Catweazle

Was just wondering if any folk might be able to give me some advice and/or help with my travel plans. I'm currently being swamped with work at University, and haven't had a chance to book some things for the French leg of my holiday in June and July, and hence the prices aren't the cheapest. Then again, they're not so bad I guess, considering this is peak holiday period, and the Tour de France/Olympics/European Cup is on!

Will be travelling with a friend, but that probably makes not much difference anyway to the prices below, which would be per person (except taxis). I've had a look at numerous options, and wanted to know what you think etc. Many thanks in advance!

First: I need to get from Brussels to Toulouse on Monday, 25th June, preferably by early evening if not earlier. Options:
Train: leaving around 7am (one early morning ain't gonna kill me!), changing at Paris, arriving late afternoon in Toulouse. €120
Flying: Mostly over $200 for decent times. Easyjet arrives late at night, no point really as I need to leave at the crack of dawn the next day, on a TP flight for LIS.
OR Flying: RyanAir to Rodez, arriving 12:35pm, train(?) to Toulouse. €52 just for the flight including all fees and bags etc. Or RyanAir to Carcassonne and training onwards?

Second: I arrive from LIS around 5:30pm on Tuesday 3rd June. Need to get to Chamonix, and it looks like my cheapest bet is to:
Fly AF to LYS for $65, and then stay the night and train to Chamonix next day.

I'm thinking of going for this option, instead of taking all day to train it the following day. LYS is only a hop, skip and a jump away and cheaper to get to from TLS than GVA, it seems.

That's all for now, but I'm really a bit stuck as what best to do with the first option. It seems a taxi from RDZ to downtown would be around €20, with one or two connections to Toulouse. Is an "Autocar", as listed on the French SNCF-voyages.com website, a bus?

MarLim

For your first question, did you consider the (direct) AF flight Lille-TLS at 13:15. I see a rate around 70 EUR for a o/w. Adding train Bruxelles-Lille and probably a taxi from Lille station to Airport should get you somewhere around EUR 100. This would be easier than flying anywhere else in Southern France and having to take a bus and/or train to Toulouse and faster than taking trains for the whole itinerary. Don't forget you have to change train stations in Paris (travel time: 30 minutes)

For your second questions, I second your idea of flying to Lyon and taking then a train to Chamonix. If you are on a real tight budget, you could take the night train Toulouse-Marseille and then TGV to Lyon. Costs about the same as the AF flight, but you'd save the hotel. Personally, I don't think I'd do this for the potential saving in question.

Catweazle

What a great idea, thanks, will look into the LIL - TLS idea!

Just noticed EasyJet also fly this route, though its in the morning. Wonder how early the trains leave from Brussels...

Catweazle

Anyone know if there are regular buses between St Gervais les Bains and Passy? I'm looking at staying at "Le Fontenay" hotel, but wondering if its a fair way away from the valley, restaurants etc. Because I'll be without a car, will it better to go for the "Hôtel des Deux Gares" in the valley?

Trying to choose between the two, and its driving me nuts! Le Fontenay is cheaper by far, and in a most interesting location, yet Hotel des Deux Gares is easier to get to.