 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
Trying to string some ski trips together and seem to be making my life very difficult 
Anyone got any bright ideas for getting from Verbier to Serre Chevalier? My first thought was back to Geneva and transfer from there but didn't quite appreciate how far SC is. all transfers seem to be from Grenoble or Turin. Verbier to turin is an easy drive but seems much harder on public transport.
All sensible suggestions gratefully accepted.........
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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gilo, it is a difficult trip. A couple of years ago we did a week in Serre Che, followed by a week in Wengen. We gave a ski instructor friend a lift to Geneva to catch a train to Wengen. His return journey was rather tortuous, but I think he ended up at Grenoble railway station, and there is a bus to Serre Chevalier from there. We used Geneva airport and car hire to get to Serre Chevalier and returned the car to GVA and caught the train to Wengen. It would have been just as easy in the end to keep the car.
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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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Hep Turin is the easiest.
From Verbier going uphill you can cross the Grand St Bernard Pass which has tunnel near the top to permit winter travel. That brings you into Aosta Valley with motorway all the way to Turin and up the mountain passing the Milky Way at the top. The bottom of the mountain is Briancon which is the east end of the Serre Chevalier.
Think in one year I skied Verbier by staying in Sion (had done it from the Grand St Bernard pass end too) and then went to Cervinia for a few days before going to Briancon using this route. In Feb this year I went to Serre Chevalier directly from Solden/Obergurgl.
To go from Vebier to Serre Chevalier from the French side is easy too. One is to use the toll motorway by crossing Col de Forclaz which is the Swiss/French border staring from Martigny. It opens in winter unless immediately after a huge dump. The French side is Chamonix which has motorwat connected to Grenoble. Between Chamonix and Albertville there is also a good single lane country road too. Once passing Albertville the rest is motorway to Grenoble.
There is a quite a country road drive from Grenoble to Briancon though but you will pass the resorts L2A, LDH and La Grave on the way. From Turin side you will pass Sauze D'Olux, Cesana, Claviere and Montgenevre.
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You can get cheap flights with RyanAir or Easyjet to either Turin or Grenoble. They are both about the same distance, but if there is heavy snow, the Grenoble one is more difficult.
You can get transfers from this company:
http://www.serrechevalier.org/travel/airport-transfers/
It is possible to do either journey by public transport, but it will take all day - better to get on the slopes really 
Don't fly to any other airports, they are all miles away - trust 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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ricklomas, guy is travelling from Switzerland (Verbier) and not from the UK.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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When I stayed in Briancon this year the hotel was close to a train station.
When I check the train apparently there are two published daily services from Geneva, one departs at 08:17 changes at Valence to arrive at Briancon at 16:24 and another departs at 10:17, changes at Grenoble and arrives Briancon at 18:15. The rest is to get from Verbier to Geneva which should not be too difficult.
Driving should be 183 miles or 298km requiring 3 hour 45 minutes according to Google map using the Grand St Bernard/Aosta Valley/Turin route. Using the Matigny/Chamonix/Albertville/Modane/Tunnel de Frejuis can cut down the distance to 177 miles but the journey time is increased to 4 h our 26 minutes using some minor roads.
I find Google map information consistent with the stand alone Sat Nav devices and a close approximation to what I do on the ground.
In conclusion you have to waste a day for the public transport. However if you drive you can save one day by leaving Verbier after a full day skiing say at 5pm and be in Serre Chevalier for a late drink/meal at 9:30pm with a half hour stop in the middle of the journey.
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Hi - what date are you looking to do this? we operate various transfers and might be able to help with some or all of this journey depending on how many of you there are and what date you are looking to do this.
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Hells Bells, thanks for paying attention 
Stuart@Zenith, one person, 28th of Jan.
saikee, as you say getting to geneva is easy, getting there for 10.17 will be painful!! think this may be my best option though.
Thanks for the input guys, glad its not just me being thick.
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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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gilo, why are you trying to do this? I can see that a two-resort holiday will be fun, but why Serre Chevalier when you're starting from Verbier?
If I were you I'd look at car hire - Europcar and Hertz both have branches in Briançon, so you could drop a car off there. Failing that, a transfer with a TO like Zenith is probably cheapest if you can make it work, though most of them fly into Turin for Serre Chevalier.
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Lizzard, other people! Verbier is "my" resort but Serre Che is where a group of rellies/friends have organised their holiday.
Hadn't really considered one-way car hire, I'll look into that, cheers.
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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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Well, assuming you transfer on a Saturday and timetables don't change:
Train from Le Chable (bottom of Verbier) 12.09 - arrive Martigny 12.35
Martigny - 12.51 arrive Geneva 14.24
Geneva - 14.57 arrive Grenoble 17.00
Bus from Grenoble train station/bus station
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You know it makes sense.
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snowball, which from memory leaves about 17.45
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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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snowball, Hells Bells, thanks guys, timetables are slightly different but that's the journey I started out with but going on to briancon which makes it a 12hr marathon. will check it all out.
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Poster: A snowHead
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gilo, don't take a train on the last leg to Briancon, I think a bus service is quicker. The train journey passes rather a long way to the west. The TGV was meant to be coming, but I think recession put paid to it.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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gilo, definitely don't consider train from Grenoble to Briançon, bus is much quicker. Train to Oulx is a possibility if someone can pick you up.
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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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| gilo wrote: |
| that's the journey I started out with but going on to briancon which makes it a 12hr marathon. will check it all out. |
12 hours  Nothing like. It doesn't take 6 + hours on the bus from Grenoble.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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snowball, unless Lautaret is closed. 
I seem to remember it's more like two hours.
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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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snowball, sorry I didn't phrase that well. when I originally looked at train the whole way it takes about 12 hours, as the others have now pointed out quitting trains at grenoble (in favour of a bus) is dramatically faster.  's to the rescue!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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snowball, apologies, it was you who pointed it out, thanks. 
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