 Poster: A snowHead
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| WayneC wrote: |
I'm with Spannah, we were halfway to Dover from Victoria Stn on our second coach trip when I asked why are we doing this again, we're not poor... It did get us a third trip that year with 3 days w/e skiing though...
Remembering our first trip, we paid for extra leg room, which helped as we took our seats, unfortunately the bruisers behind us hadn't and kneed us in the back every 10 mins every time they moved. If you've got to do it, as others have said, forget the blow up neck pillow and take a real one.
Or just forget buying an iPad and filling it with movies and pay for a flight... |
Totally agree. I did it for my first ever ski trip and it nearly put me off skiing full stop.
It just isn't much more to fly and comparing 6 hours for transfer, boarding and flight with the 18 hours I spent on a coach back from La Plagne, it really is a no brainer.
Is anyone that poor that they need to save £50 on a skiing holiday?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| bar shaker wrote: |
Is anyone that poor that they need to save £50 on a skiing holiday? |
Could you get within £50 of £369 for this with flights (and transfers) at Easter? http://www.igluski.com/morzine/chalet-club-les-gourmets_p31057?holidayid=47221046
I seriously considered it for the three of us. Then decided I didn't want to ski the day after a sleepless night, so didn't bother. I spent the best part of 9 hours on a coach trying to get from Friedrichshafen (diverted from Innsbruck) to Arabba a few weeks ago, and that was bad enough.
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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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One option on a long coach trip is to join The Metre High Club !
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I was cured of coach at 18, when I took the Magic bus London to Athens, 63hrs, 4 coaches. I had just sat down when the seat next to me was filled by a tattooed geezer from Hemel H, who eased his trainers off to release an odour that was probably manufactured at Porton Down. 63 hrs ! The Greek section drivers shared the route, sleeping on the back seat ( I was still of that age where I felt it was the best place to be ) and changing drivers as they drove along Yugoslavian ravine edges at 60mph. The owner driver used to jump up from the back whenever the junior driver mashed the gears, and run down and hit him round the head, John Cleese style. Mind you, we were all best mates by the end of it, due to the shared experience. Happy days !.... Then I had to do the reverse journey a few months later  Best of luck
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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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I still think we should hijack one of FtS's pantechnicons, sling in a kitchen and BBQ, mega size porta potty and 30 bunks . . . take the chalet to the Alps.
edit: forgot the big fridge and bar
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Grizwald, You may have no choice of seat if its with interski, I'm doing my first trip next week and have an allocated seat which appears to be in the middle, havent gone by coach before but as its my first week instructing I thought I would see what it was like, if i dont manage it without killing a kid I may fly next time and jump on the bus at the airport and do a two or three week stint
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| blahblahblah wrote: |
| Boris wrote: |
| I love threads like this, just reminds me of why we always drive |
Or fly. |
Nope the threads about weighing luggage and various airports also make me glad I drive
Each to their own of course, but for me tis the car everytime
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Curtains, Which resort are you going to? No one sticks to the seating plan by all accounts. If I had to the coach isn't full by a good few seats so would take the entire back seat in that case 
The coach isn't about money for me just would rather do the coach than travel on my tod flying etc.
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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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My last 3 trips have been coach, drive, coach. Yes the coach could be more comfortable but with the right pills its not too bad. An overnight coach means I don't have to get up at 4a.m and waste most the day traveling, I've no fear of the coach getting cancelled, delayed, sent to another country or my beloved snowboard going temporalily missing, all of which have happened to me in the last few years. Oh and it's cheaper? Well thats just a bonus.
That said I'm flying to Geneva for a long weekend in Cham next month, I'm just hoping I dont get a harsh reminder of why I haven't flown for a bit.
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Did it once, never ever again!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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^ +1
In fact I never even went in a coach again.
Grizwald, you'd be better off cycling or hitching a lift.
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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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One year our ski group organiser, fed up with increasing complaints about cost, decided to go for a coach holiday. 21 people agreed to try it, 3 (including me) said we would rather stick pins in our eyes and organised flights.
On the way back, there were 2 spare seats on the coach and 2 extra flyers (at considerable expense!)
The next year, no-one mentioned coaches, nobody complained about the cost. Everyone flew! 
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| bar shaker wrote: |
Is anyone that poor that they need to save £50 on a skiing holiday? |
No but I'll claim that £50+ and still be skiing for 2 extra days while your back at work! 
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Did 20 years of school ski trips by coach from Scotland plus 4 or 5 Snowcoach - none school. No problems, just watch lots of films (in early days videos, later DVD). Kids all sat quietly watching films all the way and wore their seat belts! I was known as 'Psycho' as my surname is BATES - kids did what they were told!
Set off early morning, take packed lunch, evening meal on ferry, sleep overnight, Interski breakfast at motorway services, in resort for lunch. On return leave after dinner, watch a couple of films, sleep, breakfast on ferry, lunch stop half-way up England, home for tea.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
Coach to the Alps-what have I let myself in for?
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Misery
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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By the time you get to the M25 you will be trying to get off. That's after 6 hours on the M6 and M40.
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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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| gatecrasher wrote: |
| bar shaker wrote: |
Is anyone that poor that they need to save £50 on a skiing holiday? |
No but I'll claim that £50+ and still be skiing for 2 extra days while your back at work! |
If I want to ski for two extra days, I will book a flight that leaves 2 days later.
When we leave the resort, you will arrive home the day after me, suffering from sleep deprivation and a bad back.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| achilles wrote: |
| Quote: |
Coach to the Alps-what have I let myself in for?
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Misery |
Looking at the replies I think that depends on whether he's a soft buttocked wuss or not.
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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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I traveled in Ski Olympic coach once . . . stretched out bliss. Couldn't fault it at all. Incredibly smooth Van Hool double decker and if that were the choice I'd do it every time the same way.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Snow Hound wrote: |
| achilles wrote: |
| Quote: |
Coach to the Alps-what have I let myself in for?
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Misery |
Looking at the replies I think that depends on whether he's a soft buttocked wuss or not. |
That could lead to further problems.......
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| Quote: |
I generally find my 8 days skiing by couch cheaper than a 6 day ski trip by air....I'll put up with the suffering!
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Indeed. To hear some people moan you'd think it was 5 month across the Gobi Desert on a 3 legged camel. Just spoilt, folks these days.
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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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gatecrasher, And how long does it take to get there by couch? Unless.....
pam w, I'm starting to look forward to the adventure......
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Grizwald, no idea, coz I'm asleep!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you have alcohol in your 'hold' baggage, it needs to be well hidden and not look like alcohol, especially if you're travelling with students. The ferry companies are cracking down on drunk students and are searching coaches and removing alcohol from the hold of the coaches parked in the coach bit of the ferry.
This is from an email sent out by our SU ski trip organisers.
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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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Grizwald, off to La Thuile, as I have to jump on a coach with schollos I think they have allocated numbers as they pick other schools up on the way down
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Take a sleeping bag, doss on the floor.
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You know it makes sense.
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step on the faces of the selfish tossers dossing on the floor
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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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One of the trips I did - Snowcoach I think - you could go and sit and have a mug of tea and a bacon roll from about 4 am. Brilliant. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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For best ZZZZ Zopiclone.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, I went on the snowcoach one time where there was only 14 people on the outgoing trip, we could all lie down.. 
The last one I went on had fully reclining almost horizontal seats where the footrest pops out automatically, slept like a baby!
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Well I'm back, will type up a Trip report in the relevant section but had a great weeks skiing in great conditions.
So the coach trip. Nowhere near as bad as I was expecting. On the way out the worst thing was the bus was just way too much ahead of schedule, e.g. we'd arrive at one service station only to have to wait over an hour for one passenger/instructor. All in all we set off at least 2 hours too early. The bus was comfy and not rammed so was lucky to get 2 seats to myself in each direction-the way back was actually better as I slept much more, and as everyone was already on the bus so minimal fuss or time wasted getting them off. We got there in good time and I got half a days skiing in on the Sunday which I didn't expect.
So +'s
* You can take as much luggage as you like within reason i.e. No worrying about weight and could take multiple pairs of skis
* No lugging around luggage i.e. once it's on the bus you don't have to handle it again until you arrive
*For 6'4" me I found it more comfortable than a plane, I wouldn't say I got a good nights sleep but found it easier to nod off than on a plane
-'s
*There's no disputing it's slower than flying, even for me who lives 3 hours away from an airport.
*You arrive back on a Sunday vs a Saturday flying (as is usual on a package with one or 2 exclusions) so recovery time before getting back to reality
*Loooooong trip made even longer by allowing too much contingency time-I reckon we could have shaved 4 hours off and still made the ferry. The coach driver gettting done for speeding in France didn't help either!
I wouldn't be put off doing it again by coach and it really wasn't bad at all IMO. If I lived down south it would be much more viable-it took us a mere 12 hours to get to Dover which should take 6 at a guess? Having said all that come ski holiday booking time flying will continue to be the first avenue I'll explore 
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| step on the faces of the selfish tossers dossing on the floor |
hahaha. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you take the coach and don't weigh what I weigh now, then I'd take a hammock. In the past a few of us used to string up across the aisles so that the remaining bods could stretch out on the seats. Mind you, we were Army so no one argued. Not sure how it would go down on a civvie wagon.
I also developed an alternative which I really liked. It was a sort of hammock seat/nest made out of a sheet of synthetic silk and para cord which supported you all round the upper body but let your legs dangle. I hooked it up to a flat hook/'beener/rope arrangement and there were few places I couldn't string it up in 30 secs - saved me no end of trouble at airports/ferries/train terminals, etc. Especially nice for trees!
At the end of the day, I still think the train is the best option where possible, especially if you travel overnight. The Snowtrain is constantly booked out almost as soon as it goes on sale - that alone should tell you something.
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FAQ
) It was a trip for one , but thankfully I've got a couple of friends to come along as well. Not done the coach thing before. Will report back. One of our party hasn't skied for 30 years but did manage 2 hours on Avon dry slope today without breaking himself 
