Poster: A snowHead
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I need to stay in a GVA hotel as i have an early flight on the 2nd Jan. Won't have a car. Does anyone have a recommendation that is:
1. easy to get to and from train station / airport at anti social hours with lots of bags
2. reasonably priced.
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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cran
cran
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have you looked at getting a transfer, might be cheaper than a hotel.
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beanie1, The Novotel in Ferney Voltaire have a free bus service to and from the French side of Geneva airport, they used to have a dedicated phone at one of the car rental desks (europcar I think). You just ring them up from the airport and they come and get you, or so the sign said.
There is a formule 1 next door to the Novotel which is a lot cheaper than the Novotel (they are both owned by Accor so you may be able to blag a lift on the Novotel bus).
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Wed 30-11-11 12:31; edited 1 time in total
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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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Holiday Inn Express
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Etap, cheap and cheerful
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Quote: |
Holiday Inn Express |
I would imagine that the Swiss side will be pricey with the strength of the CHF
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skichampcouk wrote: |
beanie1, The Novotel in Ferney Voltaire have a free bus service to and from the French side of Geneva airport, they used to have a dedicated phone at one of the car rental desks (europcar I think). You just ring them up from the airport and they come and get you, or so the sign said.
Their is a formule 1 next door to the Novotel which is a lot cheaper than the Novotel (they are both owned by Accor so you may be able to blag a lift on the Novotel bus). |
I stayed over there once as we were getting in late and then renting a car from the French side to drive down to BSM. Not bad, but I don't think the shuttle runs all hours and I think that it is a shorter cab ride from the train station to the swiss side airport rather than having to circle the airport from the French side.
I see a couple of possibilities at http://www.lodging247.com/hotel-search/ decently reviewed 3 stars from about £75
Be sure to use the mapping function at top right after the initial search- there are some that looking very close to the train station and a few that are out by the airport (you can adjust the search on the left to filter by distance to various locations and I find the summary reviews helpful.
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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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Quote: |
I think that it is a shorter cab ride from the train station to the swiss side airport rather than having to circle the airport from the French side.
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It's only a v short distance under the tunnel and into the Swiss side. But also, is it not possible just to go in the French side then go through to international? They keep changing the arrangements and I've not been in there for a while, so couldn't be sure.
The route into the French side, along that long road fringed with barbed wire, isn't very nice to walk. My sister did that once, staying in that Stars Hotel (when it was a Formule 1). We'd had a couple of days together in Les Gets - I was en route to do a week's work in Rome and she'd dropped me off the previous evening to catch my flight, then returned the hire car and walked to the hotel. It was raining, and dark, and not enjoyable. At breakfast next morning she was chatting to the proprietor and when he discovered she was going to have to walk it, with her case, he gave her a lift in his own car.
Very good service - that was in the days a room in a F1 cost something like £14. 140 francs?
The Novotel sounds nicer but it's a great deal more expensive. At a random glance (one night, 14 December) the Stars is £43 and the Novotel over £100.
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pam w wrote: |
Quote: |
I think that it is a shorter cab ride from the train station to the swiss side airport rather than having to circle the airport from the French side.
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It's only a v short distance under the tunnel and into the Swiss side. But also, is it not possible just to go in the French side then go through to international? They keep changing the arrangements and I've not been in there for a while, so couldn't be sure.
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I don't recall a tunnel, but vaguely remember some sort of construction going on...been 4 years since I did it, so I could certainly be wrong. Thinking back, the shuttle may have started reasonably early, but can't be certain.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Another vote for the Novotel. I really like it. Rooms arent bad. You can always get a beer in the bar and the kids love the Xbox and the Mac in the lobby...
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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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Quote: |
But also, is it not possible just to go in the French side then go through to international? They keep changing the arrangements and I've not been in there for a while, so couldn't be sure.
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pam w The layout has changed recently but it is still very easy to walk through from the French to the Swiss side and vice versa.
I took that route on Monday and it was extremely quiet. I had a pre-printed boarding card with only hand luggage and walked from the French side after dropping off my hire car. It only took 10 minutes from dropping the car off to being sat in the bar at terminal B43. There was nobody in the queue for the dedicated passport / baggage check point (it is signposted for connecting flights) and I went straight through.
It is more difficult if you have luggage to check in, there are steps and an escalator down from the French side that take you towards the arrival hall. That can be a bit tricky if you have a trolley full of cases, you then have to go out through the arrivals hall as if you have just arrived on a flight, then back up one level to departues (there is a lift). The queue is usually a lot longer for passport / baggage check on the Swiss side.
Novotel is currently £74 for room only and Formule1 is £34 room only for the night of 1st January.
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Guernseyfreerider wrote: |
Holiday Inn Express |
+1
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You know it makes sense.
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I've looked at the Holiday Inn Express, but their shuttle bus only starts at 5:50am (my flights is at 7). Their website also doesn't say where it is.
Does anyone know roughly what a cab might cost at about 5am from the hotel to the airport?
The Stars hotel has a last check in time of 9:30pm which wouldn't work for me, as i plan to ski a whole day in Wengen before setting off for the airport.
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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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It will be difficult to get a cab to take you that short a journey in Geneva. I had one refuse to take me to one the airport hotels before from arrivals. But it is Geneva airport so you don't need to be there until 6 if your flight is at 7. You will have plenty of time if you take the first shuttle at 5.50.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Snoozie, not if the shuttle drops off on the French side and I check in on the Swiss...
I'm a bit nervous cutting things fine as I then have an onward connecting flight London - HK.
I will just have to hope the hotel can persuade a cab to take me. There must be a way people can get to the airport for early flights...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Quote: |
It is more difficult if you have luggage to check in, there are steps and an escalator down from the French side that take you towards the arrival hall. That can be a bit tricky if you have a trolley full of cases, you then have to go out through the arrivals hall as if you have just arrived on a flight, then back up one level to departues (there is a lift).
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There used to be a really convenient "walk through" - as you walked into the international side, with your back to the motorway, it was up on the top/back/right hand side. Has that disappeared? I had friends use it a few years ago, when they had gone through to the French side by mistake.
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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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Right, I booked the Ibis on the Swiss side. It says the shuttle bus starts at 5:30am. Let's hope it does!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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beanie1, The Holiday Inn Express is quite close as I've walked it before, but might be a struggle with lots of baggage.
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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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geepee, yup it's baggage i'm thinking about - will have my skis, boots, suitcase etc.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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pam w, The route from the International side through to the French side hasn't changed, it is as you rememebr.
The part that has been modified is the route from the French side to the International side. There used to be an escalator on the left hand side as you walked down towards the baggage collection area from the French side. The escalator used to take you back up to the International side without having to walk past the baggage collection / arrivals hall. The escalator has now been removed or blocked off.
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