Should I Book?

In a world – yes. The thing about booking in advance is that although it isn’t compulsory by any means, it is the best option by far. Those that book their transfers in advance stand to save up to 50% or even higher on ticket prices, while at the same time don’t have to worry about queues on the other side. What’s more, reserved resort transfers will more often than not wait for their passengers when flights are delayed.

Where Will I be Picked Up?

In Geneva Airport there is a French side and a Swiss side – both of which operate their own transfer services to dozens of resorts. As such, it’s very important to take a look at the details of the transfer service in question and see which side of the airport they pick up from and exactly where to wait. That being said, this can also be found out at the airport, though could involve some serious queuing at peak times.

What if I Have Excess Baggage?

The better transfer services operating today will always be able to make allowances for excess baggage, though in all cases this must be arranged ahead of time with the provider in question. It may not be possible for excess baggage to be carried if not booked and arranged in advance, though there are no guarantees that particularly large, cumbersome, heavy or dangerous items will be accepted for carriage at all. Always check with your provider before making any assumptions.

What if My Flight is Cancelled?

Any reputable airport transfer service that’s been booked in advance will make arrangements for any late arrivals to get where they are going. If a flight is cancelled altogether and summarily rearranged for another time or day, the original tickets will either still be valid or will be reissued for the new service. As above however, it is the responsibility of the customer to make contact with the transfer provider if and when any delays or changes in itinerary creep into the equation.

Is There Entertainment On-Board?

Not specifically, but in the case of the market’s very best French Alps transfer services all passengers are able to use free Wi-Fi. But then again, the beauty of the French Alps is really all the entertainment most ever need.

Is Private or Shared a Better Option?

For solo travellers, couples and smaller groups, the scheduled and shared coach transfers are always the cheapest on a price per person basis. However, if the group is larger, has any special needs to accommodate or demands the upmost privacy, private transfers can work out the best. In all instances however, it is never a bad idea to obtain a quote for both and decide which of the two is more appealing.

As such, this is probably the best time of the whole year to once again look at some of the stunning savings that can be made in Geneva Airport transfer fees, just by adding a little common sense and cunning to the process. And if unconvinced that said savings are worth bothering with, try reductions of up to 50% for nothing more than knowing what to do when making a reservation.

So, here goes:

Midweek Bookings

It really isn’t a secret anymore – or at least it shouldn’t be – those who book their transfers for days right in the middle of the week will usually be eligible to discounts as high as 50%, even if travelling in the most pleasant and sociable hours of the day. What’s more, the added bonus of travelling midweek is quieter service and quieter roads, which means less time on the bus and more time on the slopes…or at the bar, as you wish! Midweek discounts are something of an industry standard now so don’t go booking with any provider charging the same full-whack seven-days a week…it’s money down the drain!

Off-Peak Services

And following on from the above, midweek is only good if it doesn’t happen to be during one of the peak times of the year. Sadly, a Wednesday in the middle of the Christmas holiday ski season isn’t going to come any cheaper, so be sure to factor in peak times when looking to book a holiday and those all-important transfers.

Red-Eye Services

You’re going to have to sleep at some point during your stay, so why not sleep away the flight to Geneva and snooze yourself silly on the warm, quiet and comfy two-hour resort transfer when you get there? Why waste your time sleeping in Les Arcs when you could by flying don’t the slopes? And why not save a good 50% in the process? Yep – consider a slightly less-social hour of the day for your transfers and the prices tumble.

Go Shared

If travelling alone or with just one or two others, chances are a shared transfer service will be much cheaper than a private vehicle. True, you’ll have to be willing to share the same breathing space with dozens of others on their annual jollies, but it really isn’t like you’re on the coach for that long and the savings might just keep you in hot chocolate for the week.

Go Private

And to the contrary, if you’re travelling with at least six people or so, there’s a pretty good chance that the lot of you could pool together for a luxurious, executive private transfer service for cheaper than the standard bus. Long story short – look at both options and don’t rule either out.

While spring may bring about the eventual end of the season, it also brings the smallest crowds, shortest lift lines, quietest slopes, warm weather, most glorious sun, cheapest flights and generally the most affordable times to hit most French Alps resorts. Sounds like a package that’s hard to turn down, but there are one or two additional dangers that come with springtime skiing that everyone should be aware of.

So, if looking to have a whole mountainside to yourself this year and save a small fortune in the process, be sure to heed the following warnings and make sure your first spring ski experience isn’t your last…ever!

Overconfidence

Firstly, just because you are the only person on the slope does not for one second mean you own the mountain and are God’s gift to speed-skiing. As such, never take it for granted that a deserted piste translates to complete and total safety should you decide to break the sound barrier for the first time. Or to put it another way, don’t let overconfidence get the better of you, just because nobody is looking!

Wet Snow

Hit a patch of unexpected wet snow and unless you really know what you’re doing, you’re in for a tumble. The problem with springtime skiing is that each and every afternoon brings along plenty of wet snow which begins to occur earlier and earlier in the day, therefore can take even the best by surprise.

Ice

And as far as said wet snow goes overnight, nature works its magic and by morning you have yourself enormous expanses of ice which for all intents and purposes are the same texture as a cheese-grater. Fall on one of these in you spring T—Shirt and well, you work it out!

Sunburn

The sun is stronger than ever and continues to be reflected by the snow and ice, which in turn means that forgetting sunblock during the spring months can be disastrous for your health. The best advice is to put on as much as you think you need, then up the factor and slap a load more on!

Exposed Hazards

As the snow gets thinner during the spring, a millions and one hazards like tree stumps, big holes in the ground and any number of lost personal possessions reappear as if by magic. In turn, this means that even the most seemingly flawless run can become a death-trap once the snow thins to a certain level – proceed with care.

Avalanches

Last but not least, those intent on making the most of the spring ski season off-piste must remember that it also happens to be peak avalanche seasons. Melting snow causes movement and said movement can turn deadly, so never venture into any area you’re not 100% sure of and be sure to research and heed all warnings before straying from marked runs.

So, if weighing up whether or not now’s the time to cross the line into fully-fledged ski gear ownership, give thought to the following and chances are you’ll find your answer.

 Convenience

 Straight up, if you’re the type that favours convenience and relaxation above all other considerations, then ski hire is the choice for you. The reason for this is that way in which the logistics of getting you, your luggage and your ski gear from point A in the UK to point B somewhere in the French Alps are mind-scrambling to say the least. It’s always possible for various issues en-route to take their toll on the trip as a whole and therefore if you’re looking for an easy ride and can’t afford a door-to-door Sherpa, rentals rule.

 Duration

 Anyone thinking of spending thousands of pounds on ski gear for a week-long holiday shouldn’t – you can rent top of the range kit for pennies by comparison. On the other hand, if thinking of skiing say a dozen resorts across the French Alps during the course of a six-week ski bender, chances are you’ll save an absolute fortune by buying – even if you buy on arrival to rule out logistical nightmares.

 Frequency

 If only planning to go skiing once a year at the most, it’s again of little use to buy your own ski gear, pay to transport it, pay out more for maintenance and get very little use out of it for 51 weeks of the year. If by contrast you’re likely to be heading back to the Alps at least twice a year for a total annual duration of four-weeks plus, it will in most instances work out way cheaper to invest in your own kit.

 For Families

Two hugely important reasons to hire and hire only – kids will outgrow their ski gear in a matter of months which makes buying pointless, and then there’s the logistics involved of getting you, your luggage, your ski gear, the kids, the kids’ luggage and the kids’ ski gear from point A to point B. Seriously – don’t even think about it!

 First-Timers

 If you’re going to be hitting the white stuff for the first time, chances are you don’t really know what’s the perfect ski or boot for you yet, so it’s best to wait until you get where you’re going for some advice from the pros. And let’s face it, you might end up hating skiing and never return – all the more a reason to hire instead of buying.

 Pros

 And finally, chances are there isn’t a pro in the world that wouldn’t be able to find fault with every single piece of ski gear up for rental, so if you’re already a budding Olympian or just downright critical, save yourself a ton of moaning and take your own gear along…for everyone’s sake!

So, if among those wondering what all the fuss is really about, give thought to the following:

Unlicensed = Uninsured

Should you stray by accident or otherwise into an unlicensed cab, there is absolutely no way on God’s green Earth that they will be insured to carry you, which in turn renders your insurance policy null and void…period. From literally the moment you step on board until the moment you leave in one piece with all your belongings…hopefully…you and your family are 100% on your own in terms of your safety. And it really doesn’t matter if you try and plead the ignorance or naivety cards – insurers will not be interested and anything that comes to pass is your fault and your fault alone. A risk worth taking with your family?

Unlicensed = Inexperienced

True, you can’t judge any driver simply by looking at him/her, but chances are that any airport transfer drivers operating without proper licenses will not have had the necessary training and experience to prepare them for carrying passengers on icy mountain roads. There is a very good reason why it takes a special license to carry folk on their way – it takes real skill, education and hard work to perfect the art and not endanger the lives of everyone on board. Something that should really not bear thinking about, especially when combined with a distinct lack of insurance validity.

Unlicensed = Unfit Vehicles

Moving on, the vehicles and buses used by licensed and registered Geneva Airport transfer services are regularly and thoroughly inspected, serviced and replaced with newer models. By contrast, those with no real desire to keep up with the industry due to carrying no licenses or certification could be using the kind of vehicles that have no safe place on a smooth and level tarmac road – certainly not a steep and icy mountain road. Again, it is a simply matter of health and safety and whether you’re willing to put your family’s life at risk.

Unlicensed = No Guarantees

Last but not least, if using an illegitimate transfer provider that decides not to both taking you where you wanted to be or perhaps doesn’t pick you up at all for your return leg, what are you going to do? Who are you going to call? Who’s going to hear your complaint? And do you think your insurer will be even remotely interested? Of course not – peace of mind is priceless, so don’t go throwing it away on silly and pointless ventures!

Wrong…they should be bothered and very bothered indeed!

The trouble is, it’s difficult to take anything at face-value these days and in the spirit of not judging a book by its covers, knowing whom to trust and stay away from is difficult at first glance alone. However, there are a few tell-tale signs that the transfer provider you’re about to side with is a little on the questionable side, so if intent on taking the less recommended approach of just rocking-up on the day, at least keep the following three danger signs in mind:

1 – Language Barriers

Of course, you can’t expect everyone on the other side of the Channel to speak English, but any reputable transfer provider worthy of your trust really should ensure that all staff members and drivers can communicate with their passengers. This is vital not only for reasons of convenience, but also health and safety. As such, if looking for a transfer service at Geneva Airport and approached/led-off by a person that cannot offer even a word or two in your mother tongue, just think how things will spiral out of hand if anything untoward were to occur. Or in other words, move on.

2 – No Desk

There will always be dozens of transfer providers and drivers milling about in the arrivals lounge, but any that have a genuine and permanent residency at the airport itself will have either a dedicated desk or a stand…some way of getting in touch with a rep before hopping on board. This isn’t to say for certain that every single other driver without a desk in the arrivals hall is dodgy, but one of the best ways of ruling said dodginess out is to only every trust those that are clearly there for the long-haul in an official capacity. True, you might have to be willing to queue for a while in order to bag a ticket from one of the desks in the hall, but there is a reason why these desks have queues in the first place – they are your safest and cheapest bets by far.

3 – Decrepit Vehicles

Last but not least and not to mention the biggest no-brainer of them all, modern transfer services operating from Geneva Airport are of a standard like never before and the days of rusty, rickety and downright terrifying old buses and vehicles are mercifully gone once and for all. Well, that is of course unless handing money over to the dodgiest of drivers in the arrivals hall and summarily being led-out to a car or bus that looks like (and probably is) being held together by spit and Kleenex! Roughly translated – always ask to see the vehicle before handing over a penny. They should after all be proud to show you, right?

However, there are some tried, tested and proven tips to avoid travel sickness on even the longest coach rides. So, if looking to make a resort transfer this year by coach and you or any member of the family has a history of travel sickness, give the following tips a little thought:

Foods

Right off the bat, it is of huge importance not to indulge in anything other than lightest of foods in the hours leading up the transfer. This means staying as far away as possible from booze, keeping chocolate out of reach and generally cutting out anything rich or heavy – especially where a child’s diet is involved. In addition, fizzy drinks can be the absolute devil when it comes to making things worse – as can high-sugar drinks that do little other than set your head spinning in their own right!

If taking food to eat on the coach, never forget that anything with a strong smell might make things a thousand times worse for you and anyone else on board with a sensitive stomach.

Seating

If at all possible, the best advice is to sit as close to the front of the coach as possible, ideally with a view out of the front window. If further back, do not fall to the temptation of staring out of the side window with everything whizzing by at a 90 degree angle – this is the cause of most motion sickness. And under no circumstances whatsoever allow kids with motion sickness problems to sit in their seats sideways or backwards.

Activities

Try to stay away from activities that are vision-based to the most realistic extent and be sure to rule out reading at all costs – this can make travel sickness much worse. Watching movies and listening to music are usually fine, though should be stopped if things take a turn for the worse. Usually, the best thing to stave of motion sickness is distraction, therefore try to keep talking and chatting along the way.

Ventilate

Never overheat and make sure there is a ready supply of fresh air – open a window or inform the transfer coach driver if the temperature is not ideal.

Meds

There are plenty of travel sickness medications on the market that have the potential to work and can indeed work wonders with kids. With younger sufferers it can often be largely about the power of suggestion – placebos can sometimes work in the absence of anything stronger!

Take a Walk

Never “Grin and bear it” – if things get bad it is important to ask the driver of the coach to stop as soon as possible for a breath of fresh air and a short walk around to regroup. The resorts can wait – your family’s health cannot.

What’s more, care hire has become cheaper and easier to arrange than ever before and even the most ardent of sceptics across the area agree that driving in the French Alps is something that should be done at least once in life. The scenery is some of the most stunning in the world and the freedom is practically boundless, but like most such endeavours there are two sides to consider.

So, in the spirit of achieving a fair balance and considering all the facts available, here are the main pros and cons of hiring a car either alongside or instead of the usual airport transfer services:

Pros

• Experience – Driving on pristine alpine roads is something that cannot be put into words, but has to be experienced. Even just a short jaunt with a single day’s car hire can be enough to inspire and build memories for life.
• Snow – If you’re planning on making the most of whatever Mother Nature decides to serve up, a hired car is the ideal way of chasing the best of the snow wherever it happens to fall – most main resorts are very close by.
• Explore – Ditch the tourist trail for a day or two and consider swapping Les Arcs for Ste Foy, La Grave or any other of the stunning places you’ll stumble across on your way.
• Flexible – A hired car gives you the flexibility to meet any deadlines, timeframes or commitments you have to work to.
• Convenience – If only in the Alps for a day or two, a hired care can shorten transfer/journey times and thus increase time on the slopes.

Cons

• Costs – Peak season car hire costs a fortune…period!
• Luggage – Baggage must be kept to a minimum due to limited luggage space, perhaps not even sufficient for skis.
• Roads – Driving on steep and icy roads in the French Alps is more of an art form than a task, which is very difficult to get the hang of in the space of a few days.
• Safety – Not all hire cars are cut out for mountain roads and automatics are completely redundant.
• Liability – Even if another driver skids into you, the repair costs might come from your own pocket.
• Direction – So many of the roads look identical and it is easy to get thoroughly and utterly lost en-route.
• Stress – Trying not to fall off a mountain isn’t quite as relaxing as enjoying a coffee on a safe, warm and professional organised transfer.

So there you have it – a remarkably popular idea full of potential, but one not without its ups and downs to consider before making a final decision.

The good news however is that comprehensive studies of dummy-throwing and caterwauling have brought to light some interesting results, in terms of the ways and means by which you yourself can lower the chances of arriving at your chosen resort suicidal. So, if you’ve still got time to iron out a few details and don’t want to jeopardise family harmony this time around, take the following advice collated from experts and long-suffering parents alike:

1. Wear them Out – Never underestimate the power of sleep when it comes to keeping your darlings out of trouble for an hour or two…or three. Try to make the journey up until this point as exciting and energetic as possible, responding to their abundance of energy and holding out until you hit the coach. If you can get them to nod off before the thing even sets off, you’re golden!
2. Bring Distractions – Have a good think about their favourite toys and games from home and be sure to bring along enough to collectively pass the time, or at least some of it. More often than not it is boredom that sparks off the most destructive of tantrums and other such incidents.
3. Bring Food – Even the best of us will find that we become grumpy and irritable when we’re hungry, so don’t take any chances and be sure to bring along enough food to cater to any hunger pangs that may occur along the way. And one important note – opt for sugar and colouring-free snacks as the last thing you or anyone else on the coach needs is a gaggle of hyperactive kids on a sugar-high!
4. Up the Ante – It doesn’t have to be big, but if you can bring along just a couple of tiny tokens in the form of new toys or games they’ve never seen before, springing them on a child who’s about to start thrashing can be a life-saver.
5. Hydrate Them – Never forget that airline air is dry, mountain air is thin and dehydration causes headaches – headaches that could ruin your kids’ day and take yours down at the same time!
6. Cut the Time – A no brainer worth remembering, why not try and choose a resort with the shortest transfer time possible? Not exactly rocket-science, is it?
7. Turn to Tech – Last but not least, some of the best transfer groups in the world today now offer buses that come with free Wi-Fi for all passengers…really! So, bring along anything you may have with a Wi-Fi connection and chances are they’ll pass the few hours in no time surfing the web or social networking.

…and there’s also the theory to test out whereby you’re not supposed to get a hangover, if you drink good quality wine in the shadow of Mont Blanc.

Now, it might seem as though shelling out top-dollar for one of the most elite ski resorts on Earth is a bit much to ask for a bit of people-watching, but those with a shrewd nature will find that there is an affordable way to both visit and even ski in Megeve. Well, more affordable than the average, anyway.

Here’s a few top tips on how to mingle with the snow-bound glitterati and perhaps make friends with someone that could probably buy the country of Ecuador just for the sake of it:

Flights

Broaden horizons when looking for a flight to Geneva by including as many UK airports as possible, for example, those that factor in the likes of Leeds Bradford and Liverpool are more likely to find those elusive £60 return fares than those insistent on jetting off from Gatwick. And the more saved on flights, the more left to spend on hitting the town!

Transfers

Always, always and always book resort transfers to Megeve ahead of time and don’t take the risk of turning up at the airport without a reservation. Chances are that those who do the latter will still get where they are going, but they’ll pay up to twice as much as those that booked ahead. Why waste cash?

Accommodation

It isn’t all about places like Les Fermes de  Marie Megeve where a good £500 per night isn’t asking too much – there are also places around like Chalet Antoine Megeve which are about as charming as it gets and come in closer to £40 per night. No matter where the chosen base is, the action is never far away.

Eating

Megeve Market runs all year round from 8am to 1pm each Saturday and is quite simply THE place to pick up the best of local wares for cheap. All the chefs of the local Michelin-quality restaurants shop here, so why not do as they do and whip up some fine dining for about 90% cheaper than a restaurant meal?

Partying

Last but not least, to see the elite doing what they came to do in a frenzy of cocktails and champagne, dress up to the nines and head to a place like Palo Alto, Bar Cocoon or Jazz Club les 5 Rues – most of which are off the scale in terms of drink prices but will usually have no cover charge to get you in for a good nosey!