 Poster: A snowHead
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(following on from package holiday transfer hell thread).
I've only ever known package transfers to be excrutiatingly long, or tortously long. Mind you my package holiday ski trips tend to be Sat-Sat and out of Gatwick into France (Geneva, Chambery, Lyons). On the other thread the chap travelled Sat at end of mid-term, which is worse hell in anyone's books.
But is the transfer always this bad on package ski holidays right across the season? And historically has it always been as bad as it is now? And is France just worse than other destinations?
One wonders.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Manda, I have experienced one very bad transfer and will now only book with TOs doing Sunday Transfers. This hhas the added bonus of giving you Saturday on the slopes, which is usually VERY quiet.
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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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Manda, I am with Frosty on this one - I only book Sunday transfers these days unless I am driving myself and the quiet Saturday is a great way to finish a week.
Only transfers I have had that were not to a French resort were;
Verbier - from Geneva - which was a doddle
St Anton - from Innsbruck - even more of a doddle
Arabba - from Treviso - a nightmare ( Saturday!! )
Arabba - from Verona - a nighmare ( Saturday !! )
Livigno - from Linante (sp?) - worst, longest transfer ever but it was a long time ago ( mid 80's )
CP
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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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Went to Les Contamines via Geneva with Total Ski last year with a Sunday transfer. Have to say no problem in particular - Total were very efficient.
Coming back into Geneva was OK but a bit busy in the only coffee shop/bar we could find but then it suddenly cleared (after we had waited however !). Not keen on Geneva - seems to be mostly shops selling perfume, chocolate and other rubbish of no interest to a skier ! The other thing was lack of infomation and big queue at the end of the corridor to the gates - one scanner for half a dozen gates !
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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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kendadj, aren't all airports like that?
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brian
brian
Guest
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Manda, before they did the roads for the Albertville olympics in 1992, I think the Tarentaise resorts were actually worse 
I have a distant memory of sitting on a bus for about 8 hours heading for Val d'Isere in about 89 I think.
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brian, I have a very recent memory of spending about the same time getting to the Tarentaise.....
But point taken about pre-Alberville olympic roading!
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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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My very first Ski trip in Jan 1999 to Val d'Isere. Leave railway station at 5am on bus replacement service for gatwick. Plane delayed. Arrive Val d'Isere 1am next day. Bloody awful. Spent the next three (lessonless, because I knew better!) days as a ridiculously sweaty heap falling on various pistes. Then all of a sudden it clicked.
Been skiing every year since, each time everything has gone fine. Transfers have been a doddle, arriving and departing practically on the button everytime.
I've only had problems on ski holidays relating to arrangements once in resort. These have always been with tour operators. The way forward is to abandon these goodfornothing cockroaches and organise things yourselves. It's cheaper, more flexible, you get what you want and you are in control! 
In my experience the transfer hasn't deteriorated at all.
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Manda, attempting to answer part of your original questions, the Haute Savoie region of Franch is probably worse than most for transfers because of poor airport facilities, consolidation of PAX from various flights onto any one coach, T.O.s frequently swopping coaches around in Moutiers Station Car Park (where it always drizzles) and heavy traffic on the main roads. I had a 10 hour transfer from hell La Plagne to Geneva last year. This year I went independent and mid-week - no problems. I have also had many T.O. transfers that went smoothly. Turin to Serre Chevalier 4 times were probably the best. My main beef about T.O. transfers is when the transfer rep on the coach cannot speak the driver's lingo. Not fair on either of them. You can't solve everything with a mobile phone back to 'base'
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My hatred of Lyon transfers was confirmed by a Crystal experience in 2001. We had survived a Gatwick Saturday (delayed flight) and thought the worst was over when we got on the transfer bus at Lyon…. but then it started. First of all, there was the 1+ hour wait for the Manchester flight, then mayhem as the Crystal rep discovered that some Thompson people had been put on our bus (yes, I know they are both part of TUI) and insisted that they and their luggage were off-loaded and Crystal people put on in their place. We then got rolling, only to be told that because of all of the delays, the bus driver would have to take a compulsory (unscheduled) 1+ hour break en route. After that we stopped at the Moutiers station car park and waited for all of the other TUI busses to meet up. It was here that the original Thompson people who had been bumped off our bus were then ordered to transfer back on to it (told you they are both part of TUI) with lots of luggage being taken off busses, moved around, people getting confused etc. When we arrived at Courchevel, we were told that we all had to get off the bus and transfer to a fleet of mini-busses ("Yours will be here soon" being a repeatedly used phrase) for the final part of the transfer. (The following year went to Eastern Canada and the door to door time was less).
On the way back, we were all put on a double decker bus and the luggage was packed into a trailer. We got to Lyon, more or less, non stop (well actually lots of stops as they picked up passengers en route) but the driver and Crystal reps all bvggered-off and left the passengers to off-load the trailer full of luggage. And then there was the Lyon charter terminal… crammed to over-capacity, no directions, no reps to say which flight checked in at which gate, queues to the first lot of gates so long that they blocked people getting to the further away check-ins. However, at least after check-in, we could go through security to the departure area! Others have described this as a cattle shed and that is probably being a bit generous and as for the toilets….
So after that, no more Saturday transfers and definitely never a transfer that involves Lyon. I have been through other places that can be unpleasant at times (e.g. Geneva charter and Munich when the luggage system broke down) but none of them can hold a candle to horrors of the Lyon charter terminal.
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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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Silver Skii (Oh no not again cries the crowd) Sunday Lyon - Manchester flight this year was in the Main Lyon building. Not bad at all. Our flight had 2 desks open where as the Ski Olympic flight next door had 3 desks open. Their flight took off 1.5 hrs after ours and they were all a bit late checking in. We were almost all checked in before they turned up. But still the 3 desks remained open for the Ski Olympic flight only. How bizarre.
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It's only a few minutes walk from the charter tent at lyon to the main building - providing you get back in time to get through security and board, it's much better to check in and then go back out and walk to the main terminal - much nicer, decent restaurant etc.
I was stuck at Lyon for 7 hours a few years ago - which is when we learned that trick.
That said - it's Sunday transfers or scheduled flights for me from now on. We've done Sunday transfers from Geneva to Tignes the last two year at Feb 1/2 term, no problems at all. And on the return the charter check-in hall was empty - no queuing
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You know it makes sense.
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I've driven to the Tarentaise at least once a year since about 1986 (OK I couldn't drive at 14, thanks Dad!), and as long as you arrive early it's fine, certainly nothing like the bad old days pre 1992. We leave Calais at about 0100 on Saturday morning and get to say Courchevel by about 1000-1100. You may have the odd wait at the toll booths around Albertville, but it's tolerable. Just avoid flights which get into Lyon or Geneva too late on Saturday.
PS I spent 2 hours driving to Leeds from Bradford this morning, bloody snow 
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FAQ
