J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by AllyG

Thanks Daisy :)

I knew they went on sale today, but not at what time.

What a huge amount of snow Tony :shock:

That's amazing - especially for this time of year!

I'm glad you had a great time :D

SwingBeep - you're quite right about how sometimes the bindings are poorly maintained. I hired a pair of skis once, and when I dropped them down on the snow to put them on, the brake bit of one of them just flew off!

Luckily I was in a lesson, and we'd just gone up a gondola, and my instructor got a screwdriver from the gondola station and did it back up for me :)

I am very pleased to hear that your new skis turned out so well :)

billip1 wrote:

AllyG wrote:... The rest of them were all blokes. And they were all French. So I slept in my clothes.

I think the guy in the top bunk totally turned the light off, so we were in the dark. ...

I'm surprised everybody has managed to resist making a remark on these comments of yours Ally :)

Yes, everyone is being very well behaved :)

There was something quite 'interesting' that happened during the journey - but I'm not going to post up about it - because I know I'll get no end of 'stick' over it :oops: :lol:

I'm afraid I derived a good deal of amusement at the situation, and I went to sleep chuckling to myself - maybe I have more than one screw loose :?: :lol:

Perhaps Ian W should bring several screwdrivers to Folgarida with him (if he decides to come on the group holiday with us)? :wink:

Hi Lota,
I have been on both the Eurostar direct night train between Moutiers and St Pancras, and the French sleeper train between Bourg-St-Maurice and Paris.

The problem with the Eurostar night train is that it doesn't have any beds. The first time I went on it we were in the economy seats and I found it terribly uncomfortable, so I spent the night sleeping on the floor in the bar!

The second time we went on it I booked seats which were one grade up from the basic ones and they were much more comfortable and I could sleep OK :)

I found the 6 person couchette back from Bourg very small and squashy but other than that very comfortable. There were 2 sets of triple bunks, reached by a ladder at the back, behind which you had to put your luggage.

When you were in your bunk there wasn't enough room to sit upright, so basically I just lay down as soon as I got in it. They had a small pillow in a plastic bag, so all you had to do was pull the bag off it. And there was a very thin sleeping bag.

I hadn't requested a special female only couchette, so there was only one other woman in it. The rest of them were all blokes. And they were all French. So I slept in my clothes.

I think the guy in the top bunk totally turned the light off, so we were in the dark. And I just slept, on and off, between Bourg and Paris. I actually found it very restful and I slept quite well - I like trains :)

The train left Bourg at 8-05 p.m. and got to Paris Austerlitz at 06-30. I got a taxi then, to Paris Nord, to catch the Eurostar back to St Pancras, and it only cost me 12 euros. And there was plenty of space in the toilets in Paris Nord so I could get changed and washed etc. I think there was a shower as well.

So I would say that I enjoyed my journey, and I'd do it again. The other people in the couchette were very polite and nice to me, the bunk was comfortable, the temperature was OK - neither too hot nor too cold. And the train arrived on time. They checked my ticket before I boarded the train so I didn't get woken up by a ticket collector.

I preferred sleeping in the couchette to sleeping upright in the direct Eurostar. The only advantage of the Eurostar is that it does go to London direct, so you don't have to change in Paris, and you get there a bit earlier.

I phoned Eurostar up just now, and they've discontinued the pre-registration system for the ski train.

The good news for me is that whilst I was looking at their website I noticed something about refunds if the train is late, and I thought about the rock fall and the dead cow.

So I phoned them up, quoting the reference number on my original ticket out to Bourg St Maurice on 2nd March, and they agreed that my train had been 75 minutes late and I am entitled to a free single train journey on the ski train, or any other Eurostar train.

I am planning on going ski-ing again at the beginning of January, and going out on the ski train, so now I will get a free one way trip :)

I will just have to pay for my journey back. They would also pay half the return price, but I will be coming back on the night train and I don't think that will count as a return ticket.

I'm glad to hear you and Stewart had a good time Tony :)