drivers

Abi, what happened at Chambery airport to make you not like it ? Just asking because my sis & friend are using that airport in a couple of weeks when they come to join us. (We drive- works out a lot cheaper when there's 5 of us plus I like driving). I've flown in there once- amazing take off and landing over the lake in between the mountains. Not for the fainthearted !
My sis also finding return transfers from Chamberey to Peisey
VERY expensive- any advice ?

I hired a car from Chambery last year - very easy airport IMO.

tin pot wrote:I hired a car from Chambery last year - very easy airport IMO.

Unlike Geneva where you have to take a bus to pick up your hire car :evil:

AJMCA basically Chambery is too small to cope with the amount of flights at ski time. We were delayed getting off the plane as they shipped us in in small groups and then had to proceed through a marquee which was passport control! Once inside there was one small baggage reclaim for a whole flight with all that extra luggage and you just couldnt get to the baggage conveyors. We ended up holding up our transfer bus as it took us so long to retrieve 9 peoples ski luggage!! My boots and our skies were the last to come out.

On the way back it was carnage as we were late as our transfer bus was 3 hours late collecting us from val thorens and then stopped off in Les Menuires and Saint Martin. Some poor people had got there early and they dont allow you through passport control or security until you can board the plane so you had to wait by the check in desks!

I am sure it is a great airport in quieter times but for ski season its a joke. I heard of some people flying back to Dublin whose bags couldnt join them as there wasnt room on the plane if they wanted it to get off the runway!

I unfortunately did the tourist bit and took a package so the transfer was included but was grateful in the end as we didnt arrive at the airport till half an hour after the plane should of left but they managed to delay it. Hope your sis has a good time.

Unfortunate;y the experience is no better at Geneva!

My experience this year:-

- Passport control = 30 minutes (usually walk straight in!)
- Baggage collection = 40 minutes with the conveyor stopping at least 4 times and announcements that all the bags from Liverpool at been unloaded and to visit baggage trace...all 100 of us :shock:
- Bus for the car hire, not walk straight to the garage. No such thing as a quick getaway/arrival
- Horrendus queues to check in - taking at least 40 minutes
- 30 minute queue to get through security
- return passport control - 30 seconds :)

Geneva airport has increased its flights but not facilities! It needs some serious attention!! :evil: :twisted:

That's why I like driving- it's all part of the holiday. We can pack what we like, stop when we like, chat, play music, watch France go by. Usually takes us 14-15 hours door-door (home > ski chalet) including Eurostar and stops and refuels. I know some people do it a lot quicker but it's not a race for us - we've got kids so we like to stop a few times en route for a quick walkabout, picnic, coffee. I like to maximise our ski time, it would upset me to waste any of our lift pass and mountain time so we always travel out the day before, (never in convoy) meet up with our friends (also driving) for a stay overnight in Chamberey. Leave at 6.30 am next morning and we're wearing our ski boots by 8.30am. 8)
Driving saves us a lot of money compared to other travel methods.
If going for a Saturday-Saturday ski holiday then my 2nd choice would be the overnight "Snowtrain" from St Pancras, via Paris for dinner (and breakfast on the way back.) Love it ! Quite an adventure if you've got kids too. Not for everybody I guess, but then, I don't mind sleeping on the train, I had plenty of practice in my backpacking days ! Snowtrain arrives in the Alps at 7am ish with short transfer (20 mins) to resort. :wink:

For us northern monkeys, driving is a long way. It takes us 5 hours to get out of the UK :(

Iceman wrote:For us northern monkeys, driving is a long way. It takes us 5 hours to get out of the UK :(

Options .... Move down Soooufffff