You want to maximise your ski time, but there’s price, comfort and that carbon footprint to consider, too. So, should you travel by coach, plane or train? We asked three friends to try out these different routes to La Rosière in France…
The Coach
I can say three positive things about travelling for 18 hours on a bus. First, it’s just £125 for a return ticket. Second, it leaves central London at 6pm. And third, you can check in just 30 minutes before departure and the two changes are smooth.
But then there were the downsides. As we set off, the driver announced: “There’s a chemical toilet just to the left of the stairs – please don’t use it.” And at Folkestone the bus drove into a metal corridor (Eurotunnel) where the whole carriage juddered like a cheap-flight simulator until the door opened and – oh la la – we were in France.
Our first break came at 10pm at the French end of Eurotunnel. “We don’t give a time for this break. Just buy what you need and come back,” warned our driver. I paid West End prices for a joyless ham and cheese sandwich, which I ate in the shop doorway.
My seat reclined by just 20 degrees but then – over time – it would stubbornly return to upright. I’d pull the lever and press back again and groan. Sleep? Not a chance. The man in front turned on his overhead light to read; the beam was dazzling. I covered my head with my fleece. At 3am I passed out.