Travel Information
We have gathered together information and links to other web-sites to help you plan your holiday. Whether you are just looking for information on flight routes or want to book our private airport transfers or Travel Insurance using our on-line link, there will be something here that will help you. All the buttons marked with the * symbol can be booked either direct through us or via our specially set up on-line links.
- Budget Airlines
- Scheduled + Charter Flights
- Private Airport Transfers
- Geneva Airport Overnight Stopovers
- Ski Drive Useful Info
- Ferry Crossings *
- Channel Tunnel Crossings
- Self Drive Stopovers
- Trains
- Railway Station Transfers
- Personal Ski Travel Insurance *
BUDGET AIRLINES
With the increase in low cost budget airlines, the freedom to be able to pick and choose your own flights to suit your own timetable has never been better. You are no longer restricted to limiting 'mass package' options - you can even take advantage of the cheapest possible fares by travelling on Fridays or Sundays. You can stay the extra night(s) in a cheap hotel, either near your chalet or near the airport or alternatively take advantage of some of our chalets that can be booked for weekends or from Sunday to Sunday.
To help you, we have set out all the main routes with direct web links for each company - budget, scheduled and chartered airlines. Alternatively, we can do the searching for you, for which we will charge £10 per flight. For transfer times and distances to airports please click on the button 'Private Airport Transfers' on your left.
ROUTES TO GENEVA AIRPORT
| COMPANY | WEB LINK | UK DEPARTURE AIRPORTS |
| Easyjet | www.easyjet.com | Bristol; Bournemouth; Belfast; Doncaster; East Midlands; Edinburgh; Gatwick; Glasgow; Liverpool; Luton; Newcastle; Stansted |
| Flybe | www.flybe.com | Birmingham; Exeter; Norwich; Southampton |
| Bmibaby | www.bmibaby.com | Birmingham; Cardiff; Manchester; Nottingham |
| Jet 2 | www.jet2.com | Leeds ; Manchester |
ROUTES TO LYON AIRPORT
| COMPANY | WEB LINK | UK DEPARTURE AIRPORTS |
| Easyjet | www.easyjet.com | Bristol; Bournemouth; Belfast; Doncaster; East Midlands; Edinburgh; Gatwick; Glasgow; Liverpool; Luton; Newcastle; Stansted |
| Bmibaby | www.bmibaby.com | Birmingham; Cardiff; Manchester; Nottingham |
ROUTES TO CHAMBERY AIRPORT
| COMPANY | WEB LINK | UK DEPARTURE AIRPORTS |
| Flybe | www.flybe.com | Birmingham; Exeter; Norwich; Southampton |
| Jet 2 | www.jet2.com | Leeds ; Manchester |
ROUTES TO GRENOBLE AIRPORT
| COMPANY | WEB LINK | UK DEPARTURE AIRPORTS |
| Easyjet | www.easyjet.com | Bristol; Bournemouth; Belfast; Doncaster; East Midlands; Edinburgh; Gatwick; Glasgow; Liverpool; Luton; Newcastle; Stansted |
| Ryanair | www.ryanair.com | Stansted |
SCHEDULED & CHARTER FLIGHTS
SCHEDULED AIRLINES
| COMPANY | WEB LINK | ROUTES |
| British Airways | www.ba.com | Most UK Airports / Geneva or Lyon |
| Swiss | www.swiss.com | Main UK Airports / Geneva |
CHARTER FLIGHTS
| COMPANY | WEB LINK | ROUTES |
| Satellite Travel | www.satellitetravel.co.uk | Birmingham; Edinburgh; Gatwick; Manchester / Geneva |
| Swiss | www.swiss.com | Gatwick; Glasgow; Manchester / Lyon; Bristol; Manchester / Chambery |
PRIVATE AIRPORT TRANSFERS
LES HOUCHES
We use a fully licensed transport partner for our guest's airport transfers. Rates for transfers to the Chamonix valley from Geneva can be found below, these prices are each way so double for a return transfer. If you are considering flying into another airport and still require a quote for your transfers, please give us a call on 0117 940 1500, prices will vary depending on the number of passengers to be collected and the distance
of the airport from resort.
| Description | Price |
| To add a passenger to an existing transfer | 40 Euros |
| Minimum Call-out for 'new' vehicle | 160 Euros |
| 5 Passengers | 200 Euros |
| Private Van Hire (or 6-8 people) | 200 Euros |
You can also book in resort transport* for the price of 35 Euros per vehicle per trip, maximum of 8 people per vehicle (*In resort transport included at Chalet Rocky Mountain)
For more information please contact us or fill out our request form.
CHAMPAGNY EN VANOISE
We use another fully licensed transport partner for our transfers to Champagny. The rates for transfers to resort vary depending on the size of your group and arrival airport. Each bus carries 8 passengers and a group of 8 can expect to pay around £68 return from Geneva to Champagny. Please call us on 0117 940 1500 for a quote or drop an email to chalets@barrelliski.co.uk remembering to quote your holiday reference.
AIRPORT TRANSFER TIMES
LES HOUCHES: Geneva 80km (1 hr); Lyon 210km (2.5 hrs); Grenoble 223km (3 hrs)
CHAMPAGNY: Chambery 100km (1.25 hr); Geneva 140km (2 hrs); Lyon 175km (2.5 hrs); Grenoble 170km (2 hrs)
* Transfer times are all approximate and dependent on traffic and school holidays!
GENEVA AIRPORT OVERNIGHT STOPOVERS
Hotel Median tel: + 33 (0)4 50 28 00 50 and Hotel Chavanne de Bogis tel: + 41 (0)22 960 81 81, both reasonably priced International hotels, who will also pick up from the airport. Geneva Youth Hostel: www.yh-geneva.ch, budget dormitory rooms a short distance from the centre of town. Geneva Tourist Office Hotel Reservations. Tel: + 41 (0)22 909 70 20 or www.geneve-tourisme.ch. They offer you general hotel information in and around the city, giving you loads of different options!
SKI DRIVE USEFUL INFO
Ski drive holidays can offer you independence & flexibility, a car load of cheap wine and up to 2 extra days skiing! You can pack as much as you like, leave when you like and travel at your own pace. Take advantage of the excellent French motorway system and arrive in as little as 8 hours. Alternatively break up the drive with a cheap overnight hotel or treat the journey as part of your holiday and stopover in a lovely chateaux or gite en-route. See Overnight Stopovers for further info. Once you're there, having your own car also gives you the freedom to ski in other nearby resorts.
DON'T FORGET- European Breakdown Insurance
- Snow chains
- Car Insurance Certificate or green card
- Car Registration Document
- Your Driving Licence
- Loose change for motorway tolls (approx £40 each way)
- French Road Atlas
- Credit Card to pay for fuel (approx £70 - £100 each way)
This is not an exhaustive list and is for your guidance only.
FERRY CROSSINGS
We work exclusively with Sea France for the shorter Dover / Calais crossing and Brittany Ferries for the longer Portsmouth / Caen or Plymouth / Roscoffe route. The ferries still offer an alternative to Eurotunnel for those who prefer staying above sea level! Most of the new 'super' ferries are like mini cruise ships, so you can break your journey by taking advantage of some of the excellent facilities on board. Relax a little, have a coffee and a bite to eat, and arrive refreshed for the next part of your trip. The Portsmouth / Caen crossing is ideal for those finishing work on a Friday afternoon - you can atch the late night ferry, sleep in an en-suite cabin, take a shower and grab some breakfast ready for the quickest and cheapest route to the alps! Le Havre is approximately 1 hour less driving time to the Alps than from Calais.
We have included brief information on Sea France and Brittany Ferries, with direct web links to their reservation sites. This information is for guidance only - exact details are available on each relevant web site. If you wish to book a Brittany Ferry Crossing, please contact our office and we will be able to give you a code enabling you to book at a special discounted rate.
| COMPANY | ROUTE | CROSSING TIMES | FREQUENCY |
 |
Portsmouth / Le Havre | from 5hrs | 3 times a day |
 |
Dover / Calais | from 70mins | every 75 mins |
Check in times: Now 1 hour before sailing, due to extra security checks
CHANNEL TUNNEL CROSSINGS
Eurotunnel is ideal for ski drivers as it provides a quick, smooth way to cross the channel - no delays by bad weather and stormy seas (you just have to keep an eye out for those sheep wielding French farmers!). It is just 35 minutes from platform to platform and you have direct access to motorways in Britain and France. During peak times there are up to 4 departures an hour.
We have included here brief information on Eurotunnel, the information is for guidance only - exact details are available on their web-site.
| COMPANY | ROUTE | CROSSING TIMES | FREQUENCY | RESERVATION |
| Eurotunnel | Folkestone / Calais | from 35mins | every 20mins |  |
Check in time: 30 mins before departure
SELF DRIVE STOPOVERS
If you want the journey to be part of your holiday, we highly recommend the guide put together by Alistair Sawday. His book includes excellent value B & B accommodation in chateau, tiny cottages, family farms, old watermills, abbeys and town houses. You will find many just a short drive off the main routes down to the Alps. We find stopping around the Dijon/Beaune/Chalon-sur-Saone/Macon area to be the most popular, giving a 3 to 4 hour drive the following day to the resort. Click on www.sawdays.co.uk for further info, or buy his book 'French Bed and Breakfast' from any good book store. We highly recommend it!
If you literally just want a pillow to put your head on, then the following 24 hour budget hotels should suffice. Click on www.hotelformule1.com or www.ibishotel.com for further info.
You will find one or other of these hotel chains near most major motorway 'town' exits or attached to the motorway service stations. As these places are very cheap, they do get booked up quickly, so we strongly advise booking in advance.
TRAINS
There are now several direct links to the Alps offered by Eurostar and SNCF French Railways. The overnight options gain you 2 extra days skiing.
Eurostar / SNCF Overnight via Paris: perhaps one of the comfier train options, you leave Waterloo on the Eurostar on Friday afternoon (for Saturday arrivals) or Saturday afternoon (for Sunday arrivals), changing at Paris Gare du Nord (simply change platforms) for the overnight SNCF train, complete with sleeping couchettes, for a morning arrival in Moutiers (25 minutes from Champagny) or St. Gervais (15 minutes from Les Houches *). This gives you the option of getting into the holiday spirit over a few drinks with the rest of your party or conserving your energy by sleeping in your couchette! There is also the Eurostar / TVG Daytime via Paris: leaving on Saturday or Sunday morning and arriving in Moutiers or St. Gervais the same evening.
* There is infact a direct rail link between St Gervais and Les Houches / Chamonix, so you can get to within just 5 minutes of your chalet!
Snow Train via Folkestone: the famous train with sleeping couchettes and all night disco carriage that leaves from Calais on Friday evening for an early Saturday morning arrival in Moutiers. You drive to Folkestone, leave your car at the port in secure parking for the week and then join a chartered coach, travelling by Eurotunnel to Calais. Upon arrival in Calais, the coach transfers you to the Calais Ville station where you board your overnight train.
Eurostar Overnight Direct: takes you from Waterloo late on Friday evening, whisking you through the tunnel and across France to arrive in Moutiers early on Saturday morning. There is also a Daytime Eurostar Direct leaving on Saturday morning and arriving in Moutiers that evening.
To book any of the above, please contact Rail Europe direct: Visit www.raileurope.co.uk or ring 0870 5848 848
RAILWAY STATION TRANSFERS
We will either pick you up in one of our company vehicles or if that is not possible we will arrange taxis to bring you from the stations to your chalet. The option of car hire is also available at both Moutiers and Chamonix Railway Stations. Click on 'Car Hire' for further details.
TRANSFER PRICES£10 per person each way for Moutiers/Champagny or St. Gervais/Les Houches
PERSONAL SKI TRAVEL INSURANCE
Having scoured the net for the best value for money ski insurance we were pleased to come across ski-insurance.co.uk. They offer a complete range of policies at some of the lowest prices we've found. And it couldn't be easier to book. If you click on the link below you can book your cover on line and print your full policy from your own computer.
You have the choice of 4 different policies, outlined in brief below:
- STANDARD COVER for 6 - 10 days: £22.95 Medical and other expenses up to £5,000,000 - Personal Liability up to £2,000,000 - Ski and Snowboard Equipment up to £1,000 - Ski Hire and Piste Closure - Loss of Ski Pass - Off Piste
- SUPER COVER for 6 - 10 days: £24.95 Cover as per Standard above plus: Cancellation and Curtailment of any pre-booked travel and accommodation costs
- SUPERPLUS COVER for 6 - 10 days: £29.95 Cover as per Super above plus: Increased Baggage up to £1500, single item and valuables up to £250 - Delayed Baggage up to £150
- SEASON COVER for 4 months (Europe): £119.00
By clicking on this direct link - just so that you know! - we do earn a small commission from the sale. Thanks.
Some technical blurb that we are required to put on our web-site! We act as an affiliate partner with Ski-Insurance.co.uk, who are part of Jade Stanley Limited. The policies are underwritten by AXA Insurance UK plc and AUL Limited on behalf of UK Underwriting Limited, and underwritten by Primary Insurance Company Limited, Indemnity Insurance Limited and Norwich Union Insurance Company. Jade Stanley Limited, AXA Insurance UK plc and AUL Limited are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
EEC Regulations require us to ensure that each of our guests is covered by adequate ski travel insurance. If you do not take any of the above policies, you are required to provide proof of your own cover by signing the indemnity form we enclose with your final holiday invoice.