By Train from London to French Ski Slopes

Eurostar and TGV Trains from England to Alpine Winter Sport Resorts

Sep 29, 2009

British skiers can take the Eurostar ski train directly to the best French ski resorts or change in Paris to fast TGV or Corail overnight trains heading for the Alps.

Trains offer a great alternative to low-cost budget airlines when traveling from London and southern England to the ski slopes of Alpine winter sport resorts in France. On weekends, Eurostar ski trains go directly from London to Moûtiers, Aime La Plagne and Bourg St Maurice in the French Alps. During the week, skiers can transfer in Paris from regular Eurostar trains to TGV trains, which offer many connections to numerous ski resorts in the French Alps. Corail Lunea overnight trains also offer slow but comfortable services from Paris to the mountains.

Direct Eurostar Ski Trains from London to French Ski Resorts

The fastest and by far the most convenient trains from London to the French Alps are the special Eurostar ski trains. The ski trains run directly from London St Pancras and Ashford International stations to the French Alps. This cut out the need to transfer from the Eurostar’s Paris-Gare du Nord station to other TGV trains and stations in the French capital.

The Eurostar ski trains run only during winter weekends with two trains in each direction. One train in each direction operates during the day allowing for some fantastic scenery and one during the night. The night train is a standard Eurostar train with only the normal seating and no special sleeping berths or couchettes.

TGV Trains from Paris to Alpine Ski Resorts in France

The direct Eurostar ski train is clearly the easiest way to get from London to the ski slopes but many alternative connections are possible via Paris. Skiers can take any regular Eurostar trains from England to Paris and then transfer to fast French TGV trains. In contrast to the Eurostar ski train, these options are available any day and not only over weekends.

Skiers arriving in Paris on Eurostar trains have to transfer from Paris-Gare du Nord station to (usually) Paris-Gare de Lyon. The easiest option is to use RER D suburban train – allow around an hour (plus Eurostar check-in times on the return journey) to complete the transfer. The RER trains can be crowded at the best of times and are best avoided during peak hours especially when carrying skis and bulky luggage.

If possible, change from the Eurostar to a TGV train at Lille in Northern France. The transfer here is much simpler and faster than in Paris but the options and connections available are limited.

Snowbound TGV trains from Paris-Gare de Lyon head to TGV destinations in the Alps including Annecy, Briançon, Bourg St Maurice, Chambéry, Chamonix, Val d'Isère, Morzine, and Grenoble. From these major stations, further local trains or buses run to other ski areas and resorts.

The number of trains heading for the ski slopes increases over winter weekends. Like the Eurostar, all TGV trains require seat reservations.

Overnight Snow Trains from Paris to the French Alps

The direct overnight Eurostar ski trains are regular trains with simple reclining seats but no sleeping berths. Regular overnight trains with sleeping berths and couchettes run from Paris to the Alps on most ski-season weekends.

These overnight Corail Lunea trains depart late night from Paris-Gare d’Austerlitz rather than Gare de Lyon. The train split en route with one section calling at Chambéry, Moutiers-Salins, Aime la Plagne, and Bourg St Maurice while the rest of the train stops at Aix les Bains, Annecy, and St Gervais (with connections available to Chamonix and Mt Blanc).

The popular overnight Rail Europe Snow Trains, which famously sported a disco for those intending to party all the way to the Alpine ski slopes, will not operate in the 2009-2010 season.

For British skiers, especially those not living close to London, cheap flights to the French Alps remain the fastest and often cheapest ways to head to the French ski slopes. However, before booking cheap flights, note that transfer services to winter sport resorts and car rental at especially smaller airports can be limited and shockingly expensive, especially if reservations are made at the last minute.

The copyright of the article By Train from London to French Ski Slopes in France Travel is owned by Henk Bekker. Permission to republish By Train from London to French Ski Slopes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.