 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi all
My fiancee's ex-workmate has moved to geneva and offered us the use of her spare room any time we want for ski weekeds  . Unfortunately my lady is a teacher and the first available time we can get away is during half term for 3/4 nights.
The apartment owner doesn't have a car so we're looking at a balance of cost/travelling time between flying and driving to geneva and the onward journey.
Flights form BA/easyjet seem to be coming in at about £200 return each, but car hire onwards is very expensive (another £300). Is there a regular bus/train we can get to the grand massif or other local resort?
Driving gives us a car to get to/from resort every day but the 18-20hrs return trip for 3days skiing seems a bit extreme. It does mean we can take our own food rather than buying dinner in geneva.
Any help appreciated!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
For me the cost/inconvenience of the 50km+ daily commute to the slopes doesn't warrant taking the offer of the free apartment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
ceefax, Buses run to/from many resorts including Grand-Massif (easiest to get to is Morrilon & Samoens) tickets often inlcude lift passes, They run from Gare Routiere in Geneva. PDS and Chamonix are also served. If you PM I'll provide you info on a local Genevois website with special offers for list passes and organised trips etc.
Mountainsun also arrange 3 day trips from GVA (airport) to include transfers, passes, BB+EM but no drinks for around £40 per night and sometime provide skis as well but you'll need boots. - However as Layne, the commute will be tedious 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Quote: |
For me the cost/inconvenience of the 50km+ daily commute to the slopes doesn't warrant taking the offer of the free apartment.
|
normally I'd agree but at half term most accommodation will be full and - if it isn't - very expensive. And not available for less than a week.
Jivebaby's suggestion of the organised buses from the Gare Routiere in Geneva sounds like the best idea. The traffic won't be too bad during the week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
ceefax, You could bus out to Taninges on the PDS bus and hop off there. Super U provide super cheap car hire if you call them and book over the telephone - You cannot book online. Then drop off on your last day and pick up the bus back from Taninges: This might be a stretch for a visitor without local knowledge. Failing than, consider looking at the Grand Massif snow thread and PM a few of the local snowheads. I've a feeling that one or two might have some room 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Layne wrote: |
| For me the cost/inconvenience of the 50km+ daily commute to the slopes doesn't warrant taking the offer of the free apartment. |
I'm in the other camp. Whilst we have a place in Morzine we quite often get in the car and drive over to Chamonix, Megeve or Flaine and it's not a big deal now that we've done it a few times.
Probably the bigger issue at weekends is that the car parks fill up very quickly, so it pays to aim for first lift or thereabouts, which involves getting up very early.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Agree with FlyingStantoni, we are here most of the winter in Les Gets but will take the car to Flaine, Megeve, Les Contamines, St Gervais - lovely day the other week just at Praz de Lys, even got ourselves to Verbier once in April before 9. It is all about getting the car in the right place and early - and these sort of trips are often a bit later in the season and we grab coffee and a croissant once we are there and skiing. Sometimes on the first time to a different place we haven't got it quite right regarding parking and lift access but you learn these things..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FlyingStantoni, I don't disagree if you had a car it wouldn't be too bad. The OP seemed reluctant to drive over or hire - for good reasons IMO (short trip/expensive at the quoted price). Doing it by bus/train would be less fun. I just think the cost, time and effort of the commute when you want to max out your 3 days I would rather pay for a Hotel. Though I appreciate this is half term and that may not be possible. In which case I would try and get some cheaper car hire. The free apartment financially isn't worth a great deal "in this context" is what I was alluding to.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Layne, +1 = NO FREE LUNCH
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| ceefax wrote: |
Hi all
My fiancee's ex-workmate has moved to geneva and offered us the use of her spare room any time we want for ski weekeds . Unfortunately my lady is a teacher and the first available time we can get away is during half term for 3/4 nights.
The apartment owner doesn't have a car so we're looking at a balance of cost/travelling time between flying and driving to geneva and the onward journey.
Flights form BA/easyjet seem to be coming in at about £200 return each, but car hire onwards is very expensive (another £300). Is there a regular bus/train we can get to the grand massif or other local resort?
Driving gives us a car to get to/from resort every day but the 18-20hrs return trip for 3days skiing seems a bit extreme. It does mean we can take our own food rather than buying dinner in geneva.
Any help appreciated! |
Hi Ceefax - I've become really familiar with the skiing by public transport opportunities around Geneva in recent years.
You've got 3 main options. The French Alps, which you really need to take a coach to now (as the French railway station in Geneva is now shut til 2017) but, as someone else mentioned, there are coaches every day from Geneva to tons of resorts (Frrance and Switz).
Second option is the Swiss resorts, and these are very easily (and very enjoyably) reached by train, along the bank of Lake Geneva and beyond. I wouldn't call it a commute - more a hugely enjoyable train trip - but the closest resorts (Leysin, Villars, Le Chable for Verbier, Champery for Portes du Soleil) are about 1hr45-2hrs away, and will cost you a fair amount (about £30 return). However, at the Swiss stations all the ticket machines offer you a Snow'n'Rail ticket which combines your rail travel with a lift pass with around a 25% discount.
Finally, you can access the Jura resorts like Le Mont Dore - a train ride to Bellegarde followed by a scenic bus ride to the resort but buses aren't very frequent.
Staying put in one resort will obviously be less faff but the ski-rail thing is a lot of fun and you get more of a sense of adventure (if that's important!).
There's a newish map which shows how the rail network connects with the ski resorts - the SkiRail Map of the Alps. You can see a sample here http://rogerlascellesmaps.co.uk/SkiRail_Product_Information.aspx?area=SkiRail_Product_Information (featuring most of the resorts mentioned above) and there's more info here - http://rogerlascellesmaps.co.uk/SkiRail_Map_Main.aspx?area=Ski_Rail_Map_of_the_Alps
Hope that helps.
N Neige
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
