Is it possible?

As usual when it comes to trying to book anything to do with the Alps for summer, my efforts are usually thwarted by the SEO efforts of the Ski industry.

10 of us are going to Les Arcs in July, 1 dickhead, me, has to come home a day earlier than everyone else, the rest are driving down – but that’s not really practical solo – so I thought I’d fly – if we were going to PDS it would be easy, fly to Geneva, pick a transfer for €40ish and away you go.

I wanted to fly to Chambery, it’s much closer to Arcs, but no one flies there in the summer, so it’s Geneva for me 300kms away-ish. I’ve asked for a quote from every transfer agency I can find and they would all welcome my business, but I’d have to pay for the whole car/bus/helicopter(seriously) and it ranges from £400 to the price of a decent second-hand car.

There’s a Train Station in Les Arcs, there’s one in Geneva, but according to Trainline Europe never the twain shall meet.

Am I doing it wrong?

Have you looked at flying to Grenoble?
Trains look to run to Bourg-St Maurice where you should be able to get on a bus to resort.

Have you thought about flying from Lyon? It’s not as big an airport as Geneva but has some year-round services, unlike Chambery or Grenoble. Might be easier than Geneva by train, no idea how the railways fit together as always driven.

Lyon has always been my choice of summer Alps airport due to cost

There is a TGV station on site at the airport
Theres also one at Bourg St Maurice

No idea how convenient the connections are but you can do the rest 🙂

Eurostar to BsM. Some change en route, some don’t. Bus/funicular to the resort. Next… 😀

You can get the train from Geneva to BSM, then get a taxi or get someone in your group to give you a lift from BSM to Les Arcs.

I looked into getting the train the whole way from UK to BSM a few weeks ago, do-able but massive ball-ache with 2-3 changes depending on exact route. Also more expensive than driving for 2, although probably cheaper than 1 person driving.

Eurostar to BsM. Some change en route, some don’t.

You’re thinking of the ski-train. It doesn’t run in the summer – there are a LOT of changes. Shame, as it would be awesomely convenient.

As above look at Lyon and also train the whole way. Drop white room chalet an email (stevo posts here) and ask, you’re not staying with them but I’m sure he’d help out, many of his guests summer and winter arrive by train to BSM

TBH whenever I’ve looked at trains from Geneva to either there or Chamonix it’s a pita / slow so we always either rent a car (way cheaper than £400 quote above, £100 a week ?) or drive the whole way as your mates are doing

Eurostar to BsM. Some change en route, some don’t.
You’re thinking of the ski-train.

Sorry, I’m not. You get on at St Pancras and get off at BsM. Some change at Lille some at Gare du Nord/Gare de Lyon some at Chambery some at all 3 and some at none at all. I’ve taken it 4 times and it can cost as little as ~£200 if you book early.

Don’t piss about with the plane, get the train.

I had a look a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t find anything with less than 2 changes. The Gare du Nord-Lyon change I’ve done & wouldn’t wish on anyone (though I suppose you could just jump in a taxi) so I was mainly looking at going via Lille.

If you can find me a summer train with no changes I’ll be your bestest mate forever, I was 100% convinced it doesn’t exist. In fact I don’t think I even found a route with just 1 change (Lille would be ideal as it’s just hopping platforms at the same station) which would be almost as good.

The obvious one is just bunk off 😛 whatever it is you have to come back for and apologize profusely after the fact :oops:. *

* Only thing I can think of that this wouldn’t work for is your own wedding but then you’re not likely to be in Les Arcs the day before that so it’s unlikely that’s the reason.

Thanks all, I’ll look at Lyon Airport and see if I can get s train to near Les Arcs

I always book through loco2. IIRC tickets become available 90 days before travel? I’ve done the cross Paris thing on the Metro each time. It’s not that bad, not like crawling over broken glass. You must need to man up 😀

If you really must fly, one way car hire with Europcar is the least grief option from Geneva as they have an agence in BsM. Bit dearer than Eurostar though…

Thanks, I’ll check nearer the time – although it even says on your link that the direct train is only available in ski season, otherwise you’ll have to change.

I think there are some mistakes in your OP!

Les Arcs is not 300km from Geneva. You have almost certainly google-mapped the Les Arcs on the south coast of France which is indeed about 300km away. Les Arcs / Bourg Saint Maurice is a little under 150km from Geneva.

For train transfers, go to the Swiss Rail website: http://www.sbb.ch

There are no direct trains from London in the summer. Change in Paris as a mimimum.
Double check on the French one: http://www.sncf.com

Swiss one almost always brings up the best choice of train connections.

The train is perfectly possible, but it’s very slow due to multiple changes.

Lyon airport is likely to have almost-direct trains (probably have to go into Lyon centre and change there) but it’s still pretty slow.

Eurostar is a hassle because the trip from Cardiff (home) to St. Pancras is as expensive as Flying from Bristol to Geneva and if I add up the cost of trains from Cardiff to London, from London to Bourg-St Maurice it’s more than driving down solo – £350!

One option I looked at was flying to Geneva and hiring a car for 4 days, but I hadn’t considered the one-way-rental thing.

Be aware, if flying to Geneva, when I did this a few years ago, the Easyjet flights came in after the trains had left. so you had a choice of paying for a hotel or the more expensive flights by scheduled airlines on Saturday.

I was lucky and a mate put me up the Friday night and took me to the station the next day.

I think you must have looked up the trains incorrectly. Trains from Bourg St Maurice (the nearest station to Les Arcs) to Geneva Airport take between 3.5 and 4 hours and you need to change at Chambery and for some trains at Geneva main station. The cost is a very reasonable €41.

Your best bet for looking up train times in France is on sncf.com.

Again IIRC, Europcar charge £50 (or equivalent) per leg one way supplement.

As an aside… One time (in band camp) I was booked to go ski touring with two chums. They were flying in from Saudi, me from Heathrow and meeting in Geneva, hiring a car and driving to BsM.

My phone went as I stood in my kitchen in Cambs having just returned from a very pleasant 50.’We’re just going through security’ my friend said. ‘Aaahhh’ said I. I thought my flight was next day and had ‘forgotten’ to go on holiday 😀 Cue another BA full fare ticket and a lot of ribbing from my chums… Dick+head indeed 😀

https://loco2.com/destinations/london-bourg-saint-maurice-train#via-paris-by-day

100% the easiest and cheapest way, unless you live in Cardiff sorry!