10 years
Here at Whiterides we are very proud to announce that we will be celebrating 10 years of business this coming winter season.
Where it all started
Whiterides was started in November 2009 with the first winter of business being the 2009-2010 season. As we now head towards the 2019-2020 season we are proud to reach the milestone of 10 years in our business.
Whiterides was started by myself, Dan Barnett. I did my first winter season in 2003-2004 in Peisey Nancroix, Les Arcs, working for Pleisure Holidays as a chalet host, snowboard guide and driver.
Being an HGV driver in the UK and having a passion for driving this was a roll I adapted to very easily.
After working several seasons for Pleisure Holidays (and not getting any younger) it was time to make a decision. Either return to the UK and work as a HGV driver or give it a shot here in France and set-up my own business.
The decision was easy and the idea of Whiterides Airport Transfers was born whilst on a year out travelling round Asia and New Zealand.
Once back from travelling I decided to do one more season before taking the plunge and setting up Whiterides.
On that season I was unfortunate to have a severe snowboarding accident which left me with a broken back and in a body cast for 3 months.
This was of course not great; however, this was what gave me the drive and time to get started on my idea of Whiterides. As I could only stand or lie down, I took this opportunity to start a home study course to gain the qualification needed, the CPC (certificate of professional competence), which was required to obtain an operator’s transport licence.
After 3 months of studying and with the removal of my body cast, I was back on my feet. A month later I took the test to gain my CPC and passed with flying colours.
With some great help from my previous boss at Pleisure holidays Whiterides was no longer just an idea but a reality.
When I started it was just me and 1 minibus and over the last 10 years I have steadily grown the business and we now have a total of 16 great staff and a fleet of 14 minibuses on the road.
At first Whiterides was a seasonal business operating in the winter months only and I would return to the UK to work as an HGV driver in the summer months.
After a few years my partner and I made the decision to move to France full time and run Whiterides as an all year-round business.
Winter is the busiest time of year for us but we have transfers all year round, with the summer months getting busier each year.
Our Services
Whiterides Airport Transfers provide the following services. Private Transfers, Shared Transfers, Resort to Resort Transfers, Road Cycling Transfers, Mountain Bike Transfers, Mountain bike up-lifts, Road Cycling Support.
Private Transfers –
We offer a professional, private, door to door transfer service, 24 hrs a day/365 days a year. A private transfers means it will be just your party travelling in the minibus at the times you require.
On one of our private transfers you will be personally greeted by one of our drivers, in the airport arrivals hall, who will be holding a sign board with you name on it.
Once you are ready to go your driver will help you with your luggage and take you to your minibus.
You will then be driven directly to your accommodation and dropped off at the front door of your hotel or chalet in resort.
Shared Transfers –
On occasions we run a shared transfer service. On one of our shared transfers you will be given a rough time of collection from your Hotel or airport, depending on our schedule. This can sometimes change depending on the number of clients that book.
A shared transfer is shared with other clients up to a maximum of 8 people. You may find that the transfer is not directly to you requested destination but via several drop off points on route.
You can find our shared transfer availability here
We currently need a minimum of 2 people to run a shared transfer
Resort to Resort Transfers –
If you require a transfer from one resort to another Whiterides can help you with this service. Please email us directly for a quotation - [email protected]
Road Cycling Transfers / Mountain Bike Transfers –
If you are travelling with a road bike or mountain bike Whiterides offer bicycle carriage at no extra cost.
We can accommodate up to 5 people and 5 bike boxes in one of our minibuses. For 6 people and up we will provide a trailer to carry the bikes and this means we can carry a maximum of 8 people and 8 bikes.
Mountain Bikes Up-lifts –
Whiterides offer a self-guided mountain bike up-lift service from May to September. With our minibus and up-lift trailer we will shuttle you to the top of mountain and provide you with directions and a map of the trail you will be riding. You will then meet the driver at the bottom ready to go to the next trail. If you wish to do a day trip to another resort we can arrange this as well (Watch out for our MTB up-lift page on our site soon)
Road Cycling Support –
Whiterides can offer road cycling support. If you are group of cyclists climbing the cols in our local area then we can provide a minibus support vehicle with a road bike specific trailer. Whether you need supplies or spares to be carried or just shelter from bad weather it can be a great bonus to have a support vehicle and driver on hand. (Watch out for our Road Cycling support page on our site soon)
What’s Next for Whiterides –
We have just moved into our new premises, a garage and head office, which is very exciting for us and again this year we will be adding some new minibuses to our fleet.
We will continue to offer the great service we offer now, but we believe there is always room for improvement and growth.
For the summer months we will be focusing more on the Road Cycling Support and Mountain Bike Up-lifts alongside our regular transfer services, so watch this space.
We have some new partners for this coming winter offering great discounts to our clients, so make sure you keep reading our blogs to benefit from these offers.
Lastly a big thank you to all our returning clients for your loyalty and continued use of Whiterides over the past 10 years. We hope to see you again this coming winter season!
Whether you are an existing client or new to Whiterides our team are ready and waiting to help you with your transfers.
See you on the slopes.
Owner/ Founder Dan Barnett