3 day skiing break with minimal travel time from UK?

3 day skiing break with minimal travel time from UK?

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robm3

Original Poster:

4,927 posts

227 months

Sunday 6th April 2014
quotequote all

We're in the UK for three weeks over Christmas and wifey wife and I have three days to go skiing (without kids).

Can anyone suggest a decent resort that has great connections from the UK.

We used to ski Livigno but that was about 5 hour bus ride from Milan airport so it'll chew too much time.

Any suggestions?


Nobby Diesel

2,053 posts

251 months

Monday 7th April 2014
quotequote all
Fly to Geneva, collect a car and drive to Chamonix.
Or get a transfer up from Geneva.

robm3

Original Poster:

4,927 posts

227 months

Monday 7th April 2014
quotequote all
Nobby Diesel said:
Fly to Geneva, collect a car and drive to Chamonix.
Or get a transfer up from Geneva.
Does Chamonix have decent coverage in late December?

Zod

35,295 posts

258 months

Monday 7th April 2014
quotequote all
Flims-Laax. Fly to Zurich, get train and Postbus. Takes two hours. Lovely place with plenty of skiing on- and off-piste and some seriously good restaurants on the mountain.

malks222

1,854 posts

139 months

Monday 7th April 2014
quotequote all
soll in austria, fly to munich, hire car, even in bad traffic it was 2hours to soll.

you could even do it by train 1 if you wanted, only need one train change and then a short taxi from the station to soll.

and soll do night skiing so you could get a little bit extra in if you fancied it.

LFB531

1,233 posts

158 months

Monday 7th April 2014
quotequote all
Morzine. Big business in that resort for weekend breaks as it's so easy for Geneva, 90 minutes approx. A nice place to be based and Avoriaz easily reached above if snow cover light low down. Personally I'd hire a car but plenty of transfer operators available.

cptsideways

13,545 posts

252 months

Monday 7th April 2014
quotequote all
Snow train, gets you there early am & leaves late PM, a friend does it frequently. Works out good value for time on the slopes to days off work etc.


skibum

1,032 posts

237 months

Monday 7th April 2014
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As far as I know, the Snow Train doesnt allow for weekend trips anymore - I thought they were arrive/dept on Saturday only.

I think the easiest option is Chamonix/Morzine - 90 min flight to Geneva, short (60-90 min) drive to either resort. Both should have good enough snow in late December.

benaldo

393 posts

227 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
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We got flights from UK to Innsbruck. The airport is pretty much a 10min taxi to the main train station and then had a very relaxing 1hr ish train to St Anton station which is right in the middle of town. We did it all independently and got B&B through the St Anton tourist office website where you can put in your date requests and local Hotels / B&B's come back to you with offers - worked out perfectly for a short break.

Lots of other resorts nearby to Innsbruck too. In theory , you could base yourself in Innsbruck and then get a train to different resorts each day.....

SilverSixer

8,202 posts

151 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
Krvavec in Slovenia. 20 minutes bus/taxi/gondola ride to the lifts from Ljubljana airport. Reputed to be the closest Alpine ski resort to London by journey time. Hotel Raj on the mountain itself is the pick for ski in/ski out accommodation.

Just been there for a week myself this February. Great place. Brilliant for very short trips.

Disastrous

10,080 posts

217 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
malks222 said:
soll in austria, fly to munich, hire car, even in bad traffic it was 2hours to soll.

you could even do it by train 1 if you wanted, only need one train change and then a short taxi from the station to soll.

and soll do night skiing so you could get a little bit extra in if you fancied it.
Seconded!

Nacht-ski and then käsespätzle at the Hexenalm restaurant up the mountain...

cptsideways

13,545 posts

252 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
SilverSixer said:
Krvavec in Slovenia. 20 minutes bus/taxi/gondola ride to the lifts from Ljubljana airport. Reputed to be the closest Alpine ski resort to London by journey time. Hotel Raj on the mountain itself is the pick for ski in/ski out accommodation.

Just been there for a week myself this February. Great place. Brilliant for very short trips.
Solvenia is my fave destination for Europe, lovely place, ski'd in the Triglav region before not thought about a quicky trip though, shall have a look into it.

Phil Dicky

7,162 posts

263 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
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I've skied Morzine / Avoriaz numerous times, 60 mins transfers and loads and loads of skiing.

Steve Campbell

2,132 posts

168 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
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Alternative : Fly to Lyon (or if you can find a flight - Chambery), hire car then Trois Valley (maybe La Tania as it's close to Courchevel which has the best skiing in my opinion). I did this for a 3 day weekend skiing a number of years ago. So long as you don't go when all the companies are doing transfers (ie Saturday) the drive is fine.

a311

5,803 posts

177 months

Wednesday 9th April 2014
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In my own personnel experience Chamonix tends to work out the cheapest for shorter breaks. It is however a while since I've done a shorter break so the market could have changed since. It's usually bee a case of shorter breaks being available but you'd be paying over the odds-i.e. pretty much paying for a weeks accommodation even if you were there for less.

I knew someone who used the snow train this season, if you're down south I can see it making allot of sense. The sleeper you need to change in Paris but if you're happy sleeping upright the ST is direct. Stopping in Bourg Les Arc makes the most sense and is a cracking resort.

Innsbruck is another option with several areas within easy reach of the city.

late December can be an odd one, when the snow has came late it's been squeaky bum time but I can't remember a season where it hasn't came in time for Xmas and New Year week.

Soll got a few mentions, so long as it's cold enough they have extensive snow making, few different bases to choose from, there isn't that much in the way of challenging on piste stuff IMO-St Anton is very convenient on the train and a superb resort if you want some epic off piste. You could also consider Zell Am See as you have a glacier as back up.

Merp

2,220 posts

252 months

Wednesday 9th April 2014
quotequote all
benaldo said:
We got flights from UK to Innsbruck. The airport is pretty much a 10min taxi to the main train station and then had a very relaxing 1hr ish train to St Anton station which is right in the middle of town. We did it all independently and got B&B through the St Anton tourist office website where you can put in your date requests and local Hotels / B&B's come back to you with offers - worked out perfectly for a short break.

Lots of other resorts nearby to Innsbruck too. In theory , you could base yourself in Innsbruck and then get a train to different resorts each day.....
Cant agree with you more, in terms of location, alot of my friends have flown in to innsbruck. Dropped their bags off at my place then you can be at Stubaier Gletscher within 1 hour, St Anton just over an hour, Mayerhofen 75-90minutes, south tirol offer solden and of course obergurgl but they are closer to the 2hour mark!

Easyjet fly in and out everyday and most mates paid no more than 100quid return from Gatwick, Bristol & Manchester

Amateurish

7,737 posts

222 months

Wednesday 9th April 2014
quotequote all
Les Gets. You can do the transfer from Geneva in less than an hour.

robm3

Original Poster:

4,927 posts

227 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
We've booked Chamonix so thank you all for recommendations.

Not sure how to transfer from Geneva to Chamonix but presume there will be buses or train of some kind.
Alternatively we could hire a car I suppose.

skibum

1,032 posts

237 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
According to this link - http://www.chamonix.net/english/travel/switzerland... - the train journey is about 3 hours!

Alternatively, hire a car and just follow the signs to France and then Chamonix - really easy and takes about an hour and a bit. Don't forget to have some change for the tolls though - less than €10 each way I think.

Lots of useful info and links on that page about alternative travel options too.

Nobby Diesel

2,053 posts

251 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
There are loads of companies that specialise in transfers up to the valley.
just have a google and choose one that suits you.
Alternatively, hire the car, as suggested. this will also be a big help in resort, as the skiing is quite disjointed.