 Poster: A snowHead
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We spent quite a lot of time researching how to repatriate some of our staff stranded in the Alps this week because of the Volcanic Ash cloud and the best solution we found was to hire a car for them in Grenoble, for them to drive to Caen in Normandy (7hrs flat), dump car there and get Brittany Ferries to Portsmouth as a foot passenger (still some space). Cost was reasonable although that was not the issue.
Some of the alternatives we looked at in France included:
- Trains were pretty much booked-up (Eurostar was full until Monday but they were looking to add capacity) and strike at SNCF does not help.
- A number of ferry companies at Calais are saying they have no foot passenger space until Monday and that they will only take bookings at the port.
Other ferry routes worth considering ar Le Havre-Portsmouth with LD Line, P&O from Zeebrugge or Rotterdam to Hull
Anyone with other suggestions?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No but good effort by you.
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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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presumably, as lots of people cross on eurotunnel with only 2 people in a car, you could hang around there hoping to thumb a lift?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I may be able to help if there are a couple of practical people out there . . . . car going back from Orelle tomorrow to UK with Calais/Dover ferry booked and there are a couple of spaces. Health warning is car is a bit old and coming back for its MOT.
If there are 2 people out there who need a lift and can get to near the Motorway in the Maurienne valley, I reckon we could pick you up - condition would be that you are practical people to give support if anything happened to go wrong with the car !! Leaving Orelle at about 8:00am - could pick up at St Michel, St Jean or poss Chambery . . . .
PM me if you're interested . . . . (I think I can work out how the PM system works). Bit like Ebay rating system however, only someone with a good number of Snowheads posts should apply !!
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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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What about a party at Geneva airport/Paris Gare du Nord, etc???
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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PJ to Lee on solent 
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money no object? hire a chopper - fly under the cloud
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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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| XPeak wrote: |
We spent quite a lot of time researching how to repatriate some of our staff stranded in the Alps this week because of the Volcanic Ash cloud and the best solution we found was to hire a car for them in Grenoble, for them to drive to Caen in Normandy (7hrs flat), dump car there and get Brittany Ferries to Portsmouth as a foot passenger (still some space). Cost was reasonable although that was not the issue.
Some of the alternatives we looked at in France included:
- Trains were pretty much booked-up (Eurostar was full until Monday but they were looking to add capacity) and strike at SNCF does not help.
- A number of ferry companies at Calais are saying they have no foot passenger space until Monday and that they will only take bookings at the port.
Other ferry routes worth considering ar Le Havre-Portsmouth with LD Line, P&O from Zeebrugge or Rotterdam to Hull
Anyone with other suggestions? |
Keen or what..
I guess the winter leases on the chalets were up which was why you had to get them out of resort? If not then couldn't they have stayed to enjoy the closing parties? or was this the 1st batch that absolutely had to be home to start the summer job with whoever?
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Our staff were sorted yesterday thanks. If anyone still fishing for info:
- P&O Calais: If you are planning on travelling as a foot passenger we regret we are unable to accept any further bookings before Wednesday 21st April.
- SeaFrance:SeaFrance will be offering a limited foot passenger service on a first-come first-served basis between 06:40 and 20:00 hours over this weekend. Foot passenger bookings will only be available at the port and not through our website or reservations department. - Passengers arriving without a prebooked vehicle cannot be accepted as foot passengers.
- Norfolk line normally don't take foot passengers but have put on some coaches but very limited space.
- Brittany Ferries from Caen-Portsmouth still space as far as we can see.
- No cars left at Europcar Cluses, Sallanches, Chamonix. One car left at Annemasse as of 10 mins ago.
- SNCF trains in France still on strike and not all trains on running
- Eurostar informed us they were full until Monday but are now saying:We are doing everything we can by adding extra trains to help passengers who are experiencing problems as a result of the disruption to air travel in Europe but inevitably our trains are extremely busy over the weekend. We would ask that you only come to our stations if you hold a confirmed reservation for travel.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Sat 17-04-10 13:17; edited 2 times in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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We have chartered a coach for guests leaving 3 Valleys tomorrow morning to then pick up Les Gets guests outside Geneva before heading up to Calais to hop over the channel (no foot passanger space so had to book the coach on the ferry, availability for coaches wasn't an issue when we set it up yesterday). I'm currently stuck in the 3 Valleys myself but hope to fly out on Monday morning ... if not I'll try my luck on the trains. We had some guests who decided agaisnt the coach and did manage to get 4 seats on a train to Paris and then on to London this afternoon - it was a matter of queing up and hoping for the best though as the service had been advertised as full.
Staff due to fly back on Tues & Weds - if there are still problems we'll almost certainly go down the route of driving them up to Calais (quotes from airport transfer firms not too daft) and getting them on ferries as foot passanger. Fingers crossed it doesn't come to that though.
I so nearly drove out this time ... darn it ...
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XPeak, very useful thanks
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You know it makes sense.
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Driving to UK (Gatwick) from Bourg area early Tues Morning 20th April. Coming back to Bourg Sat 24th April - leaving UK early Sat 24th. Space for 3 people on outwards - 5 people back to france plus skis and kit. Share all costs. PM me if anyone interested.
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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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Has anyone managed to get onto the Eurolines site to check coach availability? Clearly struggling under the weight of people trying to access it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Flocon Ange, PM sent
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ctskifam, I am driving back from Les Gets on Thursday probably on my own, may have husband with me if he hasn't flown back on Wednesday, so if you have anyone really stuck there is a space or two in my car.
Doing it the leisurely way though with a night at the Val Moret halfway back to Calais then ferry Friday at 2.
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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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In view of the SNCF strike, if anyone is looking to take the train within France the advice we were given by an SNCF shop staff yesterday was just to turn-up and get on the trains that were operating. No point to book (even for TGV which is booking only normally) as they are not taking new bookings for this weekend. The advice was also that guards (controleurs) weren't working so no point to bother paying for a ticket either! Trains from Lyon, Grenoble, Annecy... will be chucker as the South-East quarter of France is one of the most affected by the strike so you may not get a seat other than in the loo. If you do then find yourself in that situation, you can then try to send SNCF a formal complaint even if you haven't paid for the ticket. We certainly come across people that would do exactly that...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Pamski, many thanks. I think we should be OK but great to know there may be a bit of space available. XPeak, you have convinced me to give up trying to book tickets up to Paris and just pitch up at Geneva station on Monday.
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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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ctskifam, hopefully you will be ok - our daughter was at Geneva station Sunday evening last weekend only to find that her train was not running down to wherever so she could get to Courchevel - a very expensive taxi was then involved. Fi and Tim know where we are if you do need help.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Best way to check if a train is running in France is to call 0805 90 36 35 (called them several times and 0033805 90 36 35 works from the UK although not sure why anyone else would want to call from the UK). You need to understand French and to know French departments codes though! Haute-Savoie (Grand Massif, Portes du Soleil, Chamonix down to Annecy) is 74. Savoie (3 Vallees, Tignes, Paradiski down to Chambery level) is 73. Isere (Grenoble) is 38. Lyon is 69. Paris 75. Sequence is as follows #, 2, 1 ,dpt number for departure station (eg 74 for Haute Savoie), choose in options offered (eg. 1 for Annecy), dpt number for arrival station (eg 69 for Rhone), choose in options offered (eg 1 for Lyon), 1, 1, then departure time you want in 2 figures eg 15 (for 3pm) or # for next trains.
They also give an official website but could not get it to work for what I was looking for www.infolignes.com .
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Cant folk just sit it out & just wait until flights resume or things get back to normal?
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stanton, what you mean just chill out and enjoy wherever we may find ourselves? Ridiculous suggestion ...
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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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stanton, How long do you suggest we sit it out? When the aviation experts are saying flights could be disrupted for weeks, rather than days, if the volcano continues to erupt
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| ElleJ wrote: |
| stanton, How long do you suggest we sit it out? When the aviation experts are saying flights could be disrupted for weeks, rather than days, if the volcano continues to erupt |
Could be months ....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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stanton, 'sit it out' where, if their accommodation is booked for the following week? Or (in the case of ski resorts) closed? How do you suggest people pay for the extra week/fortnight/however long it takes when they're absent from work, quite possibly not being paid, and their insurance is likely to claim force majeur and tell them they aren't covered?
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I'm with stanton - why would anybody want to rush back to the UK corporate ladder - stay in France where it's illegal to work more than 35 hour weeks, there's still good snow, wine and beer are easily accessible at sensible prices, you don't get loads of water come out of bacon when you cook it as it's not been over processed, there are great markets, most people have a couple of hours off at lunchtime to chill, you don't get everybody boasting about the next house or car they're going to buy, cyclists get treated as though they have a right to be on the road, weather is warming up, . . . . . . I'm trying to get back out to France so I can ring work an tell them I'm stuck out there  .
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
it's illegal to work more than 35 hour weeks
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Not wholly accurate - I do 40 hours a week at peak times and 36 for most of the rest of the season.
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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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Please Iceland give us cash and no more ash!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I know it's a myth that it's illegal but nice to dream . . . . . . . I have to say many people do stick to 35 hours however but I have to say they do work those 35 hours. I reckon that the French 35 hours is probably as productive as a UK 40 plus hour week. I'm starting to think like a socialist javascript:emoticon(' ')
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| 123_456 wrote: |
| Please Iceland give us cash and no more ash! |
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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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Got some tickets back to the UK for tomorrow by going down to Moutiers station and talking to a real human being. Internet and phone had proved utterly useless.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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stanton, you show me a campsite in the Alps which is open in April. And in addition to a tent, you'd need sleeping bags (proper ones - it's dropping to below zero at night), insulating mats etc etc. You'd also need to go shopping for said kit, which is less than easy if you've arrived by public transport and have no car. And would you like to have to do all that with (for example) two small children in tow?
You appear to assume that everyone is retired, on their own, and has wads of money. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Having just watched my stranded grand-daughter clean our tiled floor by skidding across it on her tummy I contemplated having to watch her do that in an airport terminal and was just glad that we have her and her father here with us - but for how long - I had intended to ski for two more days, put OH onto a plane on Wednesday morning and then have a real muck-out of our chalet for a day and a half before catching a ferry back to UK Friday afternoon. We are very lucky in that we are in our own place, a store cupboard and freezer that are going to have to become a bit inventive as I really don't want to do any more food shopping - but its the uncertainty of not knowing when they will be able to fly back to NY that is so trying - so very sorry for all those who really are stranded.
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| Lizzard wrote: |
stanton, you show me a campsite in the Alps which is open in April. And in addition to a tent, you'd need sleeping bags (proper ones - it's dropping to below zero at night), insulating mats etc etc. You'd also need to go shopping for said kit, which is less than easy if you've arrived by public transport and have no car. And would you like to have to do all that with (for example) two small children in tow?
You appear to assume that everyone is retired, on their own, and has wads of money. |
I am young at heart & not retired (under 50) and just realistic. If your ski bumming (my life)every season you learn how to get by on nothing & learn how to scratch a living.....Its a way of life for ski bums.
Have you tried hitching its very cheap (free)?
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stanton, glad to see that hippie approach to life still exists - good on you. -people take them selves so seriously these days .
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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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dagnabbit, warming to stanton, I swore this would never happen...
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FAQ
