The life of a transfer driver in the French Alps
Have you ever wondered what its like to be a transfer driver in the French Alps during a winter season doing airport transfers?
Ever thought of doing it yourself?
We asked Whiterides transfer drivers a few questions to give you more of an insight into the life of a transfer driver in the beautiful French Alps, an amazing part of the world.
Here are the answers of our transfer drivers:
- What do you most enjoy about the job?
Cori (2nd season with Whiterides):
Living in the mountains is great, seeing Amazing scenery and meeting new people every day. I also love driving so that is a Bonus !
- Is there anything you do not like about the job?
Adam (3rd season with Whiteirdes):
There is nothing I don’t like about the job but I suppose if I have to say something then it would be when it's busy, I work long hours and sometimes have very early starts, but this is rewarded with plenty of time on the slopes during the week.
- How do you find driving in the snowy conditions?
Gavin (1st season with Whiterides):
For me this is easy as I have previous snow driving experience so I enjoy it because it is more of a challenge and it keeps the day exciting. All the vans are equipped with excellent, brand new snow tyres each season which will get us to most places we need to go in the snow. We also carry chains in the van for when we really get stuck. We all have snow driving training at the start of the season which is a great help.
- What questions do you find you are most often asked by your clients?
John (1st season with Whiterides):
The ski conditions - often they want to know what the snow is like and why wouldn't they this is why they come here !
Also I often get "What is your real job?" and "What do you do in the summer?" as drivers we come from all different walks of life so we all got a good storey to tell.
- Do you find a good balance of work vs. play doing this type of seasonal work?
Toby: (1st season with Whiterides):
Yes. The perks of early starts mean that I am often finished work in time to get a few hours in on the slopes. Personally, I think this is the best seasonal job to have as we work very hard and are busy over the weekends but get ample time off during the week to go skiing and enjoy the mountain life style.
- Have you found yourself in any strange situations?
Steph (1st season with Whiterides): I waited for a pickup at the airport for about two hours, with no sign of the clients. The office finally reached them, only to find out that they had gotten into someone else’s transfer van and gone off to resort!
Not sure what happen there!
- Have you ever transferred any famous people?
Matt (1st season with Whiterides):
This season a few of us drove for MTV when Geordie Shore was filming in Tignes.
One night I was dropping them off at a nightclub and, in the midst of all of the paparazzi buzz, I ended up with my face on the Daily Mail and Sun websites!
- What is your favourite airport / resort to drive to?
Shak: (3rd season with Whiterides):
I like Chambery on a good day as it is quite small and can be easy compared to some of the larger airports, just a bit more relaxed Also, if you have time to wait, there is a lake just around the corner. Especially good in the summer! My favourite resort has got to be Les Arcs. Out of all the resorts, Les Arcs has so much to offer.
- What are some perks of the job?
Ben (2nd season with Whiterides):
For me it is getting to spend the season snowboarding and being in the mountains, meeting people, and essentially being my own boss when you’re out on the road. Also clients often leave us great food or drink tips And the tips can be really decent sometimes too !
We’d like to thank our drivers for taking the time to be a part of our Q&A’S and we hope this gives you a little bit of an insight into the life as a transfer driver.
These guys put in so much time and effort to deliver a quality service to our clients; we are really happy to see that, even though these guys all work really hard , they all really enjoy their job and love doing seasons, after all that’s what they’re here for right !
Fancy doing a season as a transfer driver?
Check out our jobs page for winter 2017 -18.