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We made it!
Tuesday April 20, 2010 - Email this article to a friend
Some skiers and boarders managed to get home. Others have been able to get out to The Alps. For many though the travel problems caused by the volcano in Iceland have been challenging, to say the least.
It seems to be with a huge sigh of relieve that the holiday company TUI sent PlanetSKI an email today.
"As per 10:00 hrs today (Monday 19 April), all of ski customers (over 2500) who spend their holiday with us in European ski resorts, are back in the UK. This would not have been possible without the help of SeaFrance, King's Ferry coaches as well as Austrian and French coach companies - big 'thank you' to all of them!"
TUI is the parent company of Crystal Ski, Thomson Ski, First Choice Ski, Flexiski. It still has 180 people in North America and it says it is doing its best to look after them until flights resume.
Other PlanetSKI readers have managed to make it back from The Alps.
"We were lucky enough to be out in The Alps with our car so when we drove back at the weekend we had no problems at all," says PlanetSKI reporter Krystyna Chauncey.
"However others were not so lucky and they had to take the train back while others were trying to get on busses and coaches."
Coach companies and cross channel ferries seem to be the main beneficiaries of the air travel problems affecting skiers and snowboarders.
The airport transfer operator Chamexpress.com provides airport transfers between Chamonix, Morzine and Geneva Airport.
Since the Volcano crisis began, the company has been chartering coaches to come out from England to bring back holidaymakers from Chamonix to London-Victoria in the UK.
'It is now a priority to get people back to the UK as people have to get back to families, work and school exams. Many are running short of money, which is why we took the decision to provide this service on a 'not-for-profit' basis," says the owner, Andrew Martin, to the travelmole web site.
A number of coaches left for England on Sunday. Two more coaches will leave Chamonix on Wednesday afternoon, 21st.
A limited number of seats are still available at €120 (£106), including the ferry.
Meanwhile another company, SkiBus UK, is offering travel out to the Alps on Tuesday for a cost of €170 (£150).
The company is heading to the Trois Vallees ski area presumably to bring people back.
The British Association of Snowsports Instructors is currently running many courses in Hintertux, Austria, and although all the trainers have been able to get there, some of the course participants have had problems.
The courses may be extended and now people are worrying if they will be able to get back to the UK once the courses end.
"All courses are scheduled to start as advertised and trainers will be in resort. If your flight has been cancelled and you are not able to get to resort by any other means of transport, arrange to be in resort before Tuesday evening as we will be extending courses to run over Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th but only if required. If you are not going to be in resort for the start of your course due to flight cancellations please e-mail us with your name, the course you are booked onto and when you expect to be in resort," says a statement on the BASI web site.
For a video of the stories about how people have managed to travel across Europe see this video from the BBC.
However one PlanetSKI reader from Wiltshire has told us that the empty skies are a blessing and it is lovely to not to see the vapour trails and hear the noise of the aircrafts overhead.
The PlanetSKI office in the UK is in Putney, under the main Heathrow flightpath, and it is certainly quieter too.
Clear skies over UK at the moment
And over France too
One friend of PlanetSKI who lives near our HQ in Putney is driving with his brother all the way to Portugal to collect their wives and children.
"We had to leave early this morning to drive to south Portugal to rescue the wives and kids. They have been stranded due to the volcano issue! "
Meanwhile holidaymakers with TUI have been contacting the company to thank them for all their help in getting them back to the UK and looking after them during the difficulties.
TUI appears to have done well
"Back safely from French Alps yesterday PM via coach thanks to Crystal Ski - they were really brilliant."
"Re the recent volcano disruption - I would be grateful if you would convey my thanks to all at your company for the excellent service you provided yesterday in repatriating us, in difficult circumstances, back to Gatwick."
"I just wanted to say thank you very much for organising the coach home for us from Tignes on Saturday. We arrived home feeling somewhat exhausted but so thankful that the journey had been organised for us so efficiently and quickly. We will certainly travel with your company again - the reps had been very good in Tignes as well."
"Please pass this to whoever has the 'plan B' to get customers back when planes can't fly. Your arrangements were superb!!!"
If you have had problems getting to or from the mountains do share your experiences with other PlanetSKI readers by answering the comment box below. Thanks!
See this earlier story on the problems caused by the volcanic eruption and our advice if you wanted to ski or snowboard last weekend and were stuck in the UK; go to Scotland!
Have you been able to get back or out to The Alps? How was your journey affected?PlanetSKI reserves the right to edit any comments. In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below.
I have been skiing in Whistler and was visiting friends in Victoria when news reached us and we were told all flights to UK were cancelled. On the plus side we've been in Canada for an extra week. We had already done a week's skiing in Whistler and had amazing conditions and brilliant snow. But now had the opportunity to ski at Mount Washington on Vancouver Island. A much smaller mountain but with some stunning views and lovely April skiing in t-shirts and sunglasses. But we're looking forward to coming home on Thursday. Fingers crossed!
Sarah Vizard, Stuck in Canada
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