 Poster: A snowHead
|
Found this year that the short notice go where the snow is trip by air is almost impossible for sensible money, however this winter I would like to see whether I can increase my days away by taking a few long weekends rather than a full 7 day trip. A typical trip may involve a weekend in Scotland, however I was wondering what areas where reachable in a day's drive (via Tunnel), or even rail?
Does anyone make regular trips, if so how much typically do these cost and where do you find accomodation for such lengths of time?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
I did a short stay in La Tania, £45 flight with Easyjet to Geneva, £80 bus transfer and £21 per night at this place www.themountaincentre.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Book yourself a few weekend flights and car hire well in advance...Geneva would be a good choice, lots of choice from there.
Play it by ear until you know where the snow is good and then sort out some late deal accomadation.
So long as you stay away from the peak weeks of school holidays in Feb' and easter you will be OK.
Obviously you are fixing yourself to certain weekends...but it will be a lot cheaper than trying to fly at late notice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
brian
brian
Guest
|
Getting hotels to take well in advance bookings for less than a week can be tricky, here's a couple I've used in the past couple of years, both do B&B:
Val d'Isere - http://www.lagalise.com
Zermatt - http://www.reconline.ch/bellavista/
However, as rungsp says, if you're away from the peak last 3 weeks of Feb you should be ok to get a hotel last minute.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
looking at cheap flights and can get good prices around 19th april - is this too late for cham and other resorts near to geneva for long wkend???
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I'm lucky to stay with friends mostly but did err, 8/9 (?) weekend trips last year. Portes du soleil, Aosta valley for simple 2 day trips, Baqueira for 3 days, Chamonix also easy to get to, as is Cortina. Suggest avoiding french School holidays and the Turin Olympics.
Many Austrian resorts only 2 hours drive from Munich.
Outside peak weeks you ought to be able to find hotel accom but you might need to scratch around/compromise on quality or location.
If you don't want to fly, where are you based, as I reckon the closest skiing to Calais is probably 9 hours away. I don't think it's logistically or economically feasible to use the train from the UK. I'd be delighted if anyone proves me wrong.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
dg3, wouldn't have said so for Chamonix, PdS could be dodgy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
micksup, how about these guys if you live in the SE
http://www.skiweekends.com/
Opinion is divided on the comfort and convenience of coach travel but if you live between central London and Dover, you can do a long weekend with hardly any impact on working hours
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
I have met a few people who book several weekend return flights London-Lyon or London-Geneva a long time in advance when they are rediculously cheap. They do not plan to use them all but it is much cheaper to waste a few flights than to wait until they know their real travelling dates.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
dg3, A bit late to be at all reliable for anything other than Chamonix under "normal" circumstances. Then again, Easter is only the weekend before isn't it?
Also, there's a B&B in Morzine specialising in Thur-Tue weekends (except for French school hols). I think it's La Musardiere http://www.musmorzine.com/.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Bourg St Maurice is an ideal base for the long weekend. We occasionally do B&B here at Château PG  .
I will pick up from Chambéry - www.flybe.com goes there from Exeter, Southampton, Norwich and Birmingham this season. It's just an hour's drive from the airport to our place.
Then there's a choice of Les Arcs (8 mins on funicular), La Ros (25 mins), Tignes or Val (30 mins), Meribel for the 3V (35 mins), La Plagne (20 mins) or Sainte Foy (20 mins)...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
micksup, For the last couple of years I have spent a long weekend in Brides Les Bains, linked to Meribel by the Olympic gondola. A company called Skiweekends (www.skiweekends.com) operate a hotel in Brides and bus you down to the resort on a coach. You get picked up from London Victoria at 5:15 on Thursday evening (or two or three Motorway service stations on the M20 a bit later) and delivered to the hotel about 8:00 Friday morning. You ski Friday, Saturday & Sunday and then return over Sunday night/early morning, dropping you off in London about 7:30am. Total cost of accomodation, Club class travel and 3 days Three Valleys lift pass £268 (I've got my own equipment). That was last weekend in Feb, prices are cheaper the further away from peak you are.
Brides Les Bains is extremely quiet in the evening (a couple of bars, a casino and a few nice restaurants) so you need a taxi into Meribel or Courchevel if you are looking for rowdy nightlife, but if you just want a bargain three days skiing with somewhere to eat and drink at night it is fine. They also have a place in La Tania which is a little more expensive
Coach travel is not for everybody, but it beats driving as you can sleep on the way down and hit the slopes first thing Friday morning. Also, after 3 days of hard skiing, covering most of the 3 valleys, I slept like a log on the way home and went straight to work on Monday. They will arrange Eurostar or pick ups from airports but this starts to make it more expensive as the accomodation price includes the coach and isn't reduced if you travel by your own means. I've always thought this to be a bit unfair to those who don't live in the South East, but thats the way it is.
I'll be going again this season, hopefully a couple of times.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Essex Alp, not a bad rate... but I reckon it can still work out less with a cheap flight to come to Bourg, including having your skis tuned and a few work-outs in the gym during your stay! 
Otherwise I like Brides - it's a good place to stay for the 3V, and relatively cheap. The lift up to Meribel is a pain though, it takes an age.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Le Grand Bornand is easy to reach from Geneva and good for a weekend
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| David Murdoch wrote: |
| I don't think it's logistically or economically feasible to use the train from the UK. I'd be delighted if anyone proves me wrong. |
We did a long weekend in Courchevel this year by train. We caught the sleeper service down on the Thursday night (Eurostar, cross Paris to Austerlitz, sleeper to Moutiers). Arrive Friday morning. Have 3 full days on the slopes. Leave Sunday night doing same journey in reverse (depart Moutiers 10pm). Arrive at Waterloo at about 9.30am and go straight to office. It helps that we both work in central London.
By sleeping on the train on the Thursday and Sunday nights, we only spent two night in a hotel. We stayed at Le Seizena in 1650 - really nice and not too expensive thanks to a mysterious discount that no-one could explain what we had done to qualify for.
So logistically possible if you work in central London. Cost wise, it was pretty expensive as we went for a private berth rather than the standard couchettes. The couchettes would make it more affordable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
My mate Paul's outfit http://www.skiweekender.com/ will pick you up in GVA and take you to their lodge in in St Jean de Sixt, ideally placed between La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Thanks everyone for the great response. The thing is flying with a party of 4+ works our very expensive. I would prefer to fill the car and set of Thursday night and then leave late Sunday pm.
Does anyone drive to the resorts north of Geneva, or am I being unrealistic in my aim?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
micksup, If you could share the driving and stack the miles up on a company car that would be a pretty easy way of doing it. Consider also Engelberg in Switzerland (8.5 hours from Calais according to viamichelin). You could save yourself 2 hours of driving and stop in the Vosges if the snow is good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
bit of fresh snow up at Engelberg looking at the webcam
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Tony Lane, Nice! Cool from a logistic pov, although I am slightly sceptical about the economics vs an early booked BA LGW-GVA... I think we were generally about £80 last year. Not so good this year coming I have to admit!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
David Murdoch, put it this way, although it was an extremely civilised way of getting to the Alps for a weekend, we won't be doing it again this season! We could have had a standard week's trip for less money.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blatant Plug for Scotland!! 
The main disadvantage with cheap flights is their only cheap if you book them so far in advance. So for a sudden last minute I want to go skiing from the SE, cause the conditions are good kind of weekend, keep a regular weather eye on what's going on in Scotland.
Be it for snowsports at or winter climbing in the vicinity off. CairnGorm Mountain and Nevis Range can be easily reached for a weekend mountain fix, thanks to ScotRail's Caledonian Sleepers. Check the reports at work on the Friday, if it looks good, you can finish work, get your gear, get yourself to Euston Station and be on the North of Scotland sleeper heading out of London by around 9pm on the Friday night.
By travelling overnight, no time is wasted on travelling, you will arrive by direct overnight train in in Aviemore or Fort William in time to catch the first bus to the mountain on the Saturday. Also by travelling overnight, you only need one nights (Saturday) accommodation. If you really want to do it on a budget, take the seated sleeper! Leaving on Sunday evening from Fort William or Aviemore, you'll be back in London shortly after half seven on the Monday morning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Tony Lane, I bet!
Winterhighland, I learned in Scotland, I love Scotland and the last day I skied there was awesome. But... I am afraid that from London it's terribly difficult to justify...compared to teh probability of good snow in the alps.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I thought we were talking about spontaneous weekend getaway when conditions are known to be good. For sure there is no absolute guarantee even with good snow and a great forecast for the weekend, but the weather can go pear-shaped anywhere. The thing is, you could check the reports Friday afternoon, check the forecasts early evening, and if all is good turn up at Euston Station!
On my way back to Scotland, in mid May I just turned up on the Platform, and got a sleeper berth ticket from the guard!
As of 22nd August online bookings will again be available, so the call could be made with everything done online on the Friday afternoon from work! If conditions are good it is do-able for just the weekend, with no time lost from work, and the Sleepers have an excellent lounge bar! No Mad Dash for the airport, with check in times, no worry about transfers or car hire etc.
Would be interesting to see what the cost (and time) comparisons are between a last minute dash to Scotland vs a last minute dash to the Alps, this is the one case where I think Scotland wins on value for people from the London area esp. ScotRail's sleepers are much underused in terms of return journeys originating in the south, I'm pretty sure this is an option the vast majority of people aren't even aware off. Also unlike continental sleepers, all sleeper coaches are divided in too berths, each with a bunk bed rather than shared.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
micksup, One way to do it cheaply -- and you can leave booking quite late in order to check on snow conditions is to fly to Nice ( as fares are much cheaper in the winter and significantly cheaper than flying from UK to Northern Alps gateways) and take the 1 1/2 hour bus trip to Isola2000 . The biggest problem will be booking accomodation as there are few hotels but loads of appartment rental. Flight to Nice with Easyjet/BA/BMI takes 2 hours from loads of UK gateways and the bus transfers are direct from the airport.
Having said that, I rarely use the place myself as I prefer the 'chocolate box' resorts in the Northern Alps. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Essex Alp, I have a sneaky feeling I know who you are, if I'm right PG, he'll tell you where you can put your gym work outs!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ken Lingwood, Morning Ken, yes you've guessed it. You're right weekend trips are for ski-ing all day and eating & drinking well in the evening!! Anybody who has the energy for the gym isn't ski-ing hard enough !!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
