BackA big old mess
Have you ever watched the excellent film No Country for Old Men?
One of the best lines comes when the Sheriff and his Deputy arrive at a scene of carnage. There has been a shoot out, and dead bodies lie blooded and strewn on the grass, between cars ridden with bullet holes.
Deputy: “It’s a big old mess ain’t it Sherriff?”
Sherriff: [staring into mid-distance] “Well if it ain’t a mess, it’ll do till the mess gets here...”
When you are trying to find a ski holiday by train, do you ever feel this way?
Because the truth is, finding the information that you need: where you can go to, how you get there, and how to book - can feel like a wild goose chase.
We set up the Snowcarbon site for this reason. Because we prefer travelling to ski resorts by train, and we know how difficult or time-consuming it can be for skiers to find out what their best options are.
We hear from skiers who are very experienced in travelling to ski resorts; from skiers delighted by the journeys, who would never go back to flying; and from those who are considering it for the first time. We sometimes get email from skiers frustrated and confused about their booking options, when trying to book travel on rail company or tour operator websites and not seeming able to find the train tickets or packages they seek. We can help each individual, and we certainly try to.
But at the same time, we are constantly working and developing things to make train options to ski resorts easier to understand and to book. We are working with tour operators and train companies to help make this happen. We want to address the causes, not just solve the day-to-day symptoms of a system that is over-complicated.
More and more, we are reporting on these issues and developments, so you can get a clearer picture of the situation and what needs to happen to make it easier to travel and book to ski resorts by train, and what your best options are in the meantime. These reports and guides will appear on Snowcarbon and be useful for skiers and the industry.
So if you are every confused or frustrated trying to book, we would say:
- Don’t feel stupid. It isn’t always that simple and some things can’t be booked easily – or at all – online.
- Don’t spend hours getting frustrated looking for options online. Pick up the phone. Call the tour operator or the rail company booking line, internet help centre, and if you find yourself still stuck or confused, contact Daniel at Snowcarbon. He can probably help.
- Spread the word about Snowcarbon – the more people know about us the more we can help make things easier for skier to reach ski resorts by train.
After all, should having an enjoyable journey by train to a great ski resort really be such a mess? What would the Sherriff have to say about it?