TRAVEL
London to Val d’Isère in five hours
In a former life, the YS of YSE had to try to limit the travel chaos of a major ski tour operator, while the E had to answer the hundreds of complaints each week about it! So when we set up YSE, hassle-free transport was one of our main aims.
On winter Saturdays, the airports, skies and roads are gridlocked, while the pistes are practically empty. On Sundays, travel is a joy, but the slopes are at their busiest. So we travel on Sundays. And with just one flight serving only Val d’Isère, we can guarantee no waiting around for other aircraft or resorts.
We constantly look for ways to make our travel arrangements even more painless. Every year we consider different airports, airlines and schedules. We’ve thought about trains, but the Eurostar is slower and more expensive than our flight, and either gets you to Val d’Isère too early to get into your chalet or too late to sort out equipment.
In the end, we have stuck to the same airline, in spite of their changing their name from Britannia to Thomsonfly and now Thomson Airways, and with the same 10am take-off as ever, because it is the perfect time: the last of the first wave of flights, which have not yet done a rotation and picked up delays. Check-in opens at 7.00am.
We have stayed with Gatwick, which for all its faults is the most convenient airport for the majority of our guests. It’s not too bad on a Sunday.
And we are delighted to be staying with Grenoble. The journey to Val d’Isère is fractionally quicker than from Lyon, and quite a lot quicker than from Geneva. Grenoble is a little airport with a very long runway and an outstanding weather record. Click here for more.
But what we really like is the speed with which everything happens. Passengers are off the plane in no time, and bags quickly follow. That irritating hour one spends at large airports, as luggage arrives in dribs and drabs, doesn’t happen here.
We normally reach Val d’Isère by 4pm French time, just five hours from take-off, with the coach transfer on a Sunday only taking about 2 hours 45 minutes. Most of the transfer is on smooth and uncongested motorways and expressways. Ski schools and shops are uncrowded and open until at least 7.30pm.
Going home, our flight takes off at 1.30pm and lands just before 2pm UK time. The first of our staggered coaches leaves Val d’Isère at around 8.20am, the last an hour later, so nobody has to queue at check-in for more than a few minutes.
Because our charter flight will not have started, the price of holidays starting on 5 December includes all transport except the outbound flight. You can book low-cost scheduled flights, or, for a £25 per booking admin fee, we’ll book them for you. Just tell us where you wish to fly from. The same applies to the flight home on Monday 2 May 2011. The earlier you book, the cheaper flights are, and the less your holiday will cost. There will be YSE coach transfers from Geneva to Val d’Isère at 14.00 and 18.00 on 5 December, and from Val d’Isère to Geneva at 07.00 and 09.30 on Monday 2 May 2011.
Guests who tell us when booking that they are making their own way to Val d’Isère receive a £50 discount. This may not seem much, but having chartered our own aircraft and coaches to whisk you there faster than anything except a private jet and helicopter, we don’t want to encourage you to spurn them.
Anyway, the only people who want to drive are the proud owners of massive 4x4s keen to see if they are up to anything more macho than the school run. They always refuse to put their Tonka toy in the underground car-park (about £40 per week), then get stuck in the snow outside one of our chalets and have to be towed out by Larry, the YSE Land Rover.
Luggage on our flight is limited to 20kg hold baggage and 5kg hand baggage (maximum dimensions 55 x 40 x 20cm). Wherever possible, ski boots should be checked in as hold baggage and they will normally be weighed as part of your 20kg allowance. If ski boots are carried as hand baggage they must be the only piece of hand baggage and in a bag that is within the above hand baggage dimensions and weight.
In addition to the above you may take a set of skis or a snowboard so long as these are in a separate bag and that the bag does not contain other items. If the check-in staff suspect that clothing (or anything else) has been put in your ski or board bag, the bag will be weighed along with other hold baggage.
People who bring excess baggage or who fill their ski or board bag with other items should know that they may be charged £10 per kg, or that their bags might be refused. No single item of luggage may exceed 23kg (if you are planning to share a suitcase!).
Infants are entitled to 10kg of baggage allowance but no hand baggage.
These details do not necessarily apply to guests flying out on Sunday 5 December 2010 or home on Monday 2 May 2011.
Our flights and coaches are non-smoking.
To ensure efficient handling of your luggage, please use our bright yellow labels marked with your name and chalet, and secure any loose straps.
We are rarely delayed, and do not cost into our holidays any food or drink to placate passengers, but please note that we automatically cover each guest for up to £500-worth of extra expenses incurred by us on their behalf should additional travel or accommodation be necessary (see Insurance – YSE Automatic Cover).
Back to top of page
|
