Connection: Train or Flight?
 

Hope this is the right section to post!

i've to book my connection flight to a main flight (itinerary)that is next day at 10.40am;

in Your opinion it's better:


- to make connection with fligth (easyjet to GVA)
- to make connection with train (suisse High speed train)?

about them, following details are:

easyjet flight at 8.10pm - 2h flight about - (but it is the only flight easyjet has..)

Train is at 4pm and arrive in Ginevra Central Station at 11pm.. + train to GVA

i don't know which one is most safe (delays, cancellation, winter weather, strikes, etc.)

Train costs: 29 Euro

Easyjet costs: 55-65 Euro

(there's also an insurance for connection flights lost, but i hope don't have to use it!!:D )

waiting for your opinion/suggestions!Thank you;)

Kinda of a wash cause you will to be in GVA the night before so either way you are getting a hotel. Both will get you there without problems but overall the train is more reliable. If I were making the trip and depending on where I was coming I would probably take the train the day before spend the day (24 hours) in GVA. Trains in Switzerland are quite scenic, some have internet. But 7 hours is a bit long. If pressed for time take the plane.

thank you for reply!

so, my main problem is to be in GVA on time to take my main flight (10.40am), so i will depart on day before (e.g. i will depart on Feb. 1 to take my main flight on Feb. 2 at 10.40 am in GVA) .
So i was thinking about train too, but on winter period train has to pass through the Alps (snow, storm, etc)..i have many hours anyway because even if i consider a train delay, it will have still 12 hours gap to arrive in GVA!

Easyjet is faster but i've to consider that if the flight is cancelled, U2 have no flight to GVA until 48h later (and i don't want to bet on thier reprotection on others airlines!)!

Furthermore i've to consider eventual strikes on trains or flights service (i'm going to book ahead to have a little of bargain),but, even if i book later, strikes can be fixed by syndical organization 15 days before, so i have no way nor in that case!

I can also consider to apply a flight connection insurance to cover eventual delay and flight loss..


but i don't know what is better to do!:(:confused:

If any trains will run during the winter, and run reliably, it'll be the Swiss. It's a magnificent trip, and if I wasn't pushed for time that would be my preferred option.

Getting from Geneva Central to GVA airport is a breeze, but sadly the same cannot be said for the hotel prices. You do, I trust, know how much a night in Geneva will cost you? If not, here's a couple of hints: Arm and a leg. The farm. GDP of Burundi.

But if you've got cash to burn, or the company is paying, I can warmly recommend the D'Angleterre by the lake. Restaurant is very good too, as is the "Leopard" night club.

PS
If you're worried about strikes, may I suggest you drive? A strike might, might, hit the railways. But it might as well hit ATC, airline, airport or ground handling companies. If you're really unlucky a bunch of French farmers will blockade the auto-route with their tractors, but who the you know what wants to bother ones head with all that? Chances are very much in your favour, whichever option you choose. You might as well worry about earthquakes or meteorite strikes.

There's a Holiday Inn Express, an Ibis and some other non-chain hotels near the airport (Cointrin). I'm seeing prices $110-150US so if OP only needs to go to Geneva for a flight it can be done cheaply. Relatively.

Where is the OP travelling from?

Is it London ("Train is at 4pm and arrive in Ginevra Central Station at 11pm" matches with the time Eurostar + TGV would take, but not exactly the train times), or somewhere in CH? I can't think of anywhere in CH that is 7 hours by train from Geneva. Anyway, if you do seriously plan to do London to Geneva by train, then I would encourage you to allow a generous gap for crossing Paris

The other mysterious thing in your post is "suisse High speed train". If my Eurostar + TGV supposition is correct, then fair enough. I have my suspicions that you might be referring to travel from somewhere in Italy to Geneva, on train EC42. In which case, beware that these (former?) "Cisalpino" services have a reputation for poor reliability, faults, breakdowns, poor cleaning and minimal catering. I would definitely not rely on getting to Geneva on one of them!

Thank you for reply. unfortunatly i've to be in Geneva one day before, because my main flight is at 11am so i can't depart on early morning, due to minimumconnection time!

Damn, i know..in that week i'll be in VCE, so i was considering the EC42..unfairly called "high speed", but with a Tube service! as someone told me, most times it is pretty on time , but Easyjet and EC are the only way to go to GVA. so which is better?

If the train connection was all on SBB and inside Switzerland, I'd take it over easyjet in a heartbeat. Coming from Venice over the Alps in winter is a different story (although I haven't done that route)

Does the train service you're considering require an advance reservation? If not, and the train leaves after the flight, then book easyjet, and if it doesn't fly, take the refund and get on the train. That's probably the best you can do short of traveling an additional day earlier

Train leaves at 4 pm arrive at 11pm
U2 leaves 8.40pm arrives 11pm..

both have a gap of 11h in case of delay, but i really don't know which one is the most safe?!

Quite frankly, those options suck. Very little room for error

I'm sure price is a consideration, but have you considered other routings? Brussels sells VCE-BRU-GVA for EUR 121 on some days, and it departs early, so you should get there within the day even with IRROPS

Also, what about flying to Basel or Zurich and then taking the train to Geneva? I know easyjet flies to both, but probably not direct from VCE. The train service BSL/ZRH-GVA is pretty reliable, but you still need a morning-ish flight

I know those options sucks! but what can i do?
i've seen SN for 149Eur, but i don't want to pay more than the main flight (even if it was something like an error fare!)
but, mainly, consider that even if i spend 273 Eur with SN, i can't take the early morning flight because, in that case, i've to make another connection in Bruxelles and BRU in early morning has a mid-risk of delays (experience), so in that case i have to take the evening flight+hotel and this increase the costs a lot and do not worth the effort!


do you think the train is a big risk? i was wondering if there's a website who reports on-time statistics about train..and i would think that 11h gap would be enough to solve eventual delays?!:confused:

So it's VCE to GVA. Personally I'd hire a car one-way and drive. It's stunningly beautiful scenery, just allow plenty of time in case of weather. But you won't have to cross any high mountain passes and you'll get a chance to drive under the tallest mountain in Europe (Mont Blanc).

Gurglemaps tells us it's 576 km. Allow 8 hours and you'll be just fine, with plenty of time to stop enroute and grab a nice lunch. On the way I'd make friends with someone in Geneva, preferably before I arrive, and couch surf there for the night :)

I exclude car hire, you're right about beautiful scenery, but not this time!
It would costs something like 492 Euro (:td:) + highway costs+fuel..i can travel on business class for that price!:D

Don't know if you were checking prices for a Ferrari, but if so more power to your elbow.

In the mean time, a quick check of sixt.de reveals you can get a Mercedes C-class for 110 Euro or, if you fancy something a bit less posh, a Citroen C3 for 55. And that's for a one-way rental at Venice train station to Geneva airport.

ahahh!i've checked on kayak.com in a minute 'cause i had not time this morning to check every single car hire website!! ;-) now i look for it:

i really don't know where did you find it..it gives to me over 1000Eur..?!?:confused:;):D

untill waiting Sheikh Yerbootyreply,
i would add that i can also fly from
LH: BLQ (1 stop) to GVA for 65 Eur , but these are 2 separate flights....
so if the 1st flight delays, i will lost the 2nd flight! the only advantage in this case would be mileage earning and low price (+ LH network, but no connection guarantee between these 2 LH flights!)

I was thinking the "main" flight (out of GVA) was longhaul/expensive since you're trying hard to make it. If it's not, then I'd stick with the train, which is the cheapest option. The train also has much better options for service recovery if something happens (as opposed to easyjet, which either flies, or not)

I doubt there's a web site with on-time statistics, but I'm sure if you google around you can find someone's story about taking the train, how or if it failed, etc

That's most unusual. I've never come across a European car hire firm that did NOT charge a hefty premium for one-way cross-border rental.

In any case... since the OP is travelling in winter, and is already expressing concerns about possible weather problems, I don't think car hire is really a good option.

The Sixt website is a little naughty on occasion - look for "you may also be charged one-way fees on top of this rental quote" or something similar.

Exactly!^

i think Sheikh Yerbooty, made a little mistake (involuntary) because he made a simulation on sixt week-end promo for november, and anyway one way fees are applied (as always)!;)

as previously said: i've also possibility to fly with LH (earn miles!:D) with 1 connection; about it, they are 2 single flight with 4h connection in TXL (LH has a big netowrk in case of cancellation..but in this case not for delays because these are single flights, booked separately so if 2st flight is cancelled, i will lost everything!)

i would also consider that i can make an insurance for loss of connection flights (e.g. if i choose U2, and it will be cancelled, i've 2.000Euro insurance coverage), but ,you know, 2000Eur for a long haul flight, booked some our before departure are less than real price!

i would also consider that usually, U2 is pretty on time:
http://www.flightstats.com/go/Flight...irportCode=GVA

also compared with LX:
http://www.flightstats.com/go/Flight...yCarrier=false

I would choose the train over a flight. But is there not an option for an earlier train, perhaps by changing?

Neil

The Glacier Express from St. Moritz to Visp takes 6:30 (and this is a "fast" train skipping lots of stations between Chur and Visp), add another 2:30 to Geneva = 9 hrs--but you get to see super scenery between Chur and Visp.

That's a non stop train, safer because i do not have to change others train (particularly in case of delays..)

furthermore train changing in Milan costs >100 Eur, so in that case i would consider LH!

So i think the 3 possibilities are:

1) U2 VCE - GVA=65 EUR and pretty on time everytime: http://www.flightstats.com/go/Flight...irportCode=GVA __Fastest, mid-price compared, risk 40%(?!)

2) 2 x LH=88EUR with 4h connection time gap in Germany (not guarantee, because separate bookings) but with LH netowork possibilities in case of cancellations; furthermore mileage earning on M&M! __mid-fast, mid-price compared, connection, risk 40% ?!

3) Venice-Geneva Central Station= 29 EUR + Geneva Central St. - GVA (=bus or train 2 EUR) __slow, no stops, low price compared, risk 50% ?!

4)Venice-Milano Centrale Station + Milano Centrale Station - Geneva + Geneva Central St. - GVA= 28EUR + 2 EUR bus
and I should arrive in Geneva at 4pm, so 18h gap about !!
(New one i've found) __slow, change, lowest price compared, risk 30% (many connections possibilities in Milan)

but about the train service: high risk of strikes+high delays in case of snow!

which?!:confused:

Finally, i think i will choose the option n. 4!Slower, but safer..

That one, without question. Plenty of options for other connections if it goes wrong. Buy a through ticket to GVA if you can, there is no point taking the bus when there are 4 trains per hour. If not, still take the train.

Neil

Thank You.
obv. problem persists if bad weather conditions afflict the Alps during that days..:(

Can't see it as likely to affect the trains. And GVA is used to bad weather, it often causes delay while de-icing is carried out, but not so often cancellation.

Having chosen and booked option 4, I would stop worrying.

Neil

a little late on this but you could have gotten from VCE to LYS cheaply, slept overnight in LYS which is cheaper than GVA, taken the 630 AM train departure from LYS which arrives in GVA around 9 am. I think I am taking the same flt in Dec and getting there by train. LYS doesn't get hit as hard as GVA can by snow. I live in downtown LYS and we could have a lively discussion about MR.