snow train

Bus timetable can be found at www.altibus.com

There are two versions: One is the direct Eurostar 'Snowtrain' from London and the other (which I have used) is the SNCF one from Calais to Moutiers. When I looked recently, a February Adult Eurostar 2nd.Class Return was £164.50 and took 8h 12m excluding the time and cost transfer in Paris from Nord to Gare de Lyon. Some dates look fully-booked and the only train on offer was 15:30 from London arriving after Midnight in Moutiers.

I have done the Calais-Moutiers Snowtrain on a Boys Trip where the package included parking in Dover; onto a coach; Sea Cat Channel Crossing; the coach to a goods yard and then train overnight to Moutiers. Accomodation was a shared 4-bunk compartment. One carriage was converted to a Bar and Disco. Schedule was a Friday evening drive to Calais after work and arrival in Moutiers about 7-8am Saturday.

The advantage was we got to Courcheval about 10:30, dropped-off our luggage at the hotel, got hire stuff and the hotel gave us a room to change. We were on piste lunchtime. On the Saturday back we did a half-day's ski, and reversed the journey back to get home Sunday. So overall, an extra day's skiing on a week's trip. And if you're young and in a group, then you probably would enjoy the overnight partying on the train.

Cons: I pretty much didn't sleep on the couchette, partly because of drunken people going to/from the Party Coach, partly because it's really cramped. It was a lot of hassle carting ski gear and luggage from car> coach> train> coach> hotel.

But I imagine that the Eurostar Snowtrain is much more civilised. Although I wonder if you wouldn't opt for the £235 Premier Class option if you had to spend 8 hours on the train?

Overall, I prefer to fly: My February trip is costing £56 LGW>GVA Return BA, £67 adult return from the airport to Verbier. I'll be writing off the day travelling, of course, even if only 5 hours of it is actually sat on the 'plane/train/telecabine. Also, I don't live in London - if you did, I can see that you might well prefer the Eurostar Snowtrain than trekking to Heathrow, Gatwick or LCY.

Smokey Barr wrote:I've just had look at the site, mainly to get price compression. I'm I doing it correctly as there seem to be literally no seats available. Do they only depart on certain days?

Also it only seems to let you book three months in advance?

Seats get snapped up very quickly. We booked ours for the weekend back in September. There are only 2 services - Fri overnight departure and Sat morning departure.

Msej449
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Hmm, I think I'm with you re flying. It's quicker for a start, and I can check-in online with BA which saves a lot of guffing around in the airport, and you don't seem to make that much of a saving via rail, certainly if you upgrade to premium.

We also tend to go midweek for 5 days so's to miss the weekenders, the trains don't seem to go midweek.

Having said that, I bet some of the scenery is good.

It depends where you live. It's no quicker to fly when you live in deepest Lincolnshire I can tell you!

I have done the Eurostar, albeit many years ago, and would definitely do it again if I was heading out to one of the suitable resorts and was not in a position to drive.

I did the out overnight Friday, returning Saturday night trip, and had the fortune to go first class, so we had lovely reclining armchairs and managed to sleep pretty well in both directions.

We were skiing in Courchevel before 10 am on the saturday, and the hotel allowed us a place to shower and change the following saturday, so we did get in a nearly full 8 days skiing :D

I have also done the ski train from Calais, but unless it was the only option, I doubt I would do that one again. We were so wrecked after that trip (mainly drink) we didn't manage to get out on the slopes till mid day sunday :shock:

bedrock barney wrote:It depends where you live. It's no quicker to fly when you live in deepest Lincolnshire I can tell you!

Good point. I'm in the big smoke so take local airports for granted.

ive looked at the train a few times but its a non starter if you live in Newcastle as its 3 hours to KingsX/St Pancrass before you start and, if you dont want to vernight in London, an expensive train down as its peak time.

No cheaper for me then and no quicker - oh and I like my sleep so the party train is a no no