Oct 15, 2015, 2:55 pm
Last edit by: bodory
The ski areas will be busiest during French school holidays - other times of year will be quieter (and cheaper). France is divided up into 3 zones for the purposes of school holidays. The vacation dates for the 3 zones are staggered over 4 weeks, with each zone getting two weeks off.
Zone A : Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Poitiers
Zone B : Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Caen, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Orléans-Tours, Reims, Rennes, Rouen, Strasbourg
Zone C : Créteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse, Versailles
2020:
Feb 8 - Feb 28: Zone C
Feb 15 - Mar 1: Zone B
Feb 22 - Mar 8: Zone A
Zone A : Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Poitiers
Zone B : Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Caen, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Orléans-Tours, Reims, Rennes, Rouen, Strasbourg
Zone C : Créteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse, Versailles
2020:
Feb 8 - Feb 28: Zone C
Feb 15 - Mar 1: Zone B
Feb 22 - Mar 8: Zone A
The French skiing thread
Dec 20, 2011, 10:21 pm
#106
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Dec 21, 2011, 3:12 am
#107
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Dec 23, 2011, 9:06 am
#108
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Dec 23, 2011, 9:08 am
#109
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 950
i also had a look to rentals in Lyon but Hertz was also short of available cars...only available was an electric one: not very good to drive up the mountains
Jan 27, 2012, 1:48 am
#110
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 63
transportation options
I'm going to 3vt (three valleys) in mid-Feb (I know, it's winter holidays there but no choice). Currently trying to figure out how to get from GVA to courchevel 1550. It seems my options are:
1) alpski-bus.com 131€ r/t
2) shared van transfer. prices range from 130€ and up
3) private van transfer. Price out of budget.
4) tgv europe train. price < 20€ ?!?!
I'm opting for 1 or 2, but am stuck on the price quote given via train. It would be nice to train it for the sights and more comfortable seating (I'm fine that it takes an hour or two longer. It's a vacation after all). But in my search on the tgv-europe.com website, there's an option called 'season ticket' with the following relevant options:
* season ticket
* 1st class frequent
* 1st class daily
* 2nd class frequent
* 2nd class daily
Which option do I choose for a simple round-trip train fare?? Does anyone know?
1) alpski-bus.com 131€ r/t
2) shared van transfer. prices range from 130€ and up
3) private van transfer. Price out of budget.
4) tgv europe train. price < 20€ ?!?!
I'm opting for 1 or 2, but am stuck on the price quote given via train. It would be nice to train it for the sights and more comfortable seating (I'm fine that it takes an hour or two longer. It's a vacation after all). But in my search on the tgv-europe.com website, there's an option called 'season ticket' with the following relevant options:
* season ticket
* 1st class frequent
* 1st class daily
* 2nd class frequent
* 2nd class daily
Which option do I choose for a simple round-trip train fare?? Does anyone know?
Jan 27, 2012, 3:58 am
#111
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I'm not sure where you are seeing this, but I would guess that 2nd class daily is what you want, if you want the cheapest. Frequent probably means that you have to have a Abonnement Fréquence.
Jan 27, 2012, 4:04 am
#112
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 63
http://tinyurl.com/76w55ch
Another confirmation from someone who has bought a ticket on the tgv-europe.com site would be great!
Jan 27, 2012, 4:11 am
#113
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Well I use http://www.voyages-sncf.com in French of course, but if I translate your screen shot, again I'm pretty sure daily 2nd class is the cheapest. I think you would go to Moûtiers Salins to get to Courchevel, transferring to a bus at the station.
Jan 27, 2012, 8:00 am
#114
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 63
Well I use http://www.voyages-sncf.com in French of course, but if I translate your screen shot, again I'm pretty sure daily 2nd class is the cheapest. I think you would go to Moûtiers Salins to get to Courchevel, transferring to a bus at the station.
And yes, I'd get off at Moutiers Salins then take a bus / taxi to courchevel 1550. If it weren't for the fact that total train fare is less than 20 euros, I'll probably just do car hire for the flexibility...
Jan 31, 2012, 12:31 am
#116
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The ground is white even down here at sea level in Burgundy. It must be great up on the mountain. I won't get there til the school break in March though.
Feb 5, 2012, 6:16 am
#117
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 63
ticket option for french resorts?
I'm looking at ski pass options for 3 valley.. I see 1 day, 2 days,..., 14 days.
Are these passes 1 of 2 days, 2 of 3 days, 3 of 4 days, etc, like in some of the US resorts?
What happens if we want to ski 4 days with with a 1 day rest in the middle?
Thanks!
Are these passes 1 of 2 days, 2 of 3 days, 3 of 4 days, etc, like in some of the US resorts?
What happens if we want to ski 4 days with with a 1 day rest in the middle?
Thanks!
Feb 5, 2012, 10:28 am
#118
Moderator: Flying Blue (Air France & KLM), France and TravelBuzz!
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Hopefully, with the amount of snow we have currently, I hope I will be able to go from Méribel down to Brides-les-Bains, just two weeks from now ...
Feb 5, 2012, 2:28 pm
#119
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 950
Can't wait to get back there, although i will have to wait until the end of march as i avoid as much as i can school holidays and have my own vacations scheduled mid march
Feb 5, 2012, 2:31 pm
#120
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 950
i guess you had a look to ski pass fares, how do they compare to US prices ?