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Sleeping on the snow train??

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi all I am looking at taking the snow train in Jan. I would take the overnight service from London to Bourg St Maurice. I am trying to find out if they still do the sleeper carrages or to you end up trying to sleep in an upright chair??
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
The direct eurostar has never had sleeper carriages. If you want those you need to change in Paris or maybe lille
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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?
pigmanstu, this service is Eurostar and not the sleeper train, so it will be upright seats. If you want a sleeper train, catch Eurostar to Paris and change. The snow train stopped operating a couple of winters ago.
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Yes standard Eurostar seats but you do get two extra days skiing.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
There is room under the eurostar seats to stretch out in a sleeping bag, if the row behind you is not occupied. You can also get up on the luggage rack but that prompted a quick 'non' from the guard/chef du train chap.
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chocksaway, nice!
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks for your help extra days skiing sounds good but need to get my head down so Im ready to hit it hard!!! lol
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Eurostar seems more convenient in theory - in practice, a night sleeper from Paris is worth the hassle.
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did the night sleeper to Aime many moons ago and it was far, far, better than sitting up all night. We had some hours to kill in Paris but were able to visit friends. I like the idea of Eurostar during the day, but no way would I pay those prices to sit up all night - might as well get a coach, which is a lot cheaper. On the journey down our sleeper compartment was full, but the other four passengers were young Italian lads who wanted to get their heads down, not party, and although you don't exactly sleep like a log, it's comfortable lying down. But with full compartments there is very, very, little room for baggage - we were travelling pretty light, just with backpacks and a boot bag each, but be prepared to sleep with your baggage if necessary. On the way back there was nobody else in the compartment, which was wonderful.
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In my experience people on the French sleeper train always get their heads down and sleep. It goes from Gare Austerlitz (which is line 5 on the Metro - direction Place d'Italie - from Gare du Nord where Eurostar ends).
Book 90 days before - to be sure of the cheaper tickest book at midnight (French time) when they become available.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Sleeping is for losers.

Hit the bar and check out the talent.
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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.
I'd rather be fresh for a full day of (mostly) off-piste skiing. The train bar is usually a rather depressing place (There is no bar on the French train).
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Snowball - absolutely agree - never had any bother sleeping on the Austerlitz to Bourg Sleeper. I thought I was the only sad one that waited up till 2300 to get a 26 quid prem! Helped pass the times when I was on night shift though.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I'm doing Eurostar for the first time this year, to Moutiers. Got to be better than hanging around in airports, check in procedures, all the messing around with gear, will it still be there/ok on arrival, then find/wait for transfer, then arrive late in the day having spent it all traveling.

I may yet be proven wrong, but for £149 return, and the extra skiing, I think I can grab a few winks in an upright seat. Plus once you're on, that's it, food, drink, toilets, mates round a table rather than crammed into a tiny aeroplane seat, read a book - whatever....I think it sounds like a good idea. Changing at Paris sounds like more fuss.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
leedssteve, not a lot of fuss at all TBH according to my kids.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Only come back from Bourg on Eurostar. April 2011

Left Tignes le B 7.20pm Sat (bus - prebook in Tignes Le L bus station - 10 euros)
Chairs pretty comfortable. All interested in geting kip so night went quick.
At St Pancreas by 7.15am on Sun. Few underground stops to Paddington. 2 hour trip home on train. Sat at home having a cup of tea by 10.30am feeling OK

Intend to use both ways this winter more than once. Taking train from where I live.

Beats getting up in the middle of night to get to Gatwick or ditto getting to Geneva on the way back.

Downside: if you are going on a package the companies are offering less and less discount for not taking the flights.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Did the sleeper from Paris to Bourg once and never again. 6 strange people rammed into a minisule cabin was horrible and I think I would honestly have taken an upright seat over it - I arrived feeling like death. The pricer cabin of 4 with just your mates then perhaps it is tolerable.
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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?
OK, yes, it is a bit cramped. I've considered the cabin for 4 but in my experience we have just gone straight to bed and slept (train is about 11.00 pm) so there is only a difference when you get up having less room to dress (if the others are getting off at the same station).
When I was a child I did it with my parents in the proper sleeping cars with attendant in each carriage. There were two to a cabin - with washbasin and you could link 2 to make a family room by opening a connecting door. Luxury. I don't know if that is still an option.
I shall be doing it in March and we will be a group of 6, so hope to fill a cabin ourselves. In my experience, though, the French are quite civilised and I quite like practicing my French (I've never found myself with other Brits).
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I can sleep anywhere so Eurostar was no problem but the rest of the family didn't like it much. Biggest problem was rowdy (drunk) passengers. The following year we went 1st class (?select - by some quirk of the system only paid £10 more each!) which was better because there were lots of empty seats and we could all stretch out. 2 of my family did the sleeper last half term and they did sleep well - they were in a first class cabin for 4 though with a quiet polite French couple.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Hells Bells, I guess probably not - I haven't done either yet so I'm just speculating, and I'm sure it comes down to personal preference.

Personally, like AW, I can pretty much snooze anywhere - I'm not too bothered about an upright seat, especially as it is only for a few hours (prob won't go to sleep til midnight then arrive at 05.55). For the same reason, I don't know whether I would see the benefit of the sleeper (again, not actually done it), as by the time you get actually get into bed, you'll be there and getting up again, so I'm not sure it would be worth it.

The main benefit I hope for, is like Mark1863, has said, it is just get on in UK, get off in Moutier. I would sooner have an upright seat, than have to change trains at Paris, but as I said, sure its personal pref.

Either way, the real difference is not having to get up at 2.30 am on Sat morning, drive round to mates' houses attempting to stuff gear into cars, drive half asleep to Manchester, stand around for a flight etc, and eventually arrive 12/13 hours later having travelled without any sleep to speak of, for the whole time.

This is our first year without going via a TO, and I find the overall price incredible for the time of year - 8 person catered , sole occ, w/c 25th Feb in Meribel centre, Approx £450 pp + £149 rtn for the train. We normally got late March and pay around £650 pp with Manchester flights. Really nice looking chalet too.
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Train starts 11.00 go direct to bed - sleep from, say 12.00 to 7.00, train arrives 7.30. Bus to resort: ski.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I've done the French sleeeper from Paris. there was no partying on the train, everyone gets into their bunk as soon as they embarked, which is just as well because there's no room to move with 6 in a cabin. Luggage space is tight but I've not had to sleep with my luggage.

I was lucky enough to do a trip on the Snowtrain the last season it ran (about 3 seasons ago). That was perfect as the Snowtrain left Gare Du Nord, so no cross Paris transfers. Even the disco car was great, because it meant those that wanted to party stayed well away from those wanting to get their heads down. I hope that one day the service will be restored.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I don't know why it didn't continue: it seemed to be always full.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
snowball wrote:
I don't know why it didn't continue: it seemed to be always full.


Well, on my one trip the Snowtrain was far from full. There were 6 of us in the party but they gave us 2 compartments. On the way out we split into two groups of three. On the way back we got clever and all slept in one comparment, keeping the other one for seating/luggage storage.

Mind you, by 1.00am on both journeys (when we retreated to our bunks) the disco car was absolutely heaving.
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I think the rolling stock for the sleeper trains is approaching the end of its life, I have heard rumours that it is also not going to be replaced so perhaps the withdrawal of the "Snow Train' was the first step to protect the scheduled daily services. Just hope they can keep it going - although with the expansion of the TGV over the last 10 years the economics behind reinvesting in sleepers may be non viable. Why sleep when you van do BSM to Paris in 4-5 hours by TGV.
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chocksaway wrote:
Why sleep when you van do BSM to Paris in 4-5 hours by TGV.


It's all about getting the extra days skiing in. There's no need to travel fast if you can take the opportunity to get a full night sleep; 5 hours BSM to Paris is great for a daytime journey, but not for an overnight.
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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.
Quote:

There's no need to travel fast if you can take the opportunity to get a full night sleep

indeed, and the overnight sleeper was quite slow. Trundled along, stopped and started, felt like it spent half the night in a siding somewhere. It was a very civilized way to travel, and the local bus from Aime to La Plagne only cost a few francs and we were away long before the coaches had loaded up. Generally, though, you'd need to factor in the cost of transfers, which in some cases might be considerable.

2 full days extra skiing - and we were able to dump stuff, and change, in a spare room in the chalet when we arrived - we were also made welcome and given some breakfast.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
We have taken the eurostar to moutiers/bourg several times and if you are going to resorts in that area it is a great way to travel. I think second class is fine for daytime services but I'd only travel 1st class overnight. Apart from the bonus of the reclining seats food and a glass of wine are provided.

We have also used the traditional sleeper most recently from paris to briancon area and were very disappointed with the first class sleeper. There was nothing first class about it. The compartment was ok but the loo at the end of the carriage was horrid (even by train loo standards!). There is no buffet car/food/drink and I don't think we saw a member of staff come up and down the train at all. Far from pottering along the train seemed to be going so fast I found it hard to get to sleep. It would be a pity to see the sleeper go. I think if they improved the carriages and had a couple of friendly staff on board it could still be a good way to travel. Some time ago we travelled on the UK sleeper from London to Scotland and it was a much pleasanter experience.

Our preferred option for skiing is either staying in paris and getting an early TGV to the alps or getting the first eurostar out of Ebbsfleet and changing in paris to a TGV. Whilst it is a bit of a hassle changing in paris the fare is usually a lot cheaper than the direct eurostar and enables us to get to resorts further from the moutiers/bourg area.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
OT, but the sleeper from St Petersburg to Moscow is superb. They have day-time "bullet trains" that take four hours. Or you can go overnight which takes 8 hours. The train does a steady 60mph all the way, so no stop-start or sitting in sidings. Whilst the cattle class - with 40 beds in a single carriage - is presumably awful, first class includes en suite shower rooms and proper double beds.

No idea why it cannot be like that in Western Europe.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I've done the sleeper from Paris to Toulouse and it was fine - a little cramped but got quite a good night of sleep.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
From experience of the couchette from Gare d'Austerlitz to Bourg

Fore warned etc....this was 1st class, 4-berth as opposed to 2nd class, 6-berth
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Spud9 - I was really talking about the economics of the sleepers in the future. As most of the passengers are French going to Paris the TGV that leaves late evening for Paris allows them to be in their own bed by just after midnight. Completely agree about the extra days skiing for the Brits - as a veteran of 5 round trips by Eurosatar/Corail Sleeper in one season.
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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?
I don't remember the timings of our trip, except that we had an early evening meal in a nice bistrot in Paris, got on the train at a civilised - quite early - bed time - and got off around about 0700 in Aime. The train was going for about 8 - 9 hours and as it's only about 420 miles its average speed wasn't that high. It sometimes felt as though it was getting on well, sometimes just trundling. It obviously goes slower on the night trips - like the night crossings on the Western Channel - which presumably saves energy/money.
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chocksaway, Yes, I'm sure you're right. It's easy to forget that therre's more to the French rail system than just ferrying Brits to the snow.
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