 Poster: A snowHead
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Not sure if this has already been shared (couldn’t see it) but if you’re interested in a train route from London to Geneva, it might be worth signing this petition. It was mentioned in one of the Ski Podcast episodes a while back (hoping I’ve managed to do the link correctly!):
[url=]https://www.change.org/p/oui-au-train-direct-de-londres-%C3%A0-gen%C3%A8ve-yes-to-a-direct-london-geneva-train/exp/cl_/cl_sharecopy_37929837_en-US/cv_952218/1088376749?recruiter=1088376749&recruited_by_id=94af6a90-938c-11ea-b92c-bf9e0747bbb0&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=564692f6665f463f9e1f030c5d2b8137&utm_medium=copylink&utm_content=cl_sharecopy_37929837_en-US%3Acv_952218[/url]
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ah I can see I haven’t managed it. Any advice welcome!
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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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Indirectly, it was featured in an episode of the The Ski podcast whose creator posts here on the content of his podcast, and the link was in the show notes.
But good to post seperately as well.
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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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I found it easily after searching London to Geneva train on Change.org
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Signed! It'd be awesome to get PRIV rates on this 
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Signed, though I'm a little sceptical about whether decision makers pay any attention to online petitions. Be nice if it stopped at Ashford International on the way through too, going to north London is such a rigmarole only to come back down the same line.
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I though Ashford was pretty much dead, sadly, as a cross channel train stop these days. Seems quite a waste.
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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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Yeah Eurostar have said no Ashford stops until 2025 at the earliest, obviously all the infrastructure is still there but whether they actually mean '2025' or 'ever' is anyone's guess!
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| DaveyGTi wrote: |
| ... all the infrastructure is still there .. |
Is it? Did they ever put in both UK and EU immigration and customs areas? I think Brexit has probably killed intermediate stops on international services. Difficult to justify placing border control staff where there is only a low volume of passengers.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Lilaclou, the format for a clicky text link is {url=theUrlItself}Text you want to be clickable{/url}
.. obvs replace curly brackets with square ones 
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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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Flights are too cheap and fast for the majority to consider using trains.
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I could be tempted if it was cheap enough. I'd have to get from home to London first (about 2.5 hrs) plus the cost of a ticket, but timewise the journey from London to Geneva wouldn't be much different to the overall time from leaving home, flying and getting out of the airport at Geneva - but with so much grief. They'd need to take luggage though
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You know it makes sense.
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@MorningGory, given your proximity to Bristol airport, and the frequency of Easyjet flights in winter, it would be a difficult one to justify the train beyond environmental reasons, or just wanting to give it a try.
Having done Yatton to Hintertux and back again 2 seasons ago, I can confirm without doubt the worst part is the bit between Yatton and London, particularly on the way back when by that stage you just want to be home again!
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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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| Quote: |
Flights are too cheap and fast for the majority to consider using trains.
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Indeed, that is the problem. When I can fly from Birmingham to Geneva for less than the train to London I cannot see any incentive apart from being better for the environment to get the train. Even the bus from Birmingham to Geneva is more expensive than flying. This is ridiculous.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| boarder2020 wrote: |
| Flights are too cheap and fast for the majority to consider using trains. |
Not necessarily...by the time youve added the cost of baggage inc skis parking at the airport and transfers the train is quite competative if you are going to the 3 valleys and on to Bourg ...leave london at 9am and in the resort at 6pm
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@DaveD, parking at airport and fuel to get there is easily offset by the cost of a train for me to get to London in the first place, more so if I can fly from BRS instead of LGW/LHR.
I like the idea of being eco and taking the train, but whenever I've looked at what's involved it always seems like too much of a hassle.
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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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@DaveD, There's a good few (the majority) who don't live near London though.
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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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| Quote: |
.leave london at 9am and in the resort at 6pm
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From Sheffield it is £125 one way to get to London for that time. Most airports, even in the UK are accessible by train so the parking problem is the same whether you go by train to Geneva or fly. Of course you still have to get the train from Geneva to Bourg st. Maurice - a more modest 30 - 40 euros.
I quite like travelling by train but the cost in pounds (but not to the environment) to me is just too much.
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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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| MorningGory wrote: |
| @DaveD, There's a good few (the majority) who don't live near London though. |
Even being on a relatively decent line to London, and if I were to plan ahead by taking all my luggage to work and going straight from there, the earliest I could get to St Pancras on a Friday night would be 9pm. Plus, having had to get from central Tokyo to Narita airport with my ski luggage in tow, I'm not sure rail travel is the peaceful experience many make it out to be.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@geoffers, yes, it worked, thanks for your help! Amazing!
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| Quote: |
Plus, having had to get from central Tokyo to Narita airport with my ski luggage in tow, I'm not sure rail travel is the peaceful experience many make it out to be.
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We had a fun journey from Hakuba to Haneda, which was a taxi followed by 3 seperate trains. Getting on and off each train it was counting the 10 bags beween the 3 of us.
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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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@johnE, A bit o/t, but is there a quicker train GVA/Bourg than the one's I've seen IIRC about 4 hrs?
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@MorningGory, yes about 4 hours. I's not an easy route - change at Geneva central and Chambery
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@johnE, ta, the coach is better the, timings permitting
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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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| Quote: |
the coach is better the, timings permitting
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The trouble is there is often only one or two busses a day and a wait for them may be a very long time.
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I will be controversial.
The sad reality is the EU is a corporatist protectionist stateocracy.
How many new routes have been permitted over the heaven's knows how many years the tunnel has been operating - I am probably wrong but Amsterdam - very occasionally Avignon and the Alps? There is no incentive on any of the existing operators to allow any form of competition and their position is defended by quasi monopoly processes - standards, licences and the suchlike.
The logic of such a route is massive as is one to the heart of Germany and possibly one through to Madrid but.....you can whistle and sign petitions but if the deaf are in charge they will ignore you. Every so often one reads of an operator wanting to create a new route - but does it ever happen? No.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
The logic of such a route is massive as is one to the heart of Germany and possibly one through to Madrid but.....
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Again, flights are cheaper and faster.
I prefer train to flying, and am fortunate that I'm not really constrained by time. But even for me it's been almost 20 years since I've used the train to get to europe. Hard to justify train travel as it's too expensive and often a lot of faff/stress with multiple changes. Snowboard bag on the tube was not particularly fun!
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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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@boarder2020, for skiing it is a faff, plus you are often at the mercy of SNCF wildcat strikes but flights suffer from ATC strikes too. I looked at taking the train to London recently. I wanted to go to South London which would have meant a schlepp across London but timing wise it wasn't that bad, maybe 12 hours from Grenoble but with various changes. However it would have been around 350 euros.
Flight was bus to Lyon, Plane to Gatwick, Train to London. Around 100 euros. By plane I left at 3pm and was at my destination around 10pm so 8 hours.
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Poster: A snowHead
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When looking at prices, don't forget that the return price from the UK to anywhere in Europe is effectivity capped by the price of a 4 day Interrail pass plus seat reservations and bus up the mountain, subject to the UK travel legs being on the days you leave and return to the UK.
For e.g. that works out as ~£335 return all in to get to Val Thorens for an adult aged 28-59, with up to 2 accompanying children per adult costing ~£90 each. Under 28s and over 59s are also cheaper. I've included everything in that including the bus up to resort in that. Obviously if you stay overnight in Paris on route (which I usually do so that I can be skiing just after lunch) that's extra.
For those saying it's a hassle with a snowboard bag etc, I can't deny that travelling on a train with skis / snowboard is more difficult than without, but mostly I'd say your issue is packing wrong  (Don't try and take coffin bags on trains - pack your skis / board separately so it can go in the overhead luggage rack.)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
For e.g. that works out as ~£335 return all in to get to Val Thorens for an adult aged 28-59
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I assume that includes the return fare to London.
The best I did flying to Les Arcs (well not all the way, the plane landed in Geneva) was £150 return which included luggage but no skis and a taxi up to the resort from the station because we missed the last funicular. This was slightly less than the return train fare to London for a morning event.
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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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| johnE wrote: |
| Quote: |
For e.g. that works out as ~£335 return all in to get to Val Thorens for an adult aged 28-59
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I assume that includes the return fare to London.
The best I did flying to Les Arcs (well not all the way, the plane landed in Geneva) was £150 return which included luggage but no skis and a taxi up to the resort from the station because we missed the last funicular. This was slightly less than the return train fare to London for a morning event. |
It includes the return train fare to London so long as these legs are on the days you leave and enter the UK.
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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 boy and I flew from Birmingham to Geneva in February and those flights were cheaper than the train from Geneva to Martigny.
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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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@boarder2020, I'm not necessarily saying the train is cheaper (although it sometimes is once you add in all the costs). However, the costs I've given there are from your nearest UK rail station all the way to Val Thorens. The costs you've quoted aren't directly comparable as there would presumably be the cost of getting to the UK airport and from the airport to resort. (I get to my local train station for £2 - it costs quite a bit more to get to an airport.)
The other thing is, those prices are the absolute maximum you should pay. I usually pay a lot less to get to resort by train.
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@sugarmoma666, My local airport, Birmingham, has a train station. The train to london even stops there. I can get to my local train station using my bus pass free. So it costs £16 return to the airport. OK that is 8 times more than you pay to the station but still not a lot.
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well ..currently the cost of a return flight london/ geneva is £89 luggage £20 skis and boot bag £164 transfer to resort (shared) €100 ..got to be in Gatwick by dawn so hotel overnight and transport from London to gatwick,,,,,Snow Train London to Bourg St Maurice £199 (estimate it was last year)
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