The Journey - What to Expect
The Snow Express is a weekly coach service travelling from the UK to more than 40 French Alpine Ski destinations. There are two pick up points in the UK; London and Folkestone.
The Snow Express coach departs from London Colonnades Coach Station (also known as Green Line Coach Station) on Friday evening, Normally the coach departs London at 18:00, however this time can vary on special occasions/routes, so always check the information provided when booking and on your e-ticket. We advise passengers to arrive at the coach station approximately one hour before the departure time. The coaches are boarded in resort order, to ensure the luggage is easily accessible on arrival in resort. Whilst there are no seat reservations for London passengers, we do give priority to those travelling with small children and we always try to ensure passengers are sat with friends. The second pick-up takes place at Folkestone Stop 24 services. Seats will be reserved for Folkestone passengers, so they can also be seated with travelling partners. Folkestone passengers are also expected to arrive in ample time before departure to avoid any unnecessary delays. There will be a member of Staff in London Victoria to keep passengers informed and assist with a smooth departure.
The next stop after Folkestone is Dover where the Ferry to Calais is located. The Snow Express service takes the Ferry as this allows the passengers an opportunity to exit the coach, get a hot meal or snack, stretch their legs and use the facilities. Normally the Ferry crossing is 1.5 hours, usually departing between 22:00 and 23:00 and arriving in Calais, France at 01:00 local time. The coach will arrive in Dover about an hour before the Ferry boards to carry out ferry check-in, Port Security and immigration checks.
Upon arrival in Calais the passengers will board the coach and prepare for quiet time and sleep as the coach makes its way through France to the Alps region. The lights will be turned off and noise kept to a very minimum to allow everyone the opportunity to sleep. The drivers will change during the journey, however this will be done quietly and swiftly so not to disturb sleeping passengers.
The next comfort stop will take place at a service area around 08:30, as the coach begins to approach the Alpine region. This stop will be for approx 45min to 1 hour to allow passengers to stretch legs and get some fresh air, use the toilets and get breakfast and snacks for the remainder of the journey.
The coach will continue for approximately 1.5 hours before the first drop off takes place. Depending on the service and the route the coach will continue onto the final destination dropping off passengers at stops en-route between 11:00 and 15:00hrs.