Eurostar runs a 'snow train' to the French Alps throughout the winter enabling skiers and snowboarders to take a flight-free route to the slopes in less than 8 hours from London.
The good news is that in addition to the usual (generous) luggage allowance on Eurostar (ie up to two bags), you can take on board all your ski luggage (skis, snowboards, boots) for free!
The journey from London to Bourg-Saint-Maurice takes just under 8 hours and the return journey is just under 9 hours.
It's the fast, convenient, greener way to some of the best French ski resorts in the Alps.
Where does it go? The Snow Train whizzes straight from London St Pancras through the channel tunnel to Lille (the station is called Lille Europe), where you have a short turnaround (about 30 minutes), crossing the (usually adjacent) platform within the same station to change trains and catch the onward Eurostar service to the heart of the Tarentaise Valley in the French Alps. The onward train stops at Chambéry, Albertville, Moûtiers (the station's full name is 'Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-Les-Bains'), Aime-la-Plagne, and finally Bourg-Saint-Maurice where you can take the 10-minute electric funicular ride up to Les Arcs (Europe's first B Corp ski resort) or take bus transfers to Tignes and Val d'Isere.
Which resorts can I get to? See the map below for those resorts that are easily reachable by bus or funicular railway from the main Snow Train railway stations (ie. Moûtiers, Aime-la-Plagne, and Bourg-Saint-Maurice):
Transfers to ski resorts
Altibus provide transfers from all these stations to the most popular resorts. NB. buying tickets online via Altibus is cheaper than at the station. Tickets and timetables are available at www.altibus.com. NB. You can take the funicular from Bourg Saint Maurice up to Les Arcs for free if you show the person at the ticket gate your Snow Train ticket.
How does it work? The service departs from London St Pancras International Railway Station every Saturday throughout the winter season, from 21st December to 1st March, at 9.01am, arriving at Bourg Saint Maurice at 5.45pm, and returns every Sunday from 29th December and 2 March, departing Bourg Saint Maurice at 8.09am and arriving at London St Pancras at 3.57pm.
Don't forget, on your way home, when you arrive at Lille Europe for final train to London you’ll need to go through border control and security before you board the Eurostar train.
As the snow train returns on the Sunday, you can fit in an extra days' skiing at the end of the week on the relatively quieter Saturday changeover day (while those flying home will have most likely have already left the resort).
Baggage Allowances One of the major attractions of the Eurostar Snow Train is the extended baggage allowance, with no weight restrictions. Each passenger can now take an extra item of luggage on top of the standard 2 cases measuring up to 85cm at their longest length, plus one item of hand luggage. Eurostar have also set aside an area in each carriage dedicated to stowing your large luggage, so you can keep your expensive skis or snowboard close at hand.
Check-in Eurostar recommend that you arrive 60 minutes prior to the Snow Train's scheduled departure time . Just the time necessary to walk to your platform, stow your luggage, and crack open a bottle of French wine to get your holiday underway. Which brings us on to...
Food and drink on board There are several options for dining on the Snow Train. If you opt for a 1st class ticket (Eurostar Plus) you can expect a light breakfast, along with drinks, served in your carriage on the Eurostar leg of the journey and also a light lunch on the Lille to Bourg Saint Maurice leg. For those with standard tickets, food is not provided at your seat, but there's a bar-buffet carriage, where you can buy a range of hot and cold meals, as well as snacks and drinks. You can, of course, also take your own food and drink on board, and unlike airlines, Eurostar doesn’t limit the volume of liquids you can carry, so you can take bottles of wine and bubbly.
Fares Adult fares start at £99 each way in second class or £149 in 1st class. There are no hidden extras, only the cost of bus or taxi, from whichever railway station you get off at to your ski resort. You can take the funicular from Bourg Saint Maurice up to Les Arcs for free if you show the person at the ticket gate your Snow Train ticket.
Tickets provided by Trainline, which does charge a small booking fee, but offers several useful facilities, such as a free email alert service to let you know as soon as bookings open so you can snap up the cheapest tickets when they become available.
Arrival times and hotel check-in Bus and taxi journeys from the stations to the resorts take between 30 minutes and a maximum of 2 hours, depending on your resort and the weather conditions (the funicular trip from Bourge St Maurice to Les Arcs takes just 7 minutes).
Bon Voyage!
Comments