Latest posts for the topic "ski bus"

ski bus

Sun, 6 Dec 2009 23:34:20 GMT

Being a tight Yorkshireman and has anyone been on this

http://www.snowexpress.co.uk/timetable.php

looks a good deal and not much slower than the plane when you take into account the time spent waiting at airports and the transfers..and it might be more comfy than the plane

Re:ski bus

Sun, 6 Dec 2009 23:51:25 GMT

Always fancied going by train myself. Have a look at the Bergland express which runs from the 22nd December in the UK to Austria, Italy & for the first time this year France. Worth comparing prices & timetables.

Finn

ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 00:50:58 GMT

daved wrote:Being a tight Yorkshireman and has anyone been on this

http://www.snowexpress.co.uk/timetable.php

looks a good deal and not much slower than the plane when you take into account the time spent waiting at airports and the transfers..and it might be more comfy than the plane

It's good. Eurolines is slightly more expensive and it doesn't take you into resorts. So you have to buy a transfer on top. I wish I knew about this company a couple of months ago!

It is a long journey though...much quicker by train or air!

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 00:55:15 GMT

18 hours to Tignes (from London)? Serious?

In that time sitting on a bus I could be drinking a pint in the Rockies. From door to door (including a flight to London and a 3 hour wait) it will take 17 hours :lol:

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 09:15:31 GMT

last year to Val Thoren .......after sod all sleep ...1am get up, 2am leave to get to Brum airport 6.30am flight 9am arrive in Chambery 2hours in airport waiting for baggage and other flights..3!/2 hr transfer arrive 2pm

If the coach is comfy it sounds like an improvement on the above , especially as I would get an extra day in the resort...

and the cost (non package)
Flight GBP120 (including ski carriage)
transfer GBP60 (if you are lucky)

and Pablo let me know where I can get to the Rockies for GBP90 never mind find a single room....

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 09:51:40 GMT

After some investigation I have found out that Eurolines, ski express buses on their regular timetable do take you into resorts. I leave on boxing day because there are no buses on Christmas day. Because this is a 'special service' it does not go into resorts! :evil:

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 10:05:07 GMT

I think the coach price is very good. For Feb half-term, for example, the coach is GBP150 return from London to Courchevel, while the direct Eurostar is GBP300 plus you have to get transfers to the resort (15 euros return) from Moutiers.

But, the coach is about 20 hours, and the train is only 6 1/2 hours direct to Moutiers, followed by a transfer bus journey of about 45 mins.

I guess it depends how much money one has spare. I would much rather pay the extra GBP150 and have the shorter, far more comfortable journey on the train.

I had a look at that coach website, and they also link to action-outdoors.co.uk which has some very cheap prices for the rest of the holiday, if you don't mind slumming it a bit. For example, a week during Feb half-term in Les Arcs, sharing a non en-suite bunk bed room with 3 other people, including lessons, lift pass, ski hire, all meals, snow coach, is only GBP782 per person.

Edit - the point about this is that you could go as a single person, if you don't mind sharing with people you don't know.

Ally

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 11:47:02 GMT

Plus action outdoors offer things like off piste holidays, which is something i have been thinking about doing, as you'd get all the equipment, shovels probes etc etc for quite a relatively cheap price, and as a student i wouldn't be bothered about slumming it!

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 12:00:38 GMT

Don't care about slumming it when I get wherever I am going but surely if you are going on a weeks holiday, adding an extra day for travel each way (instead of say, 5 hours waiting for a flight, getting on it and travelling to the resort at the other side), is 2 days 'lost'. My time is worth more than that :twisted:

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 12:05:18 GMT

Actually, Pablo, I think you can have it both ways - cheap holiday slumming it and book your own air fare. I don't think you have to travel on the coach.

Ally

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 13:14:34 GMT

AllyG wrote:Actually, Pablo, I think you can have it both ways - cheap holiday slumming it and book your own air fare. I don't think you have to travel on the coach.

Ally

especially on Raynair :twisted:

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 13:20:54 GMT

I think going by coach has only 1 benefit: an extra days skiing.
For me, the cost is no less, if not more, than booking a package with flights included.
18 hours by bus? No thanks. Seriously uncomfortable, even the first class seats some services offer. Leaving home and arriving in resort, even if flying from LGW for me takes less than 12 hours: 3 hour drive max, 2 hours at airport, 2 hour flight, 1 hour wait, 2 hour transfer. Knock off 1.5 hours if flying from Luton or Stansted. And with the coach you still have to drive to the pick up points.
Like I said, I am sure it has its market place, but for me its a non starter.

More comfy than the plane? Surely you have to be kidding......?

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 13:30:54 GMT

I agree if you can get a package it is an expensive option but have you tried being a single traveller...the options are very limited and the costs rise exponentially

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 14:46:09 GMT

Tony_H wrote:I think going by coach has only 1 benefit: an extra days skiing.
For me, the cost is no less, if not more, than booking a package with flights included.
18 hours by bus? No thanks. Seriously uncomfortable, even the first class seats some services offer. Leaving home and arriving in resort, even if flying from LGW for me takes less than 12 hours: 3 hour drive max, 2 hours at airport, 2 hour flight, 1 hour wait, 2 hour transfer. Knock off 1.5 hours if flying from Luton or Stansted. And with the coach you still have to drive to the pick up points.
Like I said, I am sure it has its market place, but for me its a non starter.

More comfy than the plane? Surely you have to be kidding......?

I went on the snowcoach last year, we actually got 8 days skiing. No strict baggage allowance, no cost for skis. It took five hours longer than flying. My husband hated it, he was uncomfortable because he is tall and has long legs and he just cannot get to sleep on a coach. I didn't mind I'm short and was able to sleep all the way there. We also have the advantage of living in London and the coach stopped literally across the road from our house.

I prefer to fly but if having to suffer the coach means the difference between going on a skiing holiday or not then I will do it.

ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 15:58:00 GMT

daved wrote:Being a tight Yorkshireman and has anyone been on this

http://www.snowexpress.co.uk/timetable.php

looks a good deal and not much slower than the plane when you take into account the time spent waiting at airports and the transfers..and it might be more comfy than the plane

Was going to use these myself for our trip in March to Les Menuires but the women on the phone actually talked me out of it. She was so honest she said at 6ft3 i would struggle and it wouldnt be a nice journey.

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 19:11:36 GMT

I can not think of anything more annoying then being cooped up in a coach for 15 hours with a load of other people :evil: not for me 8)

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 19:36:06 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:I can not think of anything more annoying then being cooped up in a coach for 15 hours with a load of other people :evil: not for me 8)

Its the other 52 or so I'd feel sorry for :wink:

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 19:59:56 GMT

Years and years ago I did the coach a few times - it was bad enough on a sleeper coach, but seats all the way was awful.
Train over bus anyday.

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 20:01:43 GMT

I went on a sleeper coach for my 1st ski trip. It was with club 18-30 (when they did ski trips) :lol:

Coach trips are hard work, never again for me :shock:

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 20:04:16 GMT

I did 18-30 to Sauze by coach on my 4th trip - aaaagghhhh

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 21:44:52 GMT

Looks like we have all had some kind of previous. Ok, I went to Lloret de Mar when I was 16 with my bessie mate on the Intasun Express.
Things got off nicely when we sat behind 2 girls from Essex who wanted to chat a lot, but started to go downhill when the camp "steward" spent a ridiculous amount of time telling the men to sit down when they wanted a "tinkle", and then the 5 lads from Cambridge on the back seat had too many beers on the ferry and one of them was sick and it slowly rolled all the way down to the front of the bus.
The smell was so overpowering that we had to open the skylights, except when my best mate opened the one near us it locked open. Fortunately it was a hot evening.
Then we were told not to help ourselves to the drinks machine, but when I went downstairs at 2am on the Peripherique, the Intasun reps were asleep so I got myself a hot chocolate and a couple of teas for the Essex girls and as I was going back up the stairs the driver did what felt like an emergency stop and the drinks went all over the ground floor.
And about an hour later we headed into a thinder storm so we shut all the skylights......except the one near to our seats which had locked open and simply would not shut, so all the people in the last few rows had to sit in their waterproof jackets until we got through the rain, and one of the Essex girls was scared of thinder storms and screamed every time there was some lightning, and it was in the days when smoking was allowed on coaches and not only did I smoke about 60 fags that night but so did everyone else on the bus.
Eventually the rain stopped and they put another film on to keep everyone happy. Except it was Star Wars for the 7th time.
And then we stopped for breakfast somewhere in the south ofr France but the cafe was shut and we didnt get anything to eat, and then when we got to the Spanish border one of the passengers couldnt find their passports and we all had to get off the bus until they found it which took about 2 hours and it was absolutely red hot and one of the Essex girls got sunstroke and was in a bad way for the last few hours of the journey, and when we finally arrived in Lloret the bus backed into the canopy outside the hotel......

......so I think I'll pass on the ski bus, thanks :shock:

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 22:20:07 GMT

Sorry Tony dont mean to laugh but that was so funny. :lol:

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 22:25:58 GMT

Did some-one say 18 hrs from London to France. No way could I do that and I dont like flying. Even given that I live about 2.5hrs from Gatwick, then arrive 2 hour before check in, 4hrs flying to Lapland, 20mins luggage retreival,20 mins transfer thats only 9hrs 10mins to get to the Arctic Circle, I know which I would prefer.

Re:ski bus

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 22:37:10 GMT

You just can't beat a good Essex girl :-o

Re:ski bus

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 08:16:44 GMT

Tony,
That was really funny. I think it's got to qualify as the best post of yours that I've ever read (I never award stars so don't get too excited though!) :D :D

I can see why you don't like coaches now.

As I've said before, the longest I can stick on a coach without feeling really, really sick is an hour and a half. So there's absolutely no way I'd ever survive 20 hours on one.

Ally

Re:ski bus

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 08:44:44 GMT

The funny thing is it was all true.

Re:ski bus

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 09:36:31 GMT

My journey to LM will be by coach in 2 weeks and 4 days...I'm still excited! Perhaps I have a bit of Essex in me! :lol:

Re:ski bus

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 11:36:41 GMT

Call me weird but I'd lbe quite happy with 18 hours on a coach!

I'm not very tall and don't find them at all uncomfortable. I could read and sleep when I wanted. I don't get that opportunity too often.

It's a no-goer tho as my husband is of normal stature and mental state and likes to be in control. So we drive.

Re:ski bus

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 12:56:04 GMT

Dids1 wrote:Call me weird but I'd lbe quite happy with 18 hours on a coach!

I'm not very tall and don't find them at all uncomfortable. I could read and sleep when I wanted. I don't get that opportunity too often.

It's a no-goer tho as my husband is of normal stature and mental state and likes to be in control. So we drive.

Sounds a jolly fine fellow 8)

Re:ski bus

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 15:41:29 GMT

Dids1 - your husband sounds like a typical male - does he keep hold of the telly control all the time as well? :wink:

Re:ski bus

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 15:58:28 GMT

AllyG wrote:Dids1 - your husband sounds like a typical male - does he keep hold of the telly control all the time as well? :wink:

Sounds very sexist Ally :lol:

Re:ski bus

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 17:20:16 GMT

AllyG wrote:Dids1 - your husband sounds like a typical male - does he keep hold of the telly control all the time as well? :wink:

Hmmm...depends who gets there 1st. Usually me actually. :D
He's not too keen on TV except Sunday afternoons when it's football, football, football.

Re:ski bus

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 18:00:07 GMT

Thanks Dids1,
But we'd better get back to ski buses now, before Admin locks this thread as well, because of my 'wibbling'. I definitely seem to have a problem with 'wibbling off piste' all the time.

So, on the subject of ski buses, I have noticed that the schools seem to use the buses quite often, presumably because they are so cheap, and kids seem to be able to stay up all night, all week, and ski, before they go home and collapse.

Also, I suppose kids are shorter :lol:

Ally

Re:ski bus

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 18:03:08 GMT

My 9 year old is off to Courmayeur on Saturday for a school ski trip. 18 hours on a bus each way, and the kids think this is a great idea. They do travel overnight though.

I'd be throwing up after half an hour.... :shock:

Re:ski bus

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 00:11:20 GMT

AllyG wrote:
But we'd better get back to ski buses now, before Admin locks this thread as well, because of my 'wibbling'. I definitely seem to have a problem with 'wibbling off piste' all the time.

Ally

You noticed?????

Re:ski bus

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 09:29:29 GMT

Tony_H wrote:

AllyG wrote:
But we'd better get back to ski buses now, before Admin locks this thread as well, because of my 'wibbling'. I definitely seem to have a problem with 'wibbling off piste' all the time.

Ally

You noticed?????

Tony,
I am trying - very hard, but sticking to the subject matter at hand doesn't seem to come naturally to me.

Kate,
I hope your kid has a great time on the ski holiday. If you're like me, and coaches make you sick, then it's a good thing you're not going with them. My elder daughter went on two ski holidays with the school, and had a fantastic time, and came back a brilliant skier.

Ally

Re:ski bus

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 10:05:39 GMT

Thanks Ally, he's going to have a great time. Sadly for me, when he gets back he'll probably be a better skiier than me... :shock:

Re:ski bus

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 10:38:36 GMT

Kate,
I think that happens to all of us parents when we introduce our kids to ski-ing. They seem to learn much faster than us. You'll have to get used to 'hurry up Mum, what are you doing?' all the time, as he hurtles down black slopes leaving you miles behind.

Ally

Re:ski bus

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 10:39:59 GMT

All three of my sons are better than me...It makes me so proud. :D

Re:ski bus

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 13:26:24 GMT

Just noticed your bandits in that pics, for some reason I hadnt picked up on that before. D'oh. Look forward to seeing them 10th Jan, bright and early!!!