What is the best way to travel to the Alps? Oldgreytravel has tried all the options over the years and has come down firmly on the side of train as being the most comfortable, relaxing and affordable way of travelling to the Alps. One caveat is that this is for travel from the South East of England with easy access to the Eurostar terminal. Elsewhere, this option may be less attractive.
Planes
Flying to the Alps initially seems like a fast, cheap and efficient way of going, but there are a few things to bear in mind. First, look closely at the baggage limits, you will most likely find you have to pay an excess for your bags and it may well be extra for skis and boot bags too. This can all add up to make a cheap advertised fare something quite different in reality. Then look more closely at check in times and airport transfer times. You may find yourself travelling to the airport for an hour, checking in 2 hours in advance of your flight, waiting up to 1 hour to clear baggage and customs at the other end and then, depending on your ski resort, anything from 1 – 5 hours transfer, though most usually within the 1-3 hour range – a total of around 7-10 hours door to door. It is rare, if ever, that you can fly and ski the same day. Thirdly, bear in mind the possibility of weather disruption. I would estimate significant flight delays occur around every 7-8 years in my experience. By significant, I do not mean the odd hour or two that you can almost expect, but half day/day long disruption due to snow or fog. One year, coming back on the train from Alpe D’Huez, I left the resort in the morning and was home in the early evening. My colleagues, who flew, were stranded by inclement weather and arrived back 36 hours later! Finally, you just have to factor in the general unpleasantness of air travel with its queues, baggage checks and security – surely the most stressful way to travel in the modern world.
Automobiles
I know many people who drive from the South East of England to the Alps and I have done it myself when travelling with the family. For a family trip with plenty of luggage, it is perhaps the only sensible way to travel and the cost can be quite reasonable compared to 4 or 5 train or plane tickets. French toll motorways are spectacularly uncrowded most of the time and it is possible, by sharing the driving, to cover the 6-700 mile distance from Calais in one day. When travelling en famille, oldgreyttavel has always broken the journey to make it a comfortable one and half day trip. There are plenty of cheap overnight options and you will find that you arrive in the resort refreshed and ready to take on the challenge of skiing for, most likely, the first time in a year. One further tip is to use the fast and not expensive Eurotunnel option rather than the cross Channel ferries. After many years of loyal ferry use, oldgreytravel has been seduced by the speed and efficiency of the Eurotunnel shuttle, not to mention its bad weather reliability. The slight extra cost is minimal compared to overall holiday costs and Eurotunnel must be one of the few operators who do not bump up their fares at peak times.
Trains
The first time oldgreytravel took the train to the Alps, it was the old overnight ski train with lumpy couchettes and on-board disco and our coach was next to the disco! Anybody remember that? It was slow, uncomfortable and noisy. I arrived in the resort exhausted and ready for a good sleep. Things have moved on since then and the Channel tunnel, Eurostar and the network of pan-Europe high speed lines have transformed European rail travel from a slow and cumbersome meander across the Continent to a fast, sleek and comfortable point to point service. For many resorts, the train can be as fast, door to door, as flying and if you go about it in the right way, cheaper too.
Eurostar run direct trains to the Alps including an overnight service. However, these only run once a week and serve one route, thus locking you into the week long ski holiday and to a specific area of the Alps, though admittedly one with access to most of the big resorts, if that is what you are after. The fare is not that cheap and the schedule inflexible, so not a great favourite of oldgreytravel. The night train has only the ordinary day train seating and brings back memories of the old ski train of many years back – no thank you!
Fortunately, there is a much more convenient and cheaper option that opens up huge numbers of resorts across the French (and Italian) Alps to prospective skiers. Take any of the regular Eurostar trains to Paris and then a high speed train to any of the many towns in the Alps that they serve. The Milan train will also open up the Italian Alpine resorts around Turin and the Frejus tunnel. Depending on the resort, the transfer time can be as short as 15-30 minutes, saving valuable time and money. To get the cheapest train fares, there are some definite rules to follow, but the cheapest really are cheap – how about 29e from Paris to the Alps?
I will be posting soon on exactly how to get the best value train fares to the Alps. It can be tricky, but if you follow my guide you will be able to organize your own travel on-line from the comfort of your home.
