Snow train

"Ben Hodson" wrote in message
...
I've got a couple of weeks booked in La Tanis for next Feb. Looking at the
travel options it seems that we can:

Fly to Geneva or Lyons with a couple of hours transfer.

Get the Eurostar to Moutier either over night or during the day.

The other option is the snow train, the overnighter with the couchettes.
Now
I've used this before and quite enjoyed it :-) We've got a group of
people
travelling down so can easily fill about 8 to 10 spaces. But I can't find
any details about how to book it - can anyone here help ?

Cheers !

Ben.


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Does www.sncf.com help?

Roger

The other option is the snow train, the overnighter with the couchettes. Now
I've used this before and quite enjoyed it :-) We've got a group of people
travelling down so can easily fill about 8 to 10 spaces. But I can't find
any details about how to book it - can anyone here help ?


Rail Europe run the Calais and Paris Gare du Nord snow trains.

http://www.raileurope.co.uk/skitrains/

Ian,

Thanks for the really useful link.

John


Ian Blake wrote:

The other option is the snow train, the overnighter with the couchettes. Now
I've used this before and quite enjoyed it :-) We've got a group of people
travelling down so can easily fill about 8 to 10 spaces. But I can't find
any details about how to book it - can anyone here help ?



Rail Europe run the Calais and Paris Gare du Nord snow trains.

http://www.raileurope.co.uk/skitrains/

"geraint" wrote in message
...
sgwennodd "Ben Hodson" yn neges
...
toriad
The other option is the snow train, the overnighter with the couchettes.
Now
I've used this before and quite enjoyed it :-) We've got a group of
people
travelling down so can easily fill about 8 to 10 spaces. But I can't
find
any details about how to book it - can anyone here help ?
You can book it with raileurope - but a cheaper option is through Inghams,
online. You can book just seats - the Dover snowtrain works out about £30
cheaper than with raileurope. There may be other tour companies that also
let you book just the seats only.

hwyl!
geraint.



Might be different on the Snow Train, but I wouldn't recommend going through
a holiday company to book the Eurostar ski train. We booked direct with
Eurostar and the four of us had an entire 16 seat compartment to ourselves.
Up in the coaches that Crystal, Inghams et al had block booked for their
customers, it was a rather different story. Every seat was taken and after
10 hours it was a pretty disgusting walk through there en route to the
buffet car. You also had those who intended to drink the whole way there all
mixed up among families with young kids, and there were a few short tempers
around as a consequence (ah, Brits abroad, aren't we just wonderful).

Provided you have easy access to the resort from the train destination, the
train is in my view way superior to flying. Bourg St Maurice to Val D'Isere
is a very short bus ride and as a result, we got two full extra days skiing
over those in the party that flew to Geneva and did the long coach transfer.

We also got more sleep than the people who flew and our luggage didn't end
up in Rome!

"Darren Atter" wrote in message
...
Overnight eurostar was great a couple of years ago. Was booked via
tour op (ski world i think) and was full but fine. Come 1 am lights
went out and ok nights sleep (not great but ok)

Last year snowtrain via paris. Worked ok but changing is a pain. Worse
is the dep time meaning you have to take the day (or half) off work
and the fact that you don't get in resort in time to ski. We didn't
but I vaugly remember a problem somewhere that delayed us.

Given the choice I'd take evening eurostar everytime, especially over
flying!

D

Annoying, but apparently the snow train is only bookable for max 8 day
stays? Shame because having just moved to Bourg St Maurice it seemed the
ideal way to get friends and family there without changing.

Pete
www.grasski.org

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 08:01:02 +0200, "PG"
wrote:


"Darren Atter" wrote in message
m...
Overnight eurostar was great a couple of years ago. Was booked via
tour op (ski world i think) and was full but fine. Come 1 am lights
went out and ok nights sleep (not great but ok)

Last year snowtrain via paris. Worked ok but changing is a pain. Worse
is the dep time meaning you have to take the day (or half) off work
and the fact that you don't get in resort in time to ski. We didn't
but I vaugly remember a problem somewhere that delayed us.

Given the choice I'd take evening eurostar everytime, especially over
flying!

D

Annoying, but apparently the snow train is only bookable for max 8 day
stays? Shame because having just moved to Bourg St Maurice it seemed the
ideal way to get friends and family there without changing.

Well you can always do the 'via Paris' option overnight. I think they
run sleepers 7/7 to Moutiers, Aime & Bourg. See www.sncf.fr for
details.

--
Ace (bruce dot rogers at roche dot com)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

"Ace" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 08:01:02 +0200, "PG"
wrote:

Annoying, but apparently the snow train is only bookable for max 8
day
stays? Shame because having just moved to Bourg St Maurice it seemed
the
ideal way to get friends and family there without changing.

Well you can always do the 'via Paris' option overnight. I think they
run sleepers 7/7 to Moutiers, Aime & Bourg. See www.sncf.fr for
details.

Trouble is some are kids who are to young to be crossing Paris (presume
the Gare du Nord/Gare de Lyon trek is necessary....)

Looks like Ryanair to Chambéry, though that said I hear that Air France
has already successfully challenged the regional subsidies Ryanair has
been receiving from the likes of Strasbourg (which the airline is now
being forced to abandon). Could this be a threat to their
Chambéry/Grenoble etc flights, I wonder.

Pete
www.grasski.org

"Ian Blake" wrote in message
...
One other tip if you are going to Les Arcs to admire the big lift (and
queue).
When you get off the train do not go to the station for a coach head
in the
opposite direction along the platform to the bridge. Walk towards the
mountain, when you reach the end you can buy your lift pass at the
kiosk and
get on Arc En Ciel (Rainbow) funicular which will take you up to Arc
1600 where
there are free buses to Arc 1800, 1950 and 2000.


It's much quicker too. Something I'll no doubt be taking quite regularly
as I'm living there permanently from tomorrow! (Daughter in the
'ski-study' college in Bourg SM)....

Pete
www.grasski.org

PG wrote:
"Ian Blake" wrote in message
...

One other tip if you are going to Les Arcs to admire the big lift (and

queue).

When you get off the train do not go to the station for a coach head

in the

opposite direction along the platform to the bridge. Walk towards the
mountain, when you reach the end you can buy your lift pass at the

kiosk and

get on Arc En Ciel (Rainbow) funicular which will take you up to Arc

1600 where

there are free buses to Arc 1800, 1950 and 2000.



It's much quicker too. Something I'll no doubt be taking quite regularly
as I'm living there permanently from tomorrow! (Daughter in the
'ski-study' college in Bourg SM)....

Pete
www.grasski.org



We have always caught the snow train at Dover, which avoids all this
changing stations in London buisness. The boat goes quite early, about
17:00, so depending on where you live you need to take a day of work.

John