 Poster: A snowHead
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Having taken the cheaper version of the snow-train (Eurostar to Paris, change to Austerlitz then sleeper to Bourg St Maurice or Moutiers) on a number of occasions, does anybody have any experience of getting to resorts other than those in the Tarentaise Valley on the overnight sleeper trains from Paris?
I appreciate that there may be a bus or taxi required at the other end to actually get to the resort itself (as you do from Moutiers and Bourg), but I'm not sure of where else I could get to overnight. I guess it doesn't have to just be in France if the trains from Paris go further afield, then so be it!
Any thoughts greatly received!
Cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Fleecy, you can get to Briancon for Serre Chevalier, and the ski bus stops outside the station. The train also stops at other stations for Risoul, Vars, etc. My kids travelled out on it a few years ago to join us.
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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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Sleeper to St Gervais for Chamonix valley, Megeve(?), St Gervais, other nearby resorts. You would have to change at St Gervais for the train up to Chamonix. Perhaps it also stops at Cluses, which might be a way into Flaine etc? It was fairly busy when I used it in a September - I suspect you would need to be quick off the mark to book it in Winter!
It's easier if you know the resort you want to get to, since their websites generally give travel information - I know that doen't help you with this question!
I presume you are looking for the minimum of changes? Can you get anywhere in Switzerland - I've only trained there in the Summer, but both times we had to change in Basle (I think - it was over 20 years ago)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Fleecy, apart from those already mentioned, I think you can also get to Cluses (sp?) for Avoriaz/Morzine area.
I don't know about anywhere else, but I'd have thought Switzerland was worth a look, possibly even St Anton (starting to get a bit far there). In fact, in Visp (Zermatt) last year there was a train passing through which was bound for Rome, and I vaguely remember thinking it had come from France...could be wrong though.
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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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We have also taken the Briancon line and used it for Puy St Vincent getting off the train at argentiere les ecrins - no bus service so need to book taxi from station to resort.
You can get to Montgenevre either via Briancon overnight or take daytime TGV to Oulx. We did the latter - there is a resalp bus from either station
La Clusaz/le grand bornand - from Annecy - there is a bus service from the station.
Chamrousse - not far from Grenoble. I think there is a bus
We have been to the following from moutiers or bourg st maurice - valmorel, 3 valleys, les arcs, la plagne, la rosiere
Look at the Snowcarbon website for more ideas.
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Fleecy, Just about anywhere in Switzerland is one answer ... many resorts served by trains ... Zermatt, All of Gstaad Superski, Wengen area, Verbier (nearly) etc.
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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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2Alpes/Alpe d'Huez - train to Grenoble, bus to resort.
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Fleecy, Agenterre got me thinking. Not all Swiss resorts will be that easy to get to (or at least, they'll be easy enough but time consuming). However, you can leave Paris Gare de l'Est at 10h24 and be in Wengen by 16.44 having enjoyed the EXCELLENT DeutscheBahn ICE train on the way. While it may seem a little odd to take a German train from France to Switzerland, that's one of the joys of Railteam http://www.railteam.co.uk/
So probably lots of options.
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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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I caught a TGV once from Milan to Turin which was on it's way to Paris. So it should be easy enough to get to Turin to change to a local train to get to the resorts around there.
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The Italian Milky way resorts can all be reached from Oulx which is on the Paris to Milan line.
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You know it makes sense.
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There used to be more overnight trains, now if you want to go to Switzerland via train you need to get an early start from London, but if you can get to London in time to catch teh 09.30 train you can be in Interlaken by about 20.00 it used to be much better when I was a child with an overnight train from Calais that would arrive in Interlaken for Breakfast, sadly that vanished a long time ago 
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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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We sat and worked out the journey time from central London to Wengen by plane via Basel v's by train and figured there was half an hour in it either way depending on how long a wait there was for baggage in Basel.
Windymiller and I travelled to/fro the MSB this year by train and the journey was as civilised as could be, considering the company 
We chose a direct train from Paris to Berne of which there is just one per day but u can also go via Geneva, Laussane or Basel with fairly similar timings.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Christopher, ooh, haven't seen that site before, thanks for posting. It's *nearly* very useful...if only they listed more of the resorts you can get to by train!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Colin B, hmmm, 6h40 ish paris-turin and then you're at the mercy of local italian trains - not always excellent. not sure how many italian resorts are interlinked into the rail network? unlike the Swiss ones which will at least have a postbus link. interesting concept though
D G Orf, seems like the Railteam idea has started to improve things again - see my post above. Paris to Interlaken in 6hrs20.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 11-08-10 9:39; edited 1 time 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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under a new name, if you get off the TGV at Oulx, you have quite a bit of choice, with bus connections to Sauze d'oulx, Montgenevre, Briancon, Sestriere, Bardoneccia etc etc.
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Swiss system is fantastic though even to those resorts without direct rail access. In February I went from Zurich airport to Laax. Direct train to Chur, escalator at the end of the platform to bus station where post buses were waiting to go to every resort covered from there. All this for the price of your train ticket. In my case £75 for for swiss visitors pass for return trip for my daughter and me.
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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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Hells Bells, interesting also. (and not an area I know well at all). Seem to be lots of options and presumably much better for the environment than flying?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| 2Alpes/Alpe d'Huez - train to Grenoble, bus to resort. |
That works very well by TGV - but fleecy asked about overnight sleeper - does it work for that?
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achilles, don't think so; it's only about 3 hours to Grenoble so they probably have trouble spinning out the journey long enough for anyone to get any sleep!
can't be long before there are direct trains from London to Lyon can it? it takes less than 6 hours including a 45 min changeover in Lille, so you'd think a direct train could get it down to about 5
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under a new name, actually five and a half hours from Paris Est to Interlaken Ost, assuming you can get to Paris Est by 14.30 with just a change at Basle
Given that Paris Est is only 10mins walk or 2 mins in a taxi/metro I always consider it the better choice as Gare du Lyon (the other likely departure point) is halfway across Paris (or feels like it) which can be a pain when it's busy.
No overnight options anymore though unless you go down to Milan and then come back via Spiez, the Old Milan route went via Spiez which was great as it meant you could arrive in Wengen in time for Breakfast and didn't need to leave untill after an early dinner a bonus 2 extra days skiing, these days you arrive after dinner and leave after breakfast which isn't as good.
Of course I still long for the days of my youth where you got on the sleeper/couchette at Calais and got off at Interlaken the next morning with no changes en route 
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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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D G Orf, Ah I didn't see that faster route. 
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Arno, There's a direct Eurostar to Avignon in the summer which is a little bit further - 6 hours.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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D G Orf, thanks for that - may go that way next season. Are there any rail deals like the Swiss pass that take in the non-Swiss section as well?
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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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achilles, Ah a good question, I've found in the past that booking the Eurostar and the international portion of a journey together usually saves some money, what you need to check is the difference between booking through to Interlaken Ost (then paying for your ticket up and back to Wengen) And booking through to Basle/Bern/Geneva and buying a Swiss transfer ticket to cover you the rest of the way
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Going to the Jungfrau area, if you use the direct Paris-Bern route, once you're at Bern it's cheaper to just buy a normal return than a Swiss transfer.
From Basle/GVA though it tends to be best to use the transfer ticket.
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You know it makes sense.
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admin, dankeschön.
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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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achilles, I think "merci veil mal" was the phrase you were looking for
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Poster: A snowHead
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admin, achilles, you are actually both right, but for that matter in Wengen thankyou would probably also work, given that the local language is a mixture of primarily Swiss german with added French and English.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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admin, D G Orf, 
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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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I have taken the TGV in the day to Bourg st. Maurice and then also got the Paris - Turin TGV in the evening from Chambery (it leaves Paris just after lunchtime I think) and getting off at Oulx. Waiting for the train are two buses to go to Montgenevre and Serre Chevalier, I was worried about catching the coaches etc but had no need to be. Just remember to have your passport on you when you travel between France to Italy on the train. There aren't any buses that meet the TGV that go to Sestriere and Sauze d'Oulx as far as I know, but booking a taxi wouldn't be too farfetched.
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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 am looking to travel across Europe from the UK this summer by rail, as it is much greener and I reckon it will enhance my experience and make it more of an adventure.
I have been using www.raileurope.co.uk as I found it offers the most extensive range of train tickets throughout Europe
Hope this helps 
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