J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by AllyG

tino_11 wrote:That sounds great!! Let's club together and buy a train. 8)

Bagsy not driving.

That's okay, Tino, I'll drive it. I've always wanted to drive a train :lol:

It's a really great idea :thumbup:

I wonder how much a train costs :?:

Ally

ClipperJon wrote:Insurance aside(!) we're all booked for Sauze for a week over Xmas. I dont know if I'm allowed to promote companies on here but I'll take the risk because it may help a few people out. We (OH and myself) booked with Nielson- Xmas week, B+B Hotel with transfers, 6 day ski school, ski hire (excl boots) and lift passes for £1300 all in. I sincerely hope nobody shoots me down in flames here because i think it was a great deal!
Trouble is that I'm packed and ready to go! Only 4 months to wait.

ClipperJon,
That deal looks fine to me :D

I hope you have a great time :D

Kate - driving does seem to be a sensible way of avoiding the hiked up transport costs during Feb half-term.

DaveMac - Don't you need to sleep? I'd have been wrecked after a trip like that - not going out to play tennis!

Ally

Brooksy,
I'm afraid you're quite right :D I am addicted to trains :lol:

I went to the airport a couple of weeks ago and I had nightmares all night afterwards - and I wasn't even getting on a plane :shock:

I don't actually have a phobia of flying but I find there's a lot more stress associated with flying than going by train. For example, one of the suitcases had mysteriously grown from 23 Kg (the maximum weight allowed) to 26 Kg !!!

There aren't any weight restrictions on the train - or any of that plastic bag nonsense.

Andyhull - I'm glad I'm not the only one using the night train. But I wouldn't fancy going out on it because I'm sure I'd be too tired to ski afterwards.


Ally

snowb4ndit wrote:At those prices surely it's cheaper to fly! :shock:

I'm sure you are right Snowbandit and it would have been cheaper to fly on this occasion. Normally, I can get return train tickets - out by day and back by night - for £300, which isn't much more than flying at Feb half-term by the time you add in the cost of the long transfer to Courchevel from the airport as compared with the short one from the station at Moutiers.

It's just this problem with the Eurostar/SNCF that's making it cost a fortune. Eurostar said (I don't know if it's true) that SNCF are thinking of discontinuing all their night sleeper ski trains (from Moutiers to Paris for example) because they're not running at a profit. And I would guess that they didn't want the Eurostar night train to run because they'd have to sort out all the night signals and whatever else they have to do to allow the train to run at night. So it took Eurostar an entire month to get them to agree to Eurostar selling their direct night ski train tickets.

I do hope the night trains don't stop. It was awful when they stopped Raileurope's overnight sleeper ski train (the 'Snow Train') to and from London. There are no beds in the Eurostar overnight one (which is why I slept on the floor in the bar last time).

I would think, door to door from central London to e.g. Courchevel, that the direct day train from St Pancras is just as quick as the plane because it only takes 6 1/2 hours and the check in time is only 1/2 hour and the transfer to resort is only about 1/2 hour. And it's much easier. You just get straight on the train with your luggage and then collapse for the next 6 1/2 hours. Plus there is a buffet bar on the train.

And the big advantage of coming back on the night train is that we get to ski for a whole extra day on Saturday, as the train doesn't leave until 11 p.m.

Ally

The tickets for the Eurostar direct night ski train finally came on sale today, if anyone is interested in buying any. But they are very expensive - £200 for one person one way at Feb half-term and £256 for Leisure Select (sort of First Class).

I am very cross. I bought the day tickets out there when they came on sale, a month ago, but it seems there was some problem with SNCF (the French train company) over the timetables for the night train that I wanted to get back and I couldn't buy my normal return ticket. Hence I paid more for my day train out there, as a single ticket, and I've just had to pay more again for my night return train, again as a single ticket.

I am going to complain to Eurostar because it's simply not fair :evil:. I don't see why I should have to pay an extra £60 or so just because I couldn't buy a return ticket because Eurostar took so long to sort out their problems with SNCF. If I'd waited until a normal return had become available there wouldn't have been any seats left since I'm going at Feb half-term.

Ally

I have hired boots and skis from Intersport several times, and the earlier you book with them the larger the discount - up to 40%. And, you can't pick which make or model of equipment you're going to get with them online. You just pick the price/quality. And when you're in the shop you can pick individual makes and models out of what they have available in your price band. I have also found that they will let you change your skis and boots later if you're not happy with them once you've actually tried them out.

Also, I have found you just have to pay a deposit online to reserve the equipment and you pay the rest later in the shop in the resort.

Ally

Hi Brooksy,
What a good idea :idea:

I could do with diversifying my businesses a bit more. How much would you pay to watch me fall over and learn what NOT do do?

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Ally

Hi DavManX,
I don't know about First Choice, but I had an e-mail from Inghams a couple of days ago to say that they now have a lift pass price guarantee so that if it's cheaper in the resort they will refund the difference when you get there.

The price of the lift pass in Europe for us here in the U.K. partly depends on the euro/pound exchange rate and so it's difficult to know ahead of time whether it's better to buy it as part of the package or wait until you're in resort.

You just need to buy yourself a crystal ball :D

Ally