Travel

Sunday to Sunday travel means less stress at the airport!

Package Ski MiniSunday to Sunday
We offer the option to Fly, Drive (Ferry) or Snow train, and we can book each of these options for you. We operate a Sunday to Sunday programme in order to try and avoid the traffic delays and airport confusion of a Saturday. You will also benefit by skiing on a Saturday when the slopes are far less busy as the majority of other Tour Operators changeover their guests.

Flights
Flights and transfers are included in our base holiday price. Our standard Charter flights depart from Gatwick and fly into Geneva.

GATWICK / GENEVE MANCHESTER / GENEVE
Dec 23 - Mar 23Dec 23 - Mar 23
06.15 / 08.40 07.00 / 09.50 
09.55 / 10.1010.50 / 11.40
Mar 30 - 6 Apr  
07.00 / 08.30  
10.00 / 11.30  
These times are Local. Schedule to be cleared. Gtw Flight serves tea, coffee but no hot meals

Regional departures
We can organise regional departures for a supplemented rate. Please use the chart below as a guide.

Airport Dec16,Jan6,13,
Apr13 		Dec23,30,Feb10,17
Mar23,30 		Jan20,27,Feb3,24,
Mar2,9,16,Ap6 
Bristol£42£60£48
Manchester£42 £60£48
Luton£15£35 £20
Liverpool  £42£60£48
Birmingham£42£60£48
Edin/Glas £52 £68 £58 
These supplements are a guide & subject to availability

These regional supplements are intended as a guide and are subject to ongoing availability which may increase their cost. In order to ensure the cheaper costs and availability, it is always wise to book up with us as soon as you can.

Transfers
Our Transfers are included for free with our base “With Flights” holiday package only. Remember that if you book your own flights, or use Snow train then you will need a transfer and ours cost from £30to £40 p/person each way (£60-£80 rtn). Subject to availability.

All of our transfers are either private or subcontracted where necessary. Please be aware that there may be a wait at the airport for your allocated transfer to depart (typically between  ½  and 2 hours*). The reason for this is because separate inbound and outbound flights which share the same transfer may become disjointed, or for possible delays and / or problems with baggage. Most of our transfers are done by private 50 seat coach, and the coach will stop at intervals on request, for children and loo stops. It may be necessary for our transfers to be shared by other Tour Operators from time to time.

Resort                   Time
Alpe d’huez 2 hr
Chamonix   1 hr 10mi
Courchevel    2 hr 50mi
Les Arcs 2 hr 50mi
Les Gets 1 hr   
Meribel   2 hr 50mi
Morzine   1 hr 10mi
Sainte Foy   3 hr
Tignes     3 hr
Val D’Isere 3 hr
Val Thorens  3 hr

These times are a guide only and do not include stops or weather/traffic delays. Please refer to our terms. Please be aware that these transfer times are a guide only and have been calculated under normal driving conditions in a minibus at 100kmph (62.5mph). Please be aware that factors such as heavy traffic, snow, extra bus stops (for the loo & refreshment), feeder transport and adverse weather conditions may lengthen transfer times. Many of our transfers are subcontracted to third party coach companies and so we cannot guarantee their prompt arrival or any shortfalls in supply.
Private cars or minibuses are also used for transfers and feeder transfers, however sometimes it may be necessary to share a transfer with another Operator, especially with awkward flight times or delays. There may be a wait at the airport for incoming flights or delays. This will be minimised but may typically be between ½ and 2 hours.

*The airport wait time may be further lengthened due to unforeseen problems with incoming flights and baggage delays.

Flight tickets
Your flight tickets will be sent 1-2 weeks prior to departure. Late bookers may be charged a supplemented admin fee from £10. Flight changes and name changes are charged at £25 per person for administrative costs. (Additional charges may be levied by the airline)

Ad-Hoc Flights
For regional departures and holidays sold after all our allocated seats have been used up, it will be necessary for Alpine Elements to buy in flights on an ad-hoc basis, and supplements may have to be charged. We use carriers such as Ryan Air, Easy Jet, Britannia and GB. Our Ad-hoc flights plan is run to coincide with our Charter flights as best we can, so that we can run the same transfer coach for all in & out bound passengers, regardless of carrier. However you may have an extended wait at the arrival and departure airport in order to match your transfer.

Our ad-hoc flight programme is always engineered as best we can to fit into our charter timings, although in both cases a short waiting time at the foreign airport for a transfer or a flight to depart cannot always be avoided. In such instances we aim for this not to exceed 1 ½  hours, however there can be no guarantees.

Infants
Please note that infants (under 24 mths on the return date of travel) are not allocated a seat on the aircraft or transfer vehicle, and will need to sit on a parent’s lap. Infants are not provided wih a meal on the flight, however cabin crew will be able to assist with heating up any food that you have brought with you.

Checking in
Please ensure that you check in at least 2 to 2.5 hours prior to departure. Check-in desks are now open 2½ to 3 hours prior to departure times in busy or peak periods. Remember to allow enough time for parking and any airport shuttles.

Baggage Allowance
The weight limit is generally 20 – 25 kilos per person. Please check direct with the airline for any changes in allowance, any information that we provide is intended as a guide only

Ski and Board Carriage
Skis and boards may be charged at a rate which is from £19 to £30 return and/or subject to the airline’s surplus baggage policy. A £5 charge will also have to be met in order to secure your skis and boards on the coach or minibus transfer. This is due to the extra costs involved in handling, and to cover for extras such as racks and trailers if they are necessary, but there will be no refunds if racks and trailers are not used. Please pre book your ski or board carriage with us by filling in the relevant sections of our booking form. It must be our guest’s responsibility to book their own ski carriage.

Safe Transit
We cannot make any guarantees for the safe transit of luggage, and guests must have suitable insurance in place, to cover any damages potentially caused to skis and luggage in transit.

Self Booking Flights
Remember that if you book your own flights then you will need a transfer and ours cost £30-40 p/person each way (£60-80 rtn).

Airport procedure
We have a representative only at Gatwick airport for guests using our Alpine Elements charter flights. Otherwise a representative is not available. However all guests are met in Geneve by our company representatives on arrival and before being transferred back to resort on a private transfer with all luggage (including skis and boards).

It is our clients’ responsibility to ensure that they make their outbound flight departure from the UK and so we ask you to be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure. (3 hours in peak periods). If you fail to check in on time then the airline may refuse to allow you to board the flight. Please inform our French office as soon as possible if you have missed your flights, (tel 0033 450 53 29 17).

If you arrive at Geneve airport and you cannot find one of our reps (who are usually waiting to greet you on arrival) then this may mean the coach is delayed or stuck in traffic. Do not despair, please just wait in the restaurant at the end of the arrival lounge building and our reps will come and find you!

Connecting Flights
Please understand that flight times / schedules printed (charter) and given at the time of booking (ad-hoc & charter) are not cleared and bookings cannot be accepted conditional on timings. Clients with inward or outward connections should allow plenty of time in the event of a schedule change or flight delay. We strongly recommend that tickets on a fully flexible basis to accommodate any unforeseen delays.

Tunnel or Ferry
You may deduct £100 per person from our published holiday prices for using the Channel Tunnel or Ferry,  and £150 off for peak weeks, (Dec 30, Feb 10,17,Apr 23).

For booking the Tunnel or Ferry through us then simply deduct £100 or £150 pp to our published chalet prices and add on the appropriate supplement below which is for a car and up to 9 passengers.

Snowtrain
For booking the Snowtrain through us, then please add on the per person supplements (chart below) to our main “flight inclusive” chalet prices as shown within this brochure.

We offer a Saturday night Snowtrain service to arrive Sunday morning and will allow skiers an extra day on the mountain, (subject to no travel delays). The return is the following Saturday night. This will mean 6 nights in resort, but still 7 days skiing which is one more day to the standard 6 days in a weekly holiday. Again this is subject to travel times, method of transfer and no delays. We do not offer discounts on our standard chalet prices for the 7th night not taken in the chalet.

An extra transfer cost of £35pp (£70 rtn) will apply for the Snowtrain. Otherwise clients may research their own forms of transfer.

Airport Dec16,Jan6,13,
Apr13 		Dec23,30,Feb10,17
Mar23,30 		Jan20,27,Feb3,24,
Mar2,9,16,Ap6 
Ferry (Dover)£79/car£119/car£98/car
Ferry (Hull) £79/car£119/car£98/car
Tunnel£99/car£139/car £125/car
Snowtrain  £45p/p £65p/p£55p/p 
Birmingham£42£60£48
Edin/Glas £52 £68 £58 
These supplements are a guide & subject to availability
FERRY is for a CAR & UP TO 9 PASSENGERS (RTN TRIP)
*Hull is for a car and 2 passengers. Additional passengers are £15pp
SNOWTRAIN times are Saturday evening out & back (We are a Sun/Sun operator)
SNOWTRAIN prices are per person

 
 
Book your holiday now by calling the Alpine Elements team on: 08700 111360