks because I bought 5 days(26-30) btw I can not see my holiday option anymore I think I was the last one who bought that option. 50€ is not less for just one night staying because all inclusive 5 days is 350€. Btw I saw Les Contamines option between 31dec-3jan and the hotel standarts are better than argentiere. Is it really close the Argentiere and is there anybody who knows it because I am thinkg about extra 4 days. I know I look greedy for skiing
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