I’ve taken the train to the Alps and driven by electric car, but this winter I’m trying a new way of going skiing that should also be low carbon and also a lot of fun!
In March, my family and another from Brighton will be driving to Les 2 Alpes in one of ‘Vans For Bands’ Next Gen Luxury Splitter minivans.
Travel Like a Rock Star
There’s a clue in the name, but these vans have been designed for bands who are travelling long distances on tour.
The focus is on storage space and comfort. Their fleet is made up of 72-plate Euro 6 Mercedes Sprinter vans, specially adapted to seat up to nine people in comfort.
Because they’ve been designed to carry bands and all their equipment around, there is plenty of luggage and passenger space.
That means the kids don’t have to be jammed into the back of the car for hours on end, with ski kit packed in around them.
Cost Saving
And because two families are travelling in a single vehicle, it means we can share Eurotunnel, peage and petrol costs.
Even taking into account the higher costs of a longer vehicle, both families will end up saving money, plus we won’t be putting the extra mileage onto our own cars.
On top of that, we’ll have four adults to share the driving, which will make the long journey so much easier.
The rear seats are super-luxurious, with two banks of three, a table between for card games, and 23″ TV screens pre-loaded with movies and seasons of the latest TV shows.
How much does it cost?
Standard rates are £200 per day, including snow tyres, snow chains and European breakdown cover.
However, if you quote ‘Ski Flight Free’ when you book, they will reduce that to £100 per day for travel between Friday 15 December 2023 and Monday 19 February 2024 for the first five people to book.
Even after that, they’ll reduce the rate for those dates to £140 per day when you quote ‘Ski Flight Free’
Although pick-ups and drop-offs are from their base in Oxford site, they can deliver to and collect from any address in the UK for an addition fee.
What about the carbon cost?
I’ll have a better idea of the mileage per litre after the journey, but based on available data, I expect the total CO2e amount for the return journey to be around 900kg, so around 100kg/CO2 per person.
According to research by Protect Our Winters that compares to 500kg/CO2 per person if you chose to fly.
It also comes out much better than driving with three people in a regular car, which generates around three times as many emissions.
Ultimately if you really want to bring the carbon footprint of your journey down, travelling in an electric car or by train will have the biggest impact, but I’m pretty sure travelling like a rock star will be more fun!
How do I book?
Simply contact the Vans For Bands team via their website. The booking deposit payment is only 15% with the remaining 85% payable before collection.
Even better, your booking is fully refundable, as long as you give five days’ notice.
