 Poster: A snowHead
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Has anybody travelled by train to Switzerland? We have flown, and driven, and I thought this would make a nice and more relaxing option. It doesnt have to be cheaper.
i would be aiming for Aigle in the valley below Villars, just east of Montreux. I'm pretty sure we would have to go via Geneva and then along the north shore of the lake.
Snowcarbon looks a great website but doesn't seem to work unless you want to go to one their chosen resorts.
Any experiences welcome.
Cheers Tim
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not done it but Eurostar to Paris then TGV to Lausanne then inter regio to Aigle.
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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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sanman, have a look on the Rail Europe website. The only irritating thing is having to cross Paris on the RER. This isn't that time consuming but is potentially awkward if you are carrying a lot of gear. Leave plenty of time if you are not good at navigating.
Otherwise, if you get the early Eurostar out of St Pancras you can be in Geneva for twoish.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 26-11-10 12:27; edited 1 time in total
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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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sanman, try www.seat61.com the best resource for planning train journeys in Europe. I know friends have done it and seem to recall most caught the Swiss bound trains from Paris.
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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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in winter there are TGVs direct from paris gare de lyon to Aigle. only hassle is changing stations in paris!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Back in the 80s this is how we travelled for climbing trips in the summer - we did Zermatt via Basle/Basel overnight from Calais, and only went via Paris for French mountains. Of course, that was all a long, long time ago, (pre cheap airlines, pre Eurostar etc) but if Paris might be a problem, it could be worth looking at other routings.
Perhaps also look at connections from Lille, or Brussels, if there are any, since the changes there may be easier.
I'll caveat that with a mention that I have not travelled to mainland Europe by train for over a decade, since moving away from the South East!
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THx for the advice everyone. It looks like seat61 is the place to go. St Pancras to Paris, Paris to Lausanne or direct to Aigle ... i will report back when i've concluded my researches!
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Eurostar to Paris, then TGV Lyria to Lausanne. Change for local train to Aigle.
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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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Going by train is a delicious way to get there. Last year I went to Verbier by train: Friday early evening Eurostar London to Paris, overnight sleeper to St Gervais les Bains, and next morning catching the delightful scenic railway line that passes by skiers in Chamonix and Argentier. Getting out at Verbier the bubble lift went straight up from the train station - wonderful experience.
I find the Rail Europe website absolutely useless. For any European ski resort, I do my exploration on the Bahn website where you put in any departure station (eg London St P) and any arrival station (I look at Google Maps to see where the nearest train stations are to the resort) - and you get back the wide range of possible routes. Look to see which ones include sleeper trains for an extra day on the slopes. The Seat61 website is definitely helpful too.
I tend to book through the national train service of the country I am travelling in, such as SNCF for France. The tickets tend to be released a little sooner and cheaper on them.
I've put more detailed advice at:
http://www.veggiesnow.org/articles/travel_by_train_for_luxury_ease_and_longer_lasting_snow_1163.html
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I've done the Geneva/Paris & Lausanne/Paris part a couple of times, and it's very easy, takes 4 to 4.5 hours from memory.
These are usually largely exempt from the regular SNCF strikes too, they cancel maybe 1 in 6 of the services at most
This is then followed by a regular and picturesque train along the beautiful shores of Lake Geneva.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ive done a london->paris->some unknown station->courchevel, and it was easily the worst experience of my life.
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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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SophieFP, thanks for the link. Interesting website. Must confess i am not a veggie though! 
pdx, was it worse than traffic jams on M11/two hour check-in scrum at Stansted/two hours wedged in overheated metal tube next to 24 stone stranger, with stewardess screeching about tax-free bargains but no drinks or food available/thirty minute wait at GVA for bags/forty minute wait at GVA car hire desk/twenty minute argument over car not available and unsuitable alternative offered/15 minutes picking up scratches on hire car not identified on booking form and getting them recorded by suddenly invisible car hire employees/hour long security queue at GVA on return/etc, etc?
This isn't a rhetorical question I am genuinely curious. And yes, all of the above have happened to me, but (fortunately) not all on the same trip
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| sanman wrote: |
SophieFP, thanks for the link. Interesting website. Must confess i am not a veggie though!
pdx, was it worse than traffic jams on M11/two hour check-in scrum at Stansted/two hours wedged in overheated metal tube next to 24 stone stranger, with stewardess screeching about tax-free bargains but no drinks or food available/thirty minute wait at GVA for bags/forty minute wait at GVA car hire desk/twenty minute argument over car not available and unsuitable alternative offered/15 minutes picking up scratches on hire car not identified on booking form and getting them recorded by suddenly invisible car hire employees/hour long security queue at GVA on return/etc, etc?
This isn't a rhetorical question I am genuinely curious. And yes, all of the above have happened to me, but (fortunately) not all on the same trip |
all of the above can be easily avoided.
a) book flights so you travel out of rush hour
b) book flights on a decent airline (NOT EJ), like BA. if you do far enough in advance it's the same price/cheaper - thus you get the decent service, and fly from a decent airline. if you have an emerald card you dont have any check in scrum 
c) i've personally never had problems at geneva, and think it's very efficient, but thats my opinion, same with the car hire there.
but even so, i would say the train was worse. the beds were more than uncomfortable and the noise was something else, and to top it off having to get a bus at the end of it was just one step to far. being couped up in the train for far longer than a flight was worse.
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You know it makes sense.
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pdx, sounds like booze and earplugs would have fixed your problems on the train
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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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| Arno wrote: |
| pdx, sounds like booze and earplugs would have fixed your problems on the train |
i'm pretty sure the last time i did i was 12.
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