 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
I am thinking of going away for a ski weekend shortly. Anybody who's an old hand at this sort of thing please give me the benefit of your sage advice!!
1. Would need to catch a flight at 5pm from Gatwick, roughly, on a Friday.
2. The resort has to be a short distance from the airport
3. Half board, please (no slumming it)
4. Flight back Sunday evening.
5. Apres ski is irrelevant, completely!
I'd seek the services of a specialist in this area, would want a coach transfer rather than drive.
Any recommendations? Thinking late seasonish.
Thanks
Kevin
ps, shoulder is still painful but improving!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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kevin mcclean, One of our party last week took an early flight from Gatwick to GVA arriving around 21:30 on Friday morning (I know you said 5pm but if you can get the day off?) . We went to Morzine and made our own way there but there are several transfer companies e.g. skidygonzales and morzexpress that had lots of minibuses shuttling back and forth. Sorry but not sure about Sunday back to Gatwick but Tuesday evening's flight left around 09:30 (ergo Sunday evening around the same time?) so we came off the PdS slopes at around 5pm. Also we were self catering but www.Morzinelets.com have associations with the Ridge and Rhodos Hotels in Morzine which seemed ok (can vouch for the brekkie at the Rhodos.)
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sat 6-03-10 17:43; edited 2 times in total
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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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I think you're in danger of applying too many constraints.
5pm flights generally get you there too late for most bus/coach services that I know of. Generally for public transport you have to sacrifice some holiday and leave UK earlier and lose a lot of skiing on the Sunday for the return.
I may be wrong but we've never made it work.
Are you on your own or a group? If group then private taxi transfer is a possibility.
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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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Trips like that have only ever worked for us if we have been prepared to drive ourselves to resort. Try posting your requirements on chalets direct, but have a look for flights first to see what matches up with your times.
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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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Depending on what you consider a long transfer Mountain Sun are good for weekend trips. They have catered accommodation in La Plagne and Tignes and provide transfers from Geneva. You have to arrange your own flights though!
I stayed with them for a long weekend last March in Tignes, although its a 3 hour transfer it doesn't cost you any skiing time if you arrive on an evening and arrange a late evening flight back!
I wouldn't describe the accommodation as luxury, just good value and clean with nice food and friendly service!
http://www.mountainsunltd.com/short_breaks/
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Depending on what you consider a long transfer Mountain Sun are good for weekend trips. They have catered accommodation in La Plagne and Tignes and provide transfers from Geneva. You have to arrange your own flights though!
I stayed with them for a long weekend last March in Tignes, although its a 3 hour transfer it doesn't cost you any skiing time if you arrive on an evening and arrange a late evening flight back!
I wouldn't describe the accommodation as luxury, just good value and clean with nice food and friendly service!
http://www.mountainsunltd.com/short_breaks/
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Bambi on ice, accommodation that gives a free transfer is a definite plus, will put that one somewhere safe for later 
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Come to Innsbruck! We've just had a shedload of new snow (and it's still snowing), you can fly easyjet from Gatwick, stay in the city (cheaper) and you have a plethora of resorts all on the same lift pass reachable with public transport. Atm Nordkette (reachable with furnicular train then cable car form the city centre) is awesome, if you like offpiste. Lots of pow, lots of lines, hardly any people.
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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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Last weekend flew out of Gatwick 6.30pm with Easyjet to Zurich (with family = wife and two under 10). Night at Novotel near the airport, up in the morning for tram to Zurich train station, breakfast on train, in Klosters by midday (could easily be earlier if you get up for 8.30 train, I couldn't get the family up). Afternoons skiing on Madrisa. Sunday skiied all day, caught train out at 6.30pm for Zurich airport to catch 9.55pm flight out. Plenty of good accomadation in Klosters, we stayed at Hotel Sport. An extra day would have been nice but given the time we had I think it worked well.
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Scotland.....................seriously, for a weekend skiing with the amount of snow Scotland has had this year why would you want to travel abroad for 2 days??
Drive there Friday night and stop over at Gretna then carry on up Sat morning or Fly to Glasgow and travel up from there.
We left North Wales @ 4am last saterday morining, we were at Gelncoe by 10:20am, Ski sat and sunday left @ 3:30pm sunday and got home by 9:45pm, good skiing and perfect for a weekend ski trip.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi
Thanks for this. The Scotland and Austria options sound good!
Depthjunkie-can you recommned good accomodation near one of the ski areas?
Thanks
K
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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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Kevin, if you're considering going from London to Scotland you might want to think about using the sleeper service which would mean you'll have a comfortable nights sleep and wake up at your destination (either Aviemore or Fort William) in the morning rested and ready to hit the slopes. You'll get a couple of days sliding in and be able to relax before heading back on the sleeper and will get back into London early enough on Monday morning to get into work with no problems. All in all I'd suggest far less stress and hassle than flights and transfers and certainly more relaxing than driving.
Conditions at the moment are epic, particularly at Cairngorm, you can check out photos and comments on the Scotland 09/10 thread.
More info on the sleeper service has been posted in these threads:
SKI GLENCOE by Sleeper...
Sounding out: Surrey(ish) SnowHeads trip to Scotland< Mid week early March
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kevin mcclean, depends what your looking for in terms of area and whether you want to travel by public transport or drive up.
The Crianlarich Hotel is doing an exceptional skiers special this year (continues through March, check with the hotel if it's for April) that includes a single room for £25 b&b or a twin/double from £40 b&b with a mini-bus transfer to Glencoe Ski Area from the hotel at 8.15 and 9.15am (times may vary due to weather or guest requests, so check the evening before at reception).
You can travel to Crianlarich on the ScotRail Caledonian Sleeper from London Euston (pick ups at Watford, Crewe and Preston, subject to room availability the hotel will allow skiers to check in on arrival on the morning and checkout on the evening of departure. So you could leave London about 9pm Friday, arrive at Crianlarich at 7.40am and be on the slopes for 9am (or 10am if you want to stop at the hotel for a full breakfast). On a Sunday night the Sleeper departs Crianlarich at 9.19pm, arriving London Euston at 7.43am, the Highland sleeper requires no changes.
Alternatively you can be back in London an hour earlier by departing Crianlarich at 7.30 on a local WHL service and using the lowland sleeper which gets in to Euston at 6.43am, but this requires a change of trains.
The sleeper also works well for Aviemore where there is an hourly bus to CairnGorm Mountain, the Cairngorm Hotel is right opposite the Railway Station so a convenient one! Lots of accommodation options in Aviemore for all budgets and tastes though.
Beware, bar prices on the Sleeper are very reasonable... 
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You know it makes sense.
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PS the West Highland Line is blocked north of Crianlarich by multiple avalanches, if you are planning this in the coming week
check with ScotRail, that the sleeper is running to/from Crianlarich like the daytime trains.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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We stayed at The Crianlarich Hotel, Skiers special of £40 per room per night inc breakfast. The Hotel is lovely, and they offer a courtesy bus to and from Glencoe ski resort for guests if needed. We drove so did not need this option, but its there if needed ( and i guess more for folk who have gone there via train etc)
seriously for a weekend you cant go wrong at the mo there (the only thing i would say as everyone knows best to chech ski and road conditions before setting off) but if theres enough snow, as is right now you cant go wrong up there this yr for a cheeky weekend away skiing.
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